2.  A method of analyzing, criticizing, and explaining a text  Forces the reader to become more intimate with the text  Annotation is NOT highlighting or marking random sentences in a text

3.  Examine front and back covers/title page  Read full title (including any subtitle)  Examine illustrations on the cover/title page

5.  Highlight the Text  First time a Character is Introduced  Setting  Conflict  Symbols  Themes  Definitions of Unfamiliar Words  Important Plot Information  Quotations/ideas that stand out

6.  Writing in the Margins  Short Summary ▪ Briefly summarize a section of the text  Make Connections ▪ Text to text, text to self, or text to world  Look for Patterns ▪ Examine reoccurring ideas/concepts  Write Comments/Reflections ▪ Write your reactions to characters or thoughts in text

7.  Writing in the Margins  Make Predictions ▪ Predict what will happen next  Formulate Opinions ▪ State beliefs about content  Ask Questions ▪ Develop questions for discussion/clarification  Analyze Writing Style ▪ Evaluate jargon, diction, word choice, and use of figures of thought

9.  Draw Conclusions  Determine Possible Meanings  Verify the Title’s Meaning and Purpose  WRITE!!!!

10.  Use different colors to highlight various types of information  Read with a dictionary at your side  Write definitions of unknown words in margins  Draw arrows to connect one section of text to another  Put a “?” to indicate a question  DO NOT overdo it! Go for quality, not quantity!

11. The two boys ran until they came to the driveway. “See, I told you today was good for skipping school,” said Mark. “Mom is never home on Thursday,” he added. Tall hedges hid the house from the road so the pair strolled across the finely landscaped yard. “The nearest house is a quarter mile away,” Mark shouted. The dining room had high, vaulted ceilings and was filled with china, silver, and cut glass. Mark reached into the new wall safe, pulled out some money, and bragged that he could get money whenever he needed it since the lock was broken.