Thinking and Study Skills Grade i_ii_Anc_889899.indd 19 4/7/08 3:41:01 PM Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Permission is granted to reproduce the material contained herein on the condition that such materials be reproduced only for classroom use; be provided to students, teachers, and families without charge; and be used solely in conjunction with the program Any other reproduction, for sale or other use, is expressly prohibited Send all inquiries to: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill 8787 Orion Place Columbus, OH 43240-4027 ISBN: 978-0-07-889899-0 MHID: 0-07-889899-4 Printed in the United States of America 10 079 12 11 10 09 08 i_ii_Anc_889899.indd 20 4/7/08 3:41:02 PM Contents Defining Problems Setting Goals Observing Formulating Questions Using Prior Knowledge Using a Library Using Reference Books Taking Notes Outlining Comparing and Contrasting 10 Classifying 11 Using Graphic Organizers 12 Identifying Attributes and Components 13 Using Cause-and-Effect Relationships 14 Using Organizational Patterns 15 Using Metaphorical Relationships 16 Identifying Main Ideas 17 Identifying Logical Errors 18 Inferring 19 Predicting 20 Elaborating 21 Summarizing 22 Restructuring 23 Drawing Conclusions 24 Establishing, Verifying, and Assessing Criteria 25 Using Metacognition 26 Solving Problems I 27 Solving Problems II 28 Making Decisions I 29 Making Decisions II 30 Using Creative Thinking I 31 Using Creative Thinking II 32 iii Contents Listening 33 Taking Notes While Listening 34 Managing Study Time 35 Studying 36 Learning from Graphics I 37 Learning from Graphics II 38 Taking Tests I 39 Taking Tests II 40 Answers 41 iv Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date Defining Problems The fiction you read is often based on a problem A good short story, for example, may contain a problem that a character in the story has to solve The problem creates suspense Will the character be successful in solving the problem? You read the story to find out how the main character’s problem will be resolved Do you recognize a problem when you’re faced with one? Many people think they always know when they are facing a problem But sometimes it takes people a while to realize they have a problem and to understand what the problem is A hiker, for example, may hike for several miles before realizing she is on the wrong trail Then her problem is to figure out where she is in relation to where she thinks she is or where she wants to be To solve a problem, you must first define it When a driver takes his car to a mechanic, for example, the mechanic must check the car to determine what the problem is Once the problem has been defined, a solution can be found Perhaps taking tests is a problem for you Before you can solve your problem, you must learn exactly what the problem is Do you have poor study habits? Do you become too jittery before a test? Do you have trouble understanding what the test is asking you to do? After you define your problem, you can look for a solution Processes such as playing a game or paddling a canoe also contain problems When playing chess, your problem is to capture the other player’s king before the other player captures yours When canoeing, your problem is keeping the canoe upright and moving forward in the water See whether you can identify problems in the processes listed in the following box Some Processes That May Contain Problems traveling canoeing playing chess getting a date learning to drive a car painting a picture making sugar-free cookies using a computer Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc ■ Activities A Read each sentence below On a separate sheet of paper, write P if the sentence contains a problem Write N if the sentence (by itself, without further information) does not define a problem Be prepared to explain your answers Kathi’s dog is lost Carmen wants to learn to ride a unicycle Conrad can’t find his shoes Martin must take a test Mary ate pancakes for breakfast The table is painted red Paul is hungry Teresa can speak five languages Charlene can ride a bicycle 10 Terry wants to visit Mexico, but he cannot speak Spanish B Choose a process—one of those listed in the box above or one of your own Define a problem you could face when performing that process Identify the goal or end result of the process, and then identify the obstacle or obstacles that could prevent you from reaching your goal Then tell how you would solve the problem Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date Setting Goals Read the following New Year’s resolutions I I I I I will will will will will spend more time with my younger sister study for two hours every night eat more healthy foods get eight hours of sleep every night find a job If you have ever made a New Year’s resolution, then you have experience in setting goals A goal is an objective or an end that you pursue Setting a goal means stating a plan or an aim It is a way for you to say that you plan to work toward and attain that goal in the future Some people set goals for personal growth An example might be learning to relax Others set outward goals, such as getting an education or winning a tournament Adults often set goals for their businesses or families Setting goals can be a good way of getting things accomplished If you don’t set a goal, will you ever improve your test-taking skills? Will you ever write that letter you’ve been planning to write? Will you ever talk to your parents about a certain problem you face? Some Goals Students Set make the basketball team travel abroad become a cheerleader learn to drive make new friends get an A in science find a summer job improve study habits learn to play the piano be on time learn to speak German graduate ■ Activities Marla has played the piano since the third grade. _ Elroy wants to become a lifeguard Connie wants to become friends with Jane _ LaDonna wants to go to the prom Sam is the school’s best chess player. _ Kerri can read only five pages in an hour. _ Cindy is determined to learn to read faster _ Tuan wishes to get an A in French class Martin hopes to improve his grades. _ 10 Jackie does not get along with her younger sister. _ B Set some goals for yourself List five goals that you would like to attain List only goals that you think you could attain within the next year Then tell how you plan to achieve each goal Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc A Read each sentence On the line following each sentence, write yes if the sentence states a goal Write no if the sentence does not contain a goal Be prepared to explain your answers Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date Observing Have you ever been listening to the radio or watching a television show when the program was suddenly interrupted by a storm warning? You may have been annoyed to have your program interrupted, but you probably realized that the warning could be important to many people and could perhaps even save lives The weather forecasts you see on television have probably helped you understand how meteorologists can predict storms They so by using prior knowledge of the conditions that can create a dangerous storm But before meterologists can make such predictions, they must carefully observe the movement of air masses, temperatures, and other weather characteristics Observation is essential to the information-gathering process You have certainly used your observing skills in science classes To discover how sunlight affects plant growth, for example, you might have set up an experiment in which you grew two similar plants, one on a windowsill where it would get plenty of sunlight and another in a dark corner You then observed the two plants daily, carefully noting any differences in their growth Observation is a vital part of scientific work Once enough information is gathered through observation, connections can be made among facts The information becomes the basis for scientific hypotheses, inferences, and predictions Observation is also important in your everyday life Your senses are constantly bombarded by information Through observation you make meaningful patterns of these sensations The following box contains examples of how you can gain useful information from observing through your five senses Sight: You see a red light and know that you must not cross a street Sound: You hear a loud crash in the next room and go to see what has fallen Smell: You smell smoke and suspect that something is on fire Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Taste: Something tastes bad in your sandwich You wonder whether you should finish it Touch: You feel a chill and decide to put on a sweater ■ Activities A Suppose you needed to write a description of each of the following events On a separate sheet of paper, list the senses that you would use to gain the information for your description List the senses in order of their importance for each description A particularly good meal at a favorite restaurant Your visit to a botanical garden An exciting basketball game your school team won A horror movie you saw last night Your first swimming lesson B Recall a particularly vivid experience you have had It might be similar to one of those listed above Write a letter to a friend describing your experience Try to appeal to the appropriate senses to make the experience come alive for your friend Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date Formulating Questions Much of human knowledge exists because someone asked questions Where does the sun go at night? What is on the other side of the ocean? How can we prevent smallpox? Questions can help you learn You gain much of your information from reading, so reading with questions in your mind will help you learn more from what you read How you formulate questions before reading the content? Titles, headings, boldfaced terms, and graphic aids such as photos, drawings, maps, charts, and graphs can provide a preview of what the selection covers You can also gain some information by skimming before you read If your reading selection has headings, the easiest way to formulate questions is to make them out of the headings You may, for example, ask who, what, when, where, why, or how questions based on a heading The box shows some examples of questions made from a heading The New Immigrants Who are the new immigrants? What is causing the new immigrants to come to America? When did the new immigrants begin to arrive? Where are the new immigrants coming from? How the new immigrants get here? You may also use prior knowledge to formulate questions List what you knew about the topic before examining the material and what you have learned from looking at the titles, headings, boldfaced terms, and graphic aids Then list what you want or need to learn ■ Activities A Use the headings below to formulate questions you would use to organize a course on American culture that you would teach to new immigrants On a separate sheet of paper, write at least four questions for each heading Americans in Space Energy Problems in America The Legislative Branch of Government The American Language B Imagine that your teacher will give a test tomorrow The test will cover the physiology, life cycle, habitat, and behavior of an animal called a roggle You have never heard of a roggle No reading material is available, and your teacher is not offering information However, your teacher will answer all the questions you want to ask Write five questions that will help you obtain the information you need to pass the test Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Post-reading questions are also important Think about the material you have just read, and formulate questions based on it How does the material explain something you did not understand before? How can you apply it to other subjects and to your life? How could a problem raised in the reading selection be solved? What might have caused a situation the writer described? Formulating good questions will help you think about what you have read and help you look for the answers Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date Using Prior Knowledge Imagine that you are studying substances that are lighter than air An older friend has been helping you study One day he ties a small helium-filled balloon to each of your arms and tells you to climb up on a chair, step off, and float When you hesitate, he explains that the balloons will keep you in the air “Trust me!” he says, looking into your eyes with a big smile You already know that giant balloons can lift people into the air However, you have held two small helium-filled balloons in your hand, and they had not lifted you off the ground Your prior knowledge contradicts what your friend is telling you Your prior knowledge constantly helps you evaluate new information You know what clouds are and what rain is This knowledge helps you when you study the conditions that cause rain When you first study electricity, you may have some experience of it because you use electric appliances The items in the box suggest some ways in which you can use prior knowledge in learning • To help understand new information • To evaluate new information • To make inferences based on new information • To understand the behavior of characters in literature Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc When you read, you not gain all of your understanding from the words on the page You add your prior knowledge to the written words and construct a meaning that uses both the prior knowledge and the new information For example, you probably find it easier to read about dogs, which are familiar to you, than to read about protozoa, which cannot be seen without a microscope One way to dredge up your prior knowledge about a topic is to brainstorm for the words and ideas that come to your mind when you think about the topic Or you may make a cluster diagram Then ask yourself what made you think of these associations Once you recall your prior knowledge about a topic, you can use your knowledge to formulate questions about what you will be reading or learning You can make predictions about what you will learn ■ Activity Read the following description of the characters in “Everyday Use,” a short story by Alice Walker The mother in the story must decide to whom to give a pair of quilts that she had made with her sister and mother Use your own prior knowledge to help you understand the literary characters and predict who will receive the quilts Explain how you arrived at your prediction on a separate sheet of paper Maggie and her mother live in the country where they work hard on their small farm Maggie is plain, shy and down to earth She is strongly attached to her home and family If she had the quilts she would put them to everyday use Dee, Maggie’s sister, goes to college in the city She is outspoken and demanding She has recently come to appreciate her African-American heritage and wants to display the quilts as samples of folk art Although the quilts were promised to Maggie, she tells her mother that Dee can have them She says that she can remember her grandmother without the quilts Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date Using a Library Where would you look if you wanted to find out about each of the following? A recent movie review A popular musician’s latest album Something about metatarsalgia, a condition your doctor said you might be suffering from Which books by a favorite author you can borrow from your library All of this information can be found in library resources But where in the library would you begin to look? To find the information above, you could begin in the following places Movie review—The newspapers and periodicals section, where you can find copies of newspapers Popular music—The audio-visual section, where you might find a CD or tape of the album Metatarsalgia—The reference section, where you look for a medical dictionary Books—The computer catalog (or card catalog), where you find a listing of every book the library has by a particular author Basic Library Resources Lists nonfiction books by author, title, and subject and fiction books by author and title only Unit 23 of your Writer’s Choice textbook will tell you more about library catalogs and about using call numbers to locate books in the library reference section Contains dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, atlases, and other general and specialized reference works newspapers and periodicals section Contains newspapers (with microfilm or microfiche of back issues), magazines, and journals audio-visual section Contains records, CDs, audio tapes, videocassettes, slides and filmstrips, and other nonbook materials ■ Activity Get together with a partner to play a “Where in the library?” game Take turns answering each of the following questions Determine which section of the library listed in the box above would contain the source that you could use to answer the question Write your responses on a separate sheet of paper Then challenge each other by posing some questions of your own In what year did baseball player Mark McGwire break Roger Maris’s home run record? How does a short story by Edgar Allan Poe differ from the movie based on the short story? Which is the correct spelling, diphtheria or diptheria? Which magazine(s) might be interested in publishing short stories or poetry written by high school students? What are Humphrey Bogart’s last words in the movie Casablanca? Exactly where in the library will you find the book Ethnic America by Thomas Sowell? Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc card or computer catalog Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date 31 Using Creative Thinking I When Joanna first attended the play The Little Match Girl, she saw only what the characters said, did, and wore The second time Joanna attended the play she became caught up in it, used her imagination, and saw herself as the little girl She felt what it was like to be cold and hungry She was actually excited and comforted as she traveled (via the play) in the little girl’s dreams When the play was finished, Joanna said, “I felt as though I were really up there on the stage I was the one who so wanted to be brought into a warm house with a caring family When this happened to the little girl, I thought it was real I actually felt disappointed when it turned out to be a dream I wanted the dream to continue.” The second time Joanna saw the play, she used creative thinking Creative thinking is using one’s imagination, being original, and responding in a personal way to the things around you Creative thinking leads people to make something that previously did not exist or to something in a way it has never been done before A vendor at the St Louis World’s Fair first sold a scoop of ice cream rolled up in a pancake, creating the ice-cream cone Instead of doing only the traditional steps, a dance competitor invented a few of her own New creative ideas or things are often named after the creative thinker who invented them A new move or routine created by an athlete, for example, might be named after that athlete, as the Lutz, a jump used in figure skating, was named after its Swiss inventor You may have studied Boyle’s law concerning the relationship between the temperature and the pressure of confined gases, or you may have been injected with Salk’s polio vaccine When Dr H J Heimlich created a way to help a person who is choking on food, his method was named the Heimlich maneuver Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Everyone can tap into his or her own creative ideas Often it’s simply a matter of realizing that the ideas are there and bringing them out Many people develop their creative-thinking skills by writing ideas, insights, reflections, feelings, descriptions, and poetic images in a journal To think creatively Become aware of your personal responses to the things around you Write down your personal responses, thoughts, ideas, and reflections Try new ideas; don’t be afraid to be different ■ Activities A The Earl of Sandwich is said to have invented the idea of putting a piece of meat between two pieces of bread because he didn’t want to leave the card table to eat and didn’t want to hold a greasy piece of meat while playing cards Whether the story is true or not, the sandwich still bears his name Get together in a small group and hold a contest to see who can come up with the most innovative, but useful, way to serve or prepare food On a separate sheet of paper, explain why your idea is needed or is an improvement over existing methods B Think about a problem in your school, your neighborhood, or your town On a separate sheet of paper, describe a creative solution to the problem If you like, send your solution to the letters-to-the-editor section of your school or community newspaper and invite readers to respond to your ideas Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade 31 Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date 32 Using Creative Thinking II Creative thinking involves using your imagination, being original, and doing things in your unique way instead of following the crowd Writers, artists, and musicians are all creative thinkers They use their medium (writing, painting, sculpting, playing an instrument, or singing) to say something different and unique Their ideas often inspire others to think and to be creative too Scientists, inventors, and many industrialists are also creative thinkers Thomas Edison used creative thinking to come up with the idea of building a phonograph Henry Ford used creative thinking when he produced the Model T, an affordable automobile built on an assembly line The Wright brothers used creative thinking when they succeeded in building and flying an airplane To use creative thinking Reveal settings Use poetic images; make comparisons Create unusual, memorable characters Invent a unique, exciting plot so that the reader doesn’t know what will happen next Describe an event from an unusual point of view ■ Activities A Read the following accounts of the same event Decide which writer used creative thinking (imagination, new ideas) when planning and writing about the event Then, on a separate sheet of paper, tell what creative thing the author did to make the account unique Every baseball pitched to Mark McGwire that night in September 1998 was covered with invisible ink and marked with a small black numeral for authentication purposes just in case he hit his sixty-second home run of the season When the sinking fastball arrived, McGwire swung surprisingly low, but he still broke Roger Maris’s single-season home run record set in 1961 Cameras flashed, and fans for both teams cheered loudly as McGwire rounded the bases in the fourth inning The next day, a magazine writer declared that McGwire had “made a permanent place for himself not only in Cooperstown but also in American folklore.” B Choose a photograph from a book, a magazine, or a newspaper Create a story about what is happening in the photograph 32 Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Mark McGwire broke Roger Maris’s single-season home run record in a game against the Chicago Cubs in 1998 Already that year McGwire had tied Babe Ruth’s record of sixty homers in a season, but the record of sixty-one home runs had been set by Maris in 1961 McGwire’s record-breaking homer occurred in the fourth inning of the game Baseballs fans everywhere cheered his accomplishment Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date 33 Listening When you are reading, you probably will not be terribly annoyed if you are interrupted or distracted for a moment The book will wait You can resume reading at the point of interruption or reread the last bit to remind yourself of where you left off While watching a movie, on the other hand, a distraction can prevent you from hearing the dialogue You can’t ask the characters on screen to repeat something Readers can make up for a distraction, but listeners may miss important information if they not stay focused Listening actively can enable a listener to better gain information For example, setting a purpose for listening can improve comprehension and recall of spoken material Evaluating the material as the message unfolds can also improve comprehension The pointers in the box will help a listener learn more from an informative lecture Pointers on Listening Listen for the main idea The main idea will help you note the important points as they are introduced Usually a speaker will state the main idea near the beginning of the lecture Notice how the speaker has organized the information Are causes and effects explained? Are comparisons or contrasts stated? Does the lecturer explore a problem and propose a solution? Use the information presented to formulate questions about what will come next Be alert for verbal clues Transition terms indicate a change of topic—for example, next, second, or another problem Other verbal clues, such as the key points, in conclusion, or to summarize, indicate that the major points are about to be restated or summed up Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Listening critically will also aid comprehension, as will reflecting on the information after the lecture Does the material presented in the lecture agree with prior knowledge? How does it extend prior knowledge? How can you apply it? Were opinions well supported? ■ Activities A Read the following statements that an audience might hear in an advertisement or a speech On a separate sheet of paper, write at least one question you might ask about each statement You might use your reactions and questions to evaluate similar statements in real-life situations Nine out of ten doctors recommend Soothache for headache pain My opponent has made secret promises to special interest groups, while I am free to represent the interests of the American people Tests have proved that Grime-Begone is the most effective laundry detergent on the market today If the city council allows the developer to build this apartment complex, traffic on ten city streets will increase by 20 percent Some of the worst industrial polluters in the city back my opponent in this election B Have another student read aloud an informative or persuasive article while you listen After listening to the article, summarize what you remember Ask questions about the information or opinions presented Then read through the article to see how much of it you understood and remembered Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade 33 Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date 34 Taking Notes While Listening It is important to take notes while reading, but it is even more important to take notes while listening If a reader forgets some information, the information is still in the written material Although it may be inconvenient, the reader can retrieve the information by rereading it Information delivered orally, however, cannot be recovered unless it is taped Taking notes is essential while listening to an important lecture, discussion, or debate Active listening improves the understanding of information Taking notes is one method of making listening an active process Taking notes forces the listener to attend to organizational patterns, key points, main ideas, and relationships between facts It also encourages the listener to anticipate the speaker in order to choose an organizational pattern for notes or to know when to begin a new heading Some listeners summarize or outline in their notes Others devise graphic organizers You should use the method you feel most comfortable with and the one that best suits the material you are listening to The pointers in the box will help a listener take notes on an informative lecture Some of the processes for active listening are similar to those for active reading Pointers for Listening to a Lecture Determine the main idea as early as possible The main idea will help you identify key points as the lecture progresses Choose a format or organizing pattern for your notes The main idea may suggest how the speaker will organize the information, or the speaker may identify a pattern in an introduction You may classify, relate causes and effects, note comparisons or contrasts, relate problems to solutions, or follow main ideas with supporting details Note only main points, writing only key words and phrases Do not write so much that you miss parts of the lecture Highlight main ideas with stars or underlining Reorganize your notes after the lecture Change headings, regroup information, and add information as necessary Reflect upon the information and note any remaining questions ■ Activity Have another student read aloud an informative selection from a textbook chapter or a short article while you listen and take notes When you are finished, read the selection your partner read to you, comparing it with your notes On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph analyzing your notes Did you note the most important information? Were your notes organized effectively? 34 Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc When you hear transition phrases that indicate a change of topic, write a new heading Note what speakers say after phrases such as the key points, in conclusion, and to summarize Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date 35 Managing Study Time Are you overwhelmed by the amount of studying you need to do? Do you sometimes feel as though all of your teachers assume you are taking only one class? Do they all schedule examinations at the same time? These are all reasons to use your limited study time wisely Budgeting your time is your first step Try to study at times when you are most alert For example, if you have trouble focusing at night, you may benefit by studying in the early morning You can also make use of time that would otherwise be wasted For example, how much time you spend waiting? You wait at the dentist’s office, wait on hold when you phone a business, and wait in line to see a movie Keep your notes handy so you can use this time Lists of material to be memorized can be carried on a single sheet of paper and reviewed quickly Examples include terms and their definitions, punctuation rules, the Bill of Rights, a list of minerals, or the classes of vertebrates You can review such lists on the bus, during television commercials, in the doctor’s waiting room, or during a haircut Tips on Using Study Time Keep all study materials organized in one place so that you not need to spend time searching for them Write assignment and due dates on your calendar Budget the time you need to complete your assignments Divide assignments into small tasks; not take a break until you have completed a small task Work on long-term assignments several times a week Do not put off all your studying until the night before a final or try to all your research just before a term paper is due Remember that you will learn more in several short study sessions than you will in one long session Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Review what you have been studying before you stop You will remember more and save study time later After taking notes on a lecture or a reading assignment, reorganize your notes immediately You will reinforce what you have learned Furthermore, you will need to spend less time studying the notes in the future if they are well organized ■ Activities A On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions Imagine that you have one six-hundred-page book to read for English and six twenty-page chapters to read for social studies over the next six weeks How much should you read each night? Assume that each social studies chapter has five sections Given your reading speed, how much time should you allow per chapter? How should you break up the task? What can you on your breaks to refresh yourself? From the courses you are taking now, list several types of information that could be written as short lists for memorization List also the times and places you could review this information outside of your structured study time B Write a paragraph telling how you personally can benefit more from the time you spend studying Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade 35 Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date 36 Studying The SQ3R method in your textbook presents an effective strategy for studying a written text As you know, SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Record, and Review When students are in a hurry, buried under a crushing load of reading assignments, they often not want to take the time for all of the steps “I have only enough time to read it,” they protest The prereading and postreading steps, however, are important They will help improve your comprehension and recall of the material studied Prereading Tactics Use your prior knowledge, together with what you can learn from the title, headings, boldfaced terms, and graphics to predict content and formulate questions Make a cluster diagram for boldfaced terms by brainstorming all your associations with them If you can determine the organizational pattern, create a graphic to complete as you read For example, you might use a Venn diagram for a comparison-contrast organization or a time line to keep track of important events List what you know about the topic Then list what you want to find out about it When you are reviewing your notes, you will remember information better if you involve as many senses as possible Read your notes aloud as well as silently Sometimes you can even use touch Use your hands to trace routes on a map, to feel the bones on a model of the human anatomy, or to beat time to the rhythm of a poem or a piece of music you are learning ■ Activities A Study the following information gained from surveying a history chapter Then complete the following exercises on a separate sheet of paper Key Terms Headings serf manor mercantilism compass Changes Sweep Over Europe Cities Grow A Middle Class Emerges Mercantilism Sparks Search for Colonies Inventions Aid Navigation Choose one term, and create a cluster diagram to help understand it Write a few facts from your prior knowledge about one term or heading Use the terms, the headings, and your prior knowledge to formulate at least five questions about the content of the chapter B Choose a chapter in one of your textbooks Copy the key terms and headings, as in activity A above Then complete the same three activities as above, using your list of key terms and headings 36 Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc BACKGROUND TO EUROPEAN EXPLORATION Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date 37 Learning from Graphics I Some information is presented most clearly with graphic aids For example, compare the following information presented in a paragraph of text with the same information presented in a table In the United States, petroleum was consumed at the rate of 7,058,000 barrels per day in 1980 Consumption more than doubled to 15,231,000 barrels per day by 1983 Consumption rose more moderately between 1983 and 1988, when it reached 17,283,000 barrels per day In Hungary, on the other hand, petroleum consumption has declined steadily, from 244,000 barrels per day in 1980 to 223,000 barrels in 1983 to 203,000 barrels in 1988 Petroleum Consumption (in thousands of barrels per day) Country United States Hungary 1980 7,058 244 1983 15,231 223 1988 17,283 203 Source: International Energy Annual, 1988 You probably found it easier to make sense of the information in the table Certain facts and figures are cumbersome when presented in the body of a text A reader can absorb them at a glance when they appear in charts, graphs, or tables ■ Activities Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc A Study the information in the table below On a separate sheet of paper, answer the questions that follow the table Coal Consumption (in millions of short tons) Country United States France Australia 1980 702.73 61.37 59.44 1984 791.29 46.21 67.57 1988 882.82 31.56 96.73 Which country was the biggest consumer of coal? Which country increased consumption by the biggest percentage between 1980 and 1988? Which country decreased consumption between 1980 and 1988? Coal is a major energy source for electric power plants Nuclear energy is another energy source One of the three countries substantially increased its production of nuclear power between 1980 and 1988 Which country you think it was? How did the table help you make this inference? B Graphic aids exist in a number of forms, including charts, graphs, time lines, maps, and diagrams Search textbooks, newspapers, and magazines for graphic organizers List at least five different types, and describe the information each presents Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade 37 Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date 38 Learning from Graphics II Certain facts are easier to understand if you see them in graphic aids The type of graphic organizer that is most efficient depends upon the information to be displayed Numbers and quantities are usually best shown in a table or a graph Circle (or pie) graphs divide the whole of something into parts (slices of the pie) A line graph is usually the best for showing changes in numbers or quantity over time By following the line of the graph, you can easily see how a quantity rises and falls over a period of time Bar graphs, too, can show changes over time Study the information in the following table Then study the same information in a bar graph U.S Energy Production by Source (in quadrillions of Btu*) Year Coal Natural Gas Crude Oil Hydroelectric Nuclear 1977 15.7 18.5 17.3 3.0 2.1 1987 20.1 17.1 17.1 2.3 5.7 *Btu stands for British thermal unit It is a measure of energy U.S Energy Production by Source (in quadrillions of Btu*) 25 20 15 10 Natural Gas 1977 production Crude Oil Hydroelectric Nuclear 1987 production ■ Activities A Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper Beside your answer, write T if the table was useful in answering the question and G if the graph was more useful How many Btu of energy were produced from coal in 1987? How many Btu of energy were produced from gas in 1977? For which energy sources did production increase between 1977 and 1987? For which energy sources did production decrease between 1977 and 1987? For which energy source did production increase by the greatest number of Btu between 1977 and 1987? For which energy source did production increase by the largest percentage between 1977 and 1987? B Search textbooks, newspapers, and magazines for three different types of graphs Identify each type of graph, and summarize the information it shows 38 Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Coal Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date 39 Taking Tests I Many tests used for college admission, employment, licensing, or grading in school are objective tests that ask for specific information Strategies for taking objective tests vary with the type of item Types of Tests True-false Matching Multiple choice Sentence completion For some sentence-completion items, the test taker selects the correct term from several possibilities In others, the test taker must supply the missing word or words True-False Questions True-false questions are generally considered the easiest, since there are only two possible choices Even when guessing the answer, you stand a fifty-fifty chance of guessing correctly When answering a true-false item, not mark it true unless the whole statement is true If a part of it is false, the entire item is likely to be false Matching Tests Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc The matching-test format presents two lists of items The test taker matches each item in the first list to an item in the second In many cases, each list contains the same number of items, and each item is used once Often, however, a matching exercise will include one or more extra items in the second list The process of elimination will help you complete a matching exercise Match the items you know first As you eliminate possible answers, you have fewer options from which to select and a better chance of selecting the correct one Remember, however, that if you change an answer once you have completed all the items, you may need to change another item elsewhere ■ Activities A Use a separate sheet of paper to identify the following items as T (true) or F (false) A period is used at the end of a sentence, after an abbreviation, and to separate items in a series Two sentences may be joined using the words and, but, or in and a comma In joining two sentences, a semicolon may be used in place of the comma and the word and A colon or semicolon is used to introduce a list B Match the following terms with their definitions Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper nitrogen a a meeting at which political party representatives select one or more candidates for office humidity b the sound heard at the beginning of the word cat para-aminobenzoic acid c a lawmaking body legislature d the most abundant gas in the atmosphere nominating convention e a nutrient in the B vitamin group voiceless velar stop f the amount of moisture in the air Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade 39 Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date 40 Taking Tests II Your future may depend on the outcome of a test Tests determine acceptance by colleges, graduate schools, and many employers In some professions, such as medicine, law, and aviation, professionals must pass tests in order to be licensed The following is a list of effective test-taking strategies for multiple-choice tests, the most-used format in standardized tests First complete the items you can answer quickly and easily Return to the difficult ones later Try to answer every question unless incorrect responses are penalized Remain for the entire time allotted Double-check your answers if you have time Read all of the choices before choosing The test calls for the best response Try to eliminate as many choices as possible Then concentrate on the ones left Relate each option to the question An option may contain a true statement, but one that doesn’t relate to the question Look for absolute terms such as always or never They are likely to appear in incorrect options Be especially careful when one of the options is “all of the above” or “none of the above.” Consider the other options carefully to make sure that they are all correct or that they are all incorrect ■ Activity On a separate sheet of paper, write the best response for each item Test takers who are not sure of an item should a always make a guess, even if they don’t know the correct response b make a guess if incorrect responses are not penalized c never attempt to guess under any circumstances d guess only if they are not likely to score well on other items In a one-hour test with 100 items, you should be near item 50 after a half-hour if a the items become progressively more difficult b one hour is enough time to finish the test c it is impossible to finish the test in the time allowed d none of the above Why should students master test-taking techniques? a Better test scores will assure passing grades in classes b They may not always have the knowledge to pass tests without them c It will help them find employment after graduation d In many areas of life, they will be evaluated by test scores 40 Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc A person who is a good test taker a always achieves high scores on tests b will never have trouble finding a job c usually scores higher than a poor test taker with similar abilities d is more competent than others with the same education Thinking and Study Skills Answers ■ PAGE ■ PAGE Defining Problems Using Prior Knowledge Responses should include information that has a logical and useful relationship to the characters in the passage Statements might include prior experiences with sisters, brothers, or close friends who possess traits similar to either sister in the story Part A P P N P N 10 P P N N P Part B Guidelines: Assessment should concentrate particularly on how well the chosen problem has been defined ■ PAGE periodicals section audio-visual section card catalog Using Reference Books 10 no yes yes yes no Part B Guidelines: Responses should be evaluated as to whether they are well-defined goals and whether the goals are attainable within a year Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Using a Library reference section card catalog reference section ■ PAGE Setting Goals Part A no yes yes yes no ■ PAGE Part A atlas thesaurus directory almanac dictionary encyclopedia Part B Guidelines: Responses in each category should be titles of actual resources available in libraries ■ PAGE ■ PAGE Taking Notes Observing Parts A and B Guidelines: Notes should follow the guidelines given in the box on the page They should clearly identify and distinguish between the main ideas and the important details, should be in a consistent and appropriate format, and should be brief Part A taste, smell, sight, touch sight, smell, touch sight, sound sight, sound touch, sight, sound, taste, smell Part B Guidelines: Letters should display an understanding of the role of the senses in observation ■ PAGE Formulating Questions Part A Guidelines: Responses should be comparable to the examples in the box on the page Part B Examples: What does a roggle look like? What other animals are most closely related to the roggle? Do roggles live in groups? What roggles feed on? Where roggles live? ■ PAGE Outlining Part A Guidelines: Outlines should conform to the model The boldfaced headings should be used as main topics, with at least two appropriate supporting details or examples under each main topic Part B Guidelines: Outlines should follow the guidelines in the box on the page They should conform to the model, effectively show the organization of the content, and demonstrate attention to main ideas and supporting details Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade 41 Thinking and Study Skills ■ PAGE 10 Part B Guidelines: Answers should contain an appropriate number of correctly identified attributes and components for the item chosen Base the number on your assessment of the ability of the class or the individual Comparing and Contrasting Part A comparison contrast N contrast ■ PAGE 14 Using Cause-and-Effect Relationships Part B Guidelines: Comparisons should follow the guidelines in the box on the page ■ PAGE 11 Classifying The names may be categorized as states (California, Florida, New Jersey) and cities (Las Vegas, Seattle, Atlanta, Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Los Angeles) or as locations in the East (Atlanta, Boston, Florida, New Jersey, Philadelphia) and the West (California, Las Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles) ■ PAGE 12 Using Graphic Organizers Part A The categories mountains, hills, plateaus, and plains should radiate outward from landform, with the two particular types of plains radiating out from the plains label Part B Guidelines: Whatever the story, the information about characters, problem, events, and resolution should be accurately described and properly entered in the chart ■ PAGE 13 Identifying Attributes and Components Part A 42 C C A C C 10 A A C C A 11 12 13 14 15 N N A A A 16 17 18 19 20 C N C C A Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade 9 10 F F M F T Part B Guidelines: Responses should consist of five examples that show genuine cause-and-effect relationships ■ PAGE 15 Using Organizational Patterns Part A classification cause-and-effect comparison-contrast time order Part B Guidelines: Descriptions should demonstrate an understanding of the organizational patterns discussed on the page ■ PAGE 16 Using Metaphorical Relationships Part A Answers should reflect the following ideas: so worthless they deserve to be discarded fierceness or violence sweetness dirtiness and intent to make an opponent look dirty mobilizing forces against an identified enemy Part B Guidelines: Responses should demonstrate an understanding of metaphorical relationships, and credit should be given for originality Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Part C Guidelines: Either a line graph or a bar graph could be used to show the scores over a period of weeks Assess graphs for accuracy in showing information and for proper use of scale Part A T T M M F Thinking and Study Skills ■ PAGE 17 ■ PAGE 21 Identifying Main Ideas Elaborating Part A The atmosphere exists in layers The ozone layer is of particular importance to life on earth Human activity is thinning the ozone layer on which our very lives depend Scientists predict widespread damage as the thinning ozone layer allows more ultraviolet rays to reach the earth’s surface Part A Guidelines: Each item should use some of the types of elaboration listed in the box on the page Elaborations should be appropriate to the topics Part B Guidelines: Students should correctly identify the main idea of the articles chosen ■ PAGE 22 Part B Guidelines: The paragraph should include a variety of types of elaboration, and the elaborations should help the reader understand the process being described Summarizing Part A Sentences 3, 5, 7, and should be omitted Sentences and 12 might also be suggested for omission by some students ■ PAGE 18 Identifying Logical Errors Part A EO CE RH Part B Guidelines: Summaries should contain only the main points and should be chronologically organized unless the story involved requires some other type of organization NO CE EO ■ PAGE 23 Part B Guidelines: Responses should display an understanding of the logical errors identified on the page ■ PAGE 19 Inferring Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Part A Responses should state an inference that the two boys not wish to associate with the third boy Evidence supporting the inference includes their running away when they see the third boy, their not answering the door, and the third boy’s tears at their obvious avoidance of him Part B Probable inference: Samantha has strong feelings about protecting the environment, while Clarise is indifferent to the idea of environmental concern ■ PAGE 20 Predicting Part A Logical predictions: The home team will probably lose The test score is likely to be low The candidate who told the joke will probably lose A surprise birthday party has been arranged for Susan Restructuring Alex asks for specific items, generates his own questions, recombines words, makes fine discriminations The old information states that parrots simply mimic sounds without understanding them The new information implies a meaningful use of words Not without more information Example: Most parrots are mimics Alex’s behavior suggests that a parrot can be trained to use words as tools of meaningful communication It is possible that parrots are capable of greater understanding than was previously thought More research is needed ■ PAGE 24 Drawing Conclusions Part A no yes yes yes Part B Guidelines: Responses should include adequate evidence for deciding that the author did or did not present data to support conclusions Part B Guidelines: Predictions should be based on sound reasoning Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade 43 Thinking and Study Skills ■ PAGE 25 Establishing, Verifying, and Assessing Criteria Part A Guidelines: Criteria will represent individual preferences For example, one student establishing criteria for cars might stress safety factors, efficiency, and economy, while another will stress appearance, power, and comfort Part B Guidelines: Whatever the criteria, the verification and assessment should clearly validate or invalidate them ■ PAGE 26 Using Metacognition Part A Guidelines: Answers to the questions in the box should demonstrate an ability to analyze one’s own thinking processes Part B Guidelines: Paragraphs should include information about the type of thinking processes used by the student ■ PAGE 27 Solving Problems I Part B Guidelines: Specific answers will depend on the problem identified Establishing limits is particularly important Students also should demonstrate an awareness that problems usually involve a number of interrelated issues ■ PAGE 28 Solving Problems II Part A Sample predictions: some environmental damage from mining processes; increased emissions of sulfur dioxide probable oil spills; oil rigs dotting the coastal waters 44 Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade Part B Guidelines: Responses should focus on the problem-solving process and should carefully consider the possible results of proposed solutions ■ PAGE 29 Making Decisions I Examples: What prompted the invasion? Are international agencies such as the UN involved? What does that organization recommend? What are the likely consequences of involvement or noninvolvement? Without intervention, is the conflict likely to spread? Are any parts of the notes remaining and legible? What does your friend recommend for the two of you? Did your friend copy some of the notes? Do either of you have another friend in the history class who might allow you to copy last week’s notes? Does the history textbook contain the information that was in the notes? ■ PAGE 30 Making Decisions II Part A study French, study Spanish go to drama camp, go to riding camp, go to handicapped children’s camp Part B Guidelines: Evaluate responses based on the demonstrated ability to weigh pros and cons and make a reasonable decision ■ PAGE 31 Using Creative Thinking I Part A Guidelines: Responses should be evaluated according to their originality Explanations should be clear and arguments convincing Part B Guidelines: Evaluate responses according to how well the problem is defined and how creative the proposed solution is Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Part A Answers will begin to diverge at question depending on how the student chooses to define the problem Sample answers follow Unacceptable level of pollution A variety of sources, but especially motor vehicles Air quality will deteriorate, and health problems will increase Patterns of automobile use must be changed Examples: How many cars have single passengers? To what extent are drivers familiar with ride-sharing and mass transit? How many people must use their cars daily? Some may suggest incentives for ride-sharing, penalties for single-passenger cars, or improvements in mass transit Most will hope for some improvement in air quality probable increased cost; increased problems in storing additional radioactive waste; possible nuclear accidents destroys beautiful valleys, wilderness areas, and wildlife; destroys trees and green plants that might otherwise remove carbon dioxide from atmosphere; possibly uproots families from areas that will be flooded likely loss of business and jobs in industries that provide energy or manufacture products that require energy Thinking and Study Skills ■ PAGE 32 Part B Guidelines: Students’ responses should indicate an awareness of their own particular problem areas and their ability to recognize the means of working on those problems Using Creative Thinking II Part A Example: The second account is more creative It begins describing the event from an unusual point of view and uses a narrative technique to create suspense Specific details, description, and a quote have been used to make the event come to life ■ PAGE 36 Studying Parts A and B Guidelines: Evaluate responses according to how well students apply the previously taught skills of using graphic organizers and prior knowledge Part B Guidelines: Evaluate the responses according to how creatively the writer used a photograph as a source for an interesting narrative Well-described setting, use of poetic images, unusual characters, exciting plot, and appropriate point of view are some techniques that might be used ■ PAGE 37 Learning From Graphics I ■ PAGE 33 Listening Part A Examples: How many doctors were sampled? How were they chosen? What other remedies did they suggest? Was Soothache the first choice? If the promises are secret, how does the speaker know about them? What promises? Which interest groups? Which tests? Who conducted them? What criteria were used? Were all brands tested? Which city streets? Why? How does the speaker know? Who are the worst industrial polluters? Do they really support the candidate? Why? Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Part B Guidelines: In evaluating this activity, focus on the process and the application of lesson concepts You may allow for peer evaluation, with each reader in the pair evaluating the listener’s summary ■ PAGE 34 Taking Notes While Listening Evaluate students’ paragraphs according to how well they appear to have evaluated themselves and the extent to which they demonstrate mastery of the listening skills pointers in the box on the page ■ PAGE 35 Managing Study Time Part A Answers will vary, but should be realistic A sample answer follows about twenty pages of English and four pages of the social studies text Guidelines for remaining items: Allow for variations according to students’ abilities, reading speeds, backgrounds, and personal preferences Responses should demonstrate an understanding of the concepts discussed on the page Part A United States Australia France France Its decline in coal consumption indicates a switch to some other energy source Since France is an advanced industrial nation, nuclear energy seems a likely choice Part B Guidelines: Students should identify each type of graphic organizer and clearly describe its content ■ PAGE 38 Learning From Graphics II Part A 20.1 quadrillion, T 18.5 quadrillion, T coal, nuclear, G natural gas, oil, hydroelectric, G coal, T nuclear, G Part B Guidelines: Students should identify three different types of graphs (e.g., circle, line, and bar) and summarize each one’s information clearly ■ PAGE 39 Taking Tests I Part A F F T F Part B d f e c a b ■ PAGE 40 Taking Tests II c b d d Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade 45 ... Orion Place Columbus, OH 43240-4027 ISBN: 97 8-0-07-8 898 99- 0 MHID: 0-07-8 898 99- 4 Printed in the United States of America 10 0 79 12 11 10 09 08 i_ii_Anc_8 898 99. indd 20 4/7/08 3:41:02 PM Contents Defining... Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade 13 Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date 14 Using Cause -and- Effect Relationships The batter hit the ball, and it flew... Writer’s Choice: Thinking and Study Skills, Grade 19 Thinking and Study Skills Name Class Date 20 Predicting When President Harry Truman ran for reelection in 194 8, his popularity