Note Taking Mini Lesson

1. POINT or DASH FORM: As you read, condense the information into short points. Remove unnecessary words and ideas, then write down only what you need to remember the details. For example,

Canada's Cree

language of Manitoba Cree derived from the Algonquian linguistic family
Canada's largest native group
inhabited area south of Hudson Bay and James Bay, now Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba
some moved to "buffalo territory" and became Plains Cree
also: Woodland Cree, Swampy Cree

INSTRUCTIONS: Add one or two more details about the Cree people IN POINT FORM. Use the source: "Cree." Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th edition. 2003. In Encyclopedia.com. May 28, 2003. <www.encyclopedia.com/html/c/cree.asp>

2. WEB DIAGRAM: Put the title in the centre of the page and web out the main ideas from the centre, using lines. You should have a line for each paragraph, and each line should have branches. For example,

3. OUTLINES: This is similar to point form except the information the information is organized into categories, according to the paragraphs. Make a heading for each paragraph, and list the information below the heading in point form. For example,

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus)

I. Description

large members of deer family
broad hoofs

II. Behaviour

social animals living in herds
driven by mosquitoes and flies to coastal areas in mid-summer

III. Diet

grasses, sedges, flowering plants, horsetails, leaves of willows in spring
well adapted to winter: reduce food intake and lower metabolic rate
eat lichens in winter

INSTRUCTIONS: Add some details under each subheading from the SOURCE website: "Caribou." May 28, 2003. <www.caribou-caribou.com>

4. STUDY GUIDE: These notes are formed as quiz-like questions and answers. Use who, what, when, where, how, and why as the basis for your questions. Put the questions on the left side of the paper and answers on the right side. This can be folded along the line for a quick review of terms or details. Here's an example:

Where does the name Cree come from?	- French fur traders called the people "Kristineaux," adapted from a name the people called themselves
Who is Douglas Cardinal?	- Cree architect. Designed the Space Science Centre in Edmonton.
Who is George Littlechild?	- Artist; exciting use of colour. Member of the Plains Cree Nation. Bachelor of Fine Arts. - Lives in Vancouver.
Who was Poundmaker?	- Cree Chief who signed Treaty 6 in 1876 and 1881.




INSTRUCTIONS: Add some questions and answers in the Study Guide format. SEE: "Edmonton's Cree Page." Grassroots CyberPal Internet Adventure. Industry Canada. 1997. May 28, 2003. <www.stemnet.nf.ca/cyberpal/>

5. TWO-COLUMN NOTES: This style is similar to the Study Guide format above. The left hand column takes up one-third of the page. Put key words or sub-topics or diagrams in the left-hand column. Put details, information, explanations, etc., in the right hand column. For example,

KEYWORD or SUB-TOPIC	DETAILS
Landscape	- Also called background, setting or context. - Answers Q, "Where is the story located in time, place, culture, and particular people?" - Frames for deep understanding
Physical Landscape	- Geography is about location; brings together many fields of study - Landforms, resources, climate - Human interactions with the physical world
Cultural Landscape	- - -
Personal Landscape	- - -
NOTE: A three-column format allows you to include specific examples or case study information. You can also use the KEYWORD column to include small diagrams to enhance the value of the notes. INSTRUCTIONS: Add three important details about the last two KEYWORDS from the MINI-LESSON on LANDSCAPES

These are all visual representations of information used to retrieve and organize information and to give graphic dimensions to your learning. There are many different examples. You may be familiar with the terms, such as VENN diagram, KWLH Chart, flow chart, and so on. Look at the First Nations Chart to see how an image (in this case, a map) can be integrated with the chart format.