Writing Rightly
American Literature 10 th Grade
10 March 2015
Research Paper Work Day
1.
Pass back tests/papers
2.
Expectations
3.
Complete comma and citations practice together.
4.
Review how to incorporate quotes effectively. No “plop” quotes.
Finding evidence to support ideas:
•
You can’t “Google it” and why that’s ok.
•
Key search words are key.
•
Read the summary first.
•
You only need 4 pieces of evidence, so you may not have to read the
whole, 54-page article. [2 primary source quotes + 2 secondary source
quotes]
Plagiarism?
•
When in doubt, CITE the source.
•
Don’t forget to place quotes around anything you copy word for word [This
includes quotes from the novel!]. Include the in-text citation.
•
EVEN if you summarize information from a source, you still need an in-text
citation.
Incorporating Quotes Effectively

Don’t plop a quote in a paragraph without some time of lead or
introduction. Don’t quote more than two lines.
Example: “A self-confessed sinner, aware that she has broken a
law, Hester fears that the result of her sin, Pearl, must be
disordered and even essentially evil” (Lasser 274).
Acceptable: In his paper, “Mirror Imagery in The Scarlet Letter,” Michael
Lasser writes as “a self-confessed [sinner], aware that she has broken a
law, Hester fears that the result of her sin, Pearl, must be disordered and
even essentially evil” (274).
Better: Hester, “a self-confessed sinner, [is] aware that she has broken a
law…[and] fears that the result of her sin, Pearl, must be disordered and
even essentially evil” (Lasser 274).
Best: Branded with the scarlet letter, Hester is aware of her sin and “fears
that the result of her sin, Pearl, must be disordered and essentially evil”
(Lasser 274).
Top 5 ERRORS I’ve noticed:
Find them!
1.
When considering the role of humor in a lecture many may see
it as unnecessary.
2.
Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” is an excellent gift for your
favorite grandmother.
3.
Due to the beautiful weather we’re experiencing, we have
decided to cancel all classes but you may come to school if you
wish.
4.
In Act II, John Proctor states, “…we are only what we always
were, but naked now,” which reveals a change in his character
(Miller p.81).
5.
Nathaniel creates a fantasy world in which no person is real,
and no one can escape the confines of their individual realities.
Citations: Please check yours!
•
Holden’s advice to not “tell anybody anything” resonates with most
teenagers in their attempts to find true friends (Salinger 234). However, he
often brings alienation on himself in the form of wearing his red hunting hat
gives him “quite a lot of protection,” too (233).
Don’t include the author’s last name is there are TWO consecutive quotes in a
paragraph.
•
Be sure to use correct punctuation with quotation marks, periods, and
parentheses.
EX: 1. “I love cheese” (Wischerth 2).
2. Wischerth states, “I love cheese” (2).
•
Your in-text citation should refer DIRECTLY to your Works Cited entry. See
next slide.
Works Cited Page
Example Works Cited entry:
Bloom, Harold. I Am the Cheese Analysis. Viking, 1987.
Bloom, Harold. “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” Gala Databases. 5 March
2015. Online.
Cheese, Stringler. “Is that Really Cheese You’re Eating?” Nonsense
Publications, 2015.
Example sentence in your paper:
Arguably, the three little pigs are the most vulnerable members of the literary
community, traumatized by the “big bad wolf, aggressor and antagonist”
(“Who’s Afraid…”).
Note: If you have 2 sources
by same author, then use
the next thing listed on
your Works Cited entry.
Key Things to Remember
•
Don’t use I, me, my, YOU, etc. Remove personal pronouns. State things as
FACT.
Example:
I think A Tale of Two Cities should be banned from American classrooms, for
it has no relevance to our country’s history.
Rewrite:
What is the purpose of this paper?
•
To ANALYZE, to ARGUE a SIDE and share your commentary of the text.
•
So, you must choose a stance, offer an opinion.
Requirements
•
4 in-text citations (direct quotes, even partial ones, will yield a higher grade in
the “evidence” category. [2 from primary source (your book) and 2 from Literary
Criticism]
•
3 pages MAX (please), double-spaced
•
Times New Roman, 12-pt. font (boring, I know)
•
A Title
•
MLA heading with last name & page number in upper right hand corner
•
Your Works Cited page should be the last (separate page) of your document.
Miller
6