Y7-13 Note-taking & Organization

taught in y6

"A mind map is a simple but powerful diagram that outlines your ideas in a visual format. 

Mind maps usually contain a central idea placed in the middle of the diagram, which you can break down and expand on using branches — typically represented by lines. 

What makes [mind maps] so effective? Simply put: the way a mind map is structured mirrors how the human brain works. Every time a piece of information enters your brain, it gets added to a complex neural network made up of central nodes connected by smaller branches.

Unlike note-taking, for example, which requires you to list your thoughts out linearly, mind mapping makes it easy to process your thoughts holistically — just as your brain does. It allows you to identify multiple thoughts at once and instantly draw connections between them, making it ideal for activities like brainstorming and ideation."

("What is a mind map?")

Recommended Mind map tools

Miro

Mindmeister

Coggle

Don’t use: MindMup as many students have reported they lose all their work. 

NoodleTools notecards afford you space to think as you gather facts, opinions, and evidence. Besides giving your notecard a short, descriptive title and identifying the source it comes from, you will work with three primary fields:

• Direct quotation (“A”): Store source material for future reference. Highlight and annotate to ensure close reading.
• Paraphrase or summary (“B”): Explain the source material in your own words. Check your understanding.
• My ideas (“C”): Reflect and engage. Articulate ideas, assumptions and questions. What do I wonder? How does it fit with what I know? How should I follow up?

Use the following headings to organize information on a print or digital page.

• Date
• Title
• Subtitle
• Questions
• Summary

For Chinese, use the following headings to organize information on a print page. 

• Date
• Title
• Key information
• Vocabulary accumulation