Tip #12: Notes to Summary Questions: Identify student goal, filter relevant notes, evaluate (by eliminating irrelevance in notes, noting absence & misrepresenting information), prioritize precision & beware of partial matches that only half fulfill goal

.

Pre-task strategies:

1. Identify the Student’s Goal
   • Focus on the phrase: "The student wants to..."
   • Highlight key action words (e.g., compare, emphasize, contrast, introduce).
2. Filter Relevant Notes
   • Cross out notes that don’t relate to the goal.
   • Keep only notes that directly fulfill the function.
3. Evaluate Answer Choices
   • Eliminate options that:
     • Omit required elements (e.g., only mentions one item when comparing two).
     • Add irrelevant details (e.g., location when comparing length).
     • Misrepresent the goal (e.g., describing instead of comparing).
4. Prioritize Precision
   • The best answer will exactly match the function without extra fluff.
   • If the goal is to compare, the answer must mention both items clearly.
5. Beware of Partial Matches
   • Some choices may half-fulfill the goal (e.g., list facts without comparison).

​Practice

Model Questions & Notes
Passage 1: Space Exploration

Notes:

• The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990.
• It orbits Earth at an altitude of ~340 miles.
• The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched in 2021.
• JWST orbits the Sun at ~1 million miles from Earth.
• Hubble primarily observes visible and ultraviolet light.
• JWST detects infrared light to study early galaxies.

Goal: The student wants to contrast the orbital positions of the two telescopes.

Which choice most effectively uses relevant information?
A) The Hubble Space Telescope orbits Earth, while JWST orbits the Sun. 
B) Hubble studies visible light, and JWST studies infrared. 
C) Both telescopes were launched decades apart. 
D) JWST is much farther from Earth than Hubble. 

Answer at the end

Passage 2: Environmental Science
Notes:

• Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity with ~22% efficiency.
• Wind turbines convert wind energy with ~45% efficiency.
• Solar panels require large land areas for installation.
• Wind turbines can harm bird populations.
• Both technologies reduce fossil fuel dependence.

Goal: The student wants to compare the energy-conversion efficiency of solar and wind power.

Which choice most effectively uses relevant information?
A) Solar panels and wind turbines both help reduce fossil fuel use. 
B) Wind turbines are more efficient (45%) than solar panels (22%). 
C) Solar panels need more space than wind turbines. 
D) Wind turbines pose risks to birds. 

Answer at the End

Post-Task Assessments & Reflections

1. Self-Check Questions
   • Did I correctly identify the student’s goal from the prompt?
   • Did I eliminate notes that weren’t relevant to the goal?
   • Does the best answer fully address the goal without extra details?
2. Common Pitfalls
   • Over-inclusion: Selecting answers with true but irrelevant facts.
   • Under-inclusion: Missing one part of a comparison (e.g., only mentioning one item).
   • Misinterpretation: Confusing compare with describe.
3. Reflection
   • Practice annotating notes by labeling their relevance (e.g., "For comparison: efficiency stats").
   • Focus on action verbs in the goal (e.g., compare, explain, argue).
   • Time management: Spend <30 seconds filtering notes before reviewing choices

 
Answer Key
Passage 1
Correct Answer A (Clearly contrasts both orbits.)
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information?
A) The Hubble Space Telescope orbits Earth, while JWST orbits the Sun. [Correct: Directly contrasts positions.]
B) Hubble studies visible light, and JWST studies infrared. [Irrelevant: Focuses on function, not orbit.]
C) Both telescopes were launched decades apart. [Irrelevant: Doesn’t address orbits.]
D) JWST is much farther from Earth than Hubble. [Partially correct but lacks Hubble’s orbit detail.]

Passage 2
Correct Answer: B (Precisely compares efficiency percentages.)
A) Solar panels and wind turbines both help reduce fossil fuel use. [Irrelevant: Doesn’t compare efficiency.]
B) Wind turbines are more efficient (45%) than solar panels (22%). [Correct: Direct comparison.]
C) Solar panels need more space than wind turbines. [Irrelevant: Focuses on land use.]
D) Wind turbines pose risks to birds. [Irrelevant: Doesn’t address efficiency.]

​