Sunday, June 10, 2007
MLA Citations
MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION (MLA) IN-TEXT CITATIONS
Standard format: double quotation mark/quoted material/double quotation mark/left parenthesis/page number/right parenthesis/period
For example, when Jem and Scout are building their snowman, they “[cannot] wait for Atticus to come home for dinner” (71).
If the quote ends with a question mark or an exclamation point, put it inside the last quotation mark and put a period after the page citation.
For example, while discussing the group of men who want to hang Tom Robinson before the trial begins, Atticus says, “Every mob in every little Southern town is always made up of people you know—doesn’t say much for them, does it?” (160).
Use brackets when you alter words from the original quotation.
Actual text: Atticus “went to the court reporter and said something, nodded to Mr. Gilmer, and then went to Tom Robinson and whispered something to him” (214).
Your quote: For example, before leaving the courtroom Atticus “[goes] to the court reporter and [says] something, [nods] to Mr. Gilmer, and then [goes] to Tom Robinson and [whispers] something to him” (214).
Reminders:
1. Never put periods or commas immediately before the closing quotation mark.
2. Never write pg./p./pp., etc. inside the parentheses. The only think that can appear inside the parentheses are Arabic numbers.
3. Never put only the first quotation mark at the end of a line or the last quotation mark at the beginning of a line by itself.
4. Use a variety of transition words and sentence structures.
Standard format: double quotation mark/quoted material/double quotation mark/left parenthesis/page number/right parenthesis/period
For example, when Jem and Scout are building their snowman, they “[cannot] wait for Atticus to come home for dinner” (71).
If the quote ends with a question mark or an exclamation point, put it inside the last quotation mark and put a period after the page citation.
For example, while discussing the group of men who want to hang Tom Robinson before the trial begins, Atticus says, “Every mob in every little Southern town is always made up of people you know—doesn’t say much for them, does it?” (160).
Use brackets when you alter words from the original quotation.
Actual text: Atticus “went to the court reporter and said something, nodded to Mr. Gilmer, and then went to Tom Robinson and whispered something to him” (214).
Your quote: For example, before leaving the courtroom Atticus “[goes] to the court reporter and [says] something, [nods] to Mr. Gilmer, and then [goes] to Tom Robinson and [whispers] something to him” (214).
Reminders:
1. Never put periods or commas immediately before the closing quotation mark.
2. Never write pg./p./pp., etc. inside the parentheses. The only think that can appear inside the parentheses are Arabic numbers.
3. Never put only the first quotation mark at the end of a line or the last quotation mark at the beginning of a line by itself.
4. Use a variety of transition words and sentence structures.
Tips for Oral Presentations
When you are invited to present material to a group, whether it be within the classroom setting, a work-related environment, or any situation in which you will be evaluated on your performance, here are a few commonsense tips:
1. Do not ever chew gum, candy, or anything else during a presentation.
2. Avoid jewelry or clothing which could distract your audience’s attention from your material and your delivery. A conservative appearance is best, unless the subject of the presentation itself calls for a special uniform or costume.
3. Never wear a cap or hat unless it is part of a costume needed for your presentation.
4. Keep your hands away from your face and hair. Hold your hands at your side, in a relaxed posture, or lightly place your hands at the edge of the podium.
5. Stand up straight. Do not lean against the podium or appear to be supporting your weight against it.
6. Maintain as much eye contact with your audience as possible, although it is all right to glance at notes frequently and as needed.
7. As you plan your presentation, keep the requirements and time limitations in mind. Practice several times and commit as much of your presentation to memory as possible.
As a member of the audience, keep in mind that your classmate or co-worker deserves your full attention. You would like to have everyone’s full attention and respect when it is your turn to present.
Giving full attention to a speaker includes:
LOOKING AT HIM/HER AND MAINTAINING A COMFORTABLE LEVEL OF EYE CONTACT
SITTING AS STILL AS POSSIBLE
APPEARING TO LISTEN AND OFFERING SOME KIND OF NON-VERBAL ENCOURAGEMENT
Giving full attention to a speaker does not include:
TURNING THE PAGES OF A MAGAZINE OR BOOK
SHUFFLING THROUGH A STACK OF PAPERS OR A NOTEBOOK WHISPERING TO THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU
DIGGING AROUND IN YOUR PURSE OR BOOKSAG
SLEEPING OR GIVING THE IMPRESSION OF TOTAL BOREDOM
GAZING OUT OF THE WINDOW OR ANYWHERE BESIDES AT THE SPEAKER
If you must leave the room during oral presentations, try to wait until one speaker has finished and leave before the next speaker begins. It is extremely distracting to a speaker to have a member of the audience stand and walk around in the room when he or she is trying to concentrate on the delivery of the material. Obviously, emergency situations do arise, so if you must leave, be as discreet and quiet as possible.
1. Do not ever chew gum, candy, or anything else during a presentation.
2. Avoid jewelry or clothing which could distract your audience’s attention from your material and your delivery. A conservative appearance is best, unless the subject of the presentation itself calls for a special uniform or costume.
3. Never wear a cap or hat unless it is part of a costume needed for your presentation.
4. Keep your hands away from your face and hair. Hold your hands at your side, in a relaxed posture, or lightly place your hands at the edge of the podium.
5. Stand up straight. Do not lean against the podium or appear to be supporting your weight against it.
6. Maintain as much eye contact with your audience as possible, although it is all right to glance at notes frequently and as needed.
7. As you plan your presentation, keep the requirements and time limitations in mind. Practice several times and commit as much of your presentation to memory as possible.
As a member of the audience, keep in mind that your classmate or co-worker deserves your full attention. You would like to have everyone’s full attention and respect when it is your turn to present.
Giving full attention to a speaker includes:
LOOKING AT HIM/HER AND MAINTAINING A COMFORTABLE LEVEL OF EYE CONTACT
SITTING AS STILL AS POSSIBLE
APPEARING TO LISTEN AND OFFERING SOME KIND OF NON-VERBAL ENCOURAGEMENT
Giving full attention to a speaker does not include:
TURNING THE PAGES OF A MAGAZINE OR BOOK
SHUFFLING THROUGH A STACK OF PAPERS OR A NOTEBOOK WHISPERING TO THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU
DIGGING AROUND IN YOUR PURSE OR BOOKSAG
SLEEPING OR GIVING THE IMPRESSION OF TOTAL BOREDOM
GAZING OUT OF THE WINDOW OR ANYWHERE BESIDES AT THE SPEAKER
If you must leave the room during oral presentations, try to wait until one speaker has finished and leave before the next speaker begins. It is extremely distracting to a speaker to have a member of the audience stand and walk around in the room when he or she is trying to concentrate on the delivery of the material. Obviously, emergency situations do arise, so if you must leave, be as discreet and quiet as possible.
Reading Cards
Students will maintain a reading card for all of the major works that they read while in AP English. Students should be thorough and include as much information as possible, but should also be original—each student’s card should be different. You will keep this card collection to review the works of literature that you have read prior to taking the AP exams during the junior and senior year.
Front of Card:
Name, Class, Number
Title:
Author:
Settings:
Main Characters: (Name a few words to identify them)
Plot Summary: (No more than three sentences)
Back of Card:
Symbols: (What they are and what you think they mean)
Themes: (Expect at least 2 - this is a topic, plus an opinion. EX: Not just "war," but "War produces close friendship.")
Point of View:
Structure: (Does it have flashbacks; it is a story within a story; is it a series of episodes, etc.)
Quotes: (See if a few stand out. It's wise to put the chapter and page number so we can review them)
Front of Card:
Name, Class, Number
Title:
Author:
Settings:
Main Characters: (Name a few words to identify them)
Plot Summary: (No more than three sentences)
Back of Card:
Symbols: (What they are and what you think they mean)
Themes: (Expect at least 2 - this is a topic, plus an opinion. EX: Not just "war," but "War produces close friendship.")
Point of View:
Structure: (Does it have flashbacks; it is a story within a story; is it a series of episodes, etc.)
Quotes: (See if a few stand out. It's wise to put the chapter and page number so we can review them)
What is Annotating?
ANNOTATING simply means marking the page as you read with comments and/or notes.
The principle reason you should annotate your books is to aid in understanding. When important passages occur, mark them so that thy can be easily located when it comes time to write an essay or respond to the book. Marking key ideas will enable you to discuss the reading with more support, evidence, and/or proof than if you rely on memory.
ANNOTATING MAY INCLUDE:
Highlighting key words, phrases, or sentences
Writing questions or comments in the margins
Bracketing important ideas or passages
Connecting ideas with lines or arrows
Highlighting passages that are important to understanding the work
Circling or highlighting words that are unfamiliar
SPECIFIC ITEMS FOR ANNOTATION MIGHT INCLUDE:
Character description
Literary elements (symbolism, theme, foreshadowing, etc.)
Figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification, etc.)
Plot elements (setting, mood, conflict, etc.)
Diction (effective or unusual word choice)
Vocabulary words
HOW TO ANNOTATE A TEXT:
HIGHLIGHTING/UNDERLINING-This stands out from the page and allows you to scan a page quickly for information. Be careful not to mark too much—if everything is marked, then nothing becomes important!
BRACKETS [ ]-If several lines seem important, place a bracket around the passage, then highlight or underline only key phrases within the bracketed area. This will draw attention to the passage without cluttering it with too many highlighted or underlined sentences.
ASTERISKS *-This indicates something unusual, special, or important. Multiple asterisks indicate a stronger degree of importance.
MARGINAL NOTES- Making notes in the margin allows you to: ask questions, label literary elements, summarize critical elements, explain ideas, make a comment, and/or identify characters.
The principle reason you should annotate your books is to aid in understanding. When important passages occur, mark them so that thy can be easily located when it comes time to write an essay or respond to the book. Marking key ideas will enable you to discuss the reading with more support, evidence, and/or proof than if you rely on memory.
ANNOTATING MAY INCLUDE:
Highlighting key words, phrases, or sentences
Writing questions or comments in the margins
Bracketing important ideas or passages
Connecting ideas with lines or arrows
Highlighting passages that are important to understanding the work
Circling or highlighting words that are unfamiliar
SPECIFIC ITEMS FOR ANNOTATION MIGHT INCLUDE:
Character description
Literary elements (symbolism, theme, foreshadowing, etc.)
Figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification, etc.)
Plot elements (setting, mood, conflict, etc.)
Diction (effective or unusual word choice)
Vocabulary words
HOW TO ANNOTATE A TEXT:
HIGHLIGHTING/UNDERLINING-This stands out from the page and allows you to scan a page quickly for information. Be careful not to mark too much—if everything is marked, then nothing becomes important!
BRACKETS [ ]-If several lines seem important, place a bracket around the passage, then highlight or underline only key phrases within the bracketed area. This will draw attention to the passage without cluttering it with too many highlighted or underlined sentences.
ASTERISKS *-This indicates something unusual, special, or important. Multiple asterisks indicate a stronger degree of importance.
MARGINAL NOTES- Making notes in the margin allows you to: ask questions, label literary elements, summarize critical elements, explain ideas, make a comment, and/or identify characters.
Example of a Dialectical Entry
To Kill a Mockingbird Reading Log Entry
Quotations from the Text Commentary/Responses to the Text
1. “ ‘He might have hurt me a little,’ Atticus conceded, ‘but son, you’ll understand folks a little better when you’re older. A mob’s always made up of people, no matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man…So, it took an eight-year-old child to bring ‘em to their senses didn’t it?’” (159-160)
1. The tone here is matter-of-fact. Atticus admits that Mr. Cunningham could have harmed him, but he explains that Mr. Cunningham’s actions were not entirely his own; he was influenced by the crowd as is common for many people. It takes Scout recognizing him and talking to him to make Mr. Cunningham realize that what he is doing is wrong.
Reading Logs Should:
Be thoughtful, insightful, and original
Show understanding of the characters, setting, themes, and the WORK AS A WHOLE
Be thorough and complete
Each commentary entry must be 3-5 sentences and written in the present tense
Quotations should feature proper punctuation and the page reference in parentheses as above
Quotations from the Text Commentary/Responses to the Text
1. “ ‘He might have hurt me a little,’ Atticus conceded, ‘but son, you’ll understand folks a little better when you’re older. A mob’s always made up of people, no matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man…So, it took an eight-year-old child to bring ‘em to their senses didn’t it?’” (159-160)
1. The tone here is matter-of-fact. Atticus admits that Mr. Cunningham could have harmed him, but he explains that Mr. Cunningham’s actions were not entirely his own; he was influenced by the crowd as is common for many people. It takes Scout recognizing him and talking to him to make Mr. Cunningham realize that what he is doing is wrong.
Reading Logs Should:
Be thoughtful, insightful, and original
Show understanding of the characters, setting, themes, and the WORK AS A WHOLE
Be thorough and complete
Each commentary entry must be 3-5 sentences and written in the present tense
Quotations should feature proper punctuation and the page reference in parentheses as above
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