3. Note taking is an important skill to develop.
While you are reading take careful notes.
Focus on your thesis statement.
Organize your thoughts by creating several
main ideas or topic sentences for each
paragraph.
Common knowledge information does not
have to be cited.
Note taking
4. What questions to you have about your
subject
Focus on answering the questions-
Note taking
What?
Why? When?
How? Where?
5. Tools to Use
3 x 5 Note Cards
Web Tools (such as EasyBib or NoodleTools)
Idea/mind mapping strategies
Note taking
8. Quotations
Quotations are original phrases or
passages from a book, article, poem etc.
Use quotes for persuasion or to point out
specific facts
Do not overuse quotes- only 10% of your
paper should include direct quotes.
Note taking
9. Example of a quote:
“…so it goes with Agent Orange, a potent
herbicide used as a defoliant during the
Vietnam War. The U.S. military deployed
almost 20 million gallons (76 millions liters) of
herbicides from 1962 to 1971 [source:
Veterans Administration]. Among these
substances, Agent Orange was the most
used herbicide, around 11 million gallons
(42 million liters) deployed from January
1965 through April 1970.” (Silverman 1-2)
Note taking
10. A paraphrase is…
Your own rendition of essential information
and ideas presented in a new form.
owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/
Note taking
11. 4 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing
1. Reread the original passage until you
understand its full meaning
2. Set the original aside and without looking
at it write a paraphrase
3. Check your original with the paraphrase to
make sure your information is accurate but
do not copy word for word
4. Record the source & page numbers on
your notecard
1. owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/
Note taking
12. Example of paraphrasing
Between 1962 and 1971, US Forces sprayed
nearly 20 million gallons of a toxic herbicide
in Vietnam, more than one half was a
chemical nicknamed “Agent Orange.”
(Silverman 1-2)
Note taking
13. Summarizing
A summary is a short overview written in
your own words.
Includes only the main ideas.
Is shorter than a paraphrase.
Note taking
14. Example of a Summary
Between 1965 and 1970, 11 million gallons of
Agent Orange were sprayed in Vietnam.
Note taking
15. Creating Note Cards
Between 1965 and 1970, 11 million
gallons of Agent Orange were sprayed
in Vietnam.
Agent Orange- History
Silverman,J.; Use of Agent
Orange & It’s Effects,5/09
Pgs.
1-4
Heading
Page
Number
Author,Article or
Book Title & Date
One fact
Note taking
17. Creating an Outline
I. Introduction/Thesis Statement
II. History of Agent Orange
a. Uses / time period
b. Manufacturer
III. Chemical Warfare/Vietnam
a. Decision
b. Usage
IV. Effects
a. Human life
b. Environment
V. Debate
VI. Conclusion
Note taking
18. Final Draft
Write, Reflect, Revise
Write again, Reflect again, Revise again
Note taking
19. Bibliography
Bentley, Nancy. Don't Be a Copycat!: Write a Great Report without
Plagiarizing. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Elementary, 2008. Print.
Gaines, Ann. Ace Your Research Paper. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2009.
Print.
"Purdue OWL: Paraphrase Exercises." Purdue University Online Writing Lab
(OWL). Web. 07 Feb. 2012.
<http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/>.
Revisions. Digital image. Click Biology.com. 2 Apr. 2010. Web. 11 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.clickbiology.com/advice-year-11s-revise/>.
Silverman, Jacob. "How Agent Orange Worked" 04 November
2008. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://www.howstuffworks.com/agent-
orange.htm> 11 February 2012.
Terban, Marvin. Ready! Set! Research! New York: Scholastic, 2007. Print.
Note Taking
Hinweis der Redaktion
Note taking is an important skill to develop– focus on your thesis statement (it should not be too broad- give counterpoints/argument)
Ask questions what I want to know? As your research leads you to the answers write them on the legs.
The ladder represents the steps to for note taking- starting with direct quotes (cut & paste), paraphrasing and summarizing the closer you are to the ground the closer you are to the original text.
Quotations are word for word copies (copy and paste) So if you have 100 sentences in your paper only 10 should be direct quotes.
When paraphrasing you must change the vocabulary and the order of ideas. It is a detailed restatement focusing on one topic.
Information that is common knowledge does not need to be cited.
An outline is the framework or skeleton of your paper