BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
Ohio Standards
Connection
Reading Application:
Informational, Technical, and
Persuasive Text
Benchmark A
Use text features and graphics
to organize, analyze and draw
inferences from content and
gain additional information.
Indicator 1
Use text features such as
chapter titles, headings and
subheadings, parts of books,
including index, appendix, table
of contents and online tools
(search engines) to locate
information.
Benchmark E
Explain the treatment, scope
and organization of ideas from
different texts to draw
conclusions about a topic.
Indicator 8
Summarize information from
informational text, identifying
the treatment, scope and
organization of ideas.
Research Standard
Benchmark B
Locate and summarize
important information from
multiple sources.
Indicator 2
Identify appropriate sources,
and gather relevant information
from multiple sources (e.g.,
School library catalogs, online
databases, electronic resources
and Internet-based resources).
Benchmark C
Organize information in a
systemic way.
Indicator 4
Identify important information
found in sources and paraphrase
Lesson Summary:
Students become members of the BSI in this research
simulation. They apply for Biographical Scene Investigator
membership, investigate an individual, keep an evidence
notebook and write an investigator’s report. As a
culminating activity, BSIs appear in a “press conference”
to address questions from the members of the media (their
classmates) on the individual.
Estimated Duration: Approximately 10 hours
Commentary:
What better way to engage students in research than to put
them in charge of their own criminal investigations! In this
case, students become members of the BSI, the
Biographical Scene Investigators, in an attempt to identify a
remarkable or heroic individual from a list of possible
suspects. They support their “allegations” with “evidence”
from “reliable informants” in order to make the case for
their lead suspect.
Instructional Tips:
 The success of this lesson rests upon maintaining the
simulation for the duration of the process. Television
has made most students familiar with the activities of
crime scene investigators. Explain to the class that in
this simulation, they can be BSIs (biographical scene
investigators) to solve the mystery of their chosen
individual.
 Require students to keep evidence notebooks. If
possible, acquire stenographer’s notebooks because of
the two-column format. (Students can enter each piece
of evidence in the left hand column and note its source
in the right hand column.) If the cost would be
prohibitive, spend some class time creating evidence
folders from inexpensive pronged folders and notebook
paper that students have divided into two columns.
Pre-Assessment:
 Introduce the simulation. Ask each class member to
complete an investigator application. See Attachment A,
Biographical Scene Investigator Application.
 Ask students to exchange papers and check the
qualifications of their peers.
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
the findings in a systematic
way (e.g., notes, outlines,
charts, tables, graphic
organizers).

Benchmark D Acknowledge
quoted and paraphrased
information and document
sources used.

Indicator 7
Use an appropriate form of
documentation, with teacher
assistance, to acknowledge
sources (e.g., bibliography,
works cited).
Communication: Oral and
Visual Standard
Benchmark D
Select an organizational
structure appropriate to the
topic, audience, setting and
purpose.
Indicator 8
Deliver informational
presentations (e.g.,
expository, research) that:
a. demonstrate an
understanding of the
topic and present events
or ideas in a logical
sequence;
b. support the controlling
idea or thesis with
relevant facts, details,
examples, quotations,
statistics, stories and
anecdotes;
c. include an effective
introduction and
conclusion and use a
consistent organizational
structure (e.g., causeeffect, comparecontrast);
d. use appropriate visual
materials (e.g., diagrams,
charts, illustrations) and
available technology;
and
e. draw from multiple
sources and identify
sources used.
Generate some discussion about the items on the
application. Ask, what makes a good investigator? What
things would a good investigator know? Where will the
investigation be carried out?
Collect the applications.
Scoring Guidelines:
Explain to students that the chief investigator has accepted all
applications. Though some investigators will clearly be
investigators-in-training, each student will participate in the
simulation.
(Sort the applications and make a mental note of students who
need more direction. Be sure to be available to them.)
Post-Assessment:
 Students prepare an investigative report on an individual
of their choice, using information gleaned from several
sources and include a properly formatted bibliography.
 Students maintain an evidence notebook throughout the
research process, noting information and its source.
Scoring Guidelines:
Use the Research Paper Rubric, Attachment B. Award points
for evidence notebooks.
Instructional Procedures:
Day One
1. Following the pre-assessment, present students with their
“official BSI cards” (Attachment C). The cards may be
laminated, so students can easily carry and use them as
identification and research guides. Be sure each student
has a full copy of the attachment for clarification of their
duties as a BSI.
2. Inform students that their task is to find remarkable
individuals, or heroes. Distribute the List of Possible
Suspects, Attachment D. Ask students to choose five
primary suspects for their research and circle the names on
the handout. Each student must select a different lead
suspect, so the more possible suspects chosen, the better.
Instructional Tip:
Forbid duplication of lead suspects so students take individual
responsibility for their investigations.
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
3. Direct students through the preparation of their evidence notebooks. (See earlier Instructional
Tip.)
 If they are not using steno notebooks, allow time for students to divide their paper into
two columns.
 Instruct students to allow 10 pages before the sectioned area for recording information on
possible sources (informants).
 Provide self-adhesive flags or small notes so they may index their notebooks with the
letters B-I-O-G-R-A-P-H-Y. Allow 5-10 pages per letter. Stagger the tags so each can be
easily seen. See illustration.
4. Relocate class to library media center. Require the marked suspect list and evidence
notebook as admission ticket to the room.
5. Instruct students to research all of their primary suspects, if only to see how many informants
(reliable sources) are available. Once they have found enough information to satisfy the
requirements of the investigation, students should register their lead suspects with the chief
investigator (teacher). Announce or post choices as they are made, so students eliminate
primary suspects already selected.
Instructional Tip:
If possible, have all investigators begin with the same source. If computer availability is not an
issue, have students begin with an Internet source, like Biography.com. Otherwise, have them
begin with an encyclopedia or the card catalog. (It helps to pre-check the suspect list with the
media specialist, who can remove names for which material is not readily available.)
6. In this phase of the investigation, have BSIs note possible informants (sources) in the first
few pages of their notebooks. Be sure they have enough information to find the source at
another time. All students should name a lead suspect before the class time ends.
Day Two
7. Inform the investigation team that today they begin their investigations in earnest. As such,
they must adhere to proper procedure to validate their information. Explain the point of using
a two-column notebook. Emphasize that each piece of information must be accompanied by
its source.
8. Generate a list of information to obtain about each source. Explain that no informant is
considered reliable without this information. Make this list on the board or on large chart
paper. After creating a reasonable list, distribute Reliable Informants, Attachment E. Discuss
the importance of verifying sources, which means eventually creating an “evidentiary
document,” the bibliography.
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
9. Thoroughly review the terms on the BSI cards. Make sure investigators understand what they
hope to learn through their investigation.
10. Present a mini-lesson on using book-length nonfiction sources.
 Together, identify the parts of a book: the table of contents, chapter titles,
headings/subheadings, appendix and index.
 Discuss the information found in each area.
 Inform students that their investigation does not necessarily require that they read an
entire book. If they use the book’s features appropriately, they can reduce their
investigation time.
 Remind them to take careful notes, listing the source as well as the page numbers where
specific information is found.
11. Release the investigation team to continue seeking informants on their lead suspects. Remind
them to take meaningful notes that they can decipher later. Remember to use quotation marks
whenever they copy words from an informant. In the source column, be sure to note the page
number on which the quotation appeared.
12. Close this session by checking Evidence Notebooks to see that each BSI has made progress
on the case.
Day Three
13. Spend this day continuing the investigation. Make sure BSIs have clear direction and
continue to record information and verification for each informant/source.
14. Circulate among the class to provide help and clarification as needed.
15. Ascertain how much additional time the investigation team requires. Announce the number
of days left to complete the investigation phase.
Days Four through Five
Instructional Tip: Motivate the investigation team to use their time efficiently. Reprimand
investigators who wander off task. Keep the team motivated so they can complete the
investigation phase within two more class days.
16. See steps 13-15.
Day Six
17. Make this day a celebration to recognize the importance of the group completing its
investigation. Mark their evidence notebooks with a special sticker (a badge or a star) to
recognize the completion of the investigatory phase.
18. Indicate that the most important aspect of the investigation has begun, the preparation of the
investigator’s report. A properly prepared report makes the case.
19. Ask BSIs to review their notes. If possible, distribute highlighters so important data can be
marked. Remind BSIs to look for information that supports recognizing their lead suspect as
a remarkable person or hero.
20. Distribute copies of an organizer to use to prepare the investigator’s report. (See Attachment
F, Investigator’s Report Graphic Organizer). Review each section.
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six

Take time to find an interesting fact to open the report. This attention-getting device
serves to draw readers into your report. Add the customary biographical information to
this opening paragraph (¶).
 Name at least four major points that serve to prove your case. (Distribute additional
organizers for those who need them.)
 Under each point, list the evidence from the notebook that supports it.
 Consider how to powerfully conclude, making the best statements of your case that the
individual is indeed a remarkable person.
21. Allow time for students to complete the graphic organizers. Students submit their organizers
as an “exit pass” to leave class.
Day Seven
21. Return the graphic organizers to students so they may complete rough drafts of their
investigation reports.
22. Remind them that each section of the organizer corresponds to a section of the final paper.
Each section must be at least one paragraph long. Caution BSIs to use their own words. If the
informant’s words are best, they must use quotation marks to indicate the words are not their
own. Within the sentence, state the source of the information.
For example:
Helen Keller, with all her limitations, wrote in her autobiography, “Life is either a daring
adventure or nothing.”
23. Call each BSI, in turn, to confer with the Chief Investigator. Read through each draft and
provide direction or help as needed.
24. Aim to complete the drafts during a single day, keeping the BSI staff on task. Students who
do not finish a draft in class must finish it for class tomorrow.
Day Eight
25. Require students to have evidence notebooks and a rough draft of the investigation report to
enter class today.
26. Focus on the issue of reliable informants, asking students to take out their copies of
Attachment E, Reliable Informants.
27. Explain that arranging information in a standard form allows all individuals reading the
report to understand it. Distribute Attachment G, MLA Documentation Form.
28. Clarify that the Modern Language Association designed this form for use in the humanities.
Most English classes use this style.
29. Review the placement of the Reliable Informant information in the bibliography.
30. Require each BSI to prepare a draft of the Works Cited page somewhere in the evidence
notebook. Circulate among the students to verify their understanding and clear up any
confusion or misconceptions.
31. Assign completion of the full report (Post-Assessment) to be due within a week. All
remaining preparation time takes place outside of class. Allow students to add photographs
and illustrations to their reports whenever possible. Remind them to be prepared to share
their information with the class.
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
Day Nine through Ten (Begin on the Due Date)
32. For this final phase of the simulation, each investigator answers questions posed by the press
(the rest of the class). Establish an interview order ahead of time, so little time is wasted
moving from one BSI to the next.
33. Prepare index cards with questions from Attachment C, BSI Card, on them. Write one
question on each card. Distribute these questions to members of the class.
34. Each BSI moves to the front of the room, announces the lead suspect and opens the floor to
questions.
35. Move from questioner to questioner in a regular fashion until a reasonable number of
questions have been satisfactorily answered. Assign a student to collect and shuffle the
question cards and redistribute them as the next BSI heads to the front to present. Continue in
this fashion until all BSIs have had the chance to face questioning on their cases.
Instructional Materials:
For the teacher:
Library media center access, index cards, self-adhesive flags
For the students: Library media center access, steno notebook or folder
Differentiated Instructional Support:
Instruction is differentiated according to learner needs, to help all learners either meet the intent
of the specified indicator(s) or, if the indicator is already met, to advance beyond the specified
indicator(s).
 Each child chooses a lead suspect according to personal interest.
 Students select their own research materials.
 Students can get as much help as necessary from peers, the instructor and library media
center staff.
 Students read their materials at their own rate.
 Students work in a variety of grouping situations to complete the project.
Extensions:
 Create a panel of famous people by category (e.g., authors, artists, adventurers, etc.) Use the
question cards so students in the class can interview the group. Require each panel member
to wear a hat or a wig to represent the famous person. Keep panel size to no more than five
members and limit the time for the panel. The panel then changes to another category of
famous people.
 Take students to an inventor’s hall of fame.
 Students write a thank you note to the famous person they admire the most for their
accomplishments and effect on society.
 Interested student pairs compare their lead suspects using a Venn diagram.
 Students write a reflective paper describing the impact of being a member of BSI has had.
Home Connections:
 Students ask their families to help them understand the effect their famous person has had on
society.
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six

Students use the Internet, encyclopedia or other resource books to provide multiple sources
for comparison information.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
Content Area: Social Studies
Standard: History
Benchmark: A. Interpret relationships between events shown on multiple-tier time lines.
Indicator: 1. Construct a multiple-tier time line from a list of events and interpret the
relationships between the events.
Require student pairs whose lead suspects are contemporaries to construct a multiple-tier time
line representing both individuals’ lives. Students report orally to class the relationships they see
between the events and the individuals.
Vocabulary:
 documentation
 evidence
 plagiarism
 reliable informant
 research
 works cited
Technology Connections:
 Students research their suspects using the Internet or CD-ROM encyclopedias.
 Students word process the rough draft and then the final copy.
 Students may choose to prepare PowerPoint™ presentations to support their press conference
appearances.
Research Connections:
"BSCS Science: An Inquiry Approach." BSCS Biological Sciences Curriculum Study. 23 Dec.
2003 <http://63.225.114.218/bscsdotorg/curriculum/InquiryFAQs.htm>
The BSCS instructional model is characterized by the 5 E’s: engage, explore, explain, elaborate,
and evaluate. Each E represents part of the process of helping students sequence their learning
experiences to construct their understanding of concepts.
1. Students are engaged by an event or question related to the concept that the teacher plans to
introduce
2. The students participate in one or more activities to explore the concept. This exploration
provides students with a common set of experiences from which they can initiate the
development of their understanding.
3. Students construct their own understanding and the teacher clarifies the concept.
4. The students elaborate and build on their understanding of the concept by applying it to new
situations.
The student’s complete activities that will help them and the teacher evaluate their understanding
of the concept. This 5-E model is based on a constructivist philosophy of learning
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
Cawletti, Gordon. Handbook of Research on Improving Student Achievement. Arlington,
VA: Educational Research Service, 1999
RESEARCH-BASED BEST PRACTICES
 Incorporate direct reaching and exhibits key features and systematic steps.
 Utilize advance organizers that show students’ relationships between past learning and
present learning.
 Teach students multiple learning strategies that promote met cognition by providing
modeled, guided practice and application.
 Utilize mastery learning techniques for teaching subject matter.
 Incorporate cooperative learning.
LANGUAGE ARTS (Squire 1995)
 Incorporate extensive reading of varied kinds of material.
 Foster interactive learning.
 Extend students’ background knowledge.
 Utilizing meaning-making skills and strategies such as summarizing, questioning and
interpreting.
 Organize instruction into broad, thematically based clusters of work.
 Teach critical reading/writing skills.
 Emphasize discussion and analysis.
 Provide balanced attention to different forms of reading, writing, and speaking.
 Provide early intervention.
 Expose students to varied kinds of literature.
 Provide assessment that reflects the content and process of instruction.
Attachments:
Attachment A, Biographical Scene Investigator Application
Attachment B, Research Paper Rubric
Attachment C, Biographical Scene Investigator Card
Attachment D, List of Possible Suspects
Attachment E, Reliable Informants
Attachment F, Investigator’s Report Graphic Organizer
Attachment G, MLA Documentation Style
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
Attachment A
Biographical Scene Investigator Application
Name
Grade______
Years experience______________________________________________________
Most valuable location in school for investigation______________________________
Justification:____________________________________________________________
Reliable informants: (sources for bibliographical information) MUST NAME AT LEAST 3!
1.____________________________________________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________________
What does it mean to be charged with the crime of plagiarism?_____________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
What are the potential penalties? ___________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
How does one avoid plagiarism? ___________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
Attachment B
Research Paper Rubric
Negative
Dull opening
Paragraphs provide little information
Uses unreliable or unstated sources
Weak transitions from
paragraph to paragraph
Poor, unconvincing case presentation
Weak conclusion
Limited works cited or incorrectly cited
Sloppy or meager evidence
Poorly prepared to face press
Ineffective or weak overall presentation
Point Value
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
Positive
Attention-getting, compelling opening
Paragraphs provide rich, interesting details
Names reliable sources within text
Effectively transitions from one paragraph
to the next
Persuasive case made for lead suspect
Strong convincing conclusion
Cites all sources in proper form
Well-organized and complete
evidence notebook
Prepared and confident in addressing press
Effective overall presentation
Chief investigator comments:
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
Attachment C
BSI (Biographical Scene Investigator) Card
BSI (Name)____________________________ is a
member in good standing of the Biographical Scene
Investigators Team.
The BSI Team regards these pieces of evidence as
most important in investigation:
Beliefs
Influences
Observations of Investigator
Genealogy
Remarkable?
Admirable?
Pivotal Moments
Hero?
Years lived
Instructional Tip:
This membership card serves as a guide to student investigation. See fuller explanations of the
categories below:
 Beliefs—Did this person have a set of beliefs that governed his or her life? What are they?
How did they influence his/her decisions?
 Influences—Whom did this person admire? Did he or she have an older person or mentor
who provided direct assistance in life, or did he/she pattern his/her life after someone they
actually did not know
 Observations of Investigator—What qualities distinguish this person? Did these traits cause
difficulty or did they benefit the individual? Why? Did the person make any particularly
good or bad decisions? How so? What do you think was their effect?
 Genealogy—Who are this person’s parents? Grandparents? Spouse? Children? How did
these persons influence the person’s life?
 Remarkable?—In what ways was his/her life remarkable? Explain.
 Admirable?—In what ways was his/her life admirable? Explain.
 Pivotal moments— What pivotal moments occurred in his/her life? What events led to
significant change, positive or negative, for the individual?
 Hero?—What does it mean to be a hero? Do you regard this person as a hero? Why or why
not?
 Years lived—During what years did this person live? What events were happening in the
world at this time? How did they impact his/her life
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
Attachment D
List of Possible Suspects
I.
Isaac Newton
Aristotle
Archimedes
Neil Armstrong
Galileo Galileo
Jupiter
Harrison Schmitt
Nicholas Copernicus
Isaac Asimov
Edmund Halley
Edmund Hubble
Louis Agassi
Yuri Gagarin
Louis Abazziz
II. Mathematicians
Leonardo Fibonacci
Plato
Euclid
Pythagoras
Pascal Fermats
Rene Descartes
III. Matter/chemistry
Marie Curie
Alfred Nobel
IV. Politicians
Alexander Hamilton
Richard Nixon
Abraham Lincoln
John F. Kennedy
Patrick Henry
Sam Adams
George Washington
Sam Houston
V. Businessmen
John Hancock
Jefferson Davis
John Brown
Theodore Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Herbert Hoover
Harry Truman
Ronald Reagan
Daniel Inouye
Thurgood Marshall
VI. Industrialists/Businessmen
Andrew Carnegie
John D. Rockefeller
Henry Ford
Samuel Gompers
Allan Pinkerton
VII. Adventurers/Explorers
Sacajawea
Pocahontas
Davey Crockett
Daniel Boone
Lewis and Clark
Kit Carson
Buffalo Bill Cody
John Glenn
Charles Lindberg
Amelia Earhart
VIII. Inventors
James Watt
Louis Braille
Alexander Graham Bell
George Washington Carver
Thomas Edison
Benjamin Franklin
Orville & Wilbur Wright
Robert Morse
Robert Fluton
Eli Whitney
Cyrus McCormack
IX. Artists
Rachel Carson
Henry David Thoreau
Mark Twain
Matthew Brady
Langston Hughes
Stephen Foster
Frederick Remington
George Gershwin
Carl Sandberg
Louisa May Alcott
Michaelangelo
Maya Angelou
Emily Dickson
Picasso
Vincent Van Gogh
Leonard daVinci
X. Sports
Mickey Mantle
Bill Shoemaker
Lou Gehrig
A.J. Foyt
Chris Evert Lloyd
Jim Thorpe
Jesse Owens
Jackie Robinson
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Hank Aaron
Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul
Jabbar)
Wilma Rudolph
Cassisus Clay (Muhammad Ali)
Roberto Clemente
Babe Ruth
Josh Gibson
XI. Famous Personalities
Frank Sinatra
Bob Hope
Walt Disney
Elvis Presley
Walter Cronkite
Barnum and Bailey
Diana Ross
Will Rogers
Louis Armstrong
Mahalia Jackson
Harry Houdini
Judy Garland
XII. Medical Personalities
Dr. Sara Baker
Edward Jenner
Louis Pasteur
Hippocrates
Charles Darwin
Daniel Hale Williams
Elizabeth Blackwell
Anton Van Leevwenhoek
William Devrles
Galen
Ambroies Pare
Harvey Cushing
Dr. William Halsted
Dr. Jonas Salk
Dr. Louis Sabin
William Harvey
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
Attachment D (Continued)
List of Possible Suspects
Joseph Lister
Sanctorius (Rene Laennec)
William & Charles Mayo
XIII. Scientists/
Environmentalists
George Washington Carver
Albert Einstein
John D. Rockefeller
Michail Faraday and
Joseph Henry
Thomas A. Edison
Benjamin Franklin
Charles Steinmetz
XIV Social Reformers
Anne Sullivan
Nellie Bly
Horrace Mann
Harriet Truman
Martin Luther King Jr.
Frederick Douglass
Eleanor Roosevelt
Florence Nightingale
John James Audubon
Thurgood Marshall
Clarence Mathews
Nelson Mandela
XV. Legends
Paul Revere
Johnny Appleseed
Paul Bunyan
Pecos Bill
XVI. Famous Women
Helen Keller
Margaret Bourke White
Dolly Madison
Betsy Ross
Shirley Chisolm
Susan B. Anthony
Golda Meir
Rosa Parks
Margaret Thatcher
Mary MacLeod Bethune
Anne Frank
XVII. Military Leaders
Yitzak Rabin
John Paul Jones
Benedict Arnold
Ulysses S. Grant
Robert E. Lee
Pontiac
Sitting Bull
George Patton
Douglas MacArthur
Dwight Eisenhower
John J. Pershing
Stonewall Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Francis Marion
Colin Powell
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
Attachment E
Reliable Informants
BSI: Maintain complete records on each of your sources. See the lists below for specifics needed
on each informant.
Informant
Book
Internet
source
Magazine
Encyclopedia
Verification Information Required
Title
Author
Publication city
Publisher
Year of publication
*Pages on which information appears
Title of page
Author (if available)
Title of site (like Biography.com)
Complete URL (Internet address)
Date of contact
Title of article
Author of article
Title of magazine
Issue date
Pages on which article appears
Name of encyclopedia
Title of article
Author of article
Edition year
* required to accompany specific details
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
Attachment F
Investigator’s Report
Graphic Organizer
1st main idea
Supporting Evidence
Introductory ¶: Start off with a BANG! Choose attention-getting information about your
suspect to introduce him/her to your readers. Then provide the basic background information
everyone expects to learn in a biography.
2nd main idea
3rd main idea
4th main idea
Supporting Evidence
Supporting Evidence
Supporting Evidence
Conclusion: What evidence proves your case? Why must any intelligent person
conclude that your suspect is indeed a hero, or a remarkable individual?
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BSI: Biographical Scene Investigators – Grade Six
Attachment G
MLA Documentation Style
Book:
Hiram, Joseph. Biography of Swing. New
York: Simon and Schuster, 1965.
Internet source:
Valdez, Juan. “The Real Mr. Coffee.”
Biographies for Kids. 13 May 2005.
<www.biography.com/valdez/coffe
e.html>
Magazine:
Walker, Susan. “The Underground
Railroad.” Atlantic Monthly.
September 2004: 31-36.
Encyclopedia:
Kessler, Robert. “Harriet Tubman.”
Encyclopedia Brittanica, 2001 ed.
Notice last name first.
Underline Titles and use title style capitalization (all
words capitalized except a, an, the and
prepositions.)
Periods after each section except the publisher.
Colon separate the city from the publisher.
*Notice how second and third lines use a “hanging
indent.
Place the “Article Title” in quotation marks.
Underline The Page Or Site Title .
Include the date you consulted the site.
Place the complete URL inside < >.
Author first. “Title” of article in quotation marks.
Magazine Title underlined.
Give month and year: page numbers.
If an author’s name appears at the end of the article,
use it first. Otherwise, begin with the “Name of the
Article.”
Add the Name Of The Encyclopedia, then the year
of the edition (ed.).
Add CD-ROM after the name of the encyclopedia if
that format was used.
Arrange the list of sources alphabetically at the end of the work under the title, Works Cited.
Use the first word in the entry to alphabetize it.
If the list above were arranged as a Works Cited list, it would appear as follows:
Works Cited
Hiram, Joseph. Biography of Swing. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1965.
Kessler, Robert. “Harriet Tubman.” Encyclopedia Brittanica, 2001 ed.
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