Reading/Note Taking Skills

Below are some hints for note-taking, organization and reading that can be applied to all of Mr. Joeb's classes.  Asterisks (*) indicate information especially suited to APUSH.

All classes 
Lecture Note Taking

Use “kick in the head” terms
     single words or short phrases that remind you of entire concept  
 Leave lots of space (margins, etc.)
      room to go back for additions (from discussion or related points)
 Questions = ”?”  
      go back later (raised hand) Wait to see if your question is answered in the next bit of the lecture.  If not answered by end, ask then.
 Take notes on discussion
      Much good information comes out during discussion. In Mr. Joeb's classes there is usually more discussion than lecture.
 Organize notes the same day!!
     Quick scribbles lose meaning  
 Compare/coordinate lecture and discussion notes with reading notes (more with reading notes)  

 
Reading Note Taking

APUSH HINTS*

While reading, keep the "soda pop system" in mind.  Look for the "SPRITE" components in all events. e.g. College Board questions may ask for "political implications of 'x' social event."
Social/societal (includes the arts)
Political
Religious/ideological
Intellectual
Technological
Economic
We will use our "breakout" groups in class to compare/expand information.

Organizing Notes*
From your notes, make the following two breakdowns for Court Decisions and Major Legislation.

Thematic index
       e.g. all cases dealing with civil rights, business regulation, etc. BRIEFLY note points (include info about opposition)

Time Line 
     Record cases by name and theme on a time line.  You can refer to your thematic list for details.

All classes 
Reading Notes  
Dictionary, Dictionary, Dictionary!!

Before you begin reading, place a dictionary within easy reach. If you run across a word you don't know, LOOK IT UP!
If you don't know the meaning of the word you probably won't understand the sentence.  If you don't understand the sentence, you won't understand the paragraph.  If you don't understand the paragraph ...

Read the chapter summary or conclusion FIRST. This will give you a "heads up" about some of the important stuff you need to take notes on.  Now you have a better chance of taking good notes as you read.

 DON’T copy verbatim 
      If you can’t put it in your own words, you don’t understand it.  
Use “kick in the head” method when appropriate
     DO USE SQRRR

      Skim ... survey, or "skim," the chapter (section) watching for words and phrases in bold print. If there is not a lot of bold print, you may use topic sentences as your key.  Keep an eye out for proper names as well ...... 
    Question ... Write these down, adding a question mark, thus making them questions.  Skip two to three lines between items (this is where you will later write your notes concerning that item).  Continue to end of chapter and do the same with terms and questions provided by the text publisher.  Stop and read the cut lines on pictures, look at charts, graphs and maps as you go through.
    Read ... Now that you know what you're looking for (questions above) you are ready to begin reading the material.  It is important that you not attempt to short-cut by beginning with the reading step.  Having a "feel" for what is coming later will help you better understand what you read now.  Read and, as you cover the questions you wrote earlier ...
    Recite ... Actually say aloud (or whisper loudly enough to hear yourself) your interpretation of what the item is.  Be certain you can explain it in your own words.  If you cannot, you didn't understand it and should re-read that part.  "Saying and hearing" the information, and being sure you can put it in your own words, helps "filter" it through your brain.  Now, in the spaces you left earlier, write a very brief line or two that will remind you of the whole business.
    Review ... Once you have compiled your notes in this fashion, you can use them to review for upcoming tests and quizzes.  Only if you cannot decipher an earlier note, should you need to go back to the text.

While this may appear to be very time-consuming, in fact it takes very little more time once you are accustomed to it.  The return on the investment of this little more time is worth it.
For those of you who think this is just some "off the wall" idea that will be of no use in a college level course, go to THIS LINK to Cornell University's web site.  Compare this to the systems above and below.  This is worthwhile stuff.

IMPORTANT*
When you finish a chapter or a long section of the reading, write a summary or synopsis.  Use complete sentences.  Note any questions that occurred to you as you read (e.g. If Western disease killed off Indians, why didn’t Indian diseases wipe out the smaller number of Europeans?).

OR.....

SOS 
An alternative to SQRRR is the Summary Of Section system.  Read a section, write what you read about in your own words, then re-read the section to see what, if anything, you missed.  Add this to your summary.

ALL CLASSES
READING SYSTEM HINTS
Stay focused

    Most of us have, from time to time, discovered while we were reading that we had no clue what we were currently looking at.  When this happens most of us go back up a couple of paragraphs and re-read to regain our focus. You can help yourself avoid this through the simple use of an index card as a "marker."
    Use the card to "mark" your place as you read.  Be certain you mark ABOVE the line currently being read.
    Whether this produces a "sub-conscious" recognition that previously read paragraphs are not available, or simply keeps the eye in place I do not know.  What I do know is that it works.
    The illustration below demonstrates the idea.  More information is below the image.

Another tip: You may have noticed that a textbook column is about as wide as the distance between the pupils of your eyes.  There is no reason to focus on each, individual, word as you read.  With practice, you can develop the ability to "see" entire lines of columnar text at one time.  Once able to do this, your reading speed can increase dramatically as you "scan" straight down the columns of print.