MLA Style and the Works Cited Page

 The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

Aim: Why should we and how do we create a Works Cited page for our I-Search papers?    

Do Now: Check out this Web site and evaluate its credibility. Why or why not do you believe the information at this site? Post your findings on your blog.

One of the requirements of your I-Search paper is a Works Cited page. Huh? Hopefully, it will all be clear by the end of this lesson.

Information does not just come out of thin air. Explaining to readers where you got your information is important on several levels. First, it gives credit where credit is due. If you didn't acknowledge the source of your information, it could be construed as plagiarism, which is really nothing more than stealing. Acknowledging your sources also allows the reader to retrace your steps and evaluate your information on his or her own terms. Why should the reader believe what you have to say if you can't back up your research and show how you arrived at your conclusion?

There is an organized method for citing your sources of information. Every academic discipline has its own formatting style. In this class, we will follow MLA (Modern Language Association) style.

Step 1: Watch this video which gives an overview on MLA style for the Works Cited page.

Step 2: Now that you have an idea what that's about, here are a couple Web sites to help you format your citations. This Web site, sponsored by Purdue University, gives an overview for citing all different types of information sources: books, articles, Web sites, interviews, etc. And this bibliography and citation generator might help you generate a bibliography or Works Cited page once you understand why you are doing this in the first place.

Step 3: Just to make sure you got this right, post a citation following MLA format on your blog for a Web site you are using for your I-Search paper, or if you have not started your research yet, your favorite Web site.

Is this all crystal clear? If not, explain what still confuses you on your blog.

To view the entire I-Search assignment, click here. To review how you will be graded, click here to see the rubric.

Standards: 

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.