Resource(s) to teach MLA and APA

[Shelydon]

I am teaching a couple of writing classes this year.  For my middle school group, I want to introduce the concept of works cited using MLA.  For 9th grade, I want to teach how to use MLA, then APA so the students have a good grasp of both.    Any preferred resources?

[Farrar]

Purdue Owl. And they have videos as well. And they link to a good citation generator.

I usually don't start by having kids do the whole thing at once. As in, I have them do a works cited for a presentation or powerpoint type assignment. Then for a paper but without in text citations. Then finally for a paper with in text citations. I personally would pick one to teach and just tell them others exist and show them that they're different. But that's just my own take. 

[Lori D.]

Yes, OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue is very helpful. I've found that since it's written to college students, it can be a bit "thick" for some of my middle schoolers (and some high schoolers), however.

Some quick resources you can download/print:
- Lakeside Schools: pdf MLA Style Guide for Middle School -- note, this is old (2008), and MLA is now in the 8th edition, so some changes to what needs to go into the works cited page
- Sharon Watson: In Text Citations Tutorial -- free article from the Jump In & Power in Your Hands writing program author

Or, pay & download:
- Teachers Pay Teachers - may have something that's a good fit for what you're looking for


I start with having them practice putting the first few short assignments into MLA format (heading, line spacing, margins, type face, etc.).

Then we plagiarism and what to cite -- both quotations, but also anything from a source and rewritten in your own words. We practice in-text citations (also called parenthetical citations, since they go in parentheses right after the info from a source), and then do a short assignment practicing in-text citations.

Then we learn about the Works Cited page. I describe it as a set of train cars that you fill with a different type of information for each train car. You fill as many train cars as you can for the type of source. If you can't find a piece of information about the source, then you "shunt that train car to a side track" and move the next train car to be filled up and fill it with the information about the source. We practice with a few in class activities.

After that, I introduce them to Citation Generator websites -- but remind them that they need to FIRST understand what information about the source they need to collect (hence, the "train car" model), otherwise they won't have the info they need to input into the citation generator, OR, they won't understand how to use the citation generator.

Finally, we put it all together with a 5-8 paragraph (2 pages roughly) informational essay on a topic, where I require at least 3 different sources, and at least 1 must be a print source and at least 1 must be an online source.

So, I am spreading out the process (along with other writing topics) across most of a semester at a co-op class that meets 1x/week.

[Shelydon]

13 hours ago, Farrar said:

Purdue Owl. And they have videos as well. And they link to a good citation generator.

I usually don't start by having kids do the whole thing at once. As in, I have them do a works cited for a presentation or powerpoint type assignment. Then for a paper but without in text citations. Then finally for a paper with in text citations. I personally would pick one to teach and just tell them others exist and show them that they're different. But that's just my own take. 

 

11 hours ago, Lori D. said:

Yes, OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue is very helpful. I've found that since it's written to college students, it can be a bit "thick" for some of my middle schoolers (and some high schoolers), however.

Some quick resources you can download/print:
- Lakeside Schools: pdf MLA Style Guide for Middle School -- note, this is old (2008), and MLA is now in the 8th edition, so some changes to what needs to go into the works cited page
- Sharon Watson: In Text Citations Tutorial -- free article from the Jump In & Power in Your Hands writing program author

Or, pay & download:
- Teachers Pay Teachers - may have something that's a good fit for what you're looking for


I start with having them practice putting the first few short assignments into MLA format (heading, line spacing, margins, type face, etc.).

Then we plagiarism and what to cite -- both quotations, but also anything from a source and rewritten in your own words. We practice in-text citations (also called parenthetical citations, since they go in parentheses right after the info from a source), and then do a short assignment practicing in-text citations.

Then we learn about the Works Cited page. I describe it as a set of train cars that you fill with a different type of information for each train car. You fill as many train cars as you can for the type of source. If you can't find a piece of information about the source, then you "shunt that train car to a side track" and move the next train car to be filled up and fill it with the information about the source. We practice with a few in class activities.

After that, I introduce them to Citation Generator websites -- but remind them that they need to FIRST understand what information about the source they need to collect (hence, the "train car" model), otherwise they won't have the info they need to input into the citation generator, OR, they won't understand how to use the citation generator.

Finally, we put it all together with a 5-8 paragraph (2 pages roughly) informational essay on a topic, where I require at least 3 different sources, and at least 1 must be a print source and at least 1 must be an online source.

So, I am spreading out the process (along with other writing topics) across most of a semester at a co-op class that meets 1x/week.

Thanks!  I'll check all these out.  My goal is to go slowly, but make sure they have a solid grasp by the end of the year.

[Kassia]

I was also going to recommend OWL.  🙂

[Lori D.]

53 minutes ago, Shelydon said:

Thanks!  I'll check all these out.  My goal is to go slowly, but make sure they have a solid grasp by the end of the year.

👍 Same goal here, and that "slow and steady" works great.

I have found that I've had to create my own materials and in-class activities, pulling from resources I research and find online. No one resource seems to be an ideal fit for students... And, every class of students is a bit different and has different needs. All that to say -- give yourself permission to tweak as-needed any resource you find -- or even just create your own from your research! 😄 

[ScoutTN]

My 11th grader learned MLA first, until she was thoroughly comfortable with it.

This year she is getting an overview of both APA and Chicago/Turabian, so she will have seen them and used them before college. I think they are easier to learn by comparison, when MLA is firmly established.

❤️ OWL

[Aloha2U]

MLA Handbook

(7th Edition)

https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Gibaldi-Handbook-Writers-Research/dp/B008WDLBR8/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=MLA+Handbook+7th+Edition&qid=1631050854&s=books&sr=1-3

[Lori D.]

17 hours ago, Mom21 said:

MLA Handbook (7th Edition)...

While the differences are not huge, there ARE some differences been 7th and 8th edition MLA formatting in full citations that are enough to teach the 8th edition rather than the 7th. The big difference is that 8th edition seeks to streamline, so it is easier to create, and easier to read.

Also, 8th edition has been around long enough (2016) that it will be what is expected when high school students go to college, so why not just start them off with the current formatting rather than with an older edition of formatting, so that students only have to learn MLA once... JMO. 😉 

This pdf lists the differences between 7th & 8th editions, with examples. It looks like the 8th edition also includes a lot of updated and expanded info on various topics about writing papers.


ETA

AND... in looking for a link to the 8th edition book for people, I just discovered that MLA came out with a 9th edition this past spring. So toss out my above post, LOL. At least partially toss. 😉 

Looks like the only changes in citations come with certain electronic sources, so the rest remains the same. Here's a quick article on the changes from 8th to 9th editions. It looks like the 9th edition otherwise includes info on inclusive language (re: ethnicity, religion, and gender).

Edited September 8, 2021 by Lori D.