Media Center Home
 

Pre / During / Instruction Strategy
POWER NOTES / MAPS   CRISS Manual 38 - 42
Power Thinking

Overview:  When students have difficulty finding the main ideas and details think about Power Thinking (Miller, 1985; Sparks, 1982).  It is easier than outlining for students.  The main idea is a power 1 while the details, examples, elaboration are powers 2s, 3s, or 4s.

Steps:  
        1. Introduce concept of powers with simple example:

2.    Write power 1, 2, 3 words on separate 3x5 cards on several topics.  Mix them up and distribute one card to each student.  Have them sort the cards into categories and then into powers.

3.    Use your text book as a tool for discovering powers within text.  Encourage two-column notes with chapter heading as power 1, bold headings as power 2s (on left side of 2 column notes) and details, examples, etc. as power 3s (on right side of 2 column notes).

4.    POWER MAP can be used after “K” of KWL and then students can add to their map as they gain information from text, lecture, video, etc.

(Santa, 1996)

Santa, Carol M., Ph.D., Lynn T. Havens, and Bonnie J. Valdes. Project CRISS.
     1988. 3rd ed. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2004.

District 88 | Addison Trail | Academics | Athletics | Calendar | Map | Resources