Thinking about Structure & MLA

Thinking about Structure & MLA Unit 2 Revisions: 3.27.2013 ENGL 118 Kingsley

Outlining from your draft • Take out separate sheet of paper • Write your issue at the topic • Write your thesis about your review of the issue underneath • Write out a brief description of the function of each paragraph • ISSUE • THESIS • POINT 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • Etc.

Making Connections Across Ideas • On the back of that same sheet • How does one source relate to the next? • How do they relate to each other?

Incorporating those connections/differences • Option 1: inside the discussion of the source… • As you are giving a summary and synopsis of the source, you can include discussion of how it relates (similarities or differences) to the other sources. • EXAMPLE: “While Smith agrees with the first source that suggests DOMA is a state issue, Smith also believes that the state cannot restrict the civil rights of one particular class or group of people” • Option 2: after you introduce each source… • After you are done introducing each source, you can make a couple points of comparison or contrast to synthesize the discussion. You can write the points you are making as topic sentences. • EXAMLE: “In each of these sources, the question of who defines marriage is under debate. None of the sources agree, however, on who holds that responsibility for defining the act.”

Quick Draft Review • As you are reading: • Mark the thesis • Mark each topic sentence ****If you can’t find or mark the topic sentence, tell the write (in the margins) that it is unclear. Give feedback: • Does the intro clearly set up the issue? Is the issue specific? Do we get a sense of the range of voices that are going to be discussed? • Is each source clearly set up and discussed? Is the summary of the source clear and specific? If not, mark those spots that need more detail, clarity, development. • Are there some connections made between the different sources?

MLA: IN TEXT • In text citations • Why cite? • When do you cite?

MLA: IN TEXT • How do you cite? • (1) After you introduce a direct quote: • A recent article in the Huffington post shows how politicians are promoting the replacement of printed textbooks with tablets. It discusses how how Mayoral candidate Christine Quinn said “the $100 million spent on textbooks every year by the school system would be enough to buy tablets for every student”(Durkin). This figure demonstrates that while the cost of a tablet is an issue, textbooks costs money, too.

MLA In Text • Now, if I already introduced the author--and it is clear what article I am talking about--I can get rid of the author’s name. • Erin Durkin’s recent article in the Huffington post shows how politicians are promoting the replacement of printed textbooks with tablets. She discusses how how Mayoral candidate Christine Quinn said “the $100 million spent on textbooks every year by the school system would be enough to buy tablets for every student”. This figure demonstrates that while the cost of a tablet is an issue, textbooks costs money, too.

MLA IN TEXT • Other website in text citations: • Article on website where author is unknown • “……”(“First Part of Website Name”)

MLA In Text • Article with Page Numbers • Author not named in signal phrase…“….”(Rock 2). • If signal phrase names author…Rock states, “…”(2).

MLA In Text • Need to cite paraphrases of information and statistics • (PARAPHRASE) Rock continues to debunk that technology is costly by actually showing that the tablets will save money in schools by turning to statistics produced by the FCC (3). • (DIRECT QUOTE) She writes, “the future savings would result in saving $60 per student, which considering there are more than 49 million students in public schools equates to nearly $3 billion in savings…”(4).

NOTICE ACTIVE VERBS • Rock expands • Rock suggests • Rock argues • Rock exemplifies • Rock promotes • Rock resists • …contradicts • …proposes • …illuminates • …contrasts • http://prtl.uhcl.edu/portal/page/portal/WC/Files/Tipsheet%20Using%20Strong%20Verbs%20-%20A • http://swandawritingresources.wikispaces.com/Strong+Verbs+to+Persuade • Google: “Strong Verbs Berkeley” (andyouwill get a good list of verbs on a MSWORD document thatyoucan download)

PRACTICE & REVISE: • Look at your paper’s first two paragraphs. • Are there moments when you have directly quoted from a source? Have you cited the in text citation correctly? • Are there moments where you have drawn ideas from other sources? Where? Are they cited? • While you’re at it…try revising a verb or two to make it more specific.

WORKS CITED PAGE • A “Works Cited” page is a list of the sources that you have used in the paper. It is arranged and written in a format that makes it easy to find your sources. • List of sources in alphabetical order & in MLA format • Example of article in an online newspaper: • Durkin, Erin. “Mayoral hopeful Christine Quinn proposes tablet computers for every New York City school kid”. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/tablet-kid-quinn-article-1.1240788. New York Daily News. 13 Jan. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.

MLA LINKS • http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/RES5e_ch08_s1-0001.html • http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/ • http://www.csus.edu/owl/index/mla/mla_format.htm • http://www.easybib.com/?utm_expid=367431-0&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.easybib.com%2F

Due Next Week • Unit 2 Portfolio—PUT IN FOLDER (flat folder, not binder) • Final • Draft from tonight • Draft from March 13 • Peer Review Received (March 13) • Peer Review Completed (March 13) • Initial Research Write Up (Print New Copy) • Anything else you want to include

Thinking about Structure & MLA