Making a Date to Annotate:

Building in opportunity for students to annotate photocopies of the text to increase close
reading skills.

JessicaZappala
UniversityofNewHampshire
May8,2014

TableofContents

ReferencePage.3

HarlembyLangstonHughes....4

BeforeUnitSurvey......5

SampleAnnotationExpectations.6

SampleAnnotationKey...7

TeacherObservationLog.....8

AnnotationLog9

PostUnitSurvey.......10

AssessmentDataLog........11

References
Beers, K. (2002). When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do: A Guide for Teachers
6-12. Portsmouth, NH: Hienmann.
Beers, K. & Probst, R (2012). Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading.
Portsmouth, NH: Hienmann.

Brown, M. (2007). Ill Have Mine Annotated, Please: Helping Students Make
Connections with Texts. The English Journal, 96(4), 73-78.
Crisp, V. & Johnson, M. (2007). The Use of Annotations in Examination Marking:
Opening a Window into Markers Minds. British Educational Research Journal.
33(6), 943-961.
Elbow,P.(2004).WriteFirst:PuttingWritingBeforeReadingisanEffectiveApproach
toTeachingandLearning.EducationalLeadership.62(2),814
Hartz, N. (2010). Increasing Student Comprehension, Motivation, and Personal
Connections Through the use of Pre, During, and Post-Reading Strategies. 1-36.
Retrieved from: eportfolios.ithaca.edu/nhartz1/docs/ActionResearch.doc
Hong-Nam, K. (2014). ELL High School Students Metacognitive Awareness of Reading
Strategy Use and Reading Proficiency. TESL-EJ, 18(1), 1-15.
Keene, E. & Zimmerman, S. (2007). Mosaic of Thought, Second Edition: The Power of
Comprehension Strategy Instruction. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
ODonnel-Porter, C. (2004). Beyond the Yellow Highlighter: Teaching Annotation Skills
to Improve Reading Comprehension .The English Journal, 93(5), 82-89.
Peterson,S.E.(1992).Thecognitivefunctionsofunderliningasastudy
technique.ReadingResearchandInstruction,31(2),4956.
Rosenblatt,L.M.(2004).TheTransactionalTheoryofReadingandWriting.InR.B.
RuddelandN.J.Unrau(Eds.),TheoreticalModelsandProcessesofReading(pp.
13631398).Newward,D.E:InternationalReadingAssociation.
Vygotsky,L.S.(1978).Mindinsociety.Cambridge,MA:HarvardUniversityPress

Zywica,J.&Gomez,K.(2008).AnnotatingtoSupportLearningintheContent
Areas:TeachingLearninginScience.JournalofAdolescentandAdult
Literacy,52(2),155164.

Harlem
LANGSTON HUGHES

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
4

Before Unit Survey (Sample)

Directions: Answer the following question by circling your level of agreement.
Your answers will be anonymous.
1. Ive been told that writing in a textbook is damaging the book.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
2. I feel that being able to annotate a text helps with reading comprehension.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
3. I often write in my textbooks, even if I am not supposed to, because it helps
me remember what I am reading.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
4. If my teacher tells me I cannot write in the book, it does not bother me.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
5. If I could write in my school books, I feel I would remember more information.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
6. I think writing in the book helps me learn.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

7. I always write in the books I own.

Strongly Disagree
Disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

8. I think writing in a text is pointless.

Strongly Disagree
Disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

9. If I owned my own copy of the text we were reading, I might enjoy it better.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
10. If I owned my own copy of the text we were reading, I might understand it
better.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
11. Writing in the book has no impact on my understanding of the text.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree

NAME:____________________________________MOD:_____DATE:____________
A Guide to Annotation and Expectations
Throughout our reading and analysis of Tears of a Tiger, our class will be given copies of
the text to annotate.
Annotation is the act of writing on a text as a means to understand it better. We will
write on our texts in order to take ownership and transact with the text on a higher level
than if we had to read it without making a mark.
The purpose of writing on the text is to help you stay focused and engaged while
reading. Instead of sitting silently, I expect you to be actively annotating and thinking
about the essential questions of the unit and essay questions we will be answering
throughout the unit. I also expect you to make daily reflections on the annotations you
have made. I will model the annotations for you so that you know what is expected of
you.
The first essay questions we'll answer will be:
1.What style does Draper use in Tears of a Tiger? How does this style affect the novels
pacing and plot? Give three examples from the text.
2. Do you think Andys story would be more or less effective if a single omniscient
narrator told the story?
3. There are no vivid descriptions of the settings in Tears of a Tiger. How does Draper
create a sense of key settings?
Essential Questions of the unit will be:
1) How does circumstance shape our lives?
2) What are the effects of guilt?

You will be allowed to use your books on the essays. Therefore, it is in your best interest
to keep in mind these essay questions while we read the text and to make annotations
that relate to them.

Teacher
Observation Log (Sample)

Student
Name

Key:
If student is reading during
class but not annotating = R
Chapter
If student is reading and annotating = R+A
If student
seeks
of annotations
from peer = FB/P
Week
1 feedback on substance Week
2
If student seeks feedback on substance of annotation from teacher = FB/T
1-2
3-4
5-6
7-8
9-10 111315If student is off task (not reading or annotating) = 0
12
14
16

Annotation Log (Sample)

This teacher log is used to keep track of the quality, quantity, and consistency of
annotations being made by the students.
Key:
U1=Underlined 1x (significant/thought provoking quotation)
U2 = Underlined 2x (essential question quotation)
LC = Used a logographic cue to indicate knowledge of authors
craft
C= Circled unknown word or vocabulary word
M= Reflected on annotations in margin
Student Name

Chapter
1-2

3-4

5-6

7-8

9-10

11-12

13-14

15-16

Assessment Data Log (Sample)

#

Previous
Quiz

Comprehensio
n Check #1

Comprehensio
n Check #2

10

Comprehensio
n Check #3

Quiz #
Chapters
of
Annotation
s (Out of
16)

Post-Unit Survey (Sample)

Directions: Answer the following questions based on your level of agreement.
Your answers will be anonymous.
1. I liked getting copies of the text to write in and annotate.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree

Strongly Agree

2. I enjoy annotating.
Strongly Disagree

Strongly Agree

Disagree

Agree

3. Writing in the text helped me to understand the novel better.

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
4. I would recommend schools buy enough individual copies of the book for their
students so they can write in them.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
5. The annotation techniques I learned in class could be used in other classes.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
6. I think writing in the book helped me learn.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

7. I think writing in a text is pointless.

Strongly Disagree
Disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

8. Writing in the text has no impact on my understanding of the text.

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree

11

12