Annotations
A way to interact with a text, making sure we understand what’s happening.
Purpose:
- Understand the text. Know what the purpose is.
- Track changes or progression. What changes direction of conversation?
- Identify areas of interest or concern. What we do know or don’t know: a word, a reference, a topic we need to know more about.
Ways to annotate:
1. Circle or underline or highlight:
- main ideas
- character/people names
- vocabulary words
- important ideas or events
2. Circles, squiggly lines, boxes, etc.
3. Notes in margin:
- React – surprised, confused, happy, said? emojis, exclamation marks or question marks.
- Locate important passages – bracket it so you can find it again.
- Note – “Author wants us to know X, Y, Z.” Just so you can easily find that quote or passage.
- Margin Madness – figuring out how you feel about what author said (can use Post-Its)
- Make a connection
- Track themes or character changes
- Ask questions: why doesn’t he do X?
- Give an opinion
Kate Cranfill YouTube: https://youtu.be/JZXgr7_3Kw4
