Taking Notes in History

Advice to follow: Taking good notes in class and doing your homework is very important to
ensure your success in History.

Why take notes:

· To summarize important points in a text
· To organize the information that you learn
· To be able to remember what you have learnt at a later time

How to take good notes in history:

· Always start by giving a title to your notes
· Read the section or paragraph completely (if using a text) before taking notes on it
· Consider the important idea or point
· Summarize the idea or point using YOUR OWN WORDS – this will help you to understand
better
o Use sub points to add details or examples
· Always revise your notes to assure that you understand the material
· Make a list on the side or bottom of the page of your questions or unknown words

Rules to follow :
1. Your notes always start with the date and a title, including the page number and headings if
applicable
2. Your notes are always written in your own words (unless copying a direct quotation)
3. Your notes use points for principal ideas and sub points for examples or secondary ideas
4. Your notes use helpful indicators (underline, bold, colours) to identify important points
5. Your notes are a summary of the text NOT the entire text written in different words
6. Your notes show comprehension of the main idea of the text
7. If possible, your notes show connections to other knowledge