ENG 102
Annotation Assignment and Guide
Social Annotations Assignment
Overview:
Adding annotations to things you read sharpens your analytical skills, and it is a key step in both understanding difficult texts and beginning to generate ideas for your papers. Traditionally, you would do this on your own copies of reading materials; however, Manifold gives us the ability to annotate collectively.
The goal of this assignment is to work on your habits of mind as they relate to reading and analysis and, along the way, gain a sense of how each other reads and interprets the literature from the syllabus. This will additionally give you a platform to ask questions and make observations immediately, as you read the text.
Strategy:
I would like you to annotate course readings-before the due dates marked on the syllabus-with questions, comments, and observations. These could be based on media resources that enrich your understanding of the text from the Web and/or your own typed comments.Some questions you might ask yourself as you think about annotations: what issues and themes related to your keyword stand out? what connections can you make between texts on the syllabus?
Mechanics
For the dates marked on the syllabus, each of you should thoughtful, substantive annotations based on the prompts I create at the top of each reading. These should be posted at least three hours before we meet to discuss a given text.
What are annotations?
When you annotate a text, you write notes, comments, and questions, usually in the margins. These can be helpful when you are trying to do things like make connections between a group of readings and remember and mark interesting or confusing passages that you may want to revisit, especially when you want to write papers or study for tests.
Ground rules:
- As stated above, each annotation should answer the prompt
- Each person should make at least three substantial annotations per text.
- Multimedia: Try to incorporate images, links, and videos into your annotations. Additionally, post primary or archival material from the Web if you come across it.
Grade:
The aggregate value of annotations will make up 40% of your overall grade. There will be six annotation checks during the semester; the grade for each will reflect a combination of several of your annotations.