1 A Tool for Content, Connections, and AssessmentTHE HISTORY NOTEBOOK A Tool for Content, Connections, and Assessment CICERO © 2010
2 Why is Note-taking important?Students synthesize content and have the potential to connect content and prioritize information. Students employ research based strategies and will be ready to formulate their own opinions. Students begin to take ownership of the information. CICERO © 2010
3 Introducing it into your classroom.Develop a format by which students will take notes in your class and model it. Include a process by which students interact with the content via linguistic and non-linguistic means. Linguistic = outlines, summaries. Non-linguistic = Venn diagrams, T-Charts. CICERO © 2010
4 A Basic Note-taking primer:Notes should not be verbatim. Notes should be viewed as a work in progress. Notes should be used as a study guide prior to assessments. Effective notes tend to be more detailed. (A result of initial note-taking and secondary additions) CICERO © 2010
5 So what is a “History Notebook”?CICERO © 2010
6 Before we get to the format, we need to talk about THEMES!The History Notebook is based on a note-taking form called “Cornell notes” and incorporates content, themes, questions and reflections. Before we get to the format, we need to talk about THEMES! Did we invent “Cornell Notes” NO WAY! Did we tweak it to suit our purposes? YES – so if you’d like to do so as well, feel free. Did it help our students and classroom operation? Without a doubt. CICERO © 2010
7 Here are Generic History ThemesPolitical Economic Social Cultural Intellectual Religious Geographic ESP-SPEECH Feel free to modify, add, or delete themes as you see fit CICERO © 2010
8 Other Supplies for the Notebook3- hole Lined Paper. Highlighters or some other color coding mechanism (post-it flags, stickers etc.). 3-ring binder. Is the 3-ring binder ABSOLUTELY necessary? Probably not, but it was always helpful for us and the students. If they missed a day, the content could be put in the order it was delivered. CICERO © 2010
9 Standard Notebook SamplePolitical: These efforts give greater political power to the people Economic: The government is taking a larger role in controlling businesses and trying to ensure equity in competition. Social: Government intervention changes the dynamic of the family and tries to protect and enhance the lives of citizens Themes of progressivism A. Democratizing government 1. Direct primaries 2. Initiative, referendum, recall, and other local actions 3. Direct election of senators B. Regulation of giant corporations 1. Public ownership 2. Trust-busting 3. Regulation of big business C. Social justice 1. Child labor 2. Night work and dangerous occupations 3. Stricter building codes and factory inspection acts 4. Pressure for prohibition The government took a larger role in the economy when we went from the Articles to the Constitution. The political system is corrupt now – did these measures really work I am confused about how public ownership of big business works?? Child Labor is interesting – do you know what it was like for the kids? CICERO © 2010
10 Notebook with WorksheetsThings that are confusing or that I’d like to know more about. THEMES Worksheet or large diagram Trends I detect in themes and/or personal reflection. CICERO © 2010
11 Elementary Start-ups! (Just in case the Notebook isn’t your thing)Get kids to begin clarifying and reflecting with boxes: 1 box can be called a “Doubt Shout” Give students Quarter sheets of paper to place in a box at the very beginning or very end of class that contain questions they have (confusion or things they want to know more about) 1 box can be called a Think Tank This is where students put in their personal reflections. CICERO © 2010
12 Notebook Format LEFT SIDE Themes matched up with corresponding contentDetection of trends AND personal opinions, reflections of the synthesis. RIGHT SIDE Outline, Lecture notes, Content diagrams Things that are confusing AND questions for further exploration CICERO © 2010
13 Notebook Process- Right PageStudents will take notes on the top ¾ of the right-hand page. (in-class or homework. The format can be outline, summary, diagram. At the bottom of the right-hand page, students will make a note of anything that is confusing or anything they wish to know more about. CICERO © 2010
14 Notebook Process – Left PageStudents will indicate the content theme and why it fits with that theme. (top ¾ of page) Students will then color-code the theme. there can be more than one theme. Everything won’t be themed – students should begin to prioritize better throughout the year CICERO © 2010
15 Left Page Process - Part 2At the bottom of the page, students will comment on thematic trends and provide personal reflections. CICERO © 2010
16 How will this help me to assess my students?Open-ended questions can be created broadly to allow students to generate their own opinions based on their reflection and interactions with over-arching themes. As the year progresses, your questions will expand and the students will be able to identify trends and progressions within history. CICERO © 2010
17 How will this help me to assess my students?Open-ended questions can be created broadly to allow students to generate their own opinions based on their reflection and interactions with over-arching themes. As the year progresses, your questions will expand and the students will be able to identify trends and progressions within history. CICERO © 2010
18 Broad-range questioningHow well did the Reconstruction Amendments live up to their intent? Based on your answer, rewrite them in a more effective way. Compare your rewrite with the Civil Rights legislation of the 1960s. Evaluate the effectiveness of Lend-lease and the Marshall Plan in creating a foreign environment in which the United States could thrive. The students can trace the political development of the United States, create their OWN opinion and validate it with content. They may have even commented on that very issue through personal reflection. CICERO © 2010
19 Broad-range questioning cont’d.Which president during the 20th century would you like to have dinner with and why? Which policies would you ask him to justify? CICERO © 2010
20 So what is the next step? Effective writing!One of the greatest challenges for students is to truly generate their own original thought. A true THESIS statement, backed up by rich content knowledge. Hopefully, when students interact with the content and begin to introduce their own personal reflection – this will become easier. CICERO © 2010
21 Do I grade the notebook? Yes – absolutelyGrade while the students are taking tests. Grade on organization and completeness. It is the only chance for students to “make-up” missed work. It gets you away from your desk during the tests. It forces you to circulate around the room. CICERO © 2010
22 Remember: If you find only part of this useful, change it, make it your own.CICERO © 2010