1. Marking the Text & Writing in the Margins
These strategies come from AVID’s Critical Reading: Deep Reading Strategies for Expository Texts © 2011

2. What is it?
Marking the Text an active reading strategy that helps readers identify important information in the text
It involves numbering the paragraphs, circling key terms, and underlining author’s claims or other important information

3. Why mark the text?
gives students a quick way to isolate essential information for writing assignments, tests, and class discussions
once paragraphs are numbered, students can easily direct others to relevant information

4. Numbering the Paragraphs
Before you read, take a moment and number the paragraphs in the section you are planning to read. Start with the number one and continue numbering sequentially until you reach the end of the text or reading assignment. Write the number near the paragraph indention and circle the number; write it small enough so that you have room to write in the margin.
Like page numbers, paragraph numbers will act as a reference so you can easily refer to specific sections of the text. 1 2

5. Circle Key Terms, Names, or Dates
In order to identify a key term, consider if the word of phrase is…
Repeated
Defined by the author
Used to explain or represent an idea
Used in an original or unique way
A central concept or idea
Relevant to one’s reading purpose

6. Underline an Author’s Claim
A claim is an arguable statement or assertion made by the author. Data, facts, or other backing should support an author’s assertion.
A claim may not appear explicitly so the reader may have to infer it from evidence in the text
A claim may appear anywhere in the text
Often, an author will make several claims throughout his or her argument
An author may signal his or her claim

7. Underline Relevant Information
While reading informational texts such as textbooks underline:
A process
Evidence
Definitions
Explanations
Descriptions
Data/Statistics
Main Ideas

8. Video Example Running Time: 3:15

9. Writing in the Margins
Writing in the Margins is an active reading strategy that helps readers identify important information in the text
It involves six strategies which include:
visualizing ideas
summarizing ideas
clarifying information
making connections
responding to ideas
asking questions

10. 1. Visualize
Visualize what the author is saying and draw an illustration in the margin. When visualizing, ask:
What does this look like?
How can I draw this concept/idea?
What visual or symbol best represents this idea?

11. Example of Visualizing
Clean Air or Clean Hair?
By Glenn Hurowitz
While showering a few weeks ago, I realized I had run out of conditioner, So I reached up and grabbed my wife’s bottle – Clairol Herbal Essences Rainforest Flowers, “with essences of nourishing palm.”
The label caught me slightly by surprise. As an environmental journalist, I’ve been writing about the ecologically destructive effect of palm oil for some time now.
Whether it’s used as an additive in soap, cosmetics or food, or processed into biofuel, palm oil is one of the worst culprits in the climate crisis. Most of it comes from the disappearing, ultra-carbon-rich rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, of which 25,000 square miles have been cleared and burned to make way for palm oil plantations.
That burning releases enough carbon dioxide into the air to rank Indonesia as the No. 3 such polluter in the world. It also destroys the last remaining habitat for orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, tigers and other endangered wildlife. So what was this deadly oil doing in our otherwise ecologically friendly apartment? (continued next page)

12. 2. Summarize
Briefly summarize paragraphs or sections of a text. Summaries will:
State what the paragraph is about
Describe what the author is doing
Account for key terms and/or ideas

13. Example of Summarizing
Clean Air or Clean Hair?
By Glenn Hurowitz
While showering a few weeks ago, I realized I had run out of conditioner, So I reached up and grabbed my wife’s bottle – Clairol Herbal Essences Rainforest Flowers, “with essences of nourishing palm.”
The label caught me slightly by surprise. As an environmental journalist, I’ve been writing about the ecologically destructive effect of palm oil for some time now.
Whether it’s used as an additive in soap, cosmetics or food, or processed into biofuel, palm oil is one of the worst culprits in the climate crisis. Most of it comes from the disappearing, ultra-carbon-rich rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, of which 25,000 square miles have been cleared and burned to make way for palm oil plantations.
That burning releases enough carbon dioxide into the air to rank Indonesia as the No. 3 such polluter in the world. It also destroys the last remaining habitat for orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, tigers and other endangered wildlife. So what was this deadly oil doing in our otherwise ecologically friendly apartment? (continued next page)
Glenn Hurowitz is an environmental journalist who researches the damaging effects of palm oil.
Describing how burning forests in Indonesia is polluting the air and destroying vital habitats

14. 3. Clarifying
Clarify complex ideas in the text through analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. You might:
Define key terms
Reread sections of the text
Ask “What does this mean?”
Ask “Why is this important?”
Make connections among ideas in text

15. Example of Clarifying Clean Air or Clean Hair?
By Glenn Hurowitz
While showering a few weeks ago, I realized I had run out of conditioner, So I reached up and grabbed my wife’s bottle – Clairol Herbal Essences Rainforest Flowers, “with essences of nourishing palm.”
The label caught me slightly by surprise. As an environmental journalist, I’ve been writing about the ecologically destructive effect of palm oil for some time now.
Whether it’s used as an additive in soap, cosmetics or food, or processed into biofuel, palm oil is one of the worst culprits in the climate crisis. Most of it comes from the disappearing, ultra-carbon-rich rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, of which 25,000 square miles have been cleared and burned to make way for palm oil plantations.
That burning releases enough carbon dioxide into the air to rank Indonesia as the No. 3 such polluter in the world. It also destroys the last remaining habitat for orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, tigers and other endangered wildlife. So what was this deadly oil doing in our otherwise ecologically friendly apartment? (continued next page)
He wants me to think about the products I buy.
Forest in Indonesia are being cleared for palm oil production

16. 4. Connecting
Make connections with the reading to your own life and to the world. While reading, you might ask:
How does this relate to me?
What do I know about this?
How does this relate to the world
What do I believe about this?

17. Example of Connecting Clean Air or Clean Hair?
By Glenn Hurowitz
While showering a few weeks ago, I realized I had run out of conditioner, So I reached up and grabbed my wife’s bottle – Clairol Herbal Essences Rainforest Flowers, “with essences of nourishing palm.”
The label caught me slightly by surprise. As an environmental journalist, I’ve been writing about the ecologically destructive effect of palm oil for some time now.
Whether it’s used as an additive in soap, cosmetics or food, or processed into biofuel, palm oil is one of the worst culprits in the climate crisis. Most of it comes from the disappearing, ultra-carbon-rich rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, of which 25,000 square miles have been cleared and burned to make way for palm oil plantations.
That burning releases enough carbon dioxide into the air to rank Indonesia as the No. 3 such polluter in the world. It also destroys the last remaining habitat for orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, tigers and other endangered wildlife. So what was this deadly oil doing in our otherwise ecologically friendly apartment? (continued next page)
I use this shampoo…yikes, it has palm oil in it.
I learned about deforestation in science class.

18. 5. Responding
Respond to ideas in the text. Your responses can be personal or analytical. Readers often respond to:
interesting ideas
emotional arguments
provocative statements
author’s claims
facts or data

19. Example of Responding Clean Air or Clean Hair?
By Glenn Hurowitz
While showering a few weeks ago, I realized I had run out of conditioner, So I reached up and grabbed my wife’s bottle – Clairol Herbal Essences Rainforest Flowers, “with essences of nourishing palm.”
The label caught me slightly by surprise. As an environmental journalist, I’ve been writing about the ecologically destructive effect of palm oil for some time now.
Whether it’s used as an additive in soap, cosmetics or food, or processed into biofuel, palm oil is one of the worst culprits in the climate crisis. Most of it comes from the disappearing, ultra-carbon-rich rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, of which 25,000 square miles have been cleared and burned to make way for palm oil plantations.
That burning releases enough carbon dioxide into the air to rank Indonesia as the No. 3 such polluter in the world. It also destroys the last remaining habitat for orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, tigers and other endangered wildlife. So what was this deadly oil doing in our otherwise ecologically friendly apartment? (continued next page)
Surprising: palm oil is a major contributor to climate change
It saddens me that we are destroying animal habitats

20. 6. Questioning
Question both the ideas in the text and your own understanding of the text. While reading, you might ask:
what is the author saying?
what do I understand so far?
what is the purpose of this section?
What do I agree/disagree with?

21. Example of Questioning
Clean Air or Clean Hair?
By Glenn Hurowitz
While showering a few weeks ago, I realized I had run out of conditioner, So I reached up and grabbed my wife’s bottle – Clairol Herbal Essences Rainforest Flowers, “with essences of nourishing palm.”
The label caught me slightly by surprise. As an environmental journalist, I’ve been writing about the ecologically destructive effect of palm oil for some time now.
Whether it’s used as an additive in soap, cosmetics or food, or processed into biofuel, palm oil is one of the worst culprits in the climate crisis. Most of it comes from the disappearing, ultra-carbon-rich rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, of which 25,000 square miles have been cleared and burned to make way for palm oil plantations.
That burning releases enough carbon dioxide into the air to rank Indonesia as the No. 3 such polluter in the world. It also destroys the last remaining habitat for orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, tigers and other endangered wildlife. So what was this deadly oil doing in our otherwise ecologically friendly apartment? (continued next page)
Why does the author choose to begin in the shower?
Why do palm oil producers burn the forests? Why don’t they cut down and use the wood for lumber or other products?

22. On Your Own
Practice marking the text and writing in the margins using the handout on the right and the text provided by your teacher.