English Language Arts Grade 9-10
Reading: Informational Text Standard 2
English Language Arts Grade 9-10
Reading: Informational Text Standard 10
English Language Arts Grade 9-10
Writing Standard 10
1 class periods of 45 minutes each
Individual
Thinking & Reasoning
Students use the Cornell notes tool (developed by Walter Pauk from Cornell University) to do close reading of informational text.
Teachers should have a Cornell Notes description sheet, or access to a whiteboard where they can draw the template.
Teacher should have knowledge of what to include on a page of Cornell Notes.
After reading the article and taking notes in the right-hand column, students should write the main ideas and questions about the text. | In this portion of the page, students would record notes from the article. This should include key details, names, dates, facts, statistics, etc. Students may draw images (graphs, charts, illustrations, etc.) if they are helpful in understanding. |
Underneath the notes from the article, students should write a brief summary of the information.
Students will be able to read closely and analyze the key details of what they read. Students will be able to summarize informational text.
The difficulty level of the texts can be differentiated. Struggling students could be given a less complex texts, and more advanced students would receive more complex texts.
Cornell Notes can also be used for taking notes on lectures, videos, and presentations. Cornell Notes would be an excellent close reading strategy for students who are doing research for argumentation.
Informal assessment, such as giving participation points, works well with Cornell Notes. Have students share with the class their main ideas and questions along with their summaries. Teacher can use this as a formative assessment to see that the students understood the most important parts of the informational text.