World History I Lewis

Intro to IDs or Key Terms

Most of your nightly homework assignments this year will be what most history teachers at North call IDs (iden@ca@ons) or Key Terms. These names are interchangeable. At the start of every unit you will be issued a new assignment sheet that will list all of the key terms, ideas, and ques@ons for that unit. This sheet will serve as a homework plan as well as a study guide for unit tests. The due dates for each of the assignments are usually listed on the assignment sheet as well, be sure to keep it in a handy place so you can look for the due dates later. Each assignment sheet will list textbook page numbers as well as key terms and ques@ons. You are expected to READ the assigned pages and then while you read or aOer you read, TAKE NOTES on the key terms as well answer each of the ques@ons. Below are some @ps that will help you get the most from these homework assignments (transla(on: how to learn as much as possible and do well on tests!)
HELPFUL TIPS: Key terms are NOT always in bold. You must read the paragraphs and then you will nd the terms listed on the sheet. Please dont be lazy and say you couldnt nd the terms-- theyre all there, I promise! Write your IDs in your own words. Copying words directly from the textbook does not always mean that you understand the informa@on. It also leaves you more vulnerable to plagiarism when you write a paper and copy straight from your notes! Dont miss any informaEon. Try to make sure you get down all of the informa@on rela@ng to the key term or ques@on. Some@mes there might be info on that term later in the reading-- add that to your notes too! Be ecient. History is not your only class, and you have lots of homework. If you are able to maintain the meaning of the informa@on while wri@ng in bullets or incomplete sentences, do it! But make sure you maintain the meaning, otherwise you are just was@ng your @me. Always put the key terms in context of the unit were studying. Example: If the key term is dictator and the unit is Rome, dont just dene the word dictator. Chances are, the term has a special meaning in the context of the Rome unit. Thats what you should write about. Save your IDs and study with them. Dening key terms is not meant as busy work. They are a great way to record and learn informa@on if you complete them carefully and actually revisit them around the @me of a test. Please dont forget about them! We will review some, but not all of the terms in class. This does not mean you arent responsible for knowing them for tests and quizzes. If there is a specic term youd like to review in class, please feel free to ask about it. Pay aQenEon to indents. When a term is indented beneath another term on your assignment sheet, it means that it is related to (and usually a detail of) the term above it. Your notes should contain indents that reect the ones on the assignment sheet and you should feel free to indent more details in your notes as necessary.

Organizing your IDs: Pros and Cons It is your responsibility to nd a system for note-taking and studying that works for you. Feel free to try a few dierent op@ons before se^ling on one. You know yourself best, so do what feels right to you. Heres some advice on the op@ons you have. To type or not to type... Pros: Typing allows you to save all of your IDs on your computer and lay them out nicely. They look really neat and are easy to read. Cons: Computer crashes/forge`ng to save and losing everything can be super frustra@ng... so always save and be sure to back up your back up. It is dicult to quiz yourself if just reading from a paper. Unreliable printers can leave you without your homework if youre not diligent to print before class (late submissions will be penalized). Star@ng your homework in school is more dicult without access to a computer, as perfec@onists may want to type handwri^en material later. Flashcards... Pros: Flashcards make it easy to quiz yourself later, since you can sort them into piles by what you know and dont know and test your recall (be^er than just reading something over and over again). Cons: Flashcards are easily lost and sca^ered if youre not careful. I recommend punching holes in the corner or keeping a ziploc bag, or zippered case within the rings of your binder. It is also dicult to show the rela@onship between terms without a system- use colors or headings to show rela@onships between main terms and the details indented on the assignment sheet. Cornell-style notes... (see below for example) Pros: Cornell notes allow you to easily quiz yourself while keeping everything on one page because you can fold the page to separate the key terms from their deni@ons. Cons: Pages will be folded aOer use so they might look messy?

Fold or draw line here

key terms

denitions and notes