"A book, too, can be a star, 'explosive material, capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly,' a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe." - from Madeleine L'Engle's Newberry Medal Acceptance Speech

Friday, September 16, 2011

Annotating


Making Meaningful Observations and Inferences
Two things can help you peel away at the layers of meaning in a text:
1)      Read and reread and reread…
2)      Annotate (v.) – to write explanatory or critical notes
How to annotate:
·         As you read, underline important details
·         After reading a few paragraphs or stanzas, go back to what you underlined and write in the margins
·         At the end of a chapter, go back and list major events and themes
What to annotate:
·         Include inferences, interpretations, opinions, thoughts, feelings, connections, questions and/or predictions
·         Note:
o   Character
o   Setting
o   Theme
o   Writing style
o   Author’s purpose
o   Conflicts
o   Likes/dislikes
o   Vocabulary
o   New names, terms, places, etc.
·         Sentence starters:
o   I think
o   I notice
o   I wonder
o   I like/dislike
o   This reminds me of
o   This makes me feel

Now, as you read your rereading books, annotate important details. There should be at least 1 note on almost every page.

Challenge yourselves to notice and think deeply about the text.  

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