The objective of this unit is to develop students' capacity to take in information and summarise it in note form to help them remember it.

This unit demonstrates a variety of ways for making notes in different contexts: when listening to directions, when listening to a talk, when reading a book. There are activities that help students practise making their own notes.

The activities are introduced with a reminder to students that note-taking is a critical skill in many contexts, both inside and outside school. Contexts for making notes include everyday essentials such as making a shopping list, remembering information when studying, and for planning and organising information when giving a talk or writing a document. Students are encouraged to see note-taking as a valuable and essential activity and they are reminded that no-one has total recall.

The activities start from the simplest form of taking notes (notes as a list of reminders), modelling each stage to show when, for example, to use bullet points, and when to use numbering. Each context is supported with visual examples. Writing notes to remember directions is supplemented with a suggestion about making a sketch, and writing a summary is placed in the context of a lesson, with suggestions of when the summary might be better organised as a table or in a template. Throughout this unit there are plentiful opportunities for students to practise the skills being taught. The activity is made more realistic by the use of audio to simulate a real learning situation and an opportunity for students to compare their notes with a model version.

This activity can be used very successfully in pairs or as a whole-class activity. Once you have finished the unit, remind students whenever there is an appropriate opportunity to take notes and discuss the best format for the task. Make note-taking a valued activity in your lessons.

You may wish to use this unit together with other units in this series such as 'Learn from lessons' and 'Revision' to maximise the learning potential.

Extension

• Give opportunities for students to practise the skills in a variety of contexts. When making a list, prompt them about whether the list should be in bullet points or numbered. Use opportunities presented by the subject you teach to introduce appropriate types of note-taking.
• When students have made notes, ask them to use the notes as part of a homework assignment that requires them to use the notes. Encourage students to swap notes and learn from others.
• Occasionally, check how students are making notes by asking them to organise the material and hand it in. Offer suggestions on how they might improve their note-taking skills.