Name___________________________

Sixth Grade Academic Writing Packet

The Wesley SchoolMrs. Claus

MLA FormattingWhenever you turn in a typed paper, you must use the appropriate MLA formatting as well as

color-coding requirements from Mrs. Claus. This includes the following: ● Heading with: full name, teacher name, class (and period), due date● Last name and page # in on right side of header on each page (There is a setting for this on

your computer.)● Font: Times New Roman, size 12 point ● 1” margins all around● Lines are all double-spaced

● Title is centered and stated as the prompt of the assignment ○ All major words capitalized ○ Unless it is the first letter of the title, DO NOT capitalize the following parts of speech

when they fall in the middle of a title: ■ Articles (a, an, the - as in Under the Bamboo Tree) ■ Prepositions (e.g., against, between, in, of, to - as in A Dialogue between the

Soul and Body) ■ Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet - as in Romeo and Juliet) ■ The “to” in infinitives (as in How to Play Chess)

● Indent new paragraphs● Color coded (on final draft)● Color key (at bottom of final draft)

Your first and last name Claus 1

Mrs. Claus

English 6 – Period

Date (ex: 1 December 2016)

The Title Is Centered over the Text

You need to indent the first line of each paragraph in your essay. When selecting a font, please use

12 point Times New Roman. You also need to double-space your entire paper; this includes your heading

information. Highlight each section of your paragraph in a different color to help Mrs.Claus see your thinking.

Color Key:

Blue = Topic sentence

*Be sure your citations are also correctly formatted according to MLA requirements.

Six Rules of Academic Writing The following rules of academic writing must be followed any time you are writing for school. The only times you would not need to follow them are if directions tell you otherwise or if you are doing creative writing.

1. No contractions!● Example:

○ Wrong: Can't Right: Cannot○ Wrong: Shouldn't Right: Should not

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2. Write in present tense. *When writing about topics for a history assignment, you may use past tense since you are referencing historical events.

● Examples:○ Wrong: In Cinderella, the prince was very kind to Cinderella despite her poverty.○ Right: In Cinderella, the prince is very kind to Cinderella despite her poverty.

3. Write in third person.

● Use pronouns like "he, she, it, or they." - Do NOT use "I, me, my, you, yours."● Examples:

○ Wrong: I think Johnny is the most admirable character. ○ Right: Johnny is the most admirable character.

4. Avoid using vague language (stuff, things, good, a lot…)

● Example:○ Wrong: Johnny did some great stuff in the book.○ Right: Throughout the novel, Johnny accomplishes several goals and has a profound

impact on his friends. 5. Avoid using weak language in your argument (should, maybe, might…)

● Example:○ Wrong: Cinderella might want to leave her family for a new life.○ Right: Cinderella must consider the effect her family has had on her happiness and

make the choice to leave. 6.Show, don’t tell

● Examples:○ Wrong: Bob is a lazy man.○ Right: Bob likes to lounge in his pajamas with the remote stuck to his hand all day.

○ Wrong: This is important because it does good things.○ Right: This creation of tools is important because it encouraged hominids to defend

themselves against animals who may attack them.

Expository Paragraph FormatUse these steps to craft an analytical paragraph.

Topic Sentence (TOPS)TAG + main idea + claim to support main idea + SW (So what?)

TAG = Title, Author, and Genre (if writing about a work of literature)Main idea = main argument to answer topic questionClaim = reason your argument is validSW = So what? What is the consequence of your argument?

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Developing IdeaAnswering assumed “How?” or “Why?” questions about the TOPS.

Evidence and/or QuotationState evidence which will prove your argument.

If using a quotation make sure it is integrated and properly cited.

Inference or analysis of quotation.How does this evidence or quotation prove your TOPS? Thoroughly explain! Show, don’t tell!

Conclusion SentenceShows the significance and consequences of your ideas.

Thesis Statement Checklist

How do I know if my thesis is strong? When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following questions:

❑ Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question.

❑ Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it's possible that you are simply providing a summary rather than making an argument.

❑ Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like "good" or "successful," see

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if you could be more specific: why is something "good"; what specifically makes something "successful"?

❑ Does my thesis pass the "So what?" test? If a reader's first response to your argument is, "So what?" then you need to clarify your thesis by forging a relationship with it or by connecting it to a larger issue.

❑ Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. Change your working thesis to reflect what you have figured out in the course of writing. Always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.

❑ Does my thesis pass the "how and why?" test? If a reader's first response to your argument is "how?" or "why?", your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to the thesis statement to give the reader a better understanding of your position.

❑ Is my thesis statement the last sentence of my introduction? Remember that your introduction paragraph needs to establish the context and logic in which your thesis functions and makes sense!

Expository (Argumentative) Paragraph Writing

● When you want to prove your viewpoint on a topic, you create argumentative writing. This can also be called expository writing.● You have to argue a clear point and use evidence from your readings to prove your argument.● In the future, we will use quotations from our text as evidence to prove our points, but for now, we will just state and explain basic evidence from our studies.

Format of an Expository Paragraph:

1. Topic sentence (TOPS) - the main argument of the paragraph. State your argument using a main idea, claim, and consequence, ideally in one sentence.

● TAG = Title, author, and genre● must include a main idea (what) and claim (reason why)● So what? - What is the consequence or bigger issue it connects to?

Sample Prompt: Which Power Ranger is the best?

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TOPS example: The Red Ranger is the best Power Ranger because he has effective leadership skills which maintain safety and victory for his team. 2. Developing idea - Give support and background info on the main idea in the topic sentence.

● 2-3 sentences in length● Give a more well-rounded, general explanation of your topic sentence.● When thinking about this, ask yourself a “why” or “how” question about your topic sentence and answer the question as part of the developing idea. (ex: How do his leadership skills keep them safe?)

Example: The Red Ranger understands how his peers can work together as a team to overcome any obstacle. He consistently helps them get out of tough situations by guiding them in using their powers against their enemies’ weaknesses.

3. Evidence and/or Quotation - Prove the argument with specific evidence, examples, or quotations.● 1-2 pieces of evidence to prove your point● 2-4 sentences● *** After you state the evidence, you must explain how or why your evidence proves your TOPS! This is the most effective part of the paragraph! Example: For example, the Power Rangers often have to fight Goldar, an evil villain. When they do, the Red Ranger tells the Pink Ranger to use her amazing karate chops to distract Goldar while the Green Ranger can attack him from behind. This guidance allows the team to defeat Goldar without injuring anyone. 4. Concluding sentence - final sentence of the paragraph

● NOT a summary of the paragraph● proves the “so what?” of your argument● should show the meaning and/or consequence of your argument

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Example: The Red Ranger’s leadership continually holds the team together, creating a strong, united force against all evil. Sample Paragraph

The Red Ranger is the best Power Ranger because he has incredible leadership skills which maintain safety and victory for his team. The Red Ranger understands how his peers can work together as a team to overcome any obstacle. He consistently helps them get out of tough situations by guiding them in using their powers against their enemies’ weaknesses. For example, the Power Rangers often have to fight Goldar, an evil villain. When they do, the Red Ranger tells the Pink Ranger to user her amazing karate chops to distract Goldar while the Green Ranger can attack him from behind. This guidance allows the team to defeat Goldar without injuring anyone. The Red Ranger’s leadership continually holds the team together, creating a strong, united force against all evil.

Using Quotations in Academic Writing*When choosing a quotation, make sure it is meaningful and as brief as

possible while still helping to support your argument. Using a quote that is too long or not useful makes the reader feel you aren’t a skillful thinker!

* Remember that a quotation does not just mean dialogue from a character; it is any text written by someone else which you would now like to use in your writing.

When using quotations to prove your evidence, you must do the following:Step 1: Transition from your developing idea into the quote so that the reader understands the context of what is going on in the novel (ex: characters involved, conflict, time, place, etc).Step 2: Introduce the quote, then state the quote.Step 3: End the quote with an MLA citation of the page number (and author, if you are using sources other than the book of which your essay is based).

- Example: X claims, “Quote” (4).Step 4: Be sure to end with a period after the citation.

Introducing quotations (They say…)

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Do NOT just start a sentence with the beginning of the quote; introduce it by clarifying whose dialogue it may be or what actions are taking place.

*In the following examples, “X” represents a character or author’s name. ● When using dialogue or thoughts from a character or author:

○ X states/believes, argues, “__________” ( ). ○ According to X, “__________.”○ In X’s view, “__________” ( ). ○ X tells X that “__________” ( ).

Example: While spending Christmas together, Francis tells Scout that Atticus is “ruinin’ the family” (87).

● When describing actions or general information from text:○ X demonstrates this when he/she “______” ( ).○ X realizes that “______” ( ).○ X feels/notices/expresses/reminds the reader that “__________” ( ).○ Throughout the novel, X consistently believes that “_______” ( ).

Examples: Furthermore, when Scout and Jem are walking home from the pageant, they

hear a man “running toward [them] with no child’s steps” (264).

Cassie realizes that she and her brothers are “comical objects to cruel eyes that gave no thought to [their] misery” (35).

Explaining quotations (I say…)These statements should follow your quote and help you begin to show how your

quote helps to prove your argument.● This is important/matters because____(reasoning to prove thesis)_____. ● Overall, one can see/conclude that since___(cause)________, it caused

___(effect)____. ● Thus, ___(character or event’s actions)______caused___(effect)____which

resulted in__(consequence)____. ● Ultimately, this shows that if__(character’s action or event)____, then

__(effect)__ would have/have not happened because___________. ● Therefore, because of _____(action [cause])_____, _____(character’s actions

[effect])____ which eventually resulted in _(consequence)__.● Ultimately, what is at stake here is __(risk)__ which could result in _(possible

effect)____ if X does not _(action)___.

Example: Ultimately, this proves that if Mr. Jamison does not risk his life for the Logans, even though he has no real reason to, they could lose everything.

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*You will need more than one sentence to fully support your explanation. Consider using one of the suggestions above to begin your explanation, then continue to expand until you’ve fully proven your topic sentence.

Formatting Quotations● Use a comma to introduce a quotation after a standard dialogue tag or

introductory phrase.○ The detective said, "I am sure who performed the murder."

● If the quote ends in a question mark, place the question mark inside the quotes and then a period after your citation.

○ He asked his mother, “Are you listening?” (4). ● When using dialogue within a quote, use a single apostrophe around the

dialogue.○ “He said, ‘The mailman loves you.’ I heard it with my own ears.”○ “He took my hand and said in his quiet way: ‘Look out there, Cassie girl.’”

● If you need to change a word or pronoun to make the context of your quotation clear, use brackets around the word you changed.

○ “[Mama] had explained to [Little Man], as she had explained to Christopher-John the year before…” - replaced “She” and “him” with [Mama] and [Little Man]

Transitional Word and Phrases

*In most cases, these phrases should be followed with a comma.

To Add or Show Order

To Contrast(show differences)

To Give Examples or Intensify

To Show Cause or Effect

AgainAlsoBesidesEqually importantFinallyFirstFurthermoreIn additionFirstly/secondlyLastlyMoreoverNextStill

AlthoughHoweverYetButAt the same timeDespiteEven soEven thoughIn contrastIn spite ofOn the other handRegardless of this

After allAn illustration ofFor exampleFor instanceIn factIt is trueOf courseTo illustrateSpecificallyTruly

As a resultThereforeBecauseConsequentlyOtherwiseHenceAccordinglySinceThusDue to the fact that

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To Repeat, Summarize, or Conclude

To Show Place To Show Time

ThereforeAll in allAltogetherIn other wordsIn shortOn the wholeAs a final pointGiven these pointsIn conclusionIt has been noted

Adjacent toabove/belowElsewhereFarther onNearbyOpposite to

AfterwardAt that timeEarlierBeforeFormerlyImmediatelyMeanwhilePresentlyShortlysimultaneously

Verb-O-RamaHow to show, say, and convey with pith and power

…without saying show, say, or convey.Figurative language and Imagery: Allusions, Symbols, Metaphors, Similes, Images

Suggest Connote Refer Allude Evoke Associate ProposeFrame Pertain Explore Represent Symbolize Connect ResembleEquate Parallel Reinforce Relate Conflate Compare MirrorExpand Translate Heighten Broaden Extend Bridge MergeDepict Reflect Impose Invoke Recur Imbue IllustratePoint Paint Describe Match Juxtapose Marry Capture

Characterization and Description

Reveal Imply Thicken Exaggerate Impose Emphasize DevelopEvolve Grow Achieve Fail Mature Decide LoseSense Risk Avoid Portray Crave Detest SucceedQuestion Deny Insist Resist Exude Protest LingerErr Recognize Achieve Negotiate Object Discover BuildAssume Find Gain Identify Perform Orchestrate PermitPlan Plot Profit Struggle Wrestle Implore Appall

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Plot, Narration, and Development

Heighten Intensify Ease Accelerate Complicate Address ImplicateInvolve Expand Disintegrate Affect Surprise Abbreviate CurtailPrecede Follow Erupt Explode Resolve Emerge ImproveAvoid Personalize Organize Predict Surmise Lead CreateConstruct Present Form Abate Fund Contribute ConvinceSelect Promote Protect Replace Save Define Advise

Irony and Argument

Complicate Problematize Imply Challenge Dismiss Nullify InflectImpugn Qualify Dismiss Question Reason Discuss AmendContest Rebuke Repudiate Insinuate Hint Critique InvestigateManeuver Prevent Substitute Deconstruct Divorce Lack Protest

Mixing and matching is not only permitted, but encouraged.

Writing-Commentary Codes

Use the codes below to understand Mrs. Claus and Mr. Eleftheriades’ assessments of your essay writing. Development: TS: Your thesis statement or topic sentence needs development or focus.

Q: Use a quotation to support your idea. E: Evidence from the text to support your claim or interpretation is needed. SUM: You are summarizing too much. Analysis of the text is needed. V: Vague or unclear. Clarify your point.EXP: Explain your reasoning more thoroughly. Why? How? D: Develop using more examples or by following your argument to the next logical step. A: More analysis is needed! Dig into the author’s image, language or device to explain the larger idea. SW: Your “so what” is not clear. What are the consequences of your thesis statement or topic sentence?U: Unnecessary information/ inconsistent details for your argument. !: Great point! Interesting observation! Sophisticated analysis! Strong articulation! Woohoo!

Organization TS: Thesis statement and topic sentences are missing or not in the right place. R: Repetitive. Develop your idea and extend it; don’t just repeat yourself.

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S: Synthesize! You’ve got related ideas here, how do they connect? Tie these points together! TR: You need a clearer transition here!

¶: Start a new paragraph here. Separate these ideas.→ Indent paragraph

Language and Mechanics SV: Subject-verb agreementSP: Spelling errorPA: Make sure your pronoun agrees with its antecedent and verb in number, gender, and case. RO: Run-on sentence

F: Fragment 3: No first or second person pronouns! Write in third person only! Verb!: A stronger verb is needed; see your sophisticated verb list. PR: Proofread your work! There are careless mistakes in punctuation or spelling here.

AWK: Awkward or weak wording of sentences. Clumsy articulation of point. W: Wordy. Make your language and argument more concise and pithy.

WC: Odd or ineffective word choice. Make sure you’re using sophisticated, academic language. T: Use present tense and/or active voice.

CIT: Citation is needed or the format of your citation is incorrect.

** Remember: All essays which scored below 85% may be rewritten. You must however schedule an appointment with Mrs. Claus to discuss your proposed revisions. No rewrites will be accepted without this meeting. Originals must be attached to rewrites, and submitted on or before the new assigned date within two weeks of the day the assignment was passed back. No late rewrites will be accepted.

Expository Writing Rubric

1 2 3 4 5Topic Sentence The topic

sentence is not an idea.

The topic sentence is an idea but it is

unclear.

The idea is clear but the language is not sophisticated.

There is no explanation as to

why the idea matters.

The topic sentence is informative, specific, with a clear focus as

well as a “so whatness” (why the

idea matters)Developing Idea Does not expand

on the topic sentence.

Expands on the topic sentence but is vague.

Expands on the topic sentence and

is an idea, but needs

development.

Expands on topic sentence and is

developed, but the transition is

choppy.

Expands on the topic sentence, is well

developed, and the transition is smooth.

Quotation The quotation does not prove

the topic sentence.

The quotation does not prove

the topic sentence and is

not cited.

The quotation loosely proves the topic sentence but is not integrated

or cited.

The quotation loosely proves the

topic sentence. It is integrated and

cited.

The quotation precisely proves the topic sentence and is integrated smoothly

and cited.

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Analysis of Quotation

There is no analysis or

connection to the quotation.

The analysis is a summary

paraphrasing the quotation.

There is some paraphrasing and

some analysis.

There is analysis but it needs further

developing.

The analysis closely analyzed the

quotation and connects it to the topic sentence.

Conclusion The conclusion is not relevant to the rest of the

paragraph.

The conclusion connects to the

rest of the paragraph but not

the topic sentence.

The conclusion vaguely connects

to the topic sentence

The conclusion connects to the

topic sentence but does not connect

to the “so whatness.”

The conclusion is clear and concise and

connects the main idea to the “so

whatness.”

Spelling, Grammar, and

Punctuation

The writing is too difficult to read

because of errors in spelling,

grammar, or punctuation.

There are are a distracting

amount of errors in spelling,

grammar, or punctuation.

There are many errors in spelling,

grammar, or punctuation.

There are some errors in spelling,

grammar, or punctuation.

There are zero or very few errors in spelling,

grammar, or punctuation.

Formatting Five or more of the formatting

requirements are not met.

Four of the formatting

requirements are not met.

Two-three of the formatting

requirements are not met.

One of the formatting

requirements is not met.

Writing is typed, color coded, and uses the

proper MLA formatting for the

heading, title, font, spacing, and margins.

Rough draft typed, edited by three peers, and revised: ______ / 10

Total: ______ / 45 = ______%

MLA Bibliography or Works Cited Handout

A works cited or bibliography is the list of resources that you used to research your paper or project. This list will be the last page of any essay, project, or book you write which included research. A bibliography page is created for 2 reasons: 1) to give proper credit to your sources and 2) to allow your reader to locate your sources. Your major objectives when creating a citation are to be accurate and complete.

The sources on your bibliography page must be listed alphabetically by the last name or first word of the entry. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you pay attention to the formatting and punctuation of each entry. Also, notice that the second line is indented. Important Notes for All Sources:· Titles of sources (books, journals, magazines, newspapers, etc.) are italicized, not underlined.· For every resource, give the medium (form) of publication as “Web,” “Print,” “CD,” “DVD,” “Radio,” “Television,” “Performance,” “E-mail,” or other appropriate medium.· For print and web sources that also appeared in print, use “n.p.” for no place of publication given and no publisher given; use “n.d.” for no date of publication given and “n. pag.” for no pagination given.· Give both volume and issue numbers in journal citations.· For MLA, all dates should be written with the day, month, then year. Example: 7 May 2015

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Common Print Resources Book by One AuthorAuthor Last Name, First Name. Title. Place of publication: Publisher, Copyright Date. Print.

Example:Jameson, George P. Ellis Island. New York: Icon Press, 2006. Print. Book by Two AuthorsAuthor Last Name, First Name and First Name Last Name. Title. Place of publication: Publisher, Copyright Date. Print.

Example:Smith, Henry G. and Betty Harmon. Freedom Rides. Chicago: Broad Shoulder Press, 2006. Print. Encyclopedia (NOTE: The author is usually listed at the end of the article. If an author is not listed, begin the entry with the title of the article.)Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Name of Encyclopedia. Edition Year. Print.

Example:Franz, Charlene. “Goat.” World Book. 2006 ed. Print. Newspaper ArticleAuthor Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Newspaper Name Date: page(s). Print.

Example:Blake, Terry. “Attack in Bagdad: Two Marines Dead.” The Plain Dealer 20 July 2006: A1. Print.Magazine ArticleAuthor Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine Date: page numbers. Print.

Example:Thomasson, Ronald. “Salt Mines of Lake Erie.” Cleveland Magazine 15 May 2004: 23-25. Print. Common Non-Print Resources (Electronic/Computer) Database ArticlesAuthor Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Periodical Date: Page(s). Name ofDatabase. Web. Date of Access

Example:Farley, Christopher John, and James Willwerth. "Happy Teen Walking." Time 19 Jan. 1998: 50.

Gale Group Databases. Web. 8 May 2012. Online Encyclopedia“Title of Article.” Name of Encyclopedia. Year. Name of online source. Web. Date of Access.

Example:“Whale Oil.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Web. 23 August 2012.

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* If you use Encyclopedia Britannica, the entry for each article can be found at the bottom of the webpage. If you don’t see it, ask for help locating it. Books (Web)

Author LastName, FirstName. Title of Book. Publication Location: Publisher, Year. Online Library or Retrieval Service. Web. Day month year of access.

Example:

Burnett, Frances Hodges. Little Lord Fauntleroy. New York: Scribner & Sons, 1866. Google Book Search.

Web.

29 Sept. 2009.

Book with an editor instead of author

Editor LastName, FirstName, ed. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date of Publication. Online

Library or Retrieval Service. Web. Day month year of access.

Example:

Perkins, Kathy E., ed. Black Female Playwrights: An Anthology of Plays before 1950. Bloomington, IN:

Indiana UP, 1990.NetLibrary. Web. 5 Jan. 2009.

Internet Website(Note: it is sometimes very difficult to find all of the information you need to make a proper citation for a website. Try to find as much information as possible.)

Author (if given). “Title of Web Page.” Title of Website. Date last updated. Name of Organization that sponsors the site. Web. Date accessed. *If you can’t find the author, leave it blank.*Title of web page means the certain page you are looking at within a bigger website. Title of website is the title of the homepage. Example: Website = World Wildlife ; Web page = “Pandas”*If you can’t find the date it was written, but you find the copyright year at the bottom of the page, write “c” before the year. Ex: c2014. If no date at all, write “n.d.”*If no sponsor (group or person who pays for and supports the site), write “n.p.” for no publisher. Example:“Hurricane Katrina.” CNN.com. Cable News Network, 2007. Web. 12 Apr. 2011.

VideoDirector’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Film. Production Company Name.Copyright Year. DVD. (or Film, Television, VHS, Web)

Example:

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Kent, Williams. Finding Harmony. 2003. Environmental Lecture Productions. 2003. DVD. ImageCreators Last Name, First Name. “Title of Image.” Type of image (photo, graphic, etc.).Website Title. Web. Access Date.

Example:Brown, Liz. “Galaxies.” Photograph. Amazing Space. Web. 13 May 2011.

Format of Bibliography or Works Cited· 1” margins· double spaced (every line!)· 12 pt. font· Times New Roman· If a source entry is longer than one line, indent every line after the first line.· Sources in alphabetical order· Title it appropriately – Is it being used as a works cited (sources you actually cited in your writing) or a bibliography (list of sources you read, whether you cited them in your writing or not). *See the example below

Bibliography

Brinkley, Douglas. The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. New

York: Harper Collins, 2007. Print.

“Hurricane Katrina.” CNN.com. Cable News Network, 2007. Web. 12 Apr. 2011.

“Hurricane Katrina.” Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Voices. Armonk, NY: Sharpe,

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2010. Credo Reference. Web. 29 May 2013.

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