Bookmarking = Effective Note-taking

Kate Pascoe

Purpose: The purpose of this minilesson is to teach middle school students a valuable and effective way of taking notes before, during, and after their reading. They can draw inferences before they read a piece of work, write general notes during reading, and formulate conclusions about the reading after reading. It is a great way to engage students as active readers! Students write down what they feel is important while reading or the teacher can have certain questions to be answered about the work. Bookmarking is a note-taking skill that all students should learn and use while reading.

When: This is a great lesson to be taught at the very beginning of the year. Students need an effective way to begin note-taking for all their reading.

Impact: Young adolescents are becoming more abstract thinkers as they grow, and thus need a method of taking notes that supports and nurtures that development. Bookmarking allows students to organize their thoughts, think more in-depth, and comprehend the reading further. This skill promotes advancement in all those areas.

Time: 35 minutes: 15 minutes to read chapter, 15 minutes for bookmarking activity, 5 minutes for conclusion

Materials: Overhead projector, 2 strips of white paper, pencil or pen, The Tiger Rising novel, and a highlighter

Objectives: NCSCS: 6^th grade, 7^th grade, and 8^th grade

Competency Goal 1: The learner will use language to express individual perspectives drawn from personal or related experience.
1.02 Explore expressive materials that are read, heard, and viewed by:

· generating a learning log or journal.

· creating an artistic interpretation that connects self to the work.

Competency Goal 2: The learner will explore and analyze information from a variety of sources.

2.01 Explore informational materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed by:

· restating and summarizing information.

· determining the importance of information.

· making connections to related topics/information.

· drawing inferences.

· generating questions.

Script: Hi class! Today we are going to learn an effective, valuable way to take notes besides the same old, boring method you are use to using. I want everyone to take out the novel we are reading, The Tiger Rising, by Kate DiCamillo, and read chapter five, quietly. As you are reading, highlight anything you find significant, curious, or worthy of remembering. After you highlight, I want you to transfer the thought or quote to your strip of paper. Write it there for later retention and discussion. (Allow students time to read, highlight, and bookmark information.) Students, be sure you highlight and bookmark anything you feel is important; even if it seems miniscule.

Okay, everyone done? Now, does anyone want to share their bookmarking thoughts? (Let students share their bookmarks. Allow everyone to discuss what each student found important. Be sure everyone knows what they wrote was just as important as what the student beside them wrote.) Does anyone feel this is a better way of taking notes? Why do you feel this way? (Hopefully all the students will say yes…it is a better way!) From now on when you are reading text for this class, I want you to use this note-taking skill. It will enhance your critical thinking skills, comprehension, and evoke discussions for our reading. Sometimes I may ask you to answer certain questions on your bookmark paper for class discussions. This is another way to be sure you are understanding and actively involved in the reading.

Follow-up: A great follow-up activity for this minilesson would be to have students create a bookmark with construction paper, decorated just the way they like, and laminated. After each student has finished a book of their choice, they can write important themes, questions, and ideas they formulated from the book. The teacher should display these on the walls of the classroom so everyone can see them. This will motivate students to use the technique, be creative, and encourage them to be insightful when reading text for class purpose or pleasure.