Read and then outline each passage. Begin by writing in the main idea, and then fill in the supporting details. The first outline requires only major details; the second calls for you to add minor details as well. 1. Parents can take several steps to discourage TV watching and encourage reading. For one thing, have only one television set, and place it in the family room. Then if your child wants privacy, he or she will have to go elsewhere, away from the TV. Secondly, connect reading with eating. Put a bookcase rather than a television in the kitchen and make sure it is filled with comics, magazines, local newspapers, and so on. Explain that all snacks have to be eaten in the kitchen. Given the fact that most kids can go only a short time without putting food in their mouths, your kids should get a lot of reading done while they're snacking. Last of all, don't even dream of putting a television set in a child's bedroom.You want your kids to fall asleep over books, not glued to a flickering screen. Main idea: _________________________________________________________________ Major detail: 1. _________________________________________________________________ Major detail: 2. _________________________________________________________________ Major detail: 3. _________________________________________________________________ 2. Colleges of the early nineteenth century had distinct differences from today's schools. First, the student body during this time was almost entirely white males. Higher education was considered a final polishing for upperclass gentlemen—a privilege unnecessary for those who had lower social status. In addition, no matter what their interests were, all students had to take the same courses. They were required to study the ancient languages (Latin, Greek, sometimes Hebrew), literature, natural science, mathematics, and political and moral philosophy. A third feature of nineteenth-century colleges was their small size. Except for a few of the very oldest institutions, most colleges had a student body of only a few dozen students. The typical faculty consisted of just three or four professors and an equal number of tutors. A final difference was that student life in the early 1800s was much more regulated than today. "Strict curfews determined what times students had to turn the lamps out in their rooms, and most schools required students to attend religious services on campus. Note: Don't write in all the minor details, but try to summarize them in a few words. Main idea: _________________________________________________________________ Major detail: 1. _________________________________________________________________ Minor details: _________________________________________________________________ Major detail: 2. _________________________________________________________________ Minor details: _________________________________________________________________ Major detail: 3. _________________________________________________________________ Minor details: _________________________________________________________________ Major detail: 4. _________________________________________________________________ Minor details: _________________________________________________________________ Study Hint : At times you will want to include minor details in your study notes; at other times, it may not be necessary to do so. If you are taking notes on one or more textbook chapters, use your judgment. It is often best to be aware of minor details but to concentrate on writing down the main ideas and major details.