Lightning Round Passage Annotations

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This activity builds annotations skills that appreciate a writer’s use of language by having small groups of students focus on one aspect of the annotation process at a time.  Rotating the passages through different groups facilitates class collaboration, building on their classmates’ ideas as they are exposed to more passages.  The “lightning” aspect of the task helps keep momentum and teach time management.

Preparation

  • Print each passage below on a large sheet of paper (e.g., A3 paper)
  • Pre-determine 6 heterogenous groups of 2-4 students (if needed, add more groups).

Process

  1. Create 6 groups and distribute one “large” passage to each group. 
  2. Give each group 2 minutes to silently read the passage.
  3. Each group completes “Round 1” (2 minutes).
  4. After “Round 1”, the group passages their passage, clockwise, to the next group. 
  5. Give each group 3 minutes to read the new passage and examine the previous group’s comments and annotations.
  6. Each group completes “Round 2” (2 minutes)
  7. Repeat the steps above until all rounds are complete.
  8. Ask students to reflect in their portfolios:  What did you learn about annotation from this exercise?  How is building on others’ annotations different than making your own?  How did you feel about the time pressure? 

Rounds

Round 1:  Identify the context of this passage (When does the passage take place?  What significant event has happened or has yet to happen in the story?)

Round 2:  Highlight an important sentence that stands out to you in the passage.

Round 3:  Highlight 3 important words or groups of words that stand out to you in the passage.

Round 4:  Highlight 3 more important words or groups of words that stand out to you in the passage. 

Round 5:  For the 6 highlighted words (or groups of words), identify whether EACH word is creating MEANING or FEELING in the passage.

Round 6:  Putting it all together.  Why is this passage significant or important?  What makes it a “key passage”? Write your answer in the space below the quote.

Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Unsplash