Effective Text Annotation Techniques for Students

1. Annotation

2. NEEDED SUPPLIES You will need the following: • A piece of paper for your bell work and your closing thought • A piece of paper for note taking • A highlighter or pens/pencils of 2 different colors • Your brain with the switch placed in the ‘on’ position!

3. BELL WORK • What do you know about annotating text? If you are not sure give me your best guess. Please answer using complete sentences.

4. Annotate & Underline or Highlight • Perhaps two of the most important things a student can do while reading for school—and reading anything really— is annotate and underline.   • Annotating is when you write a brief note to yourself in the margin of the text. 

5. Annotation • This year we will read both fiction and nonfiction literature. • We know that there are differences between fiction and nonfiction. (well duh) • We also need to annotate differently, depending on if we are reading fiction or nonfiction.

6. Annotation Non-Fiction (start taking notes!) • Mark in text: • The thesis/main topic of piece (highlight or underline) • The main points in each paragraph or paragraphs. (highlight or underline) • Important ideas and memorable images (highlight or underline) • Circle unfamiliar words (then find a dictionary) • Mark confusing parts that you want to reread or ask about.

7. Annotation Non-Fiction (Write in Margins) •  Annotating can be: • a summary of the paragraph you just read • a note about what you read, • an idea or question that came to you while reading a passage • Comments, criticisms, connections and quibbles

8. Annotation Non-Fiction (Write in Margins) • Write your comments in the margin • Write any personal connection to the piece in the margin • Write questions you have about parts you don’t understand. • Don’t stop reading, just put a ? and keep reading.

9. Annotation of Fiction • Mark in the text: (Highlight) • Anything highlighted MUST have a comment etc. • Important character traits or dialogue (who) • Literary elements (setting, conflict, etc.) • What is happening? Important events • Figurative Language • Circle confusing vocabulary – words you can’t figure out through context (again, find a dictionary when you finish annotating) • DURING READING (Adapted from Porter-O’Donnell)

10. Annotation of Fiction • DURING READING (Adapted from Porter-O’Donnell) • Write in the margins: (Pen or pencil) • Make predictions • Formulate opinions • Make connections

11. Annotation of Fiction DURING READING (Adapted from Porter-O’Donnell) • Ask questions • Analyze the author's craft • Write reflections/reactions/comments • Look for patterns/repetition

12. HELPFUL HINTS • Tip: While reading, you should continually search for the most important parts.   • thesis statements • main ideas • supporting evidence

13. HELPFUL HINTS PT. 2 • Make sure that you only underline (or highlight) the most important parts of your study material.  • Don’t highlight more than FOUR words at a time

14. Example of highlighting But a hyphenated American is not an American at all. This is just as true of the man who puts "native" before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen. Americanism is a matterof the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance. But if he is heartily and singly loyal to this Republic, then no matter where he was born, he is just as good an American as anyone else.

15. CLOSING THOUGHT • Tell me 2 or 3 things that you learned about annotating and how this skill will help you in the future.