Embedding Quotations in Research Papers - MLA and Writing Practice Activities

Students can ALWAYS use more practice when it comes to citing and embedding direct quotes in research papers. These stations are flexibly designed to give students the practice they need to level up blending MLA direct quotes.

WHAT THIS IS:

• Flexible!
• Consider this a big practice bundle, full of everything you can think of for integrating MLA direct quotes in research writing.
• You can use these as stations, but they are not intended to all be used in one day! Allow students to choose the skills they need to work on. Or, you choose for them! Use them as a whole class practice activity and then have students finish the exercises on their own or with a partner.
• Because of the amount of stations included, you can use these stations over the course of several days, or you can use them as needed.
• These stations are all editable! Change whatever you need to make this relevant for your students and your assignment.

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

• Station 1: choosing the best evidence to support your ideas
• Station 2: shortening direct quotes to flow with writing
• Station 3: summarizing a quotation that needs clarification
• Station 4: analyzing a quotation to add value to your ideas
• Station 5: blending a quote using commas and colons
• Station 6: formatting direct quotes in correct MLA style
• Station 7: sandwiching direct quotes into the paragraph
• Station 8: choosing strong verbs to introduce quotes
• Station 9: sorting direct quotations as correct or incorrect
• Station 10: reviewing quotation guidelines with task cards

EACH STATION HAS:

• A learning target
• A simple self-assessment rubric for students
• Directions (and several also have a quick reference page)
• Activity
• Answer Key

THE FORMAT:

• All of the activities for these stations are in Google Drive format (mainly Docs and Slides with a couple Google Forms). There are versions included for both digital and print use! Simply download the Google files as PDFs or PowerPoint files to print them.

• Types of activities include the following:
  • inserting research into an existing sample essay
  • identifying the parts of a quote that are most important to support a writer's ideas
  • evaluating the effectiveness and accuracy of a summarized quote
  • choosing the most effective analysis of a quote
  • using context from a source to introduce a quotation
  • manipulating required parts of a direct quote
  • annotating example research paragraphs to identify the required components
  • strong verb word wall and mini dictionary
  • sorting quotes based on correct and incorrect punctuation
  • task cards to review all of the learning targets in the practice bundle

WHAT THIS IS NOT:

• These practice exercises do not provide the direct instruction. They are intended to follow your direct instruction on research writing and MLA style. However, you can definitely use the resources included to deliver your instruction. Please note that presentations are not included.
• If you need direct instruction on MLA quotations, you can find the slideshow I use here: MLA Direct Quotations Lesson.

Sometimes, practice really does make perfect. If your students could benefit from some additional MLA quotation practice, this bundle will serve them well!

RELATED RESOURCES:

• The Writing Games! Engaging MLA Research and Writing Skills Dice Game
• Argumentative Research Paragraph Instructional Materials
• Plagiarism Mini-lesson

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