Writing for College and Career
Database Searching and Producing an Annotated Bibliography (updated 12-2021)
Information literacy topics:
-Determining best sources
-Searching strategies for information
-Communicating new knowledge
-Creating/Writing a research-based product
-Using technology tools
Find the activities for this class, at:
Amity website→High School→AHS Library Information Center
Find Online Stuff→By Subject→English→Class Projects→Lyons→Database Searching and Producing an Annotated Bibliography
1. Objective:
To develop database searching techniques for investigating topics from multiple disciplines; To produce an annotated bibliography of relevant resources found.
2. Good research means using a wide range of sources. What does that mean?
3. Where do you begin researching?
4. Suggested sources for this assignment:
- How do you search for information in books?
-Visit Amity Library →Go to Online Stuff→By Database Name
The database list is in alphabetical order. Recommended databases for this project are:
How to navigate a database:
Main points:
- Take note of your surroundings: Look at pictures, headings, etc. Decide on a starting point for the search.
- Search box:
- Subject headings or Keyword?... what’s the difference?)
- Notice what appears when you type KEYWORD “flag burning”, look at 762+ results.
Notice the number of hits for each Source Type
- Too many results? Results not really relevant? Add more words to narrow down: amendment? 162 results
- Too few results? Remove words to broaden your search.
- Save good candidates to look at later.
- Link to Google to save searches and results.
- Use more advanced techniques:
- Try with synonyms or related words
- Use commands (“operators”) to narrow down (and (to get both terms), or (for one OR the other), not (to filter out the word), apostrophes around several words like “flag burning” to get the exact phrase, maybe with more terms, like “election”:
- Shortcuts: Look for shortcuts, like “Leading Issues”, and then “All Leading Issues”, and choosing to view the “A - Z”.
- Use Advanced Search for more power
- Start simple. You can always add more words to narrow down.
- Use checkbox ¨limiters” to LIMIT your search by:
Source types: Newspapers? Magazines? Reference? etc.
and whatever else is offered
- When you identify a good source/article:
- Follow up on subject leads that appear in relevant articles as “Related Subjects” (how about “Elections, Corrupt Practices” and “Election Law”?)
- Refine results, limit to sources, dates, formats you want.
- Save your chosen results to avoid losing stuff (use personal lists, email, Save to Google Drive, notes/citation tools, etc.).
- Save your articles so you can create your citation in Noodletools.
Main points:
- Take note of your surroundings: Look at main menus, search options, etc...
- Decide on a starting point for search.
- Search box:
- Always give yourself more “Search Options”: Boolean? All? Any? ???
- Always limit to full-text.
- Notice what appears when you start to type “amendment flag burning”. How many results do you get? (2,197)
- Notice the number of hits for each Source Type: Academic Journals, Book Reviews, Magazines, Newspapers, etc..
- Notice other “limiters” in the left sidebar. Which are useful for our search? Limit by Academic Journals (1,009)
- Use Advanced search for more power
- Start simple. You can always add more words to narrow down.
- Consider what you are searching for: Subject? Word in text?
- Use checkbox ¨limiters¨to LIMIT your search by:
- Full-text.
- “Search modes” like: Boolean? All? Any?
and whatever else is offered
- Too many results and not really relevant? Add more words to narrow down.
- Too few results? Broaden your search with fewer words.
- Save good candidates to look at later.
- Use more advanced techniques:
- Try with synonyms or related words (race, racist, or slave, slavery, etc.)
- Use commands (“operators”) to narrow down: AND (to get both terms), OR (for one OR the other), NOT (to filter out the word), apostrophes around words
- When you identify a good source/article:
- Save your chosen results to avoid losing stuff--add to Google Drive.
- The first click is very important as it contains all of the necessary information for you to create your citation in Noodletools.
5. Discussion: Producing an Annotated Bibliography
What is an annotated bibliography? Watch video.
An annotated bibliography is a list of sources, arranged like a works cited/bibliography, in which each source has explanatory text after it. Look at this sample from OWL Purdue.
The annotations included with each source will 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 thesis.
6. Sample:
Using the article titled: "Male Engagement in Deconstructing Institutional Violence in Kenya", here’s a sample annotation article from citation for a research paper about power.
Phil Erick Otieno, who attended the University of Nairobi, is Executive Director of a non-profit organization in Kenya, though it is impossible to verify his credentials, so we rely on the journal having vetting him. The IDS Bulletin presents itself as a peer-reviewed journal, though it is not listed as such in Ulrich Web, a subscription service that vets academic journals. The publisher, the Institute of Development Studies, is based at the University of Sussex, which helps lends it academic weight. The article discusses how male privilege exists in most societies, noting that the power associated with it is encouraged and rewarded by society. The author concludes that violence is a means of maintaining the power that men enjoy. This article is pertinent to my research as it demonstrates an understanding of power as a tool to attain and maintain privilege can be related to (the book’s) depiction of power, especially in the way that the (character)...
7. Student Practice
Let’s read the article titled “Wildfires” and create a citation and annotation together using Noodletools.
Sample answer:
Wildfires are increasing in the United States and this can be largely attributed to climate change due to record high temperatures and extreme droughts. Wildfires cause air quality issues due to smoke, which can lead to medical problems. This article was posted on the CDC website, which is the National Center for Environmental Health, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is a federal government agency. According to the website the National Center for Environmental Health’s objective is to “protech the American people from environmental hazards” and “we are committed to safeguarding the health of vulnerable populations...from certain hazards”, which demonstrates evidence that this is a credible source as its main purpose is educational. As this source is quite short, it will only be utilized to provide a brief overview of basic facts of causes and effects of wildfires.
English I
Embedding/Blending Quotations and MLA Citations (updated for short class, 20-21)
Information Literacy Topics:
- Creating/Writing a research-based product
- In-text citations
- Using technology tools
Objective: To understand how to effectively embed/blend quotations into writing in order to cite evidence (direct quotes) using MLA citation style.
Learning Expectations:
- Academic-Writing: “Students will produce and distribute a variety of writing designed to entertain, inform, or argue, as well build and present knowledge derived from research.“
- Civic: “Students will exhibit personal integrity and ethical decision-making.”
1. Go to Nearpod.com. Join class with class code, under “Students.”
2. Enter your first and last name click “Join session.”
3. Follow the slideshow
4. Why use quotations?
Your goal when you analyze literature:
- Develop an argument.
- Use quotations.
- Choose and discuss material from the text.
- Don’t over-quote.
5. Using quotations to support an argument
Which argument is supported by this quotation?
“Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren’t so different. We saw the same sunset” (Hinton 41).
Consider this method of literary analysis.
- Focus your reading on the main points about the characters, or their world.
- Copy down quotes that seem particularly important.
- Draw conclusions about what those quotes show.
- State your conclusions, using relevant quotations for support.
- Develop your arguments in detail, with examples.
6. Embedding/Blending Quotations
Always EMBED/BLEND quotations into your text.
NEVER just “plop” a quotation in your writing!
In other words, don’t let a quotation stand alone as its own sentence (unless it’s multiple sentences long).
Don’t OVERquote.Too many quotations in the writing is not “good” writing either. The bulk of your essay should be YOUR WORDS.
Blend your quote using SIGNAL WORDS:
A clause or phrase to introduce a quote, paraphrase, or summary.
Signal words
|
acknowledge |
comment |
endorse |
reason |
add |
compare |
|
grant |
refute |
admit |
imply |
reject |
agree |
|
contend |
insist |
report |
argue |
declare |
illustrate |
|
respond |
assert |
deny |
note |
suggest |
believe |
|
dispute |
claim |
emphasize |
write |
think |
observe |
7. MLA Format
What is a “citation style?”
“Citation styles...”
- Are rules written by academic organizations (APA/MLA/Chicago).
- Describe exactly how to show where information came from.
- Use “In-text” citations (APA and MLA), OR
- Use “footnotes” (Chigaco).
- Are also rules for formatting font, spacing, titles, page numbers, graphs, tables, etc., etc., etc.
Basic rules for formatting an MLA paper
- 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font
- Double-spaced.
- Last name and page number, upper RIGHT-hand each page.
- Top left side of page:
- Name
- Teacher’s Name
- Course Title (period, or other info: ask your teacher)
- Date: 26 October 2020 (no commas)
- Title of essay/paper--do not put in bold or italics (unless the title of a book is in the title of your essay/paper)
Make your own copy of the MLA template.
8. Homework:
Complete this assignment in your Google Classroom.
Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, gives a vivid description of Boo Radley’s brother, Mr. Radley, who came back to take care of the house and his brother.
Your job is to make a point about what the author is illustrating about this character with the words she writes, and to use a quote to support that point. You will write a single sentence.
Here are some hints about how to do this.
- Decide what the author wants to show, and state it.
- Choose the most relevant part of the excerpt below to quote.
- Write a single sentence that smoothly blends the part of the quote you want to use with the point you want to mak
- Use one of the SIGNAL WORDS (see list).
- Use quotation marks, and/or ellipses (the 2 dots) if you cut off part of a quoted sentence.
- Include the author and page citation either at the end of the sentence, or just the page number if you use the author’s name (Lee) as part of your statement.
- Go!
Quote from page 12 of Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird
“But every day Jem and I would see Mr. Radley walking to and from town. He was a thin leathery man with colorless eyes, so colorless they did not reflect light. His cheekbones were sharp and his mouth was wide, with a thin upper lip and a full lower lip.”
MLA Format Resources:
- OWL Purdue Sample MLA paper
- AHS Librarians Citation Format Examples
- To Kill a Mockingbird Sample Paper
- Mrs. Hulse’s paper with correct and incorrect examples
Creative Writing (English)
Using BookCreator (updated 4-2020)
Information literacy topics:
- Using technology tools
Objective: To effectively use the BookCreator platform to create an online eBook that takes advantage of the full possible range media contect to present a narrative (children’s book).
Learning Expectations:
Academic-Writing: “Students will produce and distribute a variety of writing designed to entertain, inform, or argue, as well build and present knowledge derived from research.“
Academic-Problem-solving: “Students will use appropriate tools strategically to solve problems.”
1. Discussion:
We are going to discover how to use the BookCreator platform together as you begin to produce your eBooks.
Look at these examples:
Girls Don't Play Basketball by Leah Ray
Graphic novel-style (narration included, no video)
The Magical Moustache by Mrs. Goodwin's 2nd Grade Class
Graphic novel-style (limited voice-over, some video, some sound effects)
2. Getting started
- Go to BookCreator.com
- Sign in as a STUDENT
- In “LIBRARIES”, go to “Join a Library”. Use the join code below:
5J5CHFN
- Use the to start your book.
3. Add your text, images, and sound. (Hint: Write and refine all your text first in a Google doc so you don’t lose it.)
4. Learn how to do more by following:
- A short video from your librarians.
- These really good written instructions from BookCreator.
5. Teachers should follow these instructions to sign up, and speak to the librarians to get their own class library.
English I
Embedding/Blending Quotations and MLA Citations (updated 9-2019)
Information Literacy Topics:
Objective: To understand how to effectively embed/blend quotations into writing, to cite evidence (direct quotes) using MLA citation style.
Learning Expectations:
During class:
Objective: To understand how to effectively embed/blend quotations into literary analysis, to use MLA style 8 in formal essays and papers.
1. Go to Nearpod.com. Enter class code.
2. Type your first name and click join session.
3. Today's slideshow will appear on your screen. Follow along!
Writers Freshman Bootcamp
NoodleTools Citations and Notes (updated 9-2019)
Information literacy topics:
- Taking notes
- Organizing source citations
- References
- Using technology tools
Objective: To use a web citation generator (NoodleTools) to create citations and bibliographic references.
Learning Expectations: Academic-Writing: “Students will produce and distribute a variety of writing designed to entertain, inform, or argue, as well build and present knowledge derived from research.“
1. Discuss objective.
2. Sign into your NoodleTools account:
- If you have signed on to NoodleTools during the 2018-19 year:
- Sign in Google Drive first and find the NoodleTool app logo under the
- or log on to NoodleTools, using your @amityschools.org Google sign-on.
- If you are new to the district, or did not sign on to NoodleTools in 2018-19
- Follow these instructions to create a NoodleTools account.
3. Student Practice: create a project to begin citations.
Create a project to begin citations.
3.a. Click on “New Project”.
3.b. Enter a “Project Title”.
3.c. Choose “MLA” style (for this English class), and click the “Advanced” citation level for full functionality. Click “Submit”.
3.d. Write a “Research Question” (think of something related to your topic).
3.e. Write a “Thesis” statement. This is the statement or question you will prove or discuss.
3.f. Click the “Projects” tab to view your project list.
3.g. Click on the name of your project to open it.
3.h. Click on the “Sources” tab. You are now ready to cite a source.
4. Student practice: creating a MANUAL citation for a video found on the web.
Create a MANUAL citation for a video found on the web.
4.a. Go to this video found on the Critical Media Project website
4.b. First, notice that the video is actually NOT from that site, but really from a DIFFERENT site. Go to the real site where it originates from.
4.c. Return to NoodleTools, and click on “Create a New Citation”.
4.d. Answer the question “Where is it?”. Note that the choice here refers to WHERE the source was found, not what KIND of source it is. Choose “Web Site”.
4.e. Answer the question “WHAT is it?”.Choose “Video Clip (Online)”.
4.f. Start filling in as much information as you can, copying from the article, and adjusting the text as needed. Notice the pop-up hints.
- URL: find it
- Date of publication: find it
- Most recent date of access [ today?]:
- Title of video clip: find it
- Click "Archival video (not user-contributed)", because this is not a site where users can upload videos.
- Name of the site: the name of the specific site (hint, it is one of several radio stations)
- Publisher of the site: (often is the copyright holder at the bottom of the page)
- Contributors/Role: The author of the written article is also the producer, because her name appears at the end of the video (here called "contributor").
4.g. Click “SAVE”.
Compare your finished citation to this sample...
Hsu, Jennifer. "Being 12: 'People Think I'm Supposed to Talk Ghetto, Whatever That Is.'" WNYC, New York Public Radio, 8 July 2015, www.wnyc.org/story/people-sometimes-think-im-supposed-talk-ghetto-whatever-kids-race. Accessed 24 Sept. 2019.
5. Student practice: Create a MANUAL citation for a web source.
Create a MANUAL citation for a web source.
5.a. Go to the web blog post titled “"Growing Up Rich: How it Shapes Identity", from the HuffPost Contributor blog.
5.b. Back in NoodleTools, from the Sources tab, click on “Create a New Citation”.
5.c. Answer the question “Where is it?”. Once again choose “Web Site”.
5.d. Answer the question “WHAT is it?”. Choose “Web page” because this is the most accurate of all the choices given.
5.e. Under the drop-down, change “Web site” to “Blog”.
5.f.Start filling in as much information as you can, copying from the article:
- URL: find it
- Date of post: use the most recent revision
- Most recent date of access [ today? ]: find it
- Citing a post (Check this)
- Authors: (fill in all available information)
- Title of post: find it
- Name of the blog: Find it
- Publisher of the blog: Find it (often the person or entity that has the copyright at the bottom of the page)
5.g. Click “Submit”.
Compare your finished citation to this sample:
Dayton, Tian. "Growing Up Rich: How it Shapes Identity." HuffPost, HuffPost Wellness, 17 Nov. 2011, www.huffpost.com/entry/growing-up-rich-how-it-sh_b_109076?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAD2T-3RjuAtCZp8CR2Wi-bkkT3KUxO-kUElrnh0D8XySHEkIp747-ycFnHQEgKbemiU-WM-1dGG46xBvcwxg-mzIzz5EWSR2Fpb_vRcdGfrChcLZPJTYx0iC22JsVtlWIj64xsoy3FWoAxkNF7ttVYfhCBOmyvZEZNPIhKKsze2h. Accessed 23 Sept. 2019.
Citing your sources within your paper
- How do you cite the article in the body of your paper?
- After the quotation, fact, opinion, or idea that you use in your paper, place your "in-text" citation to credit that source. Put it at the end of the sentence, before the punctuation mark.
- The citation is usually the author's last name, followed by a page number (both in parenthesis).
- If you use the author's name in the sentence, then the citation is just the page number (in parenthesis).
- If there is no author, use the first few words of whatever the citation starts with in the "Works Cited" list, with a page number, if there is one.
- If the first few words are of an article, put them in quotes.
Notice:
- In-text citations used for the 1st time.
- In-text citation used 2nd or more times consecutively.
- In-text citation used 2nd time, but not in a row.
- Works Cited list at the end.
- Look at the sample page from Purdue University’s writing site.
- You will need to follow the instructions and examples from a reliable source, like the writing experts at Purdue University’s OWL MLA style pages.
-You can also look at the Amity Librarians’ MLA Quick Guide, with examples from the most common kinds of formats.
How do you organize the Works Cited page?
- The "Works Cited" page goes at the end of the document. Give it the title, "Works Cited".
- Put citations in alphabetical order of author. If there is no author, put citations in order of the first work of the citation.
Creative Writing
Children’s Books: Evaluation/Analysis
Objectives: To understand the creative process and elements included in successful picture books.To discuss and understand current trends in children’s literature. Analysis and evaluation of picture book composition.
Google Amity Library, select first result→Find Online Stuff→By Subject→English→Class Projects→Chevan
1. Initiation - Discussion: What is your favorite children’s book or What is a memorable book from your childhood? Why?
2. Read Aloud: Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak, 1963.
3. Discussion of book--using analysis worksheet as a guide for the discussion.
Additional questions: What about the book is engaging to children?
Would you consider this to be a controversial book?
4. Transition to activity: You will be rotating through stations and reviewing children’s books. The books at each station share a commonality and with your group, you’ll need to determine what that is. Review the books--you won’t need to read them in their entirety. Skim, make observations. Pay attention to the following: themes, lessons, topics, authors, etc. You will have three minutes at each station. Jot down a few notes on the graphic organizer. We will discuss your findings when we reconvene.
5. Share out: What commonalities did you notice at the stations?
6. Group project introduction: Now that you’ve viewed many picture books, you need to choose one book with your group to read aloud and analyze. There’s additional books as well that were not included in the stations so feel free to look at those. If there’s a book your group would like to analyze and it isn’t here, please let Mrs. Hulse or Mr. Musco know. We may have it in our library.
English I
Paraphrasing Mini Lesson (1-2018, V. Hulse)
Information literacy topics covered
1. Explain objective: To understand what paraphrasing is, explain the importance of this skill, recognize what paraphrasing is and how this skill helps you avoid plagiarizing information and ideas. Take notes by paraphrasing what you read.
2. Paraphrasing--What is it? View slideshow. Show video.
3. Practice: Students practice paraphrasing using a gradual release model (I do, we do, you do)
Hand out worksheet to students
Re-read one sentence at a time and put in own words
Have students write the paraphrase on back side of paper with you.
4. Wrap Up Discussion: How will paraphrasing help you with taking notes?
Open Google Chrome
Google Search: “Amity Library”, go to library page
New tab: Sign onto Google Drive
New Tab: Sign onto NEARPOD.COM
