English II
Student Instructions
Introduction to Citations (updated 5-2022)
Information literacy topics:
- Organizing source citations
- References
- Using technology tools
Objective: To understand and define the concept of a research “citation”, and to use a web citation generator (NoodleTools) to create citations in MLA style.
1: Find the activities for this class, at:
Google Search→Amity Library
(tab) Find Online Stuff→By Subject→English
(tab) Classes→W. Rocco
Understanding and Creating Citations
2. Discussion: What is a citation?
3. Discussion: What kind of information goes into a citation?
Choice: Watch “NoodleTools Tutorial Introduction” (Start at 00:41 sec) to OR this can be discussed as a class.
The video discusses:
- Definition of a citation
- Important information in a citation
- author
- title
- place it can be found (database, book collection, etc.)
- publisher
- city of publication
- date of publication
- medium (type of publication), like Print, Web, File, Film, CD-ROM, DVD, etc.
- date you found it (electronic resources)
- web address (URL) or permanent web identifier (d.o.i.)
Note: the medium (type) of publication may be: Print, Web, File, Film, CD-ROM, DVD, etc. and more, depending on the kind of information
- Reasons for citing sources
- Best software for citations
4. Discussion: Analyze sample citation to see which elements it includes.
What kind of source is it?
Identify each information element of the citation.
Lester, Julius. "Morality and Adventures of 'Huckleberry Finn.'" Mark Twain
Journal, vol. 22, no. 2, fall 1984, pp. 43-46. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/
stable/41641252. Accessed 22 May 2022.
5. Practice: Citing a book
6. A few tips and tricks:
English II AND AP Capstone
Introduction to Online Sources (updated 9-2021)
Information literacy topics covered
- Determining the best sources
- Searching strategies for information
- Evaluating sources
- Using technology tools
During class:
1. Objective: To distinguish between different types of databases and periodicals available online for science research, to judge the reliability of online sources, and to develop and practice searching strategies, such as the use of limiters, for relevant information.
Learning Expectations: Academic-Problem-solving: “Students will use appropriate tools strategically to solve problems.”
2. Presentation/Discussion: Types of periodicals:
Look at the Lesson Plan to review the details of what we discussed, and Learn about the criteria that defines each type.
Question: What is a periodical?
What are the different types of periodicals?
- ?
- ?
- ?
- ?
-Scholarly and Research Journals
Question: Explain one or two characteristics of scholarly/academic and research journals.
-Professional, Trade and Industry
Question: Explain one or two characteristics of trade and industry publications.
-News or Commentary
Question: Explain one or two characteristics of news or commentary publications.
-Popular magazines
Question: Explain one or two characteristics of popular publications.
3. What are the different types of online databases sources available? (notes are included at end of instructions for reference):
3.A. School Product Database Sites (paid subscription $$$):
Examples:
- ABC Clio World History: Issues
- SIRS
3.B. Specialized Academic Databases (usually paid subscription $$$):
Examples:
- PsycNet (psychology, and related fields, not through Amity)
- EBSCO’s ERIC (Education)
3.C. Multi-disciplinary Academic Databases (paid subscription $$$):
- Academic Search Complete (available Amity)
- Jstor (available through Amity)
3.D. Database “Aggregators” (sometimes includes book catalogue) .
Offer searching of all or most databases from a single search box.
Example:
- Typical University Library Aggregator
- ResearchIT CT (iConn) (EBSCO database search tool)
3.E. Free Web Sites
Example:
- University of Virginia Library’s Mark Twain and his Times
4.a. School Product Database Site:
4.b.
SIRS, school educational product, with mix of magazines/news/encyclopedic entries, with some advanced functions.
Search SIRS to find a relevant article that addresses your topic.
- Use tools to search for topic, play around for a few minutes.
- Take note of your surroundings:
- Look for shortcuts or use Advanced Search
- Follow subject leads
- Refine results
- Save results
- Choose an article, skim it.
- Post citation information and “Tweet”-summary of what it is about (one long sentence, max) in this Google doc.
- Prepare to share one observation that you came up with about how searching works.
4.c. Discuss
5.a. Multi-disciplinary Academic Database:
EBSCO’s Academic Search Complete: Information from many different fields, with a mix of periodicals, and lots of peer-review journals, and a college-level search functions.
Use the same strategies, but it is more powerful, gives more options, less “teaching”
5.b. Search
EBSCO’s Academic Search Complete, and find a relevant article that addresses their topic.
- Use tools to search for topic, play around for a few minutes.
- Take note of your surroundings:
- Look for shortcuts or use Advanced Search
- Limit to Full Text if you are not desperate.
- Refine results with limiters for KIND of material.
- ALWAYS follow subject leads.
- Save results.
- Choose an article, skim it.
- Post citation information and “Tweet”-summary of what it is about (one long sentence, max) in this Google doc.
- Prepare to share one observation that you came up with about how searching works.
5.c. Discuss
6.a. Free web source
University of Virginia Library’s Mark Twain and his Times, a university project that archives material about Samuel Clemens.
- Created by Professor Stephen Railton
- Organization is very quirky.
- Click through by trial and error to find the best way to search.
- You just have to look through EVERYTHING systematically, and save what is relevant.
6.b. Search
University of Virginia: Library Mark Twain and his Times: and find a relevant article that addresses their topic.
- Browse the site.
- Identify some information.
- Choose an article, skim it.
- Post citation information and “Tweet”-summary of what it is about (one long sentence, max) in this Google doc.
- Prepare to share one observation that you came up with about how searching works.
6.c. Discuss
Additional Tips:
- Get a library card so you can use all ResearchIT CT at home.
- Practice searching from our web page:
- SIRS
- ResearchIT CT for High Schools/ (all the databases for journals)
- Jstor
- You are MORE likely to find something useful for school FASTER from a paid database than from a web search.
- Everything that ISN’T useful has NOT been included.
- Everything you find in a full-text search is really available, as opposed to just being a summary (abstract).
- You can avoid “pseudo-authoritative” sources written by people who confuse opinion with science, and beliefs with objective facts.
Citation and Reference Information
How do you cite the article in the body of your paper? In general, MLA format, used most often in English and the humanities, follows an author and page number structure. This means that whenever you include an idea or quotation from a research source into your paper, you write the that the author’s name, and the page number the information came from. The exact rules for doing this depend on what kind of source it is (print, web, conversation, etc.), and whether or not there actually is an “author”, or even a page number.
Your “Works Cited” page, also known as a reference page or bibliography, will appear at the end of your paper, and must include an entry for every source cited in the body of the text. The rules for creating references also depend on the kind of source, and all references are arranged by author in alphabetical order. Special rules apply when there is no author, or more than one work by an author (see the style guide at the Purdue OWL site).
You will need to follow the instructions and examples from a reliable source, like the writing experts at Purdue University’s MLA style pages.
Additional Open Web Resources:
This is a teacher’s approach to addressing Huckleberry Finn. Some good links to primary sources
PBS: Huck finn in Context: A Teaching Guide, from PBS
This is a unit plan on how to teach Huck Finn. It discusses the issues from the teacher’s point of view.
William Rocco
English II
Huck Finn: Developing an Annotated Bibliography (updated 4-2019)
Information literacy topics:
-Determining best sources
-Communicating new knowledge
-Creating/Writing a research-based product
-Using technology tools to create a citation.
1. Objective:
To understand what an annotated bibliography is and to produce an annotated bibliography of relevant resources found.
Discussion: Creating an Annotated Bibliography
What is an annotated bibliography?
Look at this sample from OWL Purdue.
The annotations included with each source generally follow this format:
-Summary:
A summary includes an overview explaining what it is about.
-Assessment:
An assessment should be your judgement on the reliability of the source’s author/organization (credentials, expertise, trustworthy, etc.).
-Reflection:
A reflection should discuss in what way is the source relevant and how the source can be used to cite evidence that supports your claim.
There are 2 ways to create an annotated bibliography in Noodletools.
-After you have entered the necessary information to create a citation, click save & add annotation.
OR
-Insert your annotation under the dropdown on the right under “Options” and select “Edit annotation.”
2. Sample:
Based on the article titled: "The Los Angeles Riots Revisited: The Changing Face of the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Challenge for Educators" here is a sample annotation, addressing the required criteria.
Dr. Donna M. Davis, a Professor in the School of Education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, has over 30 years experience in education. She taught high school English for 10 years before earning her doctorate at the University of Kansas. Dr. Davis teaches courses in the history and philosophy of education at UMKC and has been published in numerous scholarly journals in the areas of urban education, multicultural education, philosophy of education, history of education, arts education, and social justice. The portion of the article pertinent to my research is how there was a significant decrease in African American students enrolled in the Los Angeles school district following the Rodney King riots. This article questions whether schools could serve a larger role in preventing incidents like the Rodney King riots from occurring again. It brings up the idea that educational institutions could help develop positive relationships/interactions for students of diverse backgrounds, which ties into my research regarding how schools can address these challenges.
