Note -Taking

The
Cornell
Method
© Avaline Bruinsma & Carli Baum

1
 INSTRUCTION

Note-Taking: An Introduction
Note-taking is a presumed skill, rarely shows up in curriculum and is unfortunately under taught. When in
actuality, simple instruction on proper note-taking coupled with constant supervision of student note-taking
habits, often yields increased depth of learning and improved performance from the student while easing
the job of the teacher.

Largely, when teaching note-taking consider it a methodological

instruction but look for it to radicalize the student’s recall and

their ability to write that perfect essay.

Initially with minimal teaching effort and consistent note-taking checks, the student becomes aware of the
need to note take. In addition, the methodology encourages original thought, enforces reiteration and
highlights significant data. In the realms of Social Studies, History and English it creates a natural
template for profound essay writing.

The steps:

Choose note-taking methodology specific to the task and give instruction.

Use a daily reminder of expected methodology and create logic in the student’s mind.

Be patient. It takes a number of months to create new habits. Note-Taking is an essential,

educational life skill that will become habitual.

The teacher will obtain what they inspect.

This module instructs on the following note-taking method:

Cornell
The Cornell method of note-taking was devised by Walter Pauk in the
1950’s. He was an education professor at Cornell University. His method
emphasizes basic cues, point form notes and quick summarizing skills. It’s
brilliant simplicity becomes incredibly clear upon successive, consistent use.

Please note: A remarkable lecture worth using to practice this style of notetaking is The Last
Lecture - Achieving Your Childhood Dreams by Randy Pausch. It can be found on Youtube.

© Avaline Bruinsma & Carli Baum 2013 S.T.A.R.T. 4

 INSTRUCTION

Cornell Note-Taking

How to breakdown a typical page of note-taking, the Cornell way...

Cues Notes

Main Ideas Write basic notes from the class/lecture here.

Questions that Develop shorthand symbols for quick
connect points reference.
Diagrams Point form.
Prompts to help Key words/ideas/dates.
you study

WHEN? WHEN?

After
During
class during
Class
review.

Summary
After class summary. Quickly summarize the notes on this page.

After
WHEN? class during
review.

© Avaline Bruinsma & Carli Baum 2013 S.T.A.R.T. 5

 Cornell Note-Taking
ACTIVITY 1

Source 1: Shogunate Japan - Britannica

The Birth of the Shogunate in Feudal Japan.

Shogunate, government of the shogun, or hereditary military dictator, of Japan from 1192 to 1867. The term shogun
appeared in various titles given to military commanders commissioned for the imperial government’s 8th- and 9th-
century campaigns against the Ezo (Emishi) tribes of northern Japan. The highest warrior rank, seii taishōgun
(“barbarian-quelling generalissimo”), was first attained by Sakanoue Tamuramaro, and the title (abbreviated as
shogun) was later applied to all shogunate leaders. Legally, the shogunate was under the control of the emperor, and
the shogun’s authority was limited to control of the military forces of the country, but the increasingly feudal
character of Japanese society created a situation in which control of the military became tantamount to control of
the country, and the emperor remained in his palace in Kyōto chiefly as a symbol of sovereignty behind the shogun.

The samurai leader Minamoto Yoritomo gained military hegemony over Japan in 1185. Seven years later he
assumed the title of shogun and established the first shogunate, or bakufu (literally, “tent government”),
at his Kamakura headquarters. Eventually the Kamakura shogunate came to possess military, administrative,
and judicial functions, although the imperial government remained the recognized legal authority. The
shogunate appointed its own military governors, or shugo, as heads of each province and named stewards to
supervise the individual estates into which the provinces had been divided, thus establishing an effective national
network.

After the collapse of the Kamakura shogunate in 1333, Ashikaga Takauji established a second line of shogunal
succession that ruled much of Japan from 1338 until 1573. The Ashikaga shogunate’s capital was the imperial city of
Kyōto. But the increasingly independent shugo, virtual warlords, who by the 16th century were known as daimyo,
eventually undermined the power of the Ashikaga shogunate.

In 1600 Tokugawa Ieyasu gained hegemony over the daimyo and thus was able to establish in 1603 the third
shogunate, headquartered in Edo (now Tokyo). The Edo shogunate was the most powerful central government
Japan had yet seen: it controlled the emperor, the daimyo, and the religious establishments, administered
Tokugawa lands, and handled Japanese foreign affairs.

After 1862 the Tokugawa shogunate underwent drastic changes in its efforts to maintain control, but in 1867
the last shogun, Yoshinobu, was forced to yield the administration of civil and military affairs to the emperor.
Still, the central administration that the Tokugawa shogunate had developed in Edo provided a foundation for the
new Japanese imperial government of the late 19th century.

© Avaline Bruinsma & Carli Baum 2013 S.T.A.R.T. 6

 ACTIVITY

Cornell Note-Taking

Source 2: The Ottoman Empire - Britannica

The Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Empire.

Ottoman Empire, Former empire centred in Anatolia. The Ottoman Empire was named for Osman I (1259–1326), a
Turkish Muslim prince in Bithynia who conquered neighbouring regions once held by the Seljūq dynasty and
founded his own ruling line c. 1300. Ottoman troops first invaded Europe in 1345, sweeping through the Balkans.
Though defeated by Timur in 1402, by 1453 the Ottomans, under Mehmed II (the Conquerer), had destroyed the
Byzantine Empire and captured its capital, Constantinople (now Istanbul), which henceforth served as the Ottoman
capital.

Under Selim I (r. 1512–20) and his son Süleyman I (the Magnificent; r. 1520–66), the Ottoman Empire reached its
greatest peak. Süleyman took control of parts of Persia, most of Arabia, and large sections of Hungary and the
Balkans. By the early 16th century the Ottomans had also defeated the Mamlūk dynasty in Syria and Egypt; and their
navy under Barbarossa soon seized control of much of the Barbary Coast. Beginning with Selim, the Ottoman sultans
also held the title of caliph, the spiritual head of Islam.

Ottoman power began to decline in the late 16th century. Ottoman forces repeatedly besieged Vienna. After their
final effort at taking the Austrian capital failed (1683), that and subsequent losses led them to relinquish Hungary
in 1699. Corruption and decadence gradually undermined the government. In the late 17th and 18th centuries the
Russo-Turkish Wars and wars with Austria and Poland further weakened the empire, which in the 19th century
came to be called the “sick man of Europe.” Most of its remaining European territory was lost in the Balkan Wars
(1912–13).

The Ottoman Empire sided with Germany in World War I (1914–18); postwar treaties dissolved the empire, and in
1922 the sultanate was abolished by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who proclaimed the Republic of Turkey the following
year.

Osman I was born about 1258. He is regarded as the founder of the Ottoman dynasty and empire. His father had
established a principality centered at Sögüt in western Anatolia. With Sögüt as their base, Osman and the Muslim
warriors under his command waged a slow and stubborn conflict against the Byzantines, who sought to defend their
territories in the hinterland of the Asiatic shore opposite Constantinople (now Istanbul). Osman gradually extended
his control over several former Byzantine fortresses, which provided the Ottomans with a strong base to lay siege to
Bursa and other cities and towns in northwestern Anatolia. Osman died in 1324 or 1326. He was succeeded by his son
Orhan, who finally captured Bursa from Byzantine control.

© Avaline Bruinsma & Carli Baum 2013 S.T.A.R.T. 7

 ACTIVITY 2

Cornell Note-Taking

Source 3: The Aztec Empire - World History Encyclopedia

The late great Aztec Empire

The Aztec Empire (c. 1345-1521) covered at its greatest extent most of northern Mesoamerica. Aztec warriors were able to
dominate their neighbouring states and permit rulers such as Montezuma to impose Aztec ideals and religion across Mexico.
Highly accomplished in agriculture and trade, the last of the great Mesoamerican civilizations was also noted for its art and
architecture.

The Aztec civilization, with its capital city at Tenochtitlán (Mexico City), is actually the most well-documented Mesoamerican
civilization with sources including archaeology, native books (codices) and lengthy and detailed accounts from their Spanish
conquerors - both by military men and Christian clergy. These latter sources may not always be reliable but the picture we have
of the Aztecs, their institutions, religious practices, Aztec warfare and daily life is a rich one and it continues to be constantly
expanded
with details being added through the endeavours of 21st-century CE archaeologists and scholars.

Sometime around 1100 the city-states or altepetl which were spread over central Mexico began to compete with each other for
local resources and regional dominance. Each state had its own ruler or tlatoani who led a council of nobles but these small
urban centres surrounded by farmland soon sought to expand their wealth and influence so that by c. 1400 several small empires
had formed in the Valley of Mexico. Dominant amongst these were Texcoco, capital of the Acholhua region, and Azcapotzalco,
capital of the Tepenec. These two empires came face to face in 1428 with the Tepanec War. The Azcapotzalco forces were
defeated by an alliance of Texcoco, Tenochtitlan (the capital of the Mexica) and several other smaller cities. Following victory,
a Triple Alliance was formed between Texcoco, Tenochtitlan and a rebel Tepanec city, Tlacopan. A campaign of territorial
expansion began where the spoils of war - usually in the form of tributes from the conquered - were shared between these
three great cities. Over time Tenochtitlan came to dominate the Alliance, its ruler became the supreme ruler - the huey
tlatoque ('high king') - and the city established itself as the capital of the Aztec empire.

The empire continued to expand from 1430 and the Aztec military - bolstered by conscription of all adult males, men supplied
from allied and conquered states, and such elite members of Aztec society as the Eagle and Jaguar warriors - swept aside their
rivals. An Aztec warrior wore padded cotton armour, carried a wooden or reed shield covered in hide, and wielded weapons
such as a super sharp obsidian sword-club (macuahuitl), a spear or dart thrower (atlatl), and bow and arrows. Elite warriors
also wore spectacular feathered and animal skin costumes and headdresses to signify their rank. Battles were concentrated in
or around major cities and when these fell the victors claimed the whole surrounding territory. Regular tributes were extracted
and captives were taken back to Tenochtitlan for ritual sacrifice. In this way, the Aztec empire came to cover most of
northern Mexico, an area of some 135,000
square kilometres.

The empire was kept together through the appointment of officials from the Aztec culture's heartland, inter-marriages, gift-
giving, invitations to important ceremonies, the building of monuments and artworks which promoted Aztec imperial ideology,
and most importantly of all, the ever-present threat of military intervention. Some states were integrated more than others whilst
those on the extremities of the empire became useful buffer zones against more hostile neighbours, notably the Tarascan
civilization.

© Avaline Bruinsma & Carli Baum 2013 S.T.A.R.T. 9

 ACTIVITY 2

Cornell Note-Taking
Source 4: The Polynesian Expansion - National Library of Australia

The Wayfarers of the Pacific expansion.

When European explorers began to enter the Pacific they were astounded by its vast extent and fact that most of the islands
were already inhabited. How long ago the scattered islands of Oceania had been occupied and by whom has therefore been an
enduring question. This is especially the case in the east Pacific where the majority of remote islands—landmasses that are 350
kilometres or more from another island—are found. To navigators such as Captain James Cook, it was incredible that people in
Tonga and Samoa spoke a language that was related to the languages used on islands thousands of kilometres away, in Rapa
Nui (Easter Island), Aotearoa (New Zealand) and the Hawaiian Islands. The language similarity was unexpected, as it pointed
to an ancient maritime migration covering more ocean than any other known to history.

The region containing the shared language became known as 'Polynesia', a term popularised by the French explorer
Dumont d’Urville in 1832. It was later subdivided into West Polynesia—Tonga, Samoa and ’Uvea mo Futuna (Wallis and
Futuna islands)—and East Polynesia, containing all of the islands within the three archipelagos of the Hawaiian Islands–
Rapa Nui–Aotearoa that outline Triangle Polynesia (Figure 1). The corners of Triangle Polynesia are separated by 6000 to 7000
kilometres of ocean, similar to the distance from Brisbane to Tokyo. East Polynesia covers 36 million square kilometres of ocean,
but within it the total amount of land is only 310,000 square kilometres, or less than one per cent of the total area. As Aotearoa
comprises over 85 per cent of all land in East Polynesia, successful colonisation required remarkable canoe voyages, by people
who were able to locate and settle small islands in a vast and mostly empty ocean.

The beginnings of Polynesian expansion lie in West Polynesia, which was settled 2860 years ago during an earlier phase of oceanic
expansion by pottery-making people of the Lapita culture. These people originated in the islands of South East Asia and migrated
to islands around New Guinea before moving east into the Pacific as far as Tonga and Samoa. Around a thousand years ago,
powerful chiefdoms developed in West Polynesia that had hereditary titles; the status of leaders was displayed mainly through
architecture. These complex societies maintained contact with one another using ocean-going canoes that were the property of
chiefs, as they were expensive to construct and maintain. Competition and conflict among these groups may have led to the
discovery of islands in East Polynesia, but unplanned voyages are perhaps just as likely, given the amount of canoe travel in West
Polynesia. Another possibility, seen in a study of lake sediments, is that an extended period of drought 900–1100 years ago led to
social instability and voyages to find new lands to the east of Tonga and Samoa.

Whatever the reason, the discovery of new islands led to a rapid phase of migration that archaeologists have identified from the
discovery of early sites in the Cook Islands, Society Islands and Marquesas Islands. Radiocarbon dating—a scientific method that
measures the age-related number of carbon atoms in a sample—shows that wood charcoal from human fires in these island groups
dates to 1000–1100 years ago. A second phase of movement, 700–800 years ago, then spread to the Hawaiian Islands, Rapa Nui
and Aotearoa, which were harder to reach because of their remote position, small size and location in weather zones that were
difficult to sail to due to prevailing winds and currents.

© Avaline Bruinsma & Carli Baum 2013 S.T.A.R.T. 10

 ACTIVITY 3

Cornell Note-Taking

Source 5: The Mongol Empire - World History Encyclopedia

The most lethal fighting force in human history.

The Mongol Empire (1206-1368) was founded by Genghis Khan (r. 1206-1227), first Great Khan or 'universal ruler' of
the Mongol peoples. Genghis forged the empire by uniting nomadic tribes of the Asian steppe and creating a
devastatingly effective army with fast, light, and highly coordinated cavalry. Eventually, the empire dominated Asia from
the Black Sea to the Korean peninsula.

Expert horsemen and archers, the Mongols proved unstoppable in Central Asia and beyond, defeating armies in
Iran, Russia, Eastern Europe, China, and many other places. The descendants of Genghis each ruled a part of the
empire - the four khanates - the most powerful of which was the Mongol Yuan Dynasty in China (1271-1368),
established by Kublai Khan (r. 1260-1279). Eventually, the Mongols became part of the sedentary societies they had
so easily overwhelmed and many converted from traditional shamanism to Tibetan Buddhism or Islam. This was a
general symptom of the Mongols not only losing part of their cultural identity but also, too, their famed military
prowess, as the four khanates all succumbed to damaging dynastic disputes and the armies of their rivals. Although
not famed for creating any lasting architectural wonders or political institutions, the Mongols did make the
significant contribution to world culture of finally connecting the eastern and western worlds via expanded trade
routes, diplomatic embassies and the movement of missionaries and travellers from Eurasia to the Far East.

The Mongol nomadic tribes were then, used to a tough life, were highly mobile by nature and were trained from
childhood to ride horses and shoot bows. These qualities would make them into excellent warriors able to endure long
and complex campaigns, cover vast amounts of territory in a short space of time and survive on only the absolute
minimum of supplies. Even the role of women and their chores of camp-making and transportation helped the Mongol
army as they provided the vital logistic support for their husband warriors. Genghis Khan was perhaps the first Mongol
leader to realise that if only the various tribes and clans could be united, the Mongols could master the world.

Genghis, born Temujin c. 1162, overcame a harsh childhood of abandonment and poverty and established himself as an
able military commander for Toghril, chief of the Kerait tribe. The life and times of Genghis are told in The Secret
History of the Mongols, a 13th-century chronicle which is our best primary source for the early empire. Over a period of
around 10 years from 1195 to 1205, Genghis became a leader in his own right and slowly expanded his domain through a
ruthless mixture of diplomacy, warfare, and terror - for many warriors it was often a case of join the young leader or be
executed. Tribes such as the Tartars (a name medieval westerners wrongly applied to the Mongols themselves),
Kereyids, Naimans, and Merkids were brought into line. Finally, in 1206 in a grand meeting of all tribal leaders (a
kurultai), Genghis Khan (aka Chinggis Khan) was formally recognised as the Great Khan or 'universal ruler' of the
Mongols.

The Khan attempted to further unify his realm by insisting that the hitherto only spoken Mongol language was made into
a written one using the script of the Uighur Turks and by introducing a lasting law code, the Yasa. Communication
was greatly helped by the establishment of the Yam, a network of staging posts which messengers could use for resupply
as they rode across the state. The empire had already begun in earnest but it was about to get a whole lot bigger.
 ACTIVITY 3

Cornell Note-Taking
Source 6: The Vikings - Historyonthenet.com
Raiding, Pillaging and Conquest

Vikings history is as extensive as the people it studies. The seafaring Vikings (in Danish, the Vikinger) were a group of
people that came from the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. They made an enduring name for
themselves in the 8th through the 11th centuries for being tactical warriors, smart traders, and daring explorers. In fact,
they arrived in America 1,000 years before Columbus ever did, and archeologists have found some of their remnants
scattered as far east as Russia. This is the true story of Vikings history.

The true Vikings history is fascinating. Simply put, the Vikings were Norwegians, Swedes and Danes, men who were
usually farmers, traders, blacksmiths, and craftsmen. For various reasons, they took to raiding towns, churches and
monasteries. Many of the places they attacked were on the coasts as they were easiest to reach. With their swift and easily
landed ships, the Vikings could quickly swarm over the communities, killing and looting, and just as fast return to their
ships and leave. They were gone before any defense or counter-attack could be made.

Strangely enough, for most of the men who went a-viking, it was only part time. When a Viking wasn’t busy farming,
planting crops, for instance, they left their farms and went raiding. They often returned in time for harvest in the fall.
Raiding was very profitable, however, and many farmers became full time pirates and raiders.

The people called Vikings were also fearless explorers who actually reached North America, making them the first
Europeans to discover America. They settled Iceland and tried to colonize Greenland. They were also shrewd and
competent traders and merchants. They traded all the goods of the north – furs, amber, iron and timber – for all the goods
of the south – silver, gold, silks and spices. And all along the trade routes, the Vikings traded in slaves. Read our articles to
explore these aspects of the incredible culture of these intrepid and dangerous men. This is the true story of Vikings
history.

Scholars debate why the Scandinavian people began to go raiding in the late 8th century. Most likely it was a combination
of factors that lead to the Vikings setting off in their long boats to raid other communities. We’ll discuss these reasons in
articles you’ll find here, explaining why they left their farms and blacksmith forges to first attack and finally settle all over
Europe and Russia.

The Vikings’ advanced ships and navigation techniques provided the means and skills for sailing not only over open
ocean out of the sight of land but also far up inland rivers into the interior of other countries. Viking ship technology
made the fearful Viking raids possible.

The Scandinavians changed the history of Ireland, England, Russia and other European countries. They established new
territories in Iceland, Greenland and temporarily, North America. From A.D. 793 to 1066, Vikings raided, traded,
challenged, conquered and settled in many lands. Popular movies and novels give you a glimpse into their lives, but
usually show only a part of the impact these energetic people had on the known world of the time. Reading here will give
you a much better grasp of their impact on other cultures.

© Avaline Bruinsma & Carli Baum 2013 S.T.A.R.T. 13