When I am given a new piece of writing to analyze and mark up I usually start by reading it over several times. The first time I read is to get a sense of what the author is trying to say through their writing. I mark up things, think interesting word choices, similar concepts or if I have a question. I highlight sentences or passages that I think are significant to the overall message the author is trying to create. The second time I read through is when I try to connect the similar concept to a bigger picture. I try and understand what the author is trying to convey to the readers. I think the way I annotate is a way for me to try and understand the writing, but I know that I sometimes have trouble seeing how all the important things I highlighted connect to a larger idea. I can understand what the author is saying in a passage but then I forget how it connects to the bigger idea the author is trying to create. At some point during the annotation I try to find evidence to support my thesis for a writing assignment. In the essay Can Planet Earth Feed 10 Billion People by Charles C. Mann, I used a passage about nitrogen as evidence to support my thesis in Project #2. I found that this passage strongly supports my argument because in my argument the Wizards way of thinking was the best way to sustain life. A way I can improve the way I annotate is by reading slower as well as rereading.
