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Estimated time frame: 5-6 class periods

Tennessee Curriculum Standard (6-8): Acquiring basic skills and attitudes for learning

Tennessee Student Competency:

Describe ways to organize study area at school and home
Demonstrate good note-taking skills.
Develop a personal schedule using time-management skills
Describe ways to study for different types of tests.

Estimated length of unit: 5-6 class periods

Materials needed: computer lab with internet access
paper & pencil, posterboard & markers

Teacher Preparation: Check all URL's to be sure they are still working.

Lesson 1: The Study Environment

Divide the class into small groups of 4-5 students. Ask each group to appoint a scribe to take notes. Look up the internet sites below and have students compare how they study at home with suggestions made on these pages. Finally, they should come up with their suggestions as to how their own study environment might be improved.

Assignment: Prepare a poster demonstrating one of the student competencies given above. Poster and a brief oral explanation will be due at the end of the unit study.

Internet Resources:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/9120/study.htm
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/control.html

Lesson 2: Taking Notes

Give each group one of the links below and ask them to pick out the most important points and write them down in good note-taking form. They may copy and paste to the word processor if they wish. Reassemble the class and share what they have learned.

Internet Resources:

http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/control.html
http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/booknote.htm
http://www.gradebook.org/gss.htm
http://www.adprima.com/studyout.htm

Lesson 3: Scheduling and time management

Give each group two of the links below and ask them to pick out the most important points to share with the class. Take notes on word processor. Which suggestions seem easiest to implement? Which would be hardest?

Assignment: Prepare a time chart for studying that covers the next five days. Record on your chart the times you plan to study, the time you actually studied, the course you were working on, the place you were in, and the method of study/review you used.

Internet Resources:

http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/timman.htm http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/scheduling.htm
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/htimesug.html
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/htimesch.html
http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/plan_ho.html http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/slfman.html
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/9120/time.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/9120/planning.htm
http://www.adprima.com/studyout.htm

Lesson 4: Studying for Tests

Discuss which types of tests students normally encounter. Which do they find to be the easiest? Which the hardest? Ask each student to go to one of the following internet sites and take notes on hints for studying for the type of test he/she finds most difficult. Share results with the class.

Internet Resources:

Essay questions:
http://www.eop.mu.edu/study/EssayQuestions.html
http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/essayq.html
http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/histexam.html
http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/tsttak4.htm
http://www.geosoc.org/schools/pass/tsttak4.htm

Short answer test:
http://www.eop.mu.edu/study/ShortAnswer.html
http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/tsttak5.htm
http://www.geosoc.org/schools/pass/tsttak5.htm

Multiple-choice:
http://www.eop.mu.edu/study/MultipleChoice.html
http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/multicho.html
http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/tsttak3.htm
http://www.geosoc.org/schools/pass/tsttak3.htm
http://www.geosoc.org/schools/pass/objectivetest.htm

True-False:
http://www.eop.mu.edu/study/TrueFalse.html
http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/tsttak2.htm
http://www.geosoc.org/schools/pass/tsttak2.htm
http://www.geosoc.org/schools/pass/objectivetest.htm

Matching:

http://www.eop.mu.edu/study/MatchingQuestions.html
http://www.geosoc.org/schools/pass/objectivetest.htm

Sentence completion:
http://www.eop.mu.edu/study/SentenceCompletion.html
http://www.geosoc.org/schools/pass/objectivetest.htm

Lesson 5: Students present their posters and give brief oral explanation of what it represents in terms of study skills learned in this unit.

Evaluation: Evaluation will be based on student performance in group activities, successful completion of written work related to classroom assignments, participation in class discussion, and completion of poster with oral presentation.

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