A glossary is an alphabetical list of words and their definitions.  Usually, in books, there is a glossary at the back.  The glossary defines words in the book that have special meaning.  Sometimes those words are outlined in bold throughout the book.

Creating your own glossary as you go through the class provides several advantages:

• if you write down words you don’t know, then when prepping for your test, you only need to study from your glossary.  You will likely know everything else, so you don’t need to read it.  This saves a lot of time when studying.

• Simply writing something down is a way to help you remember it.  Of course, everyone’s brain works differently.  But for the most part, when you write, it slows your brain down to the speed you are writing at.  This gives the brain time to register what you are studying.  The other benefit of writing is that it introduces some physical action (even though it is a very small physical action.)  It is usual human nature for the brain to remember things better when they are accompanied by a physical action.

Trust Yourself!

A big part of preparing for this exam is trusting yourself.  You come to this course with a lot of knowledge.  Do not prepare for the test by just reading over the textbook. Trust the knowledge you do have, and only study what you don’t know.  A personal glossary helps you do this.

To create a glossary, have a separate pad of paper, or a separate section in your notebook.  Keep all the glossary terms together in this separate place.  Some possible sources of glossary terms are:

• When listening in class, if the instructor uses a term you don’t know, write it down.  You can either ask the teacher to define it right there or come back to it after class to look it up.
• When doing a practice exam, after the exam, if you encounter a question with a word you don’t know, write that word in your glossary so you can study it later.
• When doing the review questions in the student manual, if you encounter a word that you didn’t know previously, write it in your personal glossary.
• When reading the student manual or other information sources, again, if you encounter a word you didn’t know previously, write it in your personal glossary.

Exercise

Use the section “Erecting Batter Boards” from Chapter 28 in the Vogt and Nauth “Carpentry” textbook to practice creating a glossary

Step 1: Read

Read the section “Erecting Batter Boards” in chapter 28 of Vogt and Nauth “Carpentry”.

The following is an excerpt of the text:

Erecting Batter Boards 

Before excavating is done, batter boards are installed to allow the layout stakes to be reinstalled quickly after the excavation process. Batter boards are wood frames built behind the stakes to which building layout lines are secured. Batter boards consist of horizontal members, called ledgers. These are attached to stakes driven into the ground. The ledgers are fastened in a level position to the stakes, usually at the same height as the foundation wall [figure removed]. Batter boards are built in the same way for both residential and commercial construction.

Batter boards are erected in such a manner that they will not be disturbed during excavation. Drive batter board stakes into the ground a minimum of 4 feet (1.2 m) outside the building lines at each corner. When setting batter boards for large construction, increase this distance. This will allow room for heavy excavating equipment to operate without disturbing the batter boards. In loose soil or when stakes are higher than 3 feet (1 m), they must be braced [figure removed].

Set up the builder’s level about centre on the building location. Sight to the benchmark and record the sighting. Determine the difference between the benchmark sighting and the height of the ledgers. Sight and mark each corner stake at the specified elevation. Attach ledgers to the stakes so that the top edge of each ledger is on the mark. Brace the batter boards for strength, if necessary.

Stretch lines between batter boards directly over the nail heads in the original corner stakes. Locate the position of the lines by suspending a plumb bob directly over the nail heads. When the lines are accurately located, make a saw cut on the outside corner of the top edge of the ledger. This prevents the layout lines from moving when stretched and secured. Be careful not to make the saw cut below the top edge [figure removed]. Saw cuts are also often made on batter boards to mark the location of the foundation footing. The footing width usually extends outside and inside the foundation wall.

Check the accuracy of the layout by again measuring the diagonals to see if they are equal. If not, make the necessary adjustment until they are equal [figure removed]. Once the excavation is completed, the building stakes may be relocated. Reattach the batter board strings in the appropriate saw kerfs. Use a plumb bob to determine the building stake location [figure removed].

Vogt, F., & Nauth, M. (2017). Chapter 28 Laying Out Foundation Lines, Erecting Batter Boards. In Carpentry (pp. 287–291). Nelson Education. Reproduced under fair use.

When reading through any textbook here are some tips:

• Words that are bold and blue are good candidates for your personal glossary.  In fact, these words will be listed in the glossary at the back of the textbook.  If you know the word already, don’t bother writing it down.  If you don’t know the word, write it and the definition in your personal glossary.
• Most textbooks have a “Key Terms” section at the end of each chapter.  You can compare the glossary you created with the key terms at the end of the chapter.  If there is a word in the key terms section that you don’t know, and missed in your personal glossary, then add it.

Step 2: Find Definitions

Go through your personal glossary and add definitions to any words you may not have defined already.

To find definitions, you can:

• Look within the text of the book itself
• Look it up in the glossary at the back of the book
• Look it up in the Carpentry Dictionary
• Ask your instructor

Sample Glossary: