Close Read Instructions Circle and define any vocabulary words you do not know. Place an exclamation mark over or next to any lines that are surprising to you. Then in the margin, annotate why that line is surprising to you. Place a question mark over or next to any lines that you have questions about. Then in the margins, write the question you have about that line. Highlight main facts from the piece that you feel are most important and place an asterisk (*) in the margin next to highlight. Then number the facts in order of importance. Number 1 is the most important to understanding the piece and is the main idea/thesis, number 2 is the next most important idea, etc.