Cornell Notes Practice: Sleep and Memory

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Study Skills and Advisory · Study Hall / Advisory / SEL
SP-STUDY-002 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 2
Cornell Notes Practice: Sleep and Memory
Study Skills and Advisory · Study Hall / Advisory / SEL · Grades 7-10 · 50 minutes
Time needed
50 minutes (one class period)
Prep
Copy the 2-page worksheet (one per student). Draw a large Cornell notes page on the board
(see the before-class list).
Technology
None.
Student
independence
Medium. The sub explains the format once, then students work alone.
Copies to make
One 2-page worksheet per student
Materials
Pencils, Worksheet, Whiteboard or chalkboard
Goal for today: Students will take Cornell-style notes on a short reading, write cue questions, and summarize the
reading in two sentences.
Before the bell
☐ Copy the worksheet, one per student (2 pages).
☐ On the board, draw a big rectangle. Draw a vertical line about one third from the left. Draw a horizontal line
near the bottom. Label: left = CUES (questions, key words), right = NOTES (main ideas, short phrases),
bottom = SUMMARY (2 sentences).
☐ Keep the answer key on your desk. It shows sample notes. Student notes will look different and that is fine.
Say this to start
Good morning! Today you are practicing a note-taking method called Cornell notes. You will read a short passage and
take notes in a special layout. The goal is notes you can use later to quiz yourself. Your notes do not have to match
anyone else’s. Short phrases are better than full sentences.

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Study Skills and Advisory · Study Hall / Advisory / SEL
SP-STUDY-002 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 3
Run of show
Minutes
What you do
What students do
0–5
Take attendance the way the school requires. Hand out the
worksheet face down.
Settle in and take out a pencil.
5–12
Point to the drawing on the board. Explain: “The big right
side is for notes while you read. After reading, you write
questions or key words in the left column. The bottom is a
short summary.”
Listen and ask questions about the layout.
12–20
Tell students to turn over the worksheet and read the
passage silently one time without writing.
Read the passage silently.
20–34
Tell students to reread the passage and fill in the Cornell
table. Tell them to write the NOTES column first, then add
the CUES column.
Write short notes on the right, then a
question or key word on the left for each
group of notes.
34–44
Tell students to answer questions 1 through 5, then cover
the NOTES column and use the CUES column to quiz a
partner.
Answer the check questions, then quiz a
partner quietly from their cues.
44–50
Tell students to write questions 6 and 7. Collect all
worksheets.
Write the summary and a short reflection.
Hand in the worksheet.
If things go wrong
• If students copy whole sentences into the notes column, tell them to use five words or fewer for each note.
• If students ask what to put in the cue column, say: “Write a question that the note answers, or one key word.”
• If a student says they take notes differently, say that is fine. Tell them to try this layout once and then decide
for themselves.
• If students finish quickly, ask them to cover the notes column and quiz themselves out loud in a whisper.
Early finishers
• Write three more quiz questions about the passage on the back of the page.
• Trade worksheets with a partner and add one note the other person missed, using a different color if you can.
Support and challenge
• Support: Tell students to take notes on just paragraphs 1 and 2, then add the rest if time allows.
• Challenge: Ask students to add a short note that connects the reading to their own study habits.
Notes for the teacher (you fill this in)
Jot a few lines before you leave. A full Daily Sub Report is in the free Sub Survival Kit at SubstitutePlans.com.
How far the class got / what to pick up next:
Students who were especially helpful:

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Study Skills and Advisory · Study Hall / Advisory / SEL
SP-STUDY-002 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 4
Anything the teacher should know: