1. OUTLINING MAPPING
SUMMARIZING STRATEGIES
Elizabeth Buchanan

2. outlining
• Outlining is one of my favorite ways of preparing notes to
review on a quiz or test.
• Outlining helps you understand and see clearly the
relationship between a main idea and its supporting
details.
• Outlining is a useful note-taking strategy.
• Outlines begin with the main idea, followed by supporting
details.
• Major details explain and develop the main idea.
• Minor details help fill out the major details and make
them clear.

3. • My family’s trip to Disneyland was a lot of fun, and included a
series of events. To start out with we rode on all the rides.
This included the train that took us all over Disneyland.
Another thing we did not miss out on was eating the delicious
food. My favorite place was Café Orleans where they served
the best Creole food. Finally, we couldn’t leave Disneyland
without taking a picture with some of the characters. My
granddaughter was so happy to take a picture with
Cinderella.
I.
Main Idea:
A. Major supporting detail
1. Minor supporting detail
B. Major supporting detail
1. Minor supporting detail
C. Major supporting detail
1. Minor supporting detail

4. outlining
• When outlining, the only sentence that needs to be written
out is the main idea sentence.
• The supporting details do not need to be complete
sentences, and you may use abbreviations.
• Remember the list words we learned? Look for them to
help you know that supporting details will be followed.
several kinds of
a number of
four steps
various causes
a series of
among the results
a few reasons
three factors
several advantages

5. outlining
• Next look for the addition words:
My family’s trip to Disneyland was a lot of fun, and included a series
of events. To start out with we rode on all the rides. This included the
train that took us all over Disneyland. Another thing we did not miss
out on was eating the delicious food. My favorite place was Café
Orleans where they served the best Creole food. Finally, we couldn’t
leave Disneyland without taking a picture with some of the
characters. My granddaughter was so happy to take a picture with
Cinderella.
one
first (of all)
second(ly)
third(ly)
to begin with
for one thing
other
another
also
in addition
next
moreover
further
furthermore
last (of all)
final(ly)

6. Let’s Practice

7. Supporting Details: mapping
• Maps, or diagrams, are visual outlines in which circles,
boxes, or other shapes show the relationship between
main ideas and supporting details.
• Mapping, like outlining, is a useful note-taking strategy.
• Each major detail is connected to the main idea.
• If there are minor details, they will be connected to the
major detail.

8. mapping
Restaurants
The Rides
The
Train
My family’s
trip to
Disneyland
Café Orleans
yummy Cajun
food
Characters
Cinderella: my
granddaughter was
so happy.

9. Check your understanding

10. summarizing
• A summary is the reduction of a large amount of
•
•
•
•
information to its most important points.
Like outlining and mapping, summarizing is a useful notetaking strategy.
The length and kind of summary depends upon one’s own
purpose as well as the material in question.
It will usually have a main idea and major supporting
details.
Summarizing may be used for lectures and/or reading
assignments.