Some Notes on Note-taking

Below are some guidelines for students and families for getting sufficient information from your research resources. But first some reflections from me (Andy).

I'm noticing two difficulties in this research work with our students.
First is the difficulty of being able to separate out the ideas from the style of the source material. If the writer is really good with words, or if the writing is filled with really difficult vocabulary, or jargon, then it can be hard to figure out what the important ideas are and how to get them into our own words.
The second difficulty is linked to the first. If we're having difficulty understanding the source material, or analyzing it for important facts, AND it's an internet resource, then it can become a huge temptation to just cut and paste a passage that seems important into our own writing. Changing a word here or there by using the synonym function in Microsoft Word does not alter the fact that the passage we've cut and pasted still follows the sentence and paragraph structure of the original. In other words, we have not completed the transition into our own form of thinking, into our own ideas and voice. Students relying heavily on internet resources should print out the pages they are using from the site and submit them with the notes.

There is a third difficulty, and that is locating our curiosity. Research that is not driven by one's own curiosity is painful. That is why we as guides try to offer as broad a scope of interest and choice as possible within the disciplines that have come down to us in the Adolescent Syllabus. We are still learning how best to establish this. We also want to be clear that we encourage students to negotiate their own forms of expression within the research/project model. Nevertheless, every student has to find their own curiosity by their own process. All we can do in adult support is to try and pay attention and nurture curiosity where we find it. We can attempt to be inspirational, but we cannot expect to be. Inspiration is perhaps more of an internal process than an external agent. As a guide I am reminded daily of Thomas Edison's statement, after another failed experiment, "Now I know another way how not to do it." (Or words to that effect.) Of course, what drove Edison forward was his incredible curiosity and hope. I need to remember that daily as well.

Note-taking when doing historical research:

1. First Reading: Getting the main and most important points from a chapter or article.
a. Write down the title and the author’s name; also the page numbers of the article or chapter.
b. Read the first paragraph (the Introduction) and the last paragraph (the Conclusion).
c. Highlight or underline the Theme Sentence in the first paragraph. Do the same for the last paragraph.
(The Theme, or Topic, or Focus Sentence, is the one sentence that provides the key piece of information in a paragraph. Without this sentence, the paragraph loses its strength, and makes less sense.)
d. In your own words, rephrase the main point of the chapter or article as set forth in the introductory paragraph. Do the same for the concluding paragraph.
(“In your own words” means more than just replacing an adjective or a verb here or there. It’s important to rethink the paragraph or sentence structure as well. Your writing needs to have the structure of your own thinking in it—that’s what gives your writing a unique voice and point of view!)

2. Second Reading: Reading for important details.
Read to answer the following key questions, if appropriate, marking your notes with the question you’re dealing with before making short notes to answer each question (No need to copy whole sentences or try to rephrase every detail at this point.):
a. Who is this about: an individual? And/or a group of people, a nationality, etc.?
b. When did this take place?
c. Where did this take place?
d. What happened? List at least three points of interest that describe the events taking place. (Again, briefly, in your own words.)
e. How did these things happen?
f. Why did these things happen?
g. Why did the author include the information they provided?—Does this author have a particular point of view or bias that you can gather from what they’ve written?

3. Third Reading: Reading for quotes or citations.
a. If there are specific sentences or passages that the author has written that you wish to include in your writing, make sure to put quotation marks around them, and to list the page number in brackets after the quote. (p. 42)
b. Sometimes you have translated an author’s words into your own, but the idea is an original opinion of the author’s. In this case, you need to credit the author with the idea, and again list a page number in brackets.

Outlines and Graphic Organizers

I'd like to recommend a home writing reference for you and your students, in terms of doing Montessori support at home. It's called WriteSource 2000. Some of you may already know it. Clear guidelines plus great examples make it a helpful resource when you're undertaking a lot of different kinds of writing, from letters, to essays, to creative fiction. There's also a great conventions section in the back (spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc.), and an accompanying workbook for practicing those conventions. I have a copy at school if you're interested in perusing it.

For written outlines, and graphic organizing of ideas for reports, there are also several good sites on the web.

Here's a page that shows clearly two basic styles of outline: the Topic and the Sentence outline.
www.fairfield.k12.ct.us/wardehs/cwardehs03/outlining.htm

Note that apart from stating the theme in an outline, the introduction and conclusion are not represented in the outline stage. These are best written when the first draft of the body of the report has been roughed in.
Once you know what your writing is about, an introduction is your best way of hooking the interest of your readers. "Start with a BANG!"
Likewise, the conclusion will be your way of reminding your readers how they need to stay hooked. You want them to carry away with them something they'll remember. "End with a BOOM!"

For some of us, a graphic, or visual, organization of our ideas can be most helpful in designing a report. The first link below offers several more links of templates for graphic organizing.
www.fairfield.k12.ct.us/wardehs/cwardehs03/graphorganizers.htm

This next link, composed of PDF files, is easy to follow and access. Pay particular attention to the three Cluster/Word Web templates.
www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/