1. Add notes to (a text or diagram) giving explanation or comment.
Annotation
Add notes to (a text or diagram) giving explanation or comment.

2. Why Annotate?
Annotate any text that you must know well, in detail, and from which you might need to produce evidence that supports your knowledge or reading, such as a book on which you will be tested.

3. A Well-Annotated Text will Accomplish...
•Clearly identify where in the text important ideas and information are located
•Express the main ideas of a text
•Trace the development of ideas/arguments throughout a text
•Introduce a few of the reader’s thoughts and reactions

4. Step #1
Read the article through first, then annotate the second time. At a glance, your copy of the article should look heavily marked. Up close, your comments & questions should seem sincere and thoughtful. This is the look of “active reading.”

5. What does Annotating Mean?
Annotating means underlining or highlighting key words and phrases--anything that strikes you as surprising or important, raises questions, confusions, and text-to-self & text-to-text connections.

6. Annotating Includes...
Annotating includes writing your thoughts and reactions in the margins next to what you have highlighted or underlined. Random underlining or highlighting by itself is coloring, not close reading. Close reading is making connections, asking questions, inferring, expressing confusion, evaluating the article, and identifying the main point.

7. Difficult Vocabulary
Highlight or circle words you do NOT KNOW, then look them up! Write down the definition in the margin next to the word.

8. Step #2
Number the paragraphs. Then, reread the article carefully and make notes in the margin.
Mark your confusion by highlighting or underlining anything you don’t understand.
Circle any unknown vocabulary.
Show evidence of close reading (connections, predictions, questions, clarifying, summarizing, challenging, etc.)

9. Step #3
A final quick read noting anything you may have missed during the first two reads.

10. Step #4 Complete the following Answer the comprehension questions
Define any unknown vocabulary words