Let's Compare Notes

In Let’s Compare Notes, students use a highlighter to identify notable passages which they believe capture the essence of a story or article and must be able to justify these choices. This assessment helps students to build note-taking skills, characterize information, synthesize data, and assess their own understanding. This activity can serve as a basis for follow up discussion.

Implementation

1. Describe the passage that students will be reading and explain the details of the Compare Notes procedure.
2. Distribute a highlighter to each participant.
3. As students individually read the passage, they should search for sections that capture the essence of the article.
4. Direct students to underline the three most notable selections.
5. Ask students to explain their reasons for selecting these particular parts of the passage.
6. Discuss student results with the entire class.

Classroom Management

This activity accomplishes three goals at once. First, students learn and process the article content more deeply. Second, they get to practice their comprehension and note-taking skills and receive feedback. Third, the teacher is able to see where the gaps in comprehension are and how students respond to various genres.

Interdisciplinary Connections

In Language Arts, this activity is helpful in teaching comprehension and note-taking.

 

In Science, the activity will be helpful to the teacher in trying to identify those students who struggle more with the textbook readings, and to observe where the breakdowns in comprehension are occurring.

Preparation time: 15 / Delivery time: 25