ANNOTATION AND CLOSE READING AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE Mrs

ANNOTATION AND CLOSE READING AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE Mrs. Mc. Auliffe

ANNOTATION VS. NOTETAKING Note – taking: Taking multiple pages of free form notes about a text, separate from the text itself. Annotating: all info is together and with notes very close to the text for easier understanding, and fewer pieces to keep organized.

DISADVANTAGES TO FREE FORM NOTES Incomplete Too random Provides little utility when it comes to understanding meaning Tend to get lost in them forget why we marked something

BENEFITS OF ANNOTATING Improves the depth of your reading Helps you dissect difficult texts Extend understanding over long periods of time Will assist you in the college and business world You are able to engage the author in conversation and questions (argue, pay a compliment, clarify, question)

TOOLS FOR ANNOTATING 1. Light colored highlighter(s) - or a variety of highlighters for color coding - Highlight whatever seems to be key information (You can use a SOAPStone to help you know what the key information is). - At first you will probably highlight too little or too heavily - With experience, you will choose more effectively

TOOLS FOR ANNOTATING 2. Pencil - pencil is better than pen because you can make changes. • Create your own system for marking what is important, interesting, quotable, questionable and so forth. 3. Sticky Notes - for when you can’t write directly in or on something

SUGGESTED ANNOTATION 1. Circle unknown words 2. Bracket important ideas and/or passages STRATEGIES 3. Write questions or comments in the margins – your thoughts or “conversation” with the text 4. Connect ideas with lines or arrows 5. Use numbers in the margin: to indicate the sequence of points the author makes in developing a single argument. 6. Use a star, asterisk, or other doo-dad at the margin (use a consistent symbol). 7. A check mark – I understand 8. ? ? - confusing 8. Use !!! When you come across something new, interesting, or surprising

OTHER THINGS TO LOOK Don’t worry, if is FOR… some of this information seems new or confusing, 1. The appeals (ethos, logos, pathos) we will be working 2. Rhetorical devices + their effect on the audienceout way through it all. 3. How the text is organized 4. Shifts in Tone Syntax Diction Etc…

SAMPLE Good Annotation: I should be able to follow your “dialogue” with the text and understand your understanding. Bad Annotation: I have no way to know what you are thinking, or why you underlined/highlighted something. If I have one operating philosophy about life it is this: “Be cool to the pizza delivery dude; it’s good luck. ” Four principles guide the pizza dude philosophy. Principle 1: Coolness to the pizza delivery dude is a practice in humility and forgiveness. I let him cut me off in traffic, let him safely hit the exit ramp from the left lane, let him forget to use his blinker without extending any of my digits out the window or towards my horn because there should be one moment in my harried life when a car may encroach or cut off or pass and I let it go. Sometimes when I have become so certain of my ownership of my lane, daring anyone to challenge me, the pizza dude speeds by me in his rusted Chevette. His pizza light atop his car glowing like a beacon reminds me to check myself as I flow through the world. After all, the dude is delivering pizza to young and old, families and singletons, gays and straights, blacks, whites and browns, rich and poor, vegetarians and meat lovers alike. As he journeys, I give safe passage, practice restraint, show courtesy, and contain my anger.

USING THE SOAPSTONE Responses are NOT Responses ARE - one word answers - in complete sentences always - incomplete sentences - pick and choose Answer all questions that the strategy prompts you to answer - full-bodied (you considered all areas of each portion of the strategy - thoughtful Think of the strategy as a baseline for developing an essay response.

GOOD RESPONSE * The photo only features the last page of a 3 page response. * Additionally, it only features three of the 7 bullet points under the Tone portion of the strategy. * This student clearly read the text closely (their annotations were shown earlier) and took the time to make thoughtful observations/responses.

SO…. LET’S TRY THIS AGAIN Homework: 1. Read annotate the piece. 2. Print the “Annotation Guidelines” handout and put it in your “AP Cheat Sheet” section of your binder. You can refer to it at anytime. 3. Use your thoughtful annotations to help you analyze the text and complete the SOAPSTone. Remember, in this case, you know exactly what you should be noticing – the SOAPSTone strategy is your guide.