Summarizing and Note Taking

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Summarizing and Note Taking

• Classroom Instruction That Works
• McREL Research

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Outcomes

• Be aware of how powerful and complex these
  strategies are
• Be able to identify these strategies in the
  classroom
• Be able to experience, review, and explore uses
  of the strategies

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Research Data
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Summarizing
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Recommendations for Classroom Practice

• Teach students the rule-based summarizing
  strategy
• Use summary frames
• Teach students reciprocal teaching and the
  group-enhanced summary

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Rule-Based Summarizing

• Delete trivial material that is unnecessary to
  understanding.
• Delete redundant material.
• Substitute super-ordinate terms for more specific
  terms (e.g., use fish for rainbow trout, salmon,
  and halibut).
• Select a topic sentence, or invent one if it is
  missing.

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Summary Frames

• A summary frame is a series of questions designed
  to highlight the important elements of specific
  patterns found in text. Teachers build a summary
  frame around the pattern of the text students are
  reading, creating a set of questions that will
  guide students in their reading. Once the
  questions are completed, students use the
  information in the questions to complete a
  summary of the text passage.

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Types of Summary Frames

• Narrative or story
• Topic-restriction-illustration (T-R-I)
• Definition
• Argumentation
• Problem or solution
• Conversation

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The Narrative or Story Pattern

• Stories and other narratives commonly include
• Characters the characteristics of the main
  characters in the story.
• Setting the time, place, and context in which
  the story took place.
• Initiating event the impetus that starts the
  action rolling in the story.
• Internal response how the main characters react
  emotionally to the initiating event.
• Goal what the main characters decide to do as a
  reaction to the initiating event (sometimes this
  is the goal they set).
• Consequence how he main characters try to
  accomplish the goal.
• Resolution how the goal turns out.

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The Narrative Frame

• Guiding questions for the narrative or story
  frame
• Characters Who are the main characters? What
  distinguishes them from other characters?
• Setting When and where did the story take place?
  What were the circumstances?
• Initiating event What prompted the action in the
  story?
• Internal response How did the characters express
  their feelings?
• Goal What did the main characters decide to do?
  Did they set a goal? What was it?
• Consequence How did the main characters try to
  accomplish their goals?
• Resolution What were the consequences?
• Elements 3-7 are sometimes repeated to create an
  episode.
• Example Jack and the Beanstalk

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Topic-Restriction-Illustration (T-R-I) Pattern

• Expository texts that fit this pattern commonly
  include
• Topic a general statement about the topic to be
  discussed
• Restriction statements that limit the
  information in some way
• Illustration statements that exemplify the topic
  or restriction

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Topic-restriction-illustration (T-R-I) Summary
Frames

• Guiding questions for the T-R-I frame
• Topic What is the general statement or topic?
• Restriction What information does the author
  give that narrows or restricts the general
  information or topic?
• Illustration What examples does the author give
  to illustrate the topic or restriction?
• The T-R-I pattern can have several restrictions
  and additional illustrations
• Example Types of mammals

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The Definition Pattern

• Text that follows this pattern typically
  describes a particular concept and identifies
  subordinate concepts. This pattern commonly
  includes

• Term the subject to be defined
• Set the general category to which the term
  belongs
• Gross characteristics those characteristics that
  separate the term from other elements in the set
• Minute differences the different classes of
  objects that fall directly beneath the term

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Definition Summary Frames

• Guiding questions for the definition frame
• Term What is being defined?
• Set To which general category does the term
  belong?
• Gross characteristics What characteristics
  separate the item from other things in the
  general category?
• Minute differences What are some different types
  or classes of the item being defined?
• Example Types of Sonnets

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The Argumentation Pattern

• Texts that fit this pattern attempt to support a
  claim. The argumentation pattern commonly
  includes

• Evidence information that leads to a claim
• Claim the assertion that something is true
  (identify the claim that is the focal point of
  the argument)
• Support example of or explanations for the claim
• Qualifier a restriction on the claim or evidence
  counter to the claim

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Argumentation Summary Frames

• Guiding questions for the argumentation frame
• Evidence What information does the author
  present that leads to a claim?
• Claim What does the author assert is true? What
  basic statement or claim is the focus of the
  information?
• Support What examples or explanations support
  the claim?
• Qualifier What restrictions on the claim or
  evidence counter to the claim are presented?
• Example Lotteries

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Problem or Solution Pattern

• Text that fits this pattern introduces a problem
  and then identifies one or more solution. This
  pattern commonly includes

• Problem a statement of something that has
  happened or might happen that is problematic
• Solution a description of one possible solution
• Solution a description of another possible
  solution
• Solution a description of another possible
  solution
• Solution identification of the solution with the
  greatest chance of success

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Problem or Solution Summary Frames

• Guiding questions for the problem or solution
  frame
• Problem What is the problem?
• Solution What is a possible solution?
• Solution What is another possible solution?
• Solution What is another possible solution?
• Solution Which solution has the greatest chance
  of succeeding?
• Example Fossil Fuels

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Conversation Frame Pattern

• Conversations commonly include
• Greeting some acknowledgement that the parties
  have not seen each other for a while
• Inquiry a question about some general or
  specific topic
• Discussion an elaboration of analysis of the
  topic. Commonly included in the discussion are
  one or more of the following
• Assertions statements of facts by the speaker
• Requests statement that solicit actions from the
  listener
• Promises statements that assert that the speaker
  will perform certain actions
• Demands statements that identify specific
  actions to be taken by the listener
• Threats statements that identify specific
  consequences to the listener if commands are not
  followed
• Congratulations statements that indicate the
  value the speaker places on something done by the
  listener
• Conclusion the conversation ends in some way

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Conversation Summary Frames

• Guiding questions for the problem conversation
  frame
• Greeting How did the members of the conversation
  greet each other?
• Inquiry What question or topic was insinuated,
  revealed, or referred to?
• Discussion How did the conversation progress?
• Assertions Did either person state facts?
• Requests Did either person make a request of the
  other?
• Promises Did either person make a promise to
  perform a certain action?
• Demands Did either person demand a specific
  action of the other?
• Threats Did either person threaten specific
  consequences if the demand was not met?
• Congratulations Did either person indicate that
  he valued something that the other had done?
• Conclusion How did the conversation conclude?
• Example Any from literature

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Reciprocal Teaching and the Group-enhanced Summary

• Summarizing After a passage has been read, ask a
  single student to summarize, allowing others to
  add
• Questioning Student leader asks questions of the
  class
• Clarifying Student leader points out confusing
  parts/points of passage and/or solicits responses
  from other students
• Predicting Student leader asks for predictions

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Summarizing Rubric

• 4 The student identifies the main pattern
  running through the information along with minor
  patterns.
• 3 The student identifies the main pattern
  running through the information.
• 2 The student addresses some of the features of
  the main pattern running through the information,
  but excludes some critical aspects.
• 1 The student does not address the main pattern
  running through the information.
• 0 Not enough information to make a judgment.

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Note Taking
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Recommendations for Classroom Practice

• Teach students a variety of note-taking formats
• Give students teacher prepared notes
• Remind students to review their notes (or require
  it!)

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Note-taking Formats

• Informal outline
• Web
• Combination (informal/graphic)
• Two/three column
• Cornell Notes

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Cornell Notes

• Getting your paper ready
• Divide your paper lengthwise into two columns
  left 2 ½ , right 6
• Label column on left Cues/Questions and column
  on right Notetaking
• Leave 2 on bottom for summary

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Cornell Notes

• Record During the lecture, use the note-taking
  column to record the lecture using telegraphic
  sentences.
• Questions As soon after class as possible,
  formulate questions based on the notes in the
  right-hand column. Writing questions helps to
  clarify meanings, reveal relationships, establish
  continuity, and strengthen memory. Also, the
  writing of questions sets up a perfect stage for
  exam studying later.
• Recite Cover the note-taking column with a sheet
  of paper. Then, looking at the questions or
  cue-words in the question and cue column only,
  say aloud, in your own words, the answers to the
  questions, facts, or ideas indicated by the
  cue-words.
• Reflect Reflect on the material by asking
  yourself questions, for example Whats the
  significance of these facts? What principle are
  they based on? How can I apply them? How do they
  fit in with what I already know? Whats beyond
  them?
• Review Spend at least ten minutes every week
  reviewing all your previous notes. If you do,
  youll retain a great deal for current use, as
  well as, for the exam.

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Note-Taking Rubric

• 4 The students notes contain the relevant
  information presented in the learning experience
  and are organized in a way that captures the main
  ideas and any important supporting ideas. In
  addition, the format of the students notes makes
  it easy to see relationships among the
  information.
• 3 The students notes contain the relevant
  information presented in the learning experience
  and are organized in a way that captures the main
  ideas and any important supporting ideas.
• 2 The students notes are missing some important
  information or are not organized in a way that
  captures the main ideas and important supporting
  ideas.
• 1 The students notes do not contain the
  relevant information presented in the learning
  experience.
• 0 Not enough information to make a judgment.