Crib Sheets
When I researched it years ago, I found that a crib (likely “crypt”) sheet was a cheat sheet used to help decoders decipher encryption during war time.
Preparing a crib sheet is a useful study tool; it helps you to review and organize the material before the test. It also helps you to realize what concepts you do not understand so well and need to focus on further.
The magic of a crib sheet is not that it helps you with concepts you couldn't remember, it is that making it forces you to organize the course material in your mind. A good crib sheet will utilize information that you don’t know well. By the time you've made your own crib sheet you probably won't need to look at it.
The best crib sheets do not just regurgitate information by stating discrete facts. They are graphic organizers (GOs) that show connections between concepts, and information. If you cannot show how discrete facts are connected and related, then you probably do not understand them very well. This method is useful in all disciplines, not just science.
Concept maps should just be concept words in circles or squares connecting lines, unless the lines show how the concepts are related to each other. Tables should have at least 3 rows and 3 columns, otherwise they are glorified definition lists.
For my classes, your crib sheet should be written by you (no mechanical or electronic reproductions are allowed) as you learn best from connections that you made yourself. Crib sheets are aligned to the GPS (Georgia Performance Standards) as this is how you will be assessed on the EOCT. Each box has a specific standard and element to which your diagram/chart/GO should pertain. In general level classes, I will allow general classes to use Crib Sheets on tests, so essentially, I am giving you assignment credit to study and prepare for your tests.
Some shorthand I use on Crib sheets include:
ConT-increase your Biology content knowledge
ConX-show connections between concepts
GO- make sure you use Graphic Organizers, which organize information pictorially
>3r,c- charts/tables should have at least 3 rows and 3 columns
Fill/ - make sure you fill all available space with Biology content
For more information/help on graphic organizers that you can utilize on your crib sheets try the following links:
Dr. P’s sample Crib Sheet: