Mrs. Martin
English II: Origins of Legends and Folklores (updated 5-2022)
Introduction to Online Sources and Creating an Annotated Bibliography
Information literacy topics:
-Determining best sources
-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→Martin→Intro to Online Sources and Producing an Annotated Bibliography
1. Objective:
To locate sources for investigating origins of American legends and folklore; To develop various searching techniques to locate credible information;To produce an annotated bibliography of relevant resources found.
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-Reading: Students will read closely to determine explicit and implicit meaning in a text and/ or to determine central ideas or themes.
2. Discussion:
You are going to investigate the origins of American legends and folklore. The importance of finding credible information for this assignment is important. Why? So where do you start? How do you begin to research these origins?
3. Presentation: Choosing the best resource and searching:
Databases can be used: Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, ResearchIT CT
ResearchIT CT
ResearchIT CT links all EBSCO databases available through the State Library of Connecticut.
Books can also be helpful!
EBSCO eBooks
EBSCO eBooks includes over 7500 fiction books, and many more non-fiction books, on topics like marine biology, trans studies, and bias confirmation. Books are multi-user, no check-out time limit, and available in PDF format, or ePub, both of which can be read directly from a browser.
……………………………………..
4. Multi-disciplinary Academic Database: (paid subscription $$$):
4.a. Discussion: Multi-disciplinary Academic Database:
Main points:
5. EBSCO eBooks
6. Open Web Search-Using Advanced Google Search
Discussion: Students respond to this question:
“Is this article reliable and appropriate for research?
http://historydetectives.nyhistory.org/2013/10/halloween-history-the-legend-of-sleepy-hollow/
Share reasons why this website may or may not be appropriate for research. Categorize students responses under WHO/WHAT/WHERE/WHY/WHEN.
Evaluation Criteria
7. Student practice: Sign into your NoodleTools account (if time permits)
- Sign in Google Drive first and find the NoodleTool app logo 
under the 
You may need to update this screen to indicate what school you’re enrolled in this year. Click Save Profile.
8. Student practice for homework: In Google Classroom watch the NoodleTools video and complete the practice annotated bibliography.
Content included in Noodletools video:
9. Discussion: Creating an Annotated Bibliography
What is an annotated bibliography?
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.). Is this an academic resource or something else?
-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 essential question.
To create your annotation, type the information in the box below the citation
fields.
Sample of Annotated Bibliography:
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.
*Important Information: For this particular assignment, it’s important to know that as you’re researching origins of your chosen legend/folklore, you often will find the origin is “popularly thought to be based on…” and there may not be clear authoritative research on the subject. Popular beliefs don’t necessarily have authoritative resources. Many legends and folklore were passed on via oral tradition.**
(Shared with Martin)
English II: Historical vs. Fictionalized Character Analysis (updated 1-2021)
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→Martin→Database Searching and Producing an Annotated Bibliography
1. Objective: To locate sources for investigating topics from multiple disciplines, in order to discuss these themes from essential questions and relate them to specific works of literature; To develop database searching techniques;To produce an annotated bibliography of relevant resources found.
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-Reading: Student reads closely to determine explicit and implicit meaning in a text and/ or to determine central ideas or themes.
2. Discussion: The importance of finding credible information for this assignment is important. Why? Where do you start?
3. Presentation: Choosing the best resource and searching
ABC-Clio American History
ResearchIT CT
4. Presentation:
Searching strategy, search term “Salem Witch trials”
ABC Clio: American History
"Time Periods" are now the MAIN MENU
-"Time Periods" appear as horizontal scrolling pictures of themed time periods, like "A Nation in Upheaval, 1954-1975" (American History) or “The Power of the Industrial Revolution 1800--1914” (The Modern Era).
-"Topic Centers" under each "Time Period” are the SUB-MENUS.
-Show more specific sub-topics from that era, like "The Vietnam War” or “Nixon and Watergate”.
-Each "Topic Center" includes the following sections:
-"Explore" (textbook-like divisions of events and information, often in chronological order). This is a place for basic information.
Some ABC-Clio databases may give little talking-head video lectures in this section, covering an introduction, several key topics, and a closing. The video lectures are summarized in an outline, and accompanied by a transcript and vocabulary list.
-"Analyze" (critical-thinking issues with potentially opposing points of view)
The "Analyze" section presents issues related to the main topic. Each issue is presented with a "Key Question", explained in a "Background Essay", and developed in two or more "Points of View". There are “Primary Sources” at the bottom.
-"Topic Center Library" (supporting information and primary and secondary-source material).
The "Reference" section includes “General Resources” like encyclopedic articles and biographies of the major players. The “Media” section has images, audio, and video files. The “Documents” section is where most primary-source documents appear.
- “Library” is a link of all related content within ABC-Clio.
Languages: All encyclopedic content written by ABC-Clio gives you the option of translating the text, or listening to it read by a robo-voice (languages currently includes Korean, Arabic, and Chinese). Translation options are not available for other third-party articles or primary-source documents included in the database.
Advanced Search: Not always reliable, but the limiters seem to work much of the time.
5. Multi-disciplinary Academic Database: (paid subscription $$$):
Example:
- ESBCO: ResearchIT CT OneSearch OR Academic Search Complete
- Often used at college level.
- May include e-books, encyclopedias, periodicals (journals, magazines, etc.).
- Offer multiple ways to browse or search, but are less concerned with being attractive than school product databases.
- Information is usually NOT organized in topics; you have to search.
- Gives more searching options, less “teaching” help.
- Really useful if you don’t want to limit your search to specialized databases, or you don’t know which databases you need.
6. Discussion: Multi-disciplinary Academic Database:
EBSCO’s ResearchIT CT OneSearch
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.
- 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.
-- 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.
-- 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 to get the exact phrase
- When you identify a good source/article:
-- Follow up on SUBJECT headings that appear in relevant articles.
-- Save your chosen results to avoid losing stuff (use personal lists, email, Save to Google Drive,
notes/citation tools, etc.). Add a username and password to save searches and results.
-- Allow pop-ups for Google Drive to work correctly.
7. USE BOOKS: See cart in Ms. Martin’s classroom.
8. Student practice: Search for one article that you may use and save to Google Drive.
9. Student practice: Students sign into accounts in using Google apps icon in Google Drive.
10. Create a "New Project" to begin citations.
Create a project to begin citations.
10.a. Click on “New Project”.
10.b. Enter a “Project Title”.
10.c. Choose “MLA” style, and click the “Advanced” citation level for full functionality. Click “Submit”. 10.d. Click on the name of your project to open it.
10.h. Click on the “New Sources” tab. You are now ready to cite a source.
11. Student practice: Create an MANUAL citation for a database article.
Create a MANUAL citation for a database article.
11.a. Go to this article: An Unholy Mess
11.b. Back in NoodleTools, from the Sources tab, click on “Create a New Citation”.
11.c. Answer the question “Where is it?”. Once again choose “Database”.
11.d. Answer the question “WHAT is it?”. Choose “Journal” .
11.e. Start filling in as much information as you can, copying from the article:
-Name of database: find it
-URL: find the "permalink" on the right, because it does not change.
-DOI (Direct Object Identifier)
-Name of database: find it
-Database accession number: find it
-Most recent date of access: (today) Technically, not required by MLA 8, but you can include it.
-Author: find it
-Article title: find it
-Pages: find it
-Name of journal: find it
-Volume: find it
-Issue: find it
-Publication date: find it
-Series: there is none listed
11.f. Click “Submit”.
11.g. Compare your finished citation to the citation below. You can check the accuracy of your citation by looking at the MLA style guide HERE.
Brandt, Anthony. "An Unholy Mess." American History, vol. 49, no. 5, Dec. 2014,
pp. 34-43. MasterFILE Premier, search.ebscohost.com/
login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=98928484&site=eds-live&custid=s9389921.
Accessed 2 Jan. 2020.
A note about copy/paste citations available in databases:
Remember that databases are not always capable of interpreting information correctly, especially unusual author formats, or distinguishing magazines from other kinds of journals. It is recommended that you ALWAYS create your own citation, plugging in the information.
12. Discussion: Creating an Annotated Bibliography
What is an annotated bibliography?
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 essential question.
To create your annotation, type the information in the box below the citation
fields.
12. Student Practice:
Using the article titled An Unholy Mess write an annotation, addressing the following criteria.
Include:
-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.).
(For today you can use the librarians’ response.)
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.
-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 research.
13. Discussion:
Share samples, compare with teacher’s exemplar.
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.
ELA Independent Reading
Find a Book in the Amity HS Library
Do you want to find a book in the Amity High School Library for a research project, or just to read for fun? Before you come in to browse our shelves, watch this video on how to search the library catalog,
How to Find a Book in the Library Catalog: 
Next, get your book.
eBooks and audioBooks:
Currently digital books are available from two sources starting at the library database page:
Get Book Recommendations
How to Find Book Recommendations Online:
YALSA Booklists: compiled by the American Association of School Libraries.
School Library Journal: Check under the tabs for Awards and Books to search
RJ Julia Independent Book Sellers: Staff recommendations for teens
Common Sense Media Teen Booklists: There are several different broad categories.
GoodReads Teen Booklists: A great little summary, plus tons of reader reviews.
Barnes and Noble for Teens: Take a look at the “Teens” list to see what’s hot.
You can always just Google “lists of books for teens”.
English II
Online Sources for Romeo and Juliet Literary Analysis (updated 4-2021)
Information literacy topics covered
- Determining the best sources
- Searching strategies for information
- Using technology tools
Learning Expectations: Academic-Problem-solving: “Students will use appropriate tools strategically to solve problems.”
During class:
1. Objective: To develop and practice searching strategies for relevant information; to practice comprehension strategies for reading scholarly/academic journals.
2. Before researching, review the questions/topics, but do not settle on one. Keep them in mind as you begin researching. Let the articles you find guide what question/topic you choose. It’s more useful to find an article that you like or are interested in, and then choose the question that best connects.
3. Review suggested databases:
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” help.
Other Scholarly materials from humanities, social sciences, and natural science
JSTOR includes scholarship published in more than 1,400 of the highest-quality academic journals across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, as well as monographs and other materials valuable for academic work.
5. Literary Criticism Explanation
a. What is Literary Criticism?
b. How do you read Literary Criticism?
c. What is a strategy for reading Literary Criticism?
6. Consider the article Youth and Privacy in Romeo and Juliet , (or download this PDF).
a. Skim results for articles/chapters to find arguments that appeal to YOU.
Hmmm, youth and privacy sounds interesting.
b. Look at the abstract/summary/introduction? If there is none, focus on the FIRST or SECOND paragraph. You should be able to find the principle THESIS, or argument of the piece.
Activity:
Read the introduction (italicized part), and focus on the main message (4 min.).
Question: Which of these statements most accurately reflects the main message of the introduction (in italics).
1. Although R and J’s behavior may be familiar to us as typical of youth, in Shakespeare’s time it was worrying.
2. Audiences in the time of Shakespeare could not easily understand R and J’s youthful speech because it was too private.
3. R and J represent a view of adolescence that was as familiar to audiences in Shakespeare’s day as it is today.
c. Look at the last paragraph of the article (page 130). You should be able to find the CONCLUSION, which should echo the main THESIS.
Activity:
Read the last paragraph of the article (page 130)., and focus on the main message.
After reading the paragraph, complete the sentences.
Shakespeare's presentation of youth shows us......
This vision, for audiences of Shakespeare's time, was likely…
d. Read the rest of the article, (or as much as you need to) and take notes on evidence used to support the main THESIS, or argument.
English II: Romeo and Juliet
A Retelling Through Abstract Expressionism (updated 3-2019)
Information literacy topics:
-Determining best sources
-Searching strategies for information
-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→Martin→Best Sources for Searching for Abstract Expressionism Artwork
1. Objective:
To search various websites to locate examples of abstract expressionism artwork. To accurately cite artwork using Noodletools.To print in color.
2. Discussion:
What are some ways you could search for artwork online? Why?
3. Presentation: Choosing the best resource and searching techniques.
Explore collections from around the world with Google Arts & Culture, created by Google Cultural Institute.
Art Resource is the world's largest fine art stock photo archive, with more than 1,000,000 searchable fine art images from the world's leading sources, available for licensing to all media.
The collections of the Prints & Photographs Division include photographs, fine and popular prints and drawings, posters, and architectural and engineering drawings.While international in scope, the collections are particularly rich in materials produced in, or documenting the history of the United States and the lives, interests and achievements of the American people.
……………………………………..
4. Presentation of 3 sources:
a.
“Explore”-top right hand side of screen
b.
Locate “Search” box in upper land hand side of screen
c.
Locate “Search” box in middle of screen
5. Student practice: Citing artwork
Students sign into accounts in NoodleTools, using @amityschools.org Google access.
(Students who have not set up accounts this 2018-19 school year can use these NoodleTools sign-up instructions.)
Go to the NoodleTools log-in screen.
Enter your @amityschools.org Google account email.
Click “Sign In with Google”.
Re-enter your Amity Google account email, and your Google password.
6. Practice: Create a project to begin citations.
Create a project to begin citations.
6.a. Click on “New Project”.
6.b. Enter a “Project Title”.
6.c. Choose “MLA” style (for this Art class), and click the “Advanced” citation level for full functionality. Click “Submit”.
6.d. Write a “Research Question” (think of something related to your topic).
6.e. Write a “Thesis” statement. This is the statement or question you will prove or discuss.
6.f. Click the “Projects” tab to view your project list.
6.g. Click on the name of your project to open it.
6.h. Click on the “Sources” tab. You are now ready to cite a source.
7. Practice: Create an MANUAL citation for artwork.
Create a MANUAL citation for a artwork.
7.a. Go to this artwork titled: "Painting no. 9".
7.b. Back in NoodleTools, from the Sources tab, click on “Create a New Citation”.
7.c. Answer the question “Where is it?”. Once again choose “Website”.
7.d. Answer the question “WHAT is it?”. Choose “Work of Visual Art” .
7.e. Start filling in as much information as you can, copying from the article:
-Name of container website: find it
-URL: find the "link" underneath the artwork. Do not use what’s in URL
-Artist’s name: find it
-Type of art: What is it?
-Title of painting: find it
7.f. Click “Submit”.
7.g. Compare your finished citation to the citation below. You can check the
accuracy of your citation by looking at the MLA style guide HERE.
Balson, Ralph. Painting no. 9. 1959. Google Arts and Culture,
artsandculture.google.com/asset/painting-no-9/HwFlT1kK7DM14g.
Accessed 11 Mar. 2019.
8. Creating annotations for artwork and Romeo and Juliet comparison.
8.a. Choose a piece of art and complete citation in Noodletools.
8.b. Add annotation
--Describe the artwork--What do you see, notice? Colors used? Shapes? Type of material used to complete the piece? (oil, acrylic, etc?) Discuss the artist. (2-3 sentences)
--Connect why you chose this piece of art and HOW it connects to Romeo and Juliet. Ex. I chose this painting because it represents…(2-3 sentences).
Sample annotation:
Ralph Balson, artist of the piece titled “Painting no. 9” used synthetic polymer paint on hardboard to complete this work. The colors utilized are in the pastel family--light pink, light purple, cream, and a small amount of a rust-color. Balson painted many small dots or circles on the painting, giving it a very peaceful look. I chose this painting because it reminds me of the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. The shapes are regular and form almost a type of pattern. The colors used are romantic and light, not dark, which represents the love Romeo and Juliet have for each other during the infamous balcony scene.
9. Printing in color: How-To Instructions
