1. Elizabeth van der Velde August 2015
How to Annotate A Text
Elizabeth van der Velde
August 2015

2. Video Lesson Objectives
By the end of the lesson, you should be able to explain why annotating a text is a way to self-evaluate your comprehension. At the end of the lesson you should be able to describe the four key annotation strategies.

3. Why does annotation help your comprehension?
Engages you in a conversation with a text.
Records your thoughts so you can participate actively in class.
Records your questions to be answered later.

4. What are the four key strategies used in annotation?
Clarify
Question
Connect
Predict

5. Clarify Define words or slang Summarize difficult passages
Study or jot down important historical context or social customs of the time period.

6. Question
Jot down questions that come to your mind as you read

7. Connect Make meaningful connections to your life experiences
Make connections to other parts of the text
Make connections to other texts
Point out literary techniques and/or symbolism in the text

8. Predict What do you think will happen next?
If a character has a hard choice to make, what is your predicition for their decision? Why?
How will the story end?
How will character’s relationships change and develop?
Why do you think the author chose to end the story this way?

9. What NOT to do Highlight everything Be inconsistent
Sweat the small stuff

10. Tricks for annotating a text well
Develop a code for your annotations and make a legend
Sketch or doodle in response to your reading to represent main ideas or themes
Keep practicing