Instructions: Follow the prompts in the?Source Annotation Assignment? Grading: See the rubric in the assignment sheet Up

Week 5: Evaluating Source Material

Source Annotation Assignment

Remember that a text can take many forms, because a text can be anything that

uses a form of communication to convey a message to an audience. That message can be carried

using any form of communication, including language or text, visual elements, auditory elements, tactile

elements, and beyond. Texts can take the form of traditional print artifacts, such as a newspaper or a

chapter in a textbook, but they can also take many other forms such as infographics, billboards, television

commercials, or objects (such as t-shirts or water bottles).

Growing as a writer requires developing close reading skills: writers should practice interpreting texts

around them to discover how texts are created, how they “work,” and how others might interact with them

and understand them. Texts only take on meaning when a reader constructs a meaning through the

process of interpretation. To help draw your attention to how you construct meaning as a close reader,

you’re expected to annotate many texts in this class. You are expected to complete annotations by hand in

this course. Psychotherapist and journaling expert Maud Purcell suggests that the act of writing helps filter

information and focus; Maria Konnikova of The New York Times reports that psychologists and

neuroscientists have found that writing longhand improves retention of information, helps generate more

ideas, and deepens reading abilities. If you require accommodations for the activity of writing by hand, you

may complete annotations in a digital form, perhaps by using Adobe Reader or your preferred platform to

create text boxes and other markings that make similar moves that hand-written annotations would.

Annotation is the process of marking on and interacting with a text to construct an

interpretation of it as you consume it. This guide offers some strategies that will help you

practice annotating and become a close reader. Annotations can take two main forms: markings

and verbal comments.

Required Readings:

• Konnikova, Maria. “What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades.” The New York Times, 2 July 2014, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html?_r=1. Accessed 17 Nov.2019.

• Grothaus, Michael. “Why Journaling is Good For Your Health (and 8 Tips to Get Better).” Fast Company, 29 January 2015, https://www.fastcompany.com/3041487/8-tips-to-more-effective- journaling-for-health. Accessed 17 Nov. 2019.

Technical Requirements:

• Demonstrate close reading strategies and clear annotations of (3) texts you will use in your final research paper.

• Annotations and markings can include moves such as underlining, circling, highlighting, and other ways of flagging parts of the text. For example, you can:

o Mark any passages that summarize an author’s main argument, theme, or conflict o Mark any words or phrases that are new to you and investigate them o Mark any figures of speech or phrases that you find effective or enjoyable

• Verbal comments can take many forms, but remember that your goal is to “think out loud” to interpret the text as you consume it: capture your comments in the margins of the text, between lines or sections of the text, and even on the back of the pages if necessary. Especially if the process of annotation is new to you, try this “formula” for constructing comments: simply take notes any time you appreciate, notice, or wonder something by starting comments in one of the following forms:

o “I appreciate…” followed by something that you admire or enjoy in the text, something that you think is done well

o “I notice…” followed by something that gets your attention or that stands out as a pattern throughout the text

o “I wonder…” followed by questions, concerns, or suggestions you have about something in the text

Here are other suggestions for how to verbalize your interpretations as you read:

• Take notes on how the writing seems to work: o What do you notice about the organization, formatting, and other elements of the text? In

what context was this text created? o How does the writer communicate their argument, use evidence and examples, etc.? o How does the writer communicate about the purpose of this text? o How does the writer try to reach their intended audience?

• Take notes on your reading experience, such as documenting any emotional reaction you might be having (“The way the author does is making me mad…” or “It’s kind of creepy how this text talks about…”)

• Take notes on any connections you have to the text (“This reminds me a lot of…”) or future applications you might use (“I want to remember this when I…”

Submission Requirements: If you’re annotating using pen and paper:

1. Print or obtain a printed copy of the text. 2. Complete the annotation process by hand using a dark-colored pen. 3. Use a traditional scanner on a printer or other device to capture images of all pages or sections of

the text as a single PDF OR use a smartphone app for scanning such as CamScanner, TurboScan, or Scannable to capture images of all pages or sections of the text as a single PDF.

4. Email yourself the PDF for easy access and storage. 5. From your preferred device, download the single PDF of the annotated text from your email

and then upload it to the correct submission area in Blackboard. If you’re annotating using a stylus on a tablet or other device:

1. Open a digital file or image of the text in your preferred application on the tablet or other device. 2. Complete the annotation process by hand using a stylus and any other relevant marking tools

(such as a highlighting feature).

3. Save your annotated file or image of the entire text as a single PDF. 4. Upload the single PDF of the annotated text to the correct submission area in

Blackboard

Criteria Below

Expectation

(0-9)

Meeting

Expectations

(10-17)

Outstanding

(18-25)

Total

Points

Nuts and

Bolts

Did student fully complete annotations for a minimum of (3) sources? Did

students submit in an acceptable word .doc or .docx format? Did student

demonstrate strong close reading strategies and meaningfully integrate the

annotation strategies provided in the assigned readings and instructor

video? While this assignment is based on completion, points will be

awarded based on the breadth, quality, and completeness of your

annotations.

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