APUSH Chapter readings

Note-taking Strategies

One of the components of being a successful student in APUSH and succeed on

the National Exam is to be an active reader with regards to your textbook. The
majority of your notes in this course will come from you engaging in chapter
readings on topics that are discussed in class. Therefore one important skill to
master in this course is to be a successful note taker. And it is recommended to
stay ahead of your reading, particularly in the first month of the course.

You will be asked to take notes on your daily reading. Note taking can come in
many forms. The following are the three most common note taking strategies
with examples on the following pages.

Chapter 1: Outline

Chapter 2: Cornell

Chapter 3: SQ5R

The goal of your note taking is to grasp the main idea (not copy the text word for
word) and how important individuals and events connect to that idea as we tackle
the overarching themes of US History.

I am a firm believer that students should find their own note taking style that fits
best with their learning. However, these are the must haves to your note taking:
1. Date, 2. Kept in chronological order, 3. Page Numbers, and 4. Handwritten. As
well, you will bring your notebook to class every day.

You will use these notes to help facilitate discussion in class as well as prepare you
for assessments. You will be quizzed regularly on your readings in class and you
may use your own notes on those quizzes.