Transcript Making MLA Matter - Colegio Americano De Quito

Making MLA Matter
Teaching writing with style!
What is MLA?
Do you use it in your classroom?
Definition
MLA is a well known formatting style used for
writing within the content areas of literature,
arts, and humanities. (APA, MLA, Turabian,
and Chicago Citation Styles)
Other Styles…
APA: psychology, education, and other social
sciences
AMA: medicine, health, and biological
sciences.
Turabian: designed for college students to
use with all subjects.
Chicago: used with all subjects in the "real
world" by books, magazines,
newspapers, and other nonscholarly publications. (APA, MLA,
Turabian, and Chicago Citation
Styles)
Historical Background
Founded in 1883 in NYC
1951 First “style sheet” published
“Style” comes from many sources
(Gibaldi 7)
In just 30 years there has been a
“dramatic shift” in the way we conduct
and submit findings…
Why use MLA?
• Teacher convenience - consistency
• Style lends itself to process
• IB examiners look for consistency
in style
• Promotes critical thinking and
source evaluation
• Prevents accidental plagiarism
Plagiarism
Definition
In an instructional setting, plagiarism
occurs when a writer deliberately uses
someone else’s language, ideas, or other
original (not common-knowledge)
material without acknowledging its
source. ("Defining and Avoiding
Plagiarism")
Most plagiarism instruction fails to
distinguish between:
1. Submitting someone else’s text as one’s own or
attempting to blur the line between one’s own ideas or
words and those borrowed from another source, and
2. carelessly or inadequately citing ideas and words
borrowed from another source. ("Defining and
Avoiding Plagiarism" )
Reasons for the misuse of information:
 Students have not been taught how to properly incorporate other’s ideas and document
the sources of those ideas into their writing.
 Students make mistakes as they learn the previously mentioned process.
 Students don´t know how to organize and take proper notes during the research process.
 Higher level professors may define plagiarism more rigidly than teachers in earlier
education writing instruction.
 These same higher level instructors may assume that students have already learned how
to conduct research and properly document it. Additionally, they may not be willing to
teach the previously mentioned skills, leaving students to fill in these knowledge deficits
independently.
 Without proper instruction, students may not understand that using someone else’s ideas
is also plagiarism. ("Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism" )
When & Where to use MLA
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Research
Essays
Regular work ( to reinforce)
MYP personal project
Teacher Modeling of MLA within
all classroom handouts etc.
How to use MLA!
Resources
The OWL at Purdue
MLA Handbook 7th Edition
EasyBib
Paper Formatting
 Use white 8.5” x 11” paper.
 Double-space everything.
 Use 12 pt. Times New Roman font (or similar
font).
 Leave only one space after punctuation.
 Set all margins to one inch on all sides.
 Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch.
(“Purdue Owl”)
First Page
• Do not include a title page.
• In the upper left corner of the first page, list your name, your
instructor's name, the course, and date.
• Center the paper title (no underlining, italics, quotes, or bold).
• Create a header in the upper right corner at half inch from the top and
one inch from the right of the page (include your last name and page
number). (“Purdue Owl”)
Here’s what it looks like…
How to Cite Your Sources
• Citations must occur inside the
text and in a work cited document
at the end of the paper.
• Signal words and page numbers
(when appropriate) are used for intext citation. (“Purdue Owl”)
Example of Works Cited Page
Works Cited
"Blueprint Lays Out Clear Path for Climate Action." Environmental Defense Fund.
Environmental Defense Fund, 8 May 2007. Web. 24 May 2009.
Clinton, Bill. Interview by Andrew C. Revkin. “Clinton on Climate Change.” NewYork
Times. New York Times, May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009.
Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." NewYork Times. New
York Times, 22 May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009.
In-text Citation
• In-text citations indicate a change in
sources within the text.
 In-text citations use signal words that
correspond with the work cited entries.
 In-text citations have specific formats for
specific types of sources. (“Purdue Owl”)
Here’s how signal words work…
"Blueprint Lays Out Clear Path for Climate Action." Environmental
Defense Fund. Environmental Defense Fund, 8 May 2007. Web. 24 May
2009.
=
("Blueprint Lays Out Clear Path for Climate Action”)
Clinton, Bill. Interview by Andrew C. Revkin. “Clinton on Climate
Change.” New York Times. New York Times, May 2007. Web. 25 May
2009.
=
(Clinton)
In-text Citation Examples…
 Human beings have been described by
Kenneth Burke as "symbol-using
animals" (3).
 Human beings have been described as
"symbol-using animals" (Burke 3).
Research Using MLA
Defining the Parameters
Inquiry Based
Designing Research
Question
Judge, Evaluate, Analyze…
Clarify Expectations
How many sources?
What kinds of sources?
How many in-text citations?
Students should produce more
research than writing!
Collecting Research
Cornell Notes
Annotated Bibliography
Inquiry Based
What are the benefits of using this kind
of format…
 Organization is provided
 Reduces possibility of plagiarism
 Citing sources is straightforward
 Generates meaningful quote options for
students
 Provides an introduction to annotated
bibliographies
Annotated Bibliographies
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to
books, articles, and documents. Each citation is
followed by a brief (usually about 150 words)
descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation.
The purpose of the annotation is to inform the
reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the
sources cited. ("How to Prepare an Annotated
Bibliography")
Annotate Bibliography Example
Waite, Linda J., Frances Kobrin Goldscheider, and Christina Witsberger. "Nonfamily Living and theErosion of Traditional
Family Orientations Among Young Adults." American Sociological Review 51.4 (1986): 541-554. Print.
The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys
of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living by young adults alters their attitudes, values,
plans, and expectations, moving them away from their belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly
supported in young females, while the effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents
before marrying increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier
study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of nonfamily living.
("How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography")
Quote Instruction
Formatting Quotes
Short Quotations:
 Short quotes contain fewer than four typed lines of prose or three lines
of verse
 Enclose the quotation within double quotation marks.
 Make sure that the in-text citation occurs directly after the closing
quotation marks.
 Example: According to some, dreams express "profound aspects of
personality" (Foulkes 184), though others disagree.
Long Quotations:
 Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented one
inch from the left margin.
 Maintain double-spacing.
 Only indent the first line of the quotation by a half inch if you are citing
multiple paragraphs.
 Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation
mark.
 When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks.
Long Quote Example
In-text Example: Long Quotations
Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration:
They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room,and I had no more
sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By
chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he
found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged
to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house.
(Bronte 78)
Works Cited
" APA, MLA, Turabian, and Chicago Citation Styles." Long Island University. Web. 11 Mar.
2010. <http://www.liu.edu/CWIS/CWP/library/workshop/citation.htm>.
"Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices | Council
Writing Program Administrators." President's Message | Council of
of
Writing
Program Administrators. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. <http://www. wpacouncil.org/node/9>.
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: Modern
Language Association of America, 2009. Print.
"How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography." Home | Cornell University Library. Web. 12
Mar. 2010. <http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/ skill28.htm>.
"Purdue OWL." Welcome to the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). Web. 11
Mar. 2010. <http://owl.english.purdue. edu/owl/>.