📝 Basic Note-Taking: Close Reading & Outline Method

Effective note-taking helps you remember, understand, and use information. In this lesson, we will combine two powerful strategies: Close Reading and Outline Note-Taking.

🔍 Close Reading

Close reading means reading a text carefully and paying attention to details. This method helps you find the most important ideas and evidence.

Steps for Close Reading:

Read the text slowly – Focus on understanding what it says.
Highlight or underline key words – Look for terms, names, dates, and important ideas.
Annotate in the margins – Write short notes or questions about what you read.
Reread for deeper understanding – Check for connections, cause-and-effect, and repeated themes.

Tip: Use symbols like ★ for main ideas, ? for questions, and ! for surprising facts.

📋 Outline Note-Taking

The outline method organizes information into main ideas and supporting details. This makes it easier to review and study later.

Steps for Outline Note-Taking:

Main Idea (Roman numerals) – Example: I. Causes of the Civil War
Supporting Details (capital letters) – Example: A. Economic differences between North and South
Extra Details (numbers) – Example: 1. Industrial North vs. Agricultural South

Example Outline:

I. Healthy Eating Habits
   A. Eat more fruits and vegetables
      1. Provides vitamins and minerals
   B. Drink enough water
      1. 8 glasses a day is recommended

🛠 Practice Activity

1. Read the provided short article using Close Reading steps.

2. Highlight and annotate as you go.

3. Create an Outline of the article’s main ideas and supporting details.

💡 Why Use Both?

Close Reading helps you understand the content.
Outline Note-Taking helps you organize the content.

When you use both methods, you will remember more, study faster, and explain ideas clearly.

Group Practice (Close Reading & Note Taking)

Exercise 1

Short Story - The Brown Chest