Resources:
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Colorado Writing Project
University of Wisconsin - Madison Writing Center
Cal State University San Marcos Writing Center
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Colorado Writing Project
University of Wisconsin - Madison Writing Center
Cal State University San Marcos Writing Center
What is the Writing Process?
It is the process that all writers should use to create quality material. The word "process" implies that there are steps that should be taken:
Step 1 - Prewriting (establishing interest, topic, purpose, audience and format)
In class we do this by quickwrites, student interviews, inquiry based research, and RAFT writings.
Step 2 - Drafting (writing a rough draft that is focused more on content than format)
In class we do this by bringing in a rough draft and highlighting and underlining the thesis, any claims, counterclaims, and evidence.
Step 3 - Revising (feedback from peers and teacher and make changes about structure and content)
This is either a peer edit, or a first graded attempt at an essay, followed by a resubmission.
Step 4 - Editing (check spelling, grammar, punctuation, and MLA)
This is done during the peer edit, a first graded attempt, or an activity where the student rereads their work in class.
Step 5 - Publishing (sharing their writing with the appropriate audience)
This is done when (if) a student up loads their work to the internet, submits it to a class chapbook or other magazine for feedback from the "real world".
More information at Teaching the Writing Process
It is the process that all writers should use to create quality material. The word "process" implies that there are steps that should be taken:
Step 1 - Prewriting (establishing interest, topic, purpose, audience and format)
In class we do this by quickwrites, student interviews, inquiry based research, and RAFT writings.
Step 2 - Drafting (writing a rough draft that is focused more on content than format)
In class we do this by bringing in a rough draft and highlighting and underlining the thesis, any claims, counterclaims, and evidence.
Step 3 - Revising (feedback from peers and teacher and make changes about structure and content)
This is either a peer edit, or a first graded attempt at an essay, followed by a resubmission.
Step 4 - Editing (check spelling, grammar, punctuation, and MLA)
This is done during the peer edit, a first graded attempt, or an activity where the student rereads their work in class.
Step 5 - Publishing (sharing their writing with the appropriate audience)
This is done when (if) a student up loads their work to the internet, submits it to a class chapbook or other magazine for feedback from the "real world".
More information at Teaching the Writing Process
What is MLA?
It is a formatting style that most English programs use for writing and citing papers. Traditionally, a paper that is formatted using MLA will be typed in Times New Roman 12, have 1 inch margins, a complete heading, a centered title, a running header of your last name and page number, and a Works Cited page. The Purdue OWL link is a great up to date resource you can use for reference. For this class you need to be aware of three aspects of the MLA format:
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The Heading
This is where all important information is put so that your paper does not get lost. Important information is your full name, your teachers name, the class name, and the due date (day month year).
Ex:
Pierce Webster
Mrs. Oshea
AP English 11
23 February 2012
The header would be followed by the title of the piece, and each following page (not the first page) will have a running header of your last name and the page number. A student example is listed below.
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Citing Sources
There are two types of citing in the MLA format: in-text citation, and parenthetical citation. It is important to cite quotes and paraphrases that are not your own work, so that you are not blamed for plagerizing information.
Example of in-text citation:
In her “Letters: To John Thornton,” she wishes that her “eyes were more open’d to see the real worth” (763).
The work that the quote comes from is in the sentence with the quote. The page number is in a parenthesis at the end of the sentence to help the reader reference the page from which this quote comes.
Example of parenthetical citation:
Women were rarely educated, let alone African women; this meant that Wheatley was in conflict with the society of the 1700’s (Phillis Wheatley 751).
The work the quote comes from and the page number where to find it and both in a set of parenthesis at the end of the sentence. There is a student example listed below.
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Works Cited
This is an alphabetized list of all the works that you quote, paraphrase, reference, or cite during your paper. It comes at the end of the paper and is alphabetized by last name of the author, and includes information for the author, the title of the work, publishers, publishing city, date published, and medium. The citation will changed based on the source of the document. Here are two examples of what you might use to cite information on a Works Cited page.
Book:
Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
Ex:
Smith, Hazel. The Writing Experiment. Crows Nest, New South Wales Australia: Allen & Unwin, 2005. Print.
Online Document (Website):
Lastname, Firstname of editor, author, or compiler if available. "Title of article." Website name. Sponsor or Publisher. Medium of Publication. Date you accessed the information.
Note:
If there is not a publisher listed put "n.p."
If there is not a date published put "n.d."
Ex:
Lundman, Susan. "How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 6 July 2015.
Each entry for the Works Cited page will be separated by a hanging indent. The fastest way to do this is with Paragraph settings.
More information about how to write correct Work Cited citations can be found at Purdue Owl and Knightcite.
A student example is listed below.
It is a formatting style that most English programs use for writing and citing papers. Traditionally, a paper that is formatted using MLA will be typed in Times New Roman 12, have 1 inch margins, a complete heading, a centered title, a running header of your last name and page number, and a Works Cited page. The Purdue OWL link is a great up to date resource you can use for reference. For this class you need to be aware of three aspects of the MLA format:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Heading
This is where all important information is put so that your paper does not get lost. Important information is your full name, your teachers name, the class name, and the due date (day month year).
Ex:
Pierce Webster
Mrs. Oshea
AP English 11
23 February 2012
The header would be followed by the title of the piece, and each following page (not the first page) will have a running header of your last name and the page number. A student example is listed below.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Citing Sources
There are two types of citing in the MLA format: in-text citation, and parenthetical citation. It is important to cite quotes and paraphrases that are not your own work, so that you are not blamed for plagerizing information.
Example of in-text citation:
In her “Letters: To John Thornton,” she wishes that her “eyes were more open’d to see the real worth” (763).
The work that the quote comes from is in the sentence with the quote. The page number is in a parenthesis at the end of the sentence to help the reader reference the page from which this quote comes.
Example of parenthetical citation:
Women were rarely educated, let alone African women; this meant that Wheatley was in conflict with the society of the 1700’s (Phillis Wheatley 751).
The work the quote comes from and the page number where to find it and both in a set of parenthesis at the end of the sentence. There is a student example listed below.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Works Cited
This is an alphabetized list of all the works that you quote, paraphrase, reference, or cite during your paper. It comes at the end of the paper and is alphabetized by last name of the author, and includes information for the author, the title of the work, publishers, publishing city, date published, and medium. The citation will changed based on the source of the document. Here are two examples of what you might use to cite information on a Works Cited page.
Book:
Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
Ex:
Smith, Hazel. The Writing Experiment. Crows Nest, New South Wales Australia: Allen & Unwin, 2005. Print.
Online Document (Website):
Lastname, Firstname of editor, author, or compiler if available. "Title of article." Website name. Sponsor or Publisher. Medium of Publication. Date you accessed the information.
Note:
If there is not a publisher listed put "n.p."
If there is not a date published put "n.d."
Ex:
Lundman, Susan. "How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 6 July 2015.
Each entry for the Works Cited page will be separated by a hanging indent. The fastest way to do this is with Paragraph settings.
- Select the text where you want to add the first line indent.
- Click Home and then, in the Paragraph group, click the dialog box launcher to open the Paragraph dialog box.
- On the Indents and Spacing tab, under Indentation, select First line.
More information about how to write correct Work Cited citations can be found at Purdue Owl and Knightcite.
A student example is listed below.