Akanha Library Skills

Summarising

While you read, you take notes and summarise the information. In this way you are using the information for your own purposes- you are not simply copying it.

Note-taking shows you understand what you read and helps you make a written presentation.

Look how one student has used bullet points to make notes on “ How is life in the countryside changing?”

Life in the Countryside

• Farm mechanisation: fewer people on the land.
• Like other businesses, farms have been consolidated: again fewer people.
• Competing on world markets; and competing against farm imports.
• Fewer people in the countryside: fewer people in country towns. Effect on shops, banks, health services.
• Big difference: regional centres and large country towns- big enough to support themselves, attract people from a wide area. Have benefited from rural consolidation.
• Our farm industries have long been efficient- examples.
• Global competition: also resulted in greater efficiency.
• Many country towns are in decline; regional centres and large country towns are not. Rural industries- more efficient.

She has then used her notes to write the following two paragraph answer to the question, “ Is the countryside in decline?”

Is the countryside in decline?

This statement is too general. It needs to be more specific. Overall the population is in marked decline. Far fewer people are living in rural areas today. The mechanisation of farming has had a huge impact on rural areas. So has the consolidation of farms. Country towns have gone into steady decline. The population is no longer there for the services ( that is shops, banks and health services) they used to provide.

Nevertheless, our farmers have often responded well to the new conditions. Farming in this country is now much more efficient. It has to be, in order to survive. Furthermore, regional centres and large country towns often still have vigorous life. In some cases, their population continues to grow. Whether the countryside is in decline or not depends on where we cast our eyes.

Answer these questions about the student’s two-paragraph answer above.

1.   What was the student’s attitude to the question she had to answer?

      The first paragraph was mostly about the statement being general and it needs to be more specific.

2.    Express in one sentence what her first paragraph was mainly about.

     They were  talking about shops,banks and health service.  

3. Express in one sentence what her second paragraph was mainly about.

    Farming in this country is now much more efficient. It has to be, in order to survive. Furthermore, regional centres and large country towns often still have vigorous life. In some cases, their population continues to grow.

4. What does this sentence mean: “ Whether the countryside is in decline or not depends on where we cast our eyes”?

It needs to be more specific. Overall the population is in marked decline. Far fewer people are living in rural areas today.Summarising

While you read, you take notes and summarise the information. In this way you are using the information for your own purposes- you are not simply copying it.

Note-taking shows you understand what you read and helps you make a written presentation.

Look how one student has used bullet points to make notes on “ How is life in the countryside changing?”

Life in the Countryside

• Farm mechanisation: fewer people on the land.
• Like other businesses, farms have been consolidated: again fewer people.
• Competing on world markets; and competing against farm imports.
• Fewer people in the countryside: fewer people in country towns. Effect on shops, banks, health services.
• Big difference: regional centres and large country towns- big enough to support themselves, attract people from a wide area. Have benefited from rural consolidation.
• Our farm industries have long been efficient- examples.
• Global competition: also resulted in greater efficiency.
• Many country towns are in decline; regional centres and large country towns are not. Rural industries- more efficient.

She has then used her notes to write the following two paragraph answer to the question, “ Is the countryside in decline?”

Is the countryside in decline?

This statement is too general. It needs to be more specific. Overall the population is in marked decline. Far fewer people are living in rural areas today. The mechanisation of farming has had a huge impact on rural areas. So has the consolidation of farms. Country towns have gone into steady decline. The population is no longer there for the services ( that is shops, banks and health services) they used to provide.

Nevertheless, our farmers have often responded well to the new conditions. Farming in this country is now much more efficient. It has to be, in order to survive. Furthermore, regional centres and large country towns often still have vigorous life. In some cases, their population continues to grow. Whether the countryside is in decline or not depends on where we cast our eyes.

Answer these questions about the student’s two-paragraph answer above.

1.   What was the student’s attitude to the question she had to answer?

      The first paragraph was mostly about the statement being general and it needs to be more specific.

2.    Express in one sentence what her first paragraph was mainly about.

     They were  talking about shops,banks and health service.  

3. Express in one sentence what her second paragraph was mainly about.

    Farming in this country is now much more efficient. It has to be, in order to survive. Furthermore, regional centres and large country towns often still have vigorous life. In some cases, their population continues to grow.

4. What does this sentence mean: “ Whether the countryside is in decline or not depends on where we cast our eyes”?

It needs to be more specific. Overall the population is in marked decline. Far fewer people are living in rural areas today.

Summarising

While you read, you take notes and summarise the information. In this way you are using the information for your own purposes- you are not simply copying it.

Note-taking shows you understand what you read and helps you make a written presentation.

Look how one student has used bullet points to make notes on “ How is life in the countryside changing?”

Life in the Countryside

• Farm mechanisation: fewer people on the land.
• Like other businesses, farms have been consolidated: again fewer people.
• Competing on world markets; and competing against farm imports.
• Fewer people in the countryside: fewer people in country towns. Effect on shops, banks, health services.
• Big difference: regional centres and large country towns- big enough to support themselves, attract people from a wide area. Have benefited from rural consolidation.
• Our farm industries have long been efficient- examples.
• Global competition: also resulted in greater efficiency.
• Many country towns are in decline; regional centres and large country towns are not. Rural industries- more efficient.

She has then used her notes to write the following two paragraph answer to the question, “ Is the countryside in decline?”

Is the countryside in decline?

This statement is too general. It needs to be more specific. Overall the population is in marked decline. Far fewer people are living in rural areas today. The mechanisation of farming has had a huge impact on rural areas. So has the consolidation of farms. Country towns have gone into steady decline. The population is no longer there for the services ( that is shops, banks and health services) they used to provide.

Nevertheless, our farmers have often responded well to the new conditions. Farming in this country is now much more efficient. It has to be, in order to survive. Furthermore, regional centres and large country towns often still have vigorous life. In some cases, their population continues to grow. Whether the countryside is in decline or not depends on where we cast our eyes.

Answer these questions about the student’s two-paragraph answer above.

1.   What was the student’s attitude to the question she had to answer?

      The first paragraph was mostly about the statement being general and it needs to be more specific.

2.    Express in one sentence what her first paragraph was mainly about.

     They were  talking about shops,banks and health service.  

3. Express in one sentence what her second paragraph was mainly about.

    Farming in this country is now much more efficient. It has to be, in order to survive. Furthermore, regional centres and large country towns often still have vigorous life. In some cases, their population continues to grow.

4. What does this sentence mean: “ Whether the countryside is in decline or not depends on where we cast our eyes”?

It needs to be more specific. Overall the population is in marked decline. Far fewer people are living in rural areas today.

Summarising

While you read, you take notes and summarise the information. In this way you are using the information for your own purposes- you are not simply copying it.

Note-taking shows you understand what you read and helps you make a written presentation.

Look how one student has used bullet points to make notes on “ How is life in the countryside changing?”

Life in the Countryside

• Farm mechanisation: fewer people on the land.
• Like other businesses, farms have been consolidated: again fewer people.
• Competing on world markets; and competing against farm imports.
• Fewer people in the countryside: fewer people in country towns. Effect on shops, banks, health services.
• Big difference: regional centres and large country towns- big enough to support themselves, attract people from a wide area. Have benefited from rural consolidation.
• Our farm industries have long been efficient- examples.
• Global competition: also resulted in greater efficiency.
• Many country towns are in decline; regional centres and large country towns are not. Rural industries- more efficient.

She has then used her notes to write the following two paragraph answer to the question, “ Is the countryside in decline?”

Is the countryside in decline?

This statement is too general. It needs to be more specific. Overall the population is in marked decline. Far fewer people are living in rural areas today. The mechanisation of farming has had a huge impact on rural areas. So has the consolidation of farms. Country towns have gone into steady decline. The population is no longer there for the services ( that is shops, banks and health services) they used to provide.

Nevertheless, our farmers have often responded well to the new conditions. Farming in this country is now much more efficient. It has to be, in order to survive. Furthermore, regional centres and large country towns often still have vigorous life. In some cases, their population continues to grow. Whether the countryside is in decline or not depends on where we cast our eyes.

Answer these questions about the student’s two-paragraph answer above.

1.   What was the student’s attitude to the question she had to answer?

      The first paragraph was mostly about the statement being general and it needs to be more specific.

2.    Express in one sentence what her first paragraph was mainly about.

     They were  talking about shops,banks and health service.  

3. Express in one sentence what her second paragraph was mainly about.

    Farming in this country is now much more efficient. It has to be, in order to survive. Furthermore, regional centres and large country towns often still have vigorous life. In some cases, their population continues to grow.

4. What does this sentence mean: “ Whether the countryside is in decline or not depends on where we cast our eyes”?

It needs to be more specific. Overall the population is in marked decline. Far fewer people are living in rural areas today.