One Page Summary

International Baccalaureate Biology

You will create a one page summary to represent the information for each unit of the IB Biology class. Summarizing will help you learn to determine essential ideas and consolidate important details that support them. It is a technique that enables you to focus on keywords, phrases and images of the unit that are worth noting and remembering.

One Page Summary Logistics

• The One Page Summary for each unit will be due on the day of the unit quiz.
• The One Page Summary can include tabs, flaps, taped on pictures, sticky notes and/or stickers.
• The One Page Summary will be scored for completion as part of your classwork grade. Periodically, you may be asked to record a short screencast of you explaining your notes. The purpose of the assignment is your learning; you should do the assignment because it will help you learn, not because it’s worth a grade.

• The One Page Summary must be just one page. You can pick between an 8.5X11 page or an 11X17 page.
• The One Page Summary must be handwritten, not typed.

One Page Summary Brick Road Style

One idea per rectangle

Each rectangle as tall and wide as it needs to be

Each rectangle is placed next to once already in place

Each rectangle is filled with either:

• Image and text
• Image only
• Text only
• Digram

One Page Summary

Sketch Note Style

Sketch notes use both words and visuals to represent information.

Sketchnotes don't require high drawing skills, but do require a skill to visually synthesize and summarize via shapes, connectors, and text.

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One Page Summary

Table or Chart Style

Tables and charts can be used to summarize information. The table or chart provides a framework for the organization of graphic and text information.

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One Page Summary

Outline Style

Outlining organizes your notes in a structured, logical form.

Outlines typically have the main topics on the far left of the page and related subtopic in bullet points below using indents.

One Page Summary

Mind Map Style

Mind Maps are often created around a single concept, drawn as an image in the center of a blank page, to which associated representations of ideas such as images, words and parts of words are added. Major ideas are connected directly to the central concept, and other ideas branch out from those major ideas.

One Page Summary

Cornell Style

The Cornell system divides the paper into three sections.

• Notes from the unit are written in the right hand column. Long sentences are avoided; symbols or abbreviations are used instead.
• Relevant questions and/or key words are written in the left hand column.
• A summary or reflection is placed along the bottom of the page.

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One Page Summary

Your Own Style

Play around and find your own style!

Have another idea? Go for it! The examples provided here are not meant to be limiting. There are lots of ways to meet the objective of the assignment ... to create a one-page summary of the information from a unit.

One Page Summary Tips and Tricks

• Less can be more! You don’t need to write everything! Focus on the main ideas and connections.
• A picture is worth a thousand words! Use simple drawings and graphs as much as possible - not only does this save space, but it helps in your longer term learning too!
• Color is cooler! Use color to highlight, group or distinguish ideas.