MLA Citation Lesson Plan
Class: English II
Grade Level: Sophomores
Unit: To Kill a Mockingbird
Teacher: Ms. Schira, cooperating student: Ms. Venezio
Objectives:
Throughout the lesson, and hopefully by the end of the lesson, students will be able to
confidently say:
I can successfully demonstrate how to accurately cite a source in appropriate
MLA format.
*This objective could be written on the board as well.
Iowa Core Curriculum-Subject Area Standard
Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources,
using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in
answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to
maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format
for citation. (W.9-10.8.)
Essential Question
Why is it important for us to understand how to properly cite in MLA format?
How do I properly cite my source in MLA format?
Anticipatory Set: Approximately 8 minutes
Warm-up activity:
o Why do we cite sources in MLA format? Ask the class this and show the
class a video on why and how we do this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZtqmiDmNYY (3 minutes)
o What does MLA format mean?
(Modern Language Association). Ask students if they know what
this means. Whoever gets the question right will receive candy. (Is
this okay?) (1 minute)
Ms. Schira, could you please post the links below for
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/24/ on Edmodo?
Students can peruse through this if they get stuck while writing
their papers, in and outside of class. This link is helpful for citing
in MLA format from any source:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/ (2 minutes)
I can go through the above links and point out the definition of
MLA to them, and show them the examples provided, such as
where and when to put the author’s last name, and the page
number. “For” (Example 1). Or, “as example says” (author 2). We
can practice citing as a class. (2 minutes)
Teaching Activities:
Discuss parenthetical citation: referencing other people’s works within your text.
Parenthetical citation involves placing relevant source information in parentheses
after a quote or a paraphrase. Ask students if they know what this means, and
whoever volunteers will get candy. (1 minute)
Practice citing from the book in MLA format with the students. I will pull a quote
out from TKAM, and practice going over how to properly cite the quote within
the essay, as well as at the end of the essay. (5 minutes)
o The quote I will have students practice citing in class, either on their tablet
or on scratch paper, will be from chapter 7, where Scout Finch has an
internal thought: “Atticus told me to delete the adjectives and I’d have the
facts” (Lee 67).
o Another quote we can practice can be from chapter 10, when Atticus
Finch says, “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but
remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 98).
o Throw in some transitions while citing? E.g. when Atticus says, when Lee
writes, etc.
Remind students about citing the bibliography at the end of their essays. Go over
the basic format: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication
Date. (2 minute)
Practice citing from an online source with students. Remind them it depends on
the source and the article when it comes to citing it. The link from above helps
with this as well.
o Does Wahlert have a JSTOR or academic search (GALE) subscription
with the school on the school’s library page? If so, I can demonstrate how
to properly cite a source from an online article, or what they can type in a
search engine to look for scholarly articles. This can also be provided to
students through a link that they can find on their Edmodo page. (3
minutes)
I will show students some different website they can practice citing their sources
on, as well as some credible cites to pull sources from: Google books, Google
scholar, JSTOR. (2 minutes)
Have students practice citing in MLA format on their own, pulling a random
quote from either TKAM, or from an online source they may have found. (2
minutes)
Closure: Approximately 2 minutes
Have students write down on a sheet of scratch paper why we cite sources in
MLA format, and why it is important to do so. I will collect these to assess where
students are at with understanding why we cite what we use as a source. (2
minutes)
Independent Practice:
Have students begin thinking about what they might want to use for sources and pull
from their sources as evidence for their assertions in their upcoming essays.
Assessment
The summative assessment for this lesson will be the final essay that students will turn in
to Ms. Schira. The essay will assess the essential question listed for this lesson because
by citing their sources in their essays and at the end of their essay, students will be able to
see why it is important to give credit where it is due. The objective listed in this lesson
will help students answer the essential question because it is necessary for students to
understand how to properly cite their evidence as they continue to go through the motions
of their academic careers.
Materials
To Kill a Mockingbird books
Tablets for students
Scratch paper
Pen or pencil
Dry erase marker
Projector/laptop
Duration: Approximately 25 minutes total. Estimated times are placed next to each
activity.
