timmymcgee@yahoo.

com
www.learnstrong.net

Annotation  Questions  
1. What does this text say? (Level 1 Reading)
• Summarizing what is in the text.
2. What does this text mean? (Level 2 Reading)
3. How do I relate to this text? (Level 3 Reading)
• Other texts that had a similar theme (Movie, song, book, poem, video game,
picture, etc…)
• Questions you ask about yourself

A  Psalm  of  Life  

1. Don’t tell me that life is nothing. When your body goes away your soul does not.
2. Do you feel like your life is real or that it is a dream?
3. What other texts have made you think about this? If you feel something are you awake
or dreaming.

Intro  to  Writing  

The  Way  you  think  you  should  write  
• Form à Content (Idea)
• Story à Content (Idea)
• Poem à Content (Idea)
• Essay à Content (Idea)

The  Way  you  should  write  

• Start with an idea and the convert it to other forms of writing.
o JAM writing
1. nonstop writing
2. follows no rules
3. no audience (no one else reads it)
o 2 Minds of the Writer
1. Creative Mind – likes to start writing
• Let the creative mind write and tell the editor mind to go away
• Whatever is in your mind goes onto the page
• Goal is to write for 10 minutes – “go past the wall”
 •Topic to write on – it is good to deviate and write on your own
topic
2. Editor Mind – critical, mean, not very nice

Academic  Reading  –  Plot  Summary  –  Level  1  –  What  does  the  text  say  
• Reading to Appreciate – respect it – do not have to like
• Plot = storyline = map of the story
1. Beginning – Intro – Exposition
2. Middle
3. End
• Exposition – beginning of the story
o Setting
o Place
o Time
o Characters of the story
• Rising Action
o Second part of the beginning
o Development of the
conflict/fight/crises
• Internal conflicts
o Character vs. Self
• External conflicts
o Character vs character
o Character vs nature
o Character vs society/group
• Climax – when the fight in the story
comes to its end
• Falling Action – ending – tying up of
the story - resolution