Intro to Close Reading

English II2015.16

Set up your paper for Cornell Notes.

Title your notes:Close Reading

What is Close Reading?

Close reading is a careful and purposeful reading of a text.

Close reading slows us down and allows us to interpret difficult passages.

It keeps us focused on our purpose for reading.

For example: finding a claim to argue with or identifying the author’s figurative language to analyze

We leave our “thinking on the page” so that we can come back to later on, like when we’ve got to write a paper or prepare for a discussion.

To Annotate –is to supply with critical or explanatory NOTES; comment upon with notes

Close Reading: actively interacting with the text

Close reading is a multi-step process that involves reading a text more than one time.

Close reading will always involve marking the text, aka annotating the text.

To annotate means to supply with critical and explanatory NOTES

Annotating is more than highlighting; annotating is YOUR THINKING, YOUR CONVERSATION with the text, in the margins of the page.

Yes, but what does it look like?

I keep reading the same paragraph over and over because I can’t concentrate.

Ahhh, this is so relaxing.

There’s no way I’m going

to be able to annotate my

article unless I get some

peace and quiet.

This is NOT what close reading looks

like.

This is how we will practice close reading this year.

We will always practice these 5 steps when we close read any text:1. Number the paragraphs2. Chunk the text3. Underline/circle/highlight

(with a purpose)

4. Left margin: What is the author saying?5. Right margin: dig deeper into the text,

describe what the author is doing

They all work together, and, in the end, you will understand,

on a deeper level, exactly what you have read. J

Step 1

Begin your close read by simply numbering the paragraphs.

Step 2 - “Chunking” the Text

This step is breaking the text up into

smaller sections, making it easier to

understand.

Step 3 - Underline/Circle/Highlight

What you look for in a text will vary.For an article, you will look for claims the

author is making and the evidence s/he uses to support the claims.

For poetry, you will look for figurative language and imagery.

We will always approach a text with a purpose in mind, and this purpose should “drive” what you underline, circle, highlight in the text.

Step 3 - continued . . .

For Articles of the Week, you will always underline or highlight the following:Claims the Author is MakingThe Big Ideas Key DetailsYou will also and define any words you can’t figure out using context clues.

Circle

Step 4 - What is the Author Saying?

In the LEFT MARGIN you will summarize each chunk.

Summaries should be limited to 10 words or less.

Summaries should be clear and specific.

Step 5 - What is the Author Doing?

● After you understand what the author is SAYING, you’re to examine what the author is DOING.

● Use power verbs to identify the author’s purpose.○ Arguing, Comparing,

Describing, Blaming, etc. ● You can ask questions in the R

margin, you can represent info with pictures

In the RIGHT MARGIN you are digging

deeper!