Annotating Nonfiction Text

Steps to Annotating Nonfiction

Before You Read 1. Underline the topic in the title

2. Preview the text – look at pictures, titles, subtitles, diagrams, & Graphs

3. Write the purpose as a question at the top of the passage.

4. Underline key words in the questions – in order to understand what the question is asking. (If there is a key word that is specific to your content, discuss the meaning or the significance of that word in that question.)

While You Read 1. Underline any information that supports the main idea and helps answer any of the questions asked.

2. Underline any vocabulary word and its definition

3. Write the main idea for each paragraph or a sentence summarizing the paragraph. If unable to summarize the material just read, go back and reread the material for

understanding, then write a summary. *Besides writing, pictures, symbols or graphic organizers can be used to take notes.

After You Read 1. Answer the purpose for reading.

2. Answer questions a. Underline in the passage where the answer was found and write the question number by the underlined text, and by the question write the page number where the answer was found.

b. If the answer is not found directly in the passage, underline the the information used to create the answer and write the question number by the underlined text, and the page number(s) where the information was found by the question.

3. Label the QAR’s. [Right There (RT) ; Think & Search (TS) ; Author & Me (AM) ; On My Own (OMO)]

PQ: Who was Nelson Mandela and what did he accomplish?

1

2

3

1

2

3PA & Summary: Nelson Mandela was a nonviolent protestor against apartheid who was unjustly imprisoned and later became President of South Africa.

AMp. 2,3

TSp. 2

RTp. 3