Cornell Notes

A Tutorial

Why Cornell Notes?

* Cornell notes help students remember and understand the information given in class

* Cornell notes allow students to reflect on what they’ve learned

* Cornell notes are an excellent way to prepare for tests

Step 1: Right-Hand Side

“Eat the broccoli!”

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Step one is simply taking notes.

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Not much mental effort is given and if the process ends here, very little is remembered or learned.

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Eat the broccoli!

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Take notes!

Step 2: Left-Hand Side

“Digest!”

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Step two is making sense of the notes.

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Students should be asking questions, clarifying vocabulary words, and figuring out what the notes mean.

Digest!

Step 3: Summary

“ Vitamins, Minerals & Nutrients” “No poop!”

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Step 3 is writing a 1-3 sentence summary about the notes.

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Students should be able to answer the essential question. This is the most important part of Cornell notes, as this requires critical thinking skills to reflect on the learning that has taken place.

Vitamins, Minerals & Nutrients! (No poop!)

Then what?

* Students have a much higher chance of remembering information by taking notes and then doing something with that information (steps 2 & 3)

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* Reviewing Cornell notes on a regular basis can increase student achievement on assessments