1. Taking Cornell Notes

2. What do Cornell Notes Look Like?

3. The Curve of Forgetting
By day 2, if you do not think about or review your notes, you will lose 50%-80% of what you learned.
By day 30, if you do not think about or review your notes, you remember only 2% - 3% of what you learned on day 1.
Source: Counseling Services, Study Skills Program at the University of Waterloo

4. The Value of Cornell Notes
Students who take no notes or some notes retain less than 59% of what was learned.
Students who take and use Cornell Notes as a study tool retain 90%-100% of what was learned.

5. Table Talk With your table group, discuss when
you should take notes in class.
Make a list.
Be prepared to share with the class!

6. When to Take Notes The speaker says to take notes
The speaker says something you
don’t already know
The speaker presents using
Powerpoint
The speaker writes on the board
The teacher says, “This will be on the
test.”

7. S.T.A.R. Set up your paper Take the notes
Apply your thinking to the notes
Reflect on Revise and Review your notes.

8. Set Up Your Paper Put a proper heading in the top right corner. Name
Class
Period
Date
Save 1/3 of the left hand side of paper for
questions by folding or drawing a vertical line.
Write the topic of the lecture, passage, etc in the form of an essential question.

9. Set Up Your Paper

10. Take Notes Write notes on the right side of the page Abbreviate words
Paraphrase
Skip at least 2 lines between each
idea
Use symbols, pictures, or diagrams

11. Take Notes

12. Apply Your Thinking
Within 24 hours of taking notes, review your notes and write questions on the left side of the page.

13. Reflect on Notes
Add a summary to your notes. Answer the essential question as your topic sentence and turn each “chunk” of information into supporting sentences.

14. Revise Notes
Review notes with a partner and add details that you each missed. v v

15. Revise Notes
Look in your textbook and add details from the book to your notes. v v

16. Review Notes
Fold your notes so that the questions show, but the notes do not. Quiz yourself or work with another student to quiz each other.

17. Cornell Note Requirement
Students are required to take at least 3 pages of Cornell Notes per class per week (3 pages x 5 classes = 15 pages)
You may choose any 5 classes to take notes for (no notes are required for P.E.)

18. What counts as a page of notes?
Each side of the paper counts as a page of notes. If you write on both sides of a paper, that counts as two pages of notes.
A learning log counts as a page of notes (see next slide)

19. Learning Logs
Learning Log
Name
Class
Period
Date
Today in Scholars, I learned that sometimes Cornell notes aren’t the best option. Learning logs are the best option when there is not a lecture. Some examples of when to write learning logs include: days when we have group projects, presentations, a performance, a guest speaker, etc. I can only write up to 3 learning logs per week. Learning logs count as part of the required 15 pages of Cornell notes.
Students may write up to 3 learning logs per week in place of 3 pages of Cornell Notes
A learning log is a 5 sentence summary of what you learned in class that day.
Learning logs work well when notes aren’t given in class

20. CSG Forms Count as Notes
Option #1: Place completed CSG forms in your binder in the appropriate section. For example, if the CSG notes are about math, you can put the CSG form in the math section of your binder.
Option #2: You may use completed CSG forms (for any subject) as notes for your Scholars elective class.
Each completed two-sided CSG form will count as 1 page of notes for binder checks.

21. Sample Cornell Notes (Scholars 9)

22. Sample Cornell Notes (Integrated Math I)

23. Sample Cornell Notes (Spanish I)

24. Sample Cornell Notes (English 9)

25. Sample Cornell Notes (Integrated Science I)

26. Optional Templates
Visit for optional templates.
Cornell Notes Template
Cornell Notes Template (for Math)
Learning Log Template