NINTH GRADE ENGLISH:SHAKESPEARE &

ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND

Research 101

What am I researching?

Choices:The Globe TheaterCostume & Set DesignCrime & PunishmentFood & EntertainmentAuthenticityThe Plague & MedicineQueen Elizabeth I

When am I researching?

Library Days- March 15, 16, 17

Due Date- Class Presentation March 25

How to Research

You will use two types of sources: books and electronic sources.

Five sources are required- at least two of the five must be books from the library

You will read and take notes from the sources you are using.

Books will be on a cart in the library.Use Google and Netrekker to find electronic

sources.

How to Research

Books:Write down all the information you will need to

cite your source--Title-Author’s full name-City of Publication-Publication Company-Year of Publication-Page numbers used in the book (what you

used)

Example

Let’s use a book we have read as an example: Rocket Boys.

If we were using this book as a source, how would we cite it?

Hickam, Homer H., Jr. Rocket Boys. New York: Random House, 1998. Print.

(Why did I write the citation in this format? I am using MLA format.)

What is MLA ?

MLA stands for Modern Language Association. It is an organization that gives people who research a standard format for crediting those sources that they use. That way we are all using the same format instead of making up our own rules. If you don’t properly credit the sources you are using in research, you are plagiarizing. Plagiarism is against the law! It is the equivalent of stealing. Taking someone else’s words, ideas, or even images without crediting them can cause you to fail this assignment.

Citing Electronic Sources

Citing sources you find on the web can be tricky. You don’t always know who is publishing a source. Web pages and sites don’t always provide you with all the information you need. You often have to hunt for it. It can become confusing! Here’s a good rule of thumb:

If a web address ends in .edu, .org, or .gov, it is a credible source. All other sources should be reviewed with skepticism! Ask yourself what credentials the author has. Maybe it is not a valid source!!

Using Netrekker and Google

Try using Netrekker first. Click on the icon on your blue screen. Type in your topic and the time period.

All sources in Netrekker have been reviewed to make sure they are educationally valid. You can trust them!!

Next use Google. Be careful of the sources you select.

Make sure they are valid. When you use Google, go to “Advanced Search.” Put in the topic you are researching AND the time period!! Try using terms like “Elizabethan England,” “Tudor England,” “Shakespearean England,” or “Renaissance.”

Basic Style for Citations of Electronic Sources

Here are some common features you should try and find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every Web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible both for your citations and for your research notes:

Author and/or editor names (if available) Article name in quotation marks (if applicable) Title of the Website, project, or book in italics. Any version numbers available, including revisions, posting dates,

volumes, or issue numbers. Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing

date. Take note of any page numbers (if available). Date you accessed the material. URL (if required, or for your own personal reference).

Citing An Entire Website

Editor, author, or compiler name (if available).

Name of Site. Version number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access.

(Remember to use n.p. if no publisher name is available and n.d. if no publishing date is given.)

A Page on a Website

For an individual page on a Web site, list the author if known, followed by the information covered previously for entire Web sites.

Remember to use n.p. if no publisher name is available and n.d. if no publishing date is given.

"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow.com. eHow, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2009.

An Image (Including a Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph)

If the work is cited on the web only, then provide the name of the artist, the title of the work, the medium of the work, and then follow the citation format for a website. If the work is posted via a username, use that username for the author.

Brandychloe. "Great Horned Owl Family." Photograph. Webshots. American Greetings, 22 May 2006. Web. 5 Nov. 2009.

More Help with Documentation

A great site to visit is the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue. All the rules you need to know are listed there.

You can also use the MLA Handbook. The library has a copy.

You can also use sites like easybib.com and citationmachine.net to help you create your citations and Works Cited page.

Documentation

Since your project will be presented in a powerpoint, you will need to cite the sources you used at the bottom of each page.

You will have a final slide that lists all of your sources in alphabetical order by the author’s last name or the title, if no author is given.

The title of this final slide should be “Works Cited.”

Basic Rules for Works Cited

Label the page Works Cited (do not italicize the words Works Cited or put them in quotation marks) and center the words Works Cited at the top of the page.

Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.

Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations five spaces so that you create a hanging indent.

List page numbers of sources efficiently, when needed. If you refer to a journal article that appeared on pages 225 through 250, list the page numbers on your Works Cited page as 225-50.

For every entry, you must determine the Medium of Publication. Most entries will likely be listed as Print or Web sources, but other possibilities may include Film, CD-ROM, or DVD.

Conventions for Works Cited

Capitalization and PunctuationCapitalize each word in the titles of articles,

books, etc., but do not capitalize articles (the, an), prepositions, or conjunctions unless one is the first word of the title or subtitle: Gone with the Wind, The Art of War, There Is Nothing Left to Lose.

Use italics (instead of underlining) for titles of larger works (books, magazines) and quotation marks for titles of shorter works (poems, articles)

Works Cited

Listing Author NamesEntries are listed alphabetically by the

author's last name (or, for entire edited collections, editor names). Author names are written last name first; middle names or middle initials follow the first name:

Burke, KennethLevy, David M.Wallace, David Foster

Creating Your Powerpoint

Include a title slide with the names of your group members and the title of your project.

Include graphics (pictures) that are appropriate for your topic.

Don’t put too much information on a slide. Can someone in the back of the classroom read your slide?

Don’t rely on “copy and paste.” Paraphrase the information and cite your source.

Don’t use animations that distract your audience.

Outside Component of the Project & Groups

Every project has an outside component that must be completed. Make sure you discuss this with your group and decide who is responsible for completing what.

Choose your group wisely. Will your group members work together to get the project done and on time?

(You will probably need to get together outside of school for some projects.)

The Presentation

Your project should have a smooth, flawless presentation.

Practice by going through the presentation several times. Who will present each slide? How do you pronounce unfamiliar words? Do you know the definition of every word in your project? If not, find out!

Proofread for spelling and grammatical errors!!

Each member of the group should take part in presenting the project.

Distractions

Don’t forget to introduce your group and topic.

Try to avoid saying “um, and, er, like” when you are presenting. It distracts your audience.

Try not to laugh and giggle when you are nervous.

Don’t get nervous! We are genuinely interested in what you have to say.

Don’t argue during the presentation about who will present each slide. Practice beforehand!

Speak up so we can hear you in the back of the room.

The Audience

DO NOT TALK DURING SOMEONE’S PRESENTATION!!!!

Save questions until the end.Tell me at least one thing you learned from

each presentation.Think about how to improve your own

presentation and delivery.Don’t criticize your peers.