Notetaking-Guide

AP World History: Note-taking References Things to Remember… • Make note-taking a good habit! There’s a lot that you will need to do: find the time in the week that would work best for your schedule, and stay consistent! • Find a good balance: not too much, but not too little! o Don’t re-write the book in your notes- get the big points, ideas, “things to know” o The purpose of notes is to help you review later- you’re saving yourself a lot of extra work and grief when it comes time to review for a test! • Consider using abbreviations for terms that you use frequently—only remember to make a note earlier in your notes as to what they mean! Your Weekly Notes Must Contain… See Notetaking Skills: Outlining Key Due Dates… • Wednesday: notes, flashcards, and short-answer questions are to be done by this day. This work is to be in class for teacher check-off. • Thursday: you should be reviewing your chapter notes, cards, etc. for Friday’s chapter quiz. • Friday: Chapter work is handed in. Absent? You know when things are due—be sure that they are ready to hand in/check off when you return! Textbook Notetaking Guide AP World History History textbooks follow a basic format: thesis, main heading, sub-headings, topic sentences, and main points. Once you develop an understanding of this format, you will be able to pick out the important information easier and more quickly. During the first semester, you will be using the following technique to read and take notes from your Traditions and Encounters textbook. Chapter notes will be due on Fridays. Textbook Reading Steps 1. Browsing Look through the chapter. Read the headings of the chapter, sections, and subsections. Read and look at all of the maps, drawings, paintings, graphs, and charts. Just “look around” at what you will be reading. You may absorb some things, but again, all you really want is a quick glance. Do not read the chapter at this point, just look. 2. Skim-and-Scan Read the opening remarks of the chapter. Read the first paragraphs of each section and sub-section. Find the thesis for the chapter and section. Read the first sentence of every other paragraph. Read the captions to the maps, graphs, etc. That’s all. 3. Careful Reading Now read the chapter from start to finish. Carefully read every sentence and word. Re-read all captions. Be sure to spend time reading the whole chapter. I suggest you do this in one, but not more than two, settings. 4. Skim-and-Scan with Notetaking With pen in hand, skim-and-scan again. Take outline notes with headings matching those in the chapter. Don’t rewrite the book. Take quick notes of things you will need to remember. Jot down page numbers of important paragraphs. You MUST take notes Cornell style, using the attached format. 5. Reminding This is a skim-and-scan technique that uses both the text and your notes. Let the notes remind you what is in the text, referring to the text only when you need to. This is a final check before you study for the exam. Repeating this step will help you study for the weekly quiz and unit exam. Only use the text during the first session, after that your notes alone should suffice. Recommended Weekly Schedule Friday in class: Reading assignment for next week is given. Friday evening: Spend 15 minutes browsing chapter (15-20 minutes). Saturday: Do first skim-and-scan (30-45 minutes) Sunday: Careful reading (1-3 hours) Monday: Skim-and-scan with note-taking (1 hour) Rest of week: Reminding (30-45 minutes per session) Friday: Quiz. Notetaking Skills: Outlining AP World History NUMBER and TITLE of Chapter Skip Lines Chapter Thesis Written across top few lines in your own words Usually found within first few paragraphs of chapter Skip Lines Section Heading Written across next lines, indented to show outline Write main idea of section Bullet list all factual data that supports main idea Skip Lines Sub-section Heading Written across next lines, indented to show outline Write main idea of sub-section Bullet list all factual data that supports main idea Skip Lines Terms and Concepts Word written on left, definition on right Repeat Key Terms in context Add important phrases, new terms, concepts, ideas Skip Lines People and Places Word/Phrase written on left, description on right Describe main importance, significance, connection Skip Lines Short Answer Questions Write questions on left side Use the right section to answer the question using your notes. Notecards You will be making a LOT of flashcards this year. Keep it simple, but also remember to get the required information. A big problem in the past was that people were not writing down the significance of the concept or term. This is vital when reviewing for exams! Also, consider making a “title note card” for each chapter. On the back, make a mini-outline of kings, rulers, dynasties, etc. for quick review. Front of Card (unruled side): • Write the vocabulary term ONLY. Write it big, too! Yellow River Back of Card (ruled side): • • • Key information: who/what/when/where/why Significance of term Might also write textbook page number in upper right-hand corner for add’l reference Aka Huang He p. 110 • Northern river, flows west-east in China. • ~5000 BCE, early agriculture-based societies emerged around it. • Coloring due to loess, fine, powder-like soil that was fertile and easy to dig. “China’s Sorrow:” Flooding of this river brought new loess and silt for farming, but also brought catastrophe to people living there. Short-Answer Questions – Know What You’re Being Asked To Do! You will be asked to answer short-answer questions at the end of each chapter. They are designed to accomplish two things: 1. See how well you synthesize and utilize the information from the chapter 2. Practice writing plausible responses to historical questions (half your exam is essay!) So, be sure that you understand what you’re being asked to do! When you’re being asked to… It means that you should… Analyze Examine, study, scrutinize Assess Consider, gauge, appraise Compare Similar because, alike in these respects, different because Contrast Different because, unalike because Describe Explain, illustrate, tell Discuss Talk about, argue, debate, explain Evaluate Judge, assess, form an opinion about Explain Illustrate, describe, tell Identify Recognize, point out Taken from The Earth and Its People, Third Edition AP Teacher’s Manual, p. 22. Author: Monty Armstrong How Long Should the Responses Be? Aim for a paragraph in length. Use appropriate terms and concepts in your responses. Give your teacher enough information to show how well you understand the concept, that you can put these things together! Also, consider these short answer responses as good reviews for your exams and tests. If you give a vague glossing-over in your response, how helpful is it to study? SPRITE Charts: Definitions and Guiding Questions AP World History It is highly recommended that you have this handout with you while reading the textbook. 1. Social: How does the group relate to one another? How do people communicate? What do people do together? How is the group organized? What are the family and gender relations? Are there social classes? How they live? Are there inequalities? 2. Political: Who is in charge? What is power based on? Who gives that person or group power? Is there a contract? What's the government structure? Are there significant wars, treaties, courts, or laws? 3. Religious: What is the meaning of life? Where did the group come from? What happens when they die? How do they spend their lives? Who talks to god(s)? What are basic beliefs? Are there leaders or documents that define religion? Are there conversations? If so how? 4. Intellectual: Who are the thinkers? What groups are given the chance to learn? How do people learn? Where does knowledge come from? Also look at art, philosophy, math, science, and education. 5. Technological: How do people or societies apply knowledge to solve problems? What kind of innovations occur? What resources do they find or adapt? What new things are created that had not previously existed? 6. Economic: How do people earn their food? Is it based on agriculture, commerce, small trades or professions, or industry, like manufacturing or technology? Where's the money? What are the valued and traded commodities? What technologies or industries define culture? SPRITE Chart AP World History Culture/Civilization: SOCIAL • Family • Gender Relations • Social Classes • Inequalities • Life Styles POLITICAL • Leaders, Elites • State Structure • War • Diplomacy, Treaties • Courts, Laws RELIGIOUS • Holy Books • Beliefs, Teachings • Conversion • Sin/Salvation • Deities INTELLECTUAL , artS • Art, Music • Writing, Literature • Philosophy • Math & Science • Education TECHNOLOGICAL • New Inventions • New Tools, Weapons • Ways to Improve Life • Technical Solutions • Infrastructure (water, roads, etc.) ECONOMIC • Type of System • Technology, Industry • Trade, Commerce • Capital/Money • Types of Businesses Date: NOTES: “SOAPStone”: PRIMARY SOURCE EVALUATION AP World History What to look for: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Speaker Occasion Audience Purpose Subject -tone How to find it: 1. Speaker: Is there someone identified as the speaker? Can you make some assumptions about this person? What class do they come from? What political party? Gender? Can you describe the background of this individual? What is the author’s Point of View (POV); i.e. does the author have any biases or beliefs that affects the document? What prompted the author to write this piece? What event led to its publication or development? Does the speaker identify an audience? What assumptions can you Make about the audience? Is it a mixed racial/gender group? What social class? Political party? Who was the document created for? Are there any words or phrases that are unusual or different? What is the speaker’s mode of delivery? What is the speaker’s purpose? In what ways does he convey this message? How would you perceive the speaker giving this speech? What is the document saying? What is the emotional state of the speaker? How is the speaker trying to spark a reaction in the audience? What words or phrases show the speaker’s tone? How is the document supposed to make you feel? What is the subject of the piece? How do you know this? How has the subject been selected and presented by the author? What is the author’s tone? How is the author perceived by the audience? What is the author’s mood? What is the author’s point-ofview? 2. Occasion: 3. Audience: 4. Purpose: 5. Subject: 6. -tone: Finally, we need to ask the following question: Who haven’t we heard from? What additional information could we use (not necessarily a real document) to better understand the document in question? SOAPStone: Primary Source Evaluation AP World History Speaker Occasion Audience Purpose Subject tone