December Unit: Annotating + Writing-While-Reading
How to make annotation more meaningful, easier for you to assess, and form the foundations of a life-long habit.
Full disclosure: this really isn’t a unit. It could be — I teach process-focused units all the time. But really, this is just going to be a gathering of resources to help solve a frequent classroom struggle.
As teachers, we know that annotating is important. It’s also incredibly transferable. (Check out this 2025 study about how annotating might be the key to unlocking word problems in math class.) But it’s hard to feel great about as a teacher.
Let’s just use my experience over the last 21 years as a guide: most students don’t do enough. And what is enough? When I assign a number, or even a range of numbers, the authenticity is sucked out of the practice. When I don’t give a number, how can I explain to students what is “enough” and what isn’t? Even students who are trying hard are annotating nonsense. Some do too much — to the point that the annotations are absolutely meaningless. They don’t do it if I don’t give them a grade, but how to grade them? Am I collecting their books!??!
Annotation isn’t an assignment; it’s a practice. And I want to share some instructions and habits that have helped my students along with a few rules I’ve learned along the way.
In lieu of a unit plan this month, I’m giving you a 21-slide, student-facing presentation deck so you can quickly project and get information to students fast. It includes student instructions for annotations as well as four different ways to use annotations in meaningful ways.
A Guide to Teaching Annotation
