Shiri Huber

Lesson plan: Engaging sources

Objective: For students to be able to successfully engage their sources in
their future papers. This means that when sources are written about in their
essay, they are written about in a way that adds relevance to what they are
talking about, has enough analysis, and is connected enough to the writing
that is around it. Students should understand that writing a successful paper
does not mean simply dropping as many quotes or sources in as possible,
but it means using sources to build a powerful argument, or explain someone
elses point deeply, or to add credibility to what the writer is saying.
Materials: Computer
How to integrate sources document (relevant sections written at end of
section and attached in full with this lesson plan)
Projector
Google Doc/Word document with two paragraphs that have bad integration
of quotes (sample at end of lesson plan and linked below)make sure font is
big enough and formatted on computer in a way that it can be seen by entire
class
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1phfzARZJemHdygtKrqQIhnv7_szypdZu
eCQuIpLXeOA/edit?usp=sharing
Time estimate: 15.5 minutes
Outline of lesson:
I. Introduce the importance of engaging sources- quoting sources is the
backbone of your paper, rather than just something you have to check
off as done from the rubric. The purpose of this lesson plan is to make
sure you all have a grasp on source integration, especially because this
is a common problem that students have. (30 sec total)
II. Go over Integrating Sources document (5 min total)
a. Before scrolling down to actual text of document (which has the
answers), ask students what the three ways are of integrating
sources into your writing (answer: summarizing, paraphrasing,
and quotes). Scroll down and show these three categories.
b. Ask students: in what purpose should you use each method?
Briefly summarize the tips that the Integrating Sources document
makes about quotes
III. Activity using badly written paragraphs (10 min total)
 a. Tell students to group up into groups of four. Split the room in
halfone half reads the top paragraph; other half reads the
bottom paragraph.
i. Ask class: what is wrong with how these paragraphs
integrate their sources? Discuss both how the
quotes/sources are paraphrased or quoted, as well as how
the sources are actually analyzed (5 min)
b. Share as a class. Go to each group and ask: (make two rounds)
(5 min)
i. One thing you found to be wrong/poorly written/that stood
out to you, etc.
ii. A piece of advice you have about integrating sources
based on what weve discussed today
Method of assessing the objective: what students comment in class/whether
or not they can point out the major features of successful source
engagement
Reflection: Overall, this was a successful lesson plan. If I had to revise
further, I would figure out some better way of presenting the information
found on the integrating sources document, because most of it is
irrelevant. If I revised this lesson again, I would include the information on a
PowerPoint, or think of some engaging questions that could get students to
come to the same conclusions as the document. I knew the lesson plan was
successful because students were engaged in the activity and seemed to
enjoy picking apart the bad paragraphs, identifying unique problems with
the writing and the source integration. It was clear that students were aware
of the mistakes included in the paragraphs. Finally, my professor asked me to
send to her the paragraphs for future use, which confirmed the activitys
success.
Sample badly written paragraphs with source integration:
According to a study by Students for Salad, only 20% of students
actually take food from the salad bar. This study was created by having
people observe the salad bar for hours and try to determine how many
students ate there in contrast to how many students were in the diner at any
given time. Therefore, students are not eating very healthy. According to the
study, the cheesey broccoli makes up 60% of the vegetables that students
eat in the diner (Salad 45), leading researchers to conclude that students
were not getting the recommended amount of vitamins. Another study
conducted by the University of Maryland found that one in 35 plates of diner
food contained traces of a bug.

The topic of whether or not coffee is good for you has generated a lot
of debate. Many people say coffee just helps you stay awake. For example,
99% of coffee users reported feeling jittery after drinking a Frappuccino
(Smith 3). Thus, coffee definitely helps you stay awake. However, others say
that coffee is bad for your sleep schedule: there are two main reasons why
coffee keeps you up: the caffeine and the sugar (John 5). Whether or not
people choose to drink coffee is ultimately up to them, but it is obvious that
they should take into account the consequences.
Parts used from Integrating Sources document:
Page 1
Generally speaking, there are three ways to integrate sources into a research
paper summarizing, paraphrasing and quoting. First, it is important to
understand the difference between these three things:
SUMMARY A relatively brief objective account, in your own words, of the
main ideas in a source or a source passage.
PARAPHRASE A restatement, in your own words, of a passage of text. Its
structure reflects (but does not copy) the structure of the source passage,
and may be roughly the same length as the passage, but does not use exact
wording.
QUOTE Using the exact words of a source.
You will want to summarize and paraphrase most often in your research
paper, using direct quotes sparingly. Putting source material in your own
words shows readers that you have a true understanding of that material.
Also, to restate in your own words the full meaning of a phrase or passage
helps readers understand difficult, complex, jargon-riddled or ambiguous
passages. Such passages, if quoted, will still require extensive explanation in
order to be understood.

Page 4
TIPS FOR USING DIRECT QUOTES
1. Always have a good reason for using a direct quote. Otherwise,
paraphrase or
summarize.
2. Do not allow quotes to speak for themselves. Your research paper is
ultimately about
communicating YOUR IDEAS. Your research simply helps prove or support
those ideas. So, you should not just string other peoples ideas together
giving quote after quote.
3. Always make sure you provide an analysis of the quote. Show your
readers that you
understand how the quote relates to your ideas by analyzing its significance.
4. Do not use quotes as padding. This is related to tips 1, 2 and 3. Very long
quotes will require
long explanations of their significance. If quotes do not have adequate
analysis, readers will feel that
you dont have a grasp on what that quote means, and they also might feel
that you are using quotes as
filler to take up space.
5. Extract those parts of the passage that need quoting, and integrate quotes
smoothly into your text. Following are some ideas on how to do this:
Avoid wordy or awkward introductions to a quote:
In Simone de Beavoirs book The Coming of Age, on page 65 she states, The
decrepitude
accompanying old age is in complete conflict with the manly or womanly
ideal cherished by the
young and fully grown. OR
In The Coming of Age, Simone de Beavoir contends that the decrepitude
accompanying old age
is "in complete conflict with the manly or womanly ideal cherished by the
young and fully grown" (65).
Choose your introductory verb carefully: If you want to use a neutral verb,
try using
these: writes, says, states, observes, suggests, remarks, etc. If you want to
convey and attitude or emotion try using verbs such as laments, protests,
charges, replies, admits, claims, etc.
Combine quotes with a paraphrase or analysis:
Original: Tania Modleski suggests that "if television is considered by some to
be a vast wasteland, soap operas are thought to be the least nourishing spot
in the desert" (123). Revised: In her critique of soap operas, Tania Modleski
argues that some view television as "a vast wasteland" and soap operas as
"the least nourishing spot in the desert" (123).
Use a few words of a quote for effect:
Example: As William Kneale suggests, some humans have a "moral
deafness" which is never punctured no matter what the moral treatment
(93).