Annotating Informational Texts Handout

Annotating Informational Text Handout

As you read any informational text (newspaper article, textbook, magazine article, brochure, credible website, etc.), try using some of these strategies to help you find the meaning in the text.

As you read your text, look for one or more of these factors:

 Headings and subheadings  Lists  Diagrams and figures (these give you a brief overview of lots of information)  Special features (you might be tempted to skip these, but they’re often packed with interesting informational tid-bits)  Dates or places (especially in your social studies reading)  New vocabulary (you might find a lot of this in science or math, but also other subject areas)  Main Ideas  Supporting Information

The following is a list of Common Codes to be used at PHS

 V—Important terminology  ?—Concept that needs further explanation or creates a question for the student  *--Information for the main idea/thesis statement with W.O.D.  +--Supporting details to support thesis  - --Details that refute thesis  TT—Text to text (connection to another form of information)  TW—Text to World (current events)  TS—Text to Self (connection to your life)

The following is a list of some techniques that PHS will use to annotate text:

 Circle definitions and meanings.  How do YOU feel about…?  Write short summaries in the Why…? margin at the end of sub-units.  Info/data pattern(s)?  What’s being said?  Disagree with…?  What questions are being asked?  Pose YOUR OWN questions.  What is “the Forest?” the  Suppose that…? “trees?”  Bias in the document?  What are you thinking?