Annotating Texts

How To Take Notes in Your Book

Adaptation by Sharon Fulmer, Tiffany Holmes, & Laura Hayes
The Academy of Irving, Texas, 2008

You just dont know anything
unless you can write it.
S.I. Hayakawa
I contend, quite bluntly,
that marking up a book is not
an act of mutilation but of
love. You shouldnt mark up
a book which isnt yours.

Mortimer J. Adler
How to Mark a Book
You know you have to read
between the lines.
I want to persuade you to write
between the lines. Unless you
do, you are not likely to do the
most efficient kind of reading.
Mortimer J. Adler
How to Mark a Book
Good Reading
Background
Most reading is skimmed
When you need to learn, reading requires
close attention
Good reading is hard work
Good reading makes good writing
Adapted from The Bedford Reader and The Little, Brown Reader
Adaptation by Laura Hayes
More rationale for annotation
According to Porter-ODonnell, this
writing-to-learn strategy

helps teach reading as a process.
changes comprehension.
slows down the reading.
promotes more active reading.
helps improve writing.


Teaching annotation requires
student-awareness of categories of
text response

Porter-ODonnell recommends brainstorming with student-written
literature responses and having students separate these
responses into categories. Students typically identify categories
such as these:

Making predictions
Asking questions
Stating opinions
Study of the authors craft
Making connections
Reflecting on content or the reading process






If you do not have paper copies available for students to mark up, have themuse sticky notes or keep notes with referencesto page and paragraph numbers.

Annotations: An Overview
No one right way to annotate (take notes)
as you read
General principles for good annotating to
keep in mind
Write marginal notes in the text
Taking Notes is not just summarizing. Ask
questions and write and comments
Close reading takes time
Taking time as you read will save you time and
anxiety later as you discuss & write about the text
Previewing: Before You Annotate
Find a quiet place with no distractions (this
means no music, cell phone, or TV)
Look at the title
Usually includes authors subject or method
Who is the author?
What you already know helps you guess
something about the writing
If biographical sketch is provided, read it
Adapted from The Bedford Reader and The Little, Brown Reader
Adaptation by Laura Hayes
Previewing: Before You Annotate
In what was it published?
Would you be more likely to believe Living Mermaids:
An Amazing Discovery if it were published in
Scientific American or The National Enquirer?
Indicates for whom it was written
When was it published?
If its about mermaids, will you find it more reliable if
written in 1988 or 1788?
Adapted from The Bedford Reader and The Little, Brown Reader
Adaptation by Laura Hayes
Annotation Guidelines
Read with a pen or pencil in hand.
Helps you focus and stay alert.

Create your own code / symbols & be CONSISTENT with your
system.
Abbreviate using things such as brackets, stars, exclamation points

Keep a list of characters & their key traits
A good place: inside cover of the book
Add brief notes to your lists as you read

Look for patterns
What ideas do you see repeated?
What connections can you draw between different concepts?
Suggested annotation marks

DURING READING (Adapted from Porter-ODonnell)

Mark in the text:
Characters (who)
When (setting)
Where (setting)
Vocabulary
Important information

Write in the margins:
Summarize
Make predictions
Formulate opinions
Make connections
Ask questions
Analyze the author's craft
Write reflections/reactions/comments
Look for patterns/repetitions
Annotation Guidelines
Create your own code / symbols, cont.
Mark
main idea
supporting details
key terms
cause and effect
explanations
(Now brainstorm key concepts with your table)
Underline/highlight CAUTION: Use this sparingly.
Underline/highlight only a few words.
Never underline an entire passage.

At the end of each chapter, bullet-point the key
events as a summary or write a short summary.
Annotation Guidelines
Have a CONVERSATION with the text. Talk back to it.
Take your time as you begin a new text.
Ask yourself many questions as you begin:
Are there any fallacies in the text?
How does this relate to your everyday experience?
What formula will help me solve this problem?
Try to make a quick note on the top of each page indicating
the most important point there.
Ask questions (essential to active reading).
Use question marks.
Be alert to what puzzles you.
Good readers do not zip along without stopping to monitor their
comprehension. They stop to think and to note what they dont
understand.
Write down questions you would like to discuss.
Your annotations must include comments as evidence of
thinking.
Annotation Guidelines
Of course, you should always pay attention to VOCABULARY.
A strong vocabulary comes from reading, not from memorizing lists.
Your text includes many words that will be new to you.
Mark these words.
Try to determine meaning from the context.
If you are really puzzled by a word, look it up.