How to Annotate Well

Introduction

Purpose: 

By the end of the lesson, 9th grade students should know how to implement the correct annotating strategies that not only help them prepare for the comprehensive outcome of the assigned reading, but also know which ones work best for them and for what particular text. 

Guiding Questions: 

  • What is annotation? 
  • Why do we need it? 
  • How do we do it well? 
  • When do we use it? 
  • Should every reading be annotated the same? 

Learning objectives: 

  • By the end of the lesson, students should know the difference between annotation done correctly and incorrectly 
  • They should have had an opportunity to practice themselves, and carry this skills to future readings  
  • Through annotation, they should be able to learn how to pick out the central themes of the text and analyze the details as they develop in accordance with Kentucky State Standards 

 

Task

Your task today is to become an editor for a well-known journal publishing company. Everyday, you receive a large stack of mail and numerous emails containing the articles sent by writers, hoping to see their work in the next issue. Your assistants have already skimmed through and found the promising ones, but it is your job to read the submissions carefully and annotate as you go. 

  1. You will first need to know what annotating actually is, and so you will watch a quick video as a reminder. 
  2. Then you will ensure that you have the right materials like a pen, notebook, highlighter, etc, since you will be reading two different submissions. 
  3. Finally, you will pair up with a classmate who was given the role of an intern who just happened to come across the reading and skim it for curiosity. You will both answer the same questions, but afterwards, you will reflect on which person seemed to have comprehended the text better. 

Process

Step 1: Watch an annotation video (Click on the green words to be redirected to YouTube): 

Quick Guide Annotations

Step 2: Answer these questions in your own words based on what was taught in the video: 

  • Did you watch the video?
  • What is annotation? 
  • Why is annotation important? 
  • What are some strategies or ideas? 
  • What are some of the ways you can implement these strategies? 

Step 3: As an "editor", you will have two different short excerpts from real writers, but pretending that they are aspiring journalists hoping to become a part of your journal. Read the excerpts below and either 1) Print them out and annotate 2) Download onto your laptop and use platforms like Preview or Adobe Acrobat to annotate:

Step 4: Highlight or underline key ideas or places, try to identify the theme and message, and make your own comments in the corner. Turn to a classmate next to you who only read the passages, but did not annotate, and each answer the questions: 

  • If you could summarize Zinsser's main idea in five to thirteen words, what would it be? If you could summarize King Jr.'s main idea in the same way, what would it be? 
  • What do you think the call to action in both texts is? Do you agree? 

Step 5: On a separate piece of paper, jot down the difference between the answers you were able to give as the "editor" who carefully analyzed the piece compared to the "intern" who simply skimmed over the reading. 

 

Evaluation

 

Criteria Excellent – 4 Good – 3 Fair – 2 Needs Improvement – 1
Video Questions In complete sentences, students answered the questions given, showing that they understood video. The students watched the video, but their answers are incomplete or lacking in appropriate detail. The students watched the video, but the answers are incomplete. The student did not watch the full video.
Annotated Passages  There are markings on every page of highlighting, note-taking, or/and underlining. There are some forms of annotation, like highlighting and underlining but no written/typed comments. There are a few examples of annotation but they are scarce, and span several pages. The student started annotating a little, but stopped completely later on.
Reflection The student was able to see the difference between the intern and editor's comprehension levels, as well as answer the questions more thoroughly. The student did not provide much detail as to the difference of outcomes, but answered the questions better than the intern. The student only reflected as little as one sentence, and the difference in responses was only marginal.  The student was unable to see the difference, and unable to answer the questions to the best of their ability.

Conclusion

Just as students need to learn how to take notes or how to study effectively, 9th grade students should learn how to critically analyze a reading passage, not only for better understanding, but also as the necessary skills to prepare for the timed standardized tests that often incorporate the annotating habits needed to answer the questions. 

 

 

Credits

Learning Resources: 

Kentucky State Standards: 

RL.9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text, and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details. (From Kentucky Academic Standards Reading & Writing) 

Explanation: Through the annotation exercise, students learn how to determine themes, central ideas, and track details. 

Teacher Page

Title: How to Annotate Well 

Subject/Standards Area: Reading Informational Texts, Standard 3 

Target Grade: 9th 

Materials Needed: 

-Pens, paper, highlighters 

-Laptops