Practice Makes the Perfect Works Cited (Resources Help Too!)

Importance of Citing Sources

  Common Core Standards indicate the importance of students being able to curate and cite sources:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.8

Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.8

Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and over-reliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

NCHS Library Works Cited Support

     NCHS teacher-librarians co-teach with classes during the research process. Teaching students to develop research skills, including creating a proper works cited, is a focused competency and supports standards-based learning. Teacher-librarians give feedback to students on how to correctly cite sources. Besides in-class support, the NCHS library provides different resources to meet students' diverse needs.   

    The NCHS library homepage has valuable, user-friendly resources that students can access 24/7.  Students have access to contacting a librarian for help both physically in the library and in the virtual library during school hours. Simply click on the words Virtual Library to contact a librarian during school hours. 

      There are tutorials and sample citations in a citation resource guide that students can access online on the MLA Help Page. 

                                                              

                                                             

Students can also use a checklist that has live links to resources to check their works cited.

 Works Cited Checklist Tutorial Link

Criteria	Yes	No
I have watched the video on how to format. Video  (hanging indents, Times New Roman Font, Size 12, double spaced)
I have put my citations in alphabetical order.
I have accessed the sample document to check YouTube, NPR (National Public Radio), TEDx Talk entries, or a blog or opinion piece. SAMPLE document
I have double-spaced all my entries even the first citation to the heading. (I do not have spaces that are bigger than double-spaced.)
I have removed the https:// from the URL.
I have not repeated the publisher if it is the same as the container. Ex: The New York Times,
I have lower-cased the word in. Gale in Context: World History
I made sure the titles of articles are properly capitalized.             capitalizemytitle.com and Click MLA 8.
I have written dates of publication correctly: 09 Dec. 2020,
I have abbreviated months correctly. (Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.) May, June, and July are not abbreviated.
11. I have checked for errors in database citations:       Titles are properly capitalized.       https:// are removed.       Dates are written properly.
12. My website containers match the url address. Container: Wall Street Journal www.WSJ.com/articles/global-stocks-edge-up-ahead-of-fed-policy-decision-11580293546.
13. I made sure links to url addresses are not live (blue).
14. I have a period at the end of each citation.
15. I have included a variety of sources.

Creating a works cited doesn't have to be laborious when there are resources and librarians as a support system. It is a skill that will be valuable in students' academic endeavors.