Keyword Note-Taking
I. What are birds? (Characteristics)
  • warm-blooded  (1, p1)
  • but lay eggs (1, p1) 
  • feathers: all have, only animal with (1, p1) 
  • but not all fly (duh)
  • phylum: Chordata (w/backbone), class: Aves (birds) (3, p4)
  • 9,000+ species (3, p4) 
  • 1/2 = those that perch (1, p23)
Instructions: You should be able to turn the above notes into a well-organized paragraph or two (about 65-100 words) for a research paper. Make sure you include all the information above, but also:
  1. Elaborate: Put the keywords and phrases into complete sentences. Add an introductory/topic sentence. Add a concluding sentence.
  2. Apply knowledge you already have: Add information you already know regarding the key words and ideas. (Like the fourth bullet above.)
  3. Cite examples and define terms:  about the keywords and phrases--Define perching, What else is warm-blooded? How are birds like or unlike them?

Example:
    Birds are unique from other animals. The only animal with feathers (Smith 1), birds are from the phylum Chordata, meaning with a backbone, and the class Aves, meaning birds (Jones 4).   Every species of bird has feathers, but as everyone knows, not all birds fly. (Think of the emu, ostrich, and penguin.) Birds are warm-blooded like mammals, but unlike mammals, they lay eggs. There are over 9,000 species of birds (3), over half of which are called perching birds. This means they "perch" or rest on branches and limbs, rather than on the ground (Smith 23).