Two-Column Notes
Two-Column Notes for Informational Texts – This strategy helps students organize informational texts.
| Key Words | Elaborations |
|---|---|
| Matter | anything that takes up space and has weight (solid, liquid, gas) |
| Atom | building block of matter |
| Proton | found in the nucleus of an atom, carries a positive charge of electricity |
| Neutron | found in the nucleus of an atom, carries no electrical charge, is heavier than a proton |
| Electron | travels around the nucleus of an atom, carries a negative charge of electricity |
- The teacher makes a transparency of a passage to be read.
- The students take a piece of paper and fold it in half. The left column is labeled Key Words or Main Idea. The right column is labeled Elaborations.
- The students write the key words or main idea in the left column as they read the passage.
- The students elaborate on the key words or main idea in the right column.
- Once completed, the students can use the two-column notes to test themselves.
Reference
Lapp, D., Flood, J., & Farnan, N. Content area reading and learning: Instructional strategies. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1989.