Do you know what a works cited page looks like?

Using Microsoft Word to Generate a Works Cited List

I am NOT negating the appropriateness of using Microsoft Word to manage your citations, insert in-text citations, and generate a works cited list. The technology is impressive! I just want to make sure that you know what it is doing for you in case the technology doesn't work correctly.

Here is a link to a tutorial on using Microsoft Word to do you MLA citations and works cited page. It is helpful sometimes to see the pictures to help you through this process. This is also posted as a gift to those of you who missed class on the day we went over this in the computer lab.

MLA Works Cited Page

Although creating a Works Cited page and using the in-text citations on Microsoft Word is incredibly helpful, it's almost one of those things that is too good to be true in your case. As eighth graders, you're in the beginning stages of learning how to cite information that you use from other sources in your personal writing. You are just learning that you NOT ONLY need to cite direct quotes, but also information that you paraphrase and summarize from sources, whether they be books, articles, web pages, etc. This can be confusing, and I'm afraid that relying on Microsoft Word to do the work for you, is not the best option until you have some experience working with citations.

OWL at Purdue is an online writing lab that has up-to-date information on citing in MLA format. You will use this cite in high school and college, so it is important to take a look at it now.

OWL at Purdue MLA formatting Electronic Sources- Click on the link to look at citations (that will go on the Works Cited page) for electronic sources. We used several of these for this particular paper. When you print the Works Cited page from Microsoft Word, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make sure that the citations generated by Word appear the way they should according to MLA guidelines listed on this page.

OWL at Purdue MLA in-text citations (the basics)- Click on the link to go over what in-text citations look like and how they are used. Carefully read what to do when the author is unknown. I know many of you had sources without authors (Which is not considered to be typically credible, but is accepted on this particular assignment.), so you need to know how to cite that properly in your paper. The video in the previous post covered this topic as well.

How do I do in-text citations??

If you have finished drafting your argumentative essay, have created the Works Cited page (or bibliography), and are unsure as to how to include in-text citations, please click on the link to the following video to see a demonstration.

In-text Citations Video

*Note- You should pause the video throughout, so you can read the screen before she discusses it.
**Get HEADPHONES from Mrs. Morris, so you can hear the video.