ORGANIZATION:

NOTE TAKING

Week 5 – September 9, 2008

 Cornell-Style
Note Taking
What?
Who?
When?
Why?
How?
Where?
& What Now?
 What?
 “Cornell Notes” is a style of note taking
that was developed and adopted by all
Cornell University professors in order to
hold all students accountable for taking
notes.

 It is also called a “dialectical journal”

entry.
 What?
 “DIALECTICAL” in this case means:
 A formal system of reasoning or thought

 In a “dialectical journal”,
 you not only write down the information
that the teacher is giving or summarize
what you are reading, but you also write
notes TO YOURSELF…comments or
questions on the information you have just
been given or have just read.
 Who?
Who should use Cornell Notes?
 Anyone who wants school to
be interesting should be
taking notes.
 School can be boring when
the information is “over your
head”. The more you
understand, the more you will
end up liking school.
 Who?
 Anyone who does not want to be
poor should take notes. Jobs that
pay well require people to take notes
as a form of quick communication.
 Who?

 Anyone who wants to go to college

should take notes as practice for the
rapid note taking that college
courses require.
 Who?
 Anyone who wants to pass this class
and graduate high school.
 When?
When should one use Cornell Notes?
 Lecture time: Any time a teacher is
 in front of the room speaking,
 presenting a PowerPoint, or
 writing on the board
that information should be taken down.
 Your instructor has taken the time to
write it down, so why shouldn’t you?
 Why?
Why should one use Cornell Notes?

Look at the
example of Cornell
University, who
tried it with more
than 10,000
students…
 Why?
 University professors discovered that
students who took notes did better in
class and understood the material
more.
 Why?
 By unifying the university with one
particular style of taking notes,
students studied using their
 spatial,
Could someone
 linguistic, please tell me what
 kinesthetic, and those are?

 visual intelligences.
That is three intelligences more than most
students apply to class lectures alone.
 Why?
 SPATIAL – “picture smart”

 LINGUISTIC – “word smart”

 KINESTHETIC – “body smart”

 VISUAL – “learn by seeing”

 Why?
 Lastly, using the Cornell style note
taking allows students to ask critical
questions that can later be answered
either through studying or asking the
instructor.
 It’s a “dialectical journal”, remember? You
write your questions down as they pop into
your head, so you won’t forget to ask
about it later!
 How?
How does one take Cornell Notes?
 Take a piece of binder paper and fold it
one inch to the left of the margin.
 The right 2/3 is for
definitions, text info
Notes on
or class lecture this side
notes.
 The left 1/3 of the
paper is for key
terms, concepts, or Questions on
questions. this side
 How?
 Draw a line across the bottom of your paper
at the conclusion of class.
 In the upper right Name:
Date:

corner, place your

Period #:

name, date, period,

and subject.
 The lower section of
last page is to
summarize that
day’s activities Summarize
here!
 Where?
Where should one keep Cornell Notes?

 All class notes should be kept in a

binder, divided by subject tabs.
 More about Dialectical Journal
Entries
Your dialectical journal may include, but is not
limited to:
 Reading notes
 Lecture notes
 Homework
 Daily reflection
 Sectional reflection
 Test review notes
 Vocabulary
 Questions to ask in class
 Notes on oral presentations by classmates
 Journal Entries
How to do it
 Notes on what you’re reading
 Set up a piece of paper to take Cornell notes
 First preview the reading, identifying words
you do not know. Write down the words on
the left side of the paper, and then look up
the meaning. Record the definition with the
word.
 Read the first sentence of each paragraph
so you know where the text is going.
 Journal Entries
How to do it
 Notes on what you’re reading
 Read the complete assigned text as fast as
you can.
 Write one sentence for each paragraph on
the right side of the paper.
 In your own words write one paragraph on
the right side summarizing the reading.
 Then, write any questions you have for your
teacher on the left side next to your notes.
 Ima Student
FOLD US History
10/12/08
Assignment: Read Ch. 2 Section 1
This is how your
p. 104 Par 1: Women did not have
Cornell reading
suffrage the right to vote.
notes might look! Def: the
right to Par 2: Many women led a
vote movement.
Par 3: The Constitution was
p.105 amended.
amended Summary: Many women felt
Def: to
that they needed the right to
change
formally vote. Some felt so strongly
that they fought for years to
win that right. In 1920, the
U.S. Constitution was finally
changed with the 19th
Amendment.
My question:
Once your
Why didn’t
women have teacher answers
the right to your questions,
vote from jot the answers
the here!
beginning?
 Journal Entries
How to do it
 Notes on a lecture
 Set up a piece of paper to take Cornell notes
 On the right side of your paper, note key
terms and details, and sketch any
diagrams or graphs. Write what the
teacher writes or draws on board.
 You do not need to write everything
exactly as written or said. Use symbols
for words. CA for California, @ for at, =
for is, -> for then, etc.
 Journal Entries
How to do it
 Notes on a lecture
 Write out any examples, the main ideas,
and applications.
 On the left side, write down page
numbers from your book that go with the
information, questions you want to ask
later, and words you need to look up.
 Ima Student
FOLD Geometry
9/30/08
Lecture notes: Pythagorean Theorem
What is a Used to find the area of a
theorem? right . Use symbols!

a2 + b2 = c2
Can it be
used with
other kinds a c
of ‘s?

Practice: b

Notes on
3 c 32 + 42 = c2
p.59 of book
9 + 16 = c2
25 = c2
4
√25 = √c
This is how your HOMEWORK!
5=c
Cornell lecture
notes might look! p. 61 1-36 ODD
 Journal Entries
How to do it
 Questions to ask
in class
 If you are unsure of
something, place a “?”
on the left side, by the
spot in your notes.
 Ask the question the
next time you’re in
class, and record the
response.
 What Now?
 TAKING NOTES is the first step to
actual STUDYING.
 The second step is to REWRITE
THEM. Redo some homework
problems to make sure you know
how to do each style of problem.
 The third step is to then REREAD
the notes each weekend to review
the week’s learning.
 A Final Word…
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you
choose.
You're on your own. And you know
what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide
where to go.
Dr. Seuss