Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning

Thinking Notes

K20 Center | Published: September 16th, 2020 by K20 Center

Card

Cover Image

Thinking Notes

This strategy promotes engagement and active reading, allowing students to track what they think about the material as they read.

Thinking Notes

Summary

As students read a selection, they identify main ideas, their favorite part, questions, and something that is unclear or confusing.

Procedure

  1. Distribute an article or written source for students to read.

  2. As students read, have them put a star by the main idea, an exclamation point by their favorite part, a question mark where they aren't sure about something, and multiple question marks where they find something confusing that needs clarification.

  3. (Optional) Have students share their notes with small groups or the whole class.

  4. Students can use these notes for future reference.