Coding or Annotating Text

This is what we have on our continuum of coding text:

• Coding for Comprehension - using the reading strategies (predict, question, connect, infer, determining what's important, and looking for theme or bias) found on "the hand".

This is good when we are "just" reading, but when we are reading with a purpose (to answer questions, to debate an issue, to grow our knowledge about something, recognize the scientific method...), we need to code with a more refinded purpose!

• preview the questions, number them (or you could give each question a code based on what it is asking.  ex: If question 3 is asking for bias, the code would be B.) and read and code by question number.  Thought process, "This information will help me answer question #3."
• students can code by Text Structure to help them figure out the organization of a piece.  A summary of how the author presented the information can be powerful.  For Ex:
  • Problem - Solution, 
  • Question - Answer, 
  • Sequence (just use numbers or 1st, 2nd...), 
  • Description (draw a diagram or sketch in margins? point to visuals in text), 
  • Cause and Effect, 
  • Compare and Contrast - code same (or +) and different (or -)
• students can code by Thinking Like a Historian (8th grade uses similar pictures to the TLH text) or the Scientific Method.  Ex:
  • UP - using the past
  • TP - Turning points
  • CE - Cause and Effect
  • (eye) - Through their eyes
  • (venn diagram) - Change and continuity
  • OR
  • Problem
  • Hypothesis
  • Experiment... 
• Create a theory and read to confirm, change, reject it:
  • checkmark - confirms my theory
  •  - = rejects my theory or challenges it
  •  ! = important information
  •  ? = What? Confusing - not sure I agree
  • (Triangle) - this might change my mind
• Debate: 
• • checkmark - confirms my side of the debate
  •  - = challenges my my side of the debate 
  •  ! = important information
  •  ? = What? Confusing - not sure I agree
  • (Triangle) - this might change my mind