An Introductory Guide to AnnotationMrs. Bathje – English 8

* Why will we be doing annotations for the pieces we read?So that I am able to measure your individual level of active participation with each title that I assign, you will be completing thorough and organized annotations in class and outside of class.

* What is it? What are your expectations?Reading text is an active process; one way to slow down and develop critical analysis skills is to annotate the text as you read. Suggestions for annotating text include the following:

- Labeling and interpreting literary elements- Labeling the main ideas, supportive details and/or evidence that leads the reader (you) to a conclusion about the text.  - Questions that you pose and comments regarding connections to other texts that you make while reading (remember, your annotations are your own – they can be in first or third person!)- Feel free to color code or make your own symbol system – the methods you will use to convey your understanding and analysis of each work will be left up to you!

* What should it look like? How much should I write?You will be annotating EVERYTHING that you read for our final unit of the year. This process will help you to dissect every available aspect of the text for analysis; there is no better way to do this than to write your own thorough comments down as you read.

The goal of annotation should be to fill the page with your comments and observations – I have attached two examples of annotated pages. I insist that you write at least as much as you see in these samples (preferably, more).

* How will my annotations be evaluated?Please see below for the standard annotation scoring guide which will be used yearlong in English 8:

(Instructor to check all that apply. Blank lines indicate criteria has not been met by student.)

Annotations:____ avoid summarizing the plot____ consistently identify specific literary/non-fiction elements____ consistently attempts to address FUNCTION of literary elements (significance of one element in relation to another element)____ contain no more than 2 questions per page AND addresses those questions (when applicable)____ consistently attempts to connect to a larger theme/meaning

TOTAL: _____ / ___

* Use this scoring guide to assist you modify and revise your annotations. Remember: annotation is a continuous process…keep adding and keep thinking!

The Annotation ProcessSources: Myra Khan & Megna Rao

Annotating is a great way to get more out of literature that is assigned in class or meant merely for personal enjoyment. Follow the following steps to glide through the process, eventually reaching an annotated paper that gives you a better idea of the story’s deeper points!

STEP ONE:First, gather the following resources:

a. Elements of Literature Notesb. Vocabulary Sheet (if applicable)c. Pen/Highlighterd. Texte. Function Handoutf. Sample Annotationsg. Introduction to Annotation Handout

STEP TWO: Read through the text’s paragraphs one by one and begin to search the text for any word choice or segments that strike you as well-written or significant. Be sure to underline or highlight specific quotations or passages in order to clearly identify your textual proof.

STEP THREE:As you underline/highlight the text, label corresponding literary elements in the margins. Ask yourself the following questions:

* Is this element appropriately chosen for the selected context?* Why did I choose this element?

Remember that some literary elements will be easy to spot, while others will be more subtle and will take more time to pick out. Squeezing the page dry of elements is the idea; continue identifying elements, but leave space in between your labels for explanations.

STEP FOUR: Once your margins for the page have been labeled with literary elements for each paragraph, fill in the spaces you have left blank with an explanation of function. Function is the most crucial part of your annotations; it is the root and core of the elements. Function is the purpose, the job of the element. In other words, the reason the author utilized it in that specific place in the text. Ask yourself the following questions:

* Why is that element there? * What is it helping or doing? * How does this element relate to a larger theme for the story?

Reminder #1: Asking these mental questions directs you in deciding what needs to be written and specified in the margins of your text. Bear in mind, personal opinions are weaker than interpretations of the author’s words.Reminder #2: Don’t write for the sake of writing!

STEP FIVE:Your annotations now need to be critiqued. Examine the comments inscribed next to the text’s paragraphs in order to make sure of what YOU have written. Ask yourself:

* Do my annotations make sense? * Are my annotations appropriately explained? * Do the comments explain the function and generally exclude personal opinions?

Once your annotations have been corrected and improved, bask in the light of hard work! Congratulations, and commit these steps to memory when annotating the next piece.

Supplement – Successful Annotation English 8

SUMMARY: FUNCTION! FUNCTION! FUNCTION!

I. Reminders…

* Your annotations may contain the following:- Highlighting/Underlining (ONLY if these highlights or underlines are accompanied by writing in the margin)

* Questions that you ask. Consider the following:- Plot Elements- Characters/Motivation- Conflicts- Vocabulary Words

* Identify appropriate elements of literature as they appear in the story (refer to your elements of literature master list handout)* Explain the FUNCTION of the elements of literature that you identify in the story

- Another way of thinking of “function” is “purpose” or “significance”* Your annotations should take up all available space in the margins. Remember that there is always another comment to be made or another question to be posed in regards to the text.

II. Prompts for Successful Function Annotation…

ALL QUESTIONS BELOW SHOULD LEAD YOU TO MAKING INFERENCES ABOUT THE AUTHOR’S PURPOSE AND THE OVERALL THEME OF THE WORK:

1. WHY is the author writing this / what is his or her purpose? 2. WHY is a particular quotation or literary element significant?

HINT: Always address conflict, character, symbolism and figurative language3. WHY is the author using specific vocabulary/jargon in the text? 4. WHY is a particular setting significant to the plot/content? 5. WHY is a particular set of information/detail in this exact portion of the plot?

A Vocabulary of Analysis for Non-Fiction

FIRST RULE: CONSIDER THE FUNCTION (PURPOSE) OF EVERY ELEMENT.

* Diction (connotation / denotation of individual words) Standard Usage Formal (elevated language or style) Informal / Conversational (“Colloquial”) Poetic Dialect Jargon Slang

* Syntax (grammatical arrangements) Punctuation (periods, commas, semicolons, etc…) Capitalization Sentence lengths Sentence construction Parts of Speech

* Attitude (the author’s feelings towards a subject)

* Tone (the feeling of the words, as written by the author – can be different from the author’s attitude!)

* Figurative Language (a word or phrase that departs from everyday literal language for the sake of comparison, emphasis, clarity, or freshness)

Symbolism Imagery Metaphor Simile Personification Hyperbole

* Irony (when the opposite of what you expect to happen happens)

* Imagery (descriptive language that lends itself to forming impressions about sight, taste, touch, smell and sound)

* Structure/Organization Sequencing (beginning, middle, end) Paragraph lengths/order Interconnectibility (how does everything connect and flow together?)

* Mode of Writing Cause and Effect Narrative Description Definition Argument

Persuasion Process Analysis Expository / Informative Classification

* Title Significance* Ethos (how the credibility of the speaker/author is established)* Pathos (emotional appeal)* Logos (facts and details)* Context (historical and social)* Rhetorical Questions* Anecdote (a short usually amusing account of an incident, especially personal or biographical)* Repetition* Ambiguity (uncertainty or lack of exactness of meaning in language)* Juxtaposition (comparing or contrasting two elements together in a text)* Parallelism (Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses)

PRIMARY ELEMENTS:* Diction*Syntax*Figurative Language*Imagery*Logos (Selection of Detail)* Structure/Organization* Mode of Writing

SECONDARY ELEMENTS:*Tone (pair with a primary element)*Pathos (emotional appeal/effect)*Attitude *Ethos (pair with a primary element)* Irony (pair with a primary element)* Context * Title Significance * Anecdote (pair with a primary)* Repetition (pair with a primary element)* Ambiguity (pair with a primary element) * Juxtaposition (pair with a primary element)* Parallelism (pair with syntax)