NFM - Nonfiction and MLA Format Module Overview

Introduction to Nonfiction and MLA Format Overview

Introduction

Nonfiction is all around us. Nonfiction is in the news, in biographies, in interviews, and even in textbooks. The purpose of nonfiction is to provide us with information. Nonfiction sources are excellent resources for researching and discovering even more information about a given topic. In this module, we will learn about nonfiction and the research process as it pertains to writing about nonfiction. We will learn about MLA (Modern Language Association) Format and how it is used in English courses. We will practice using MLA format in writing and researching. At the culmination of the module, we will research a nonfiction and/or current event, use resources, and MLA format to write about nonfiction.

Essential Questions

1. How is nonfiction different than fiction?
2. What nonfiction sources do I come in contact with on a regular basis?
3. Where do I find credible research resources?
4. How do I identify credible websites?
5. Why is using MLA format important in writing for English courses?

Key Terms

Your understanding of these terms will help you with the material in this module.

MLA Format: Guidelines from the Modern Language Association for formatting papers and documenting sources.

Nonfiction: Literature about real people, places, and events.

Autobiography: The story of a person's life, written by him or herself.

Biography: The story of a person's life, written by someone other than the subject of the work.

Lead: The beginning or introduction of a piece of writing. The lead establishes the direction your writing will take and grabs the reader's attention.

Transitions: Connecting words needed between paragraphs in writing.

Thesis: A short statement, usually one sentence appearing at the end of the introduction, that summarizes the main point or claim of an essay, research paper, etc., and is developed, supported and explained in the text by means of examples and evidence.

Topic Sentence: A sentence that expresses the main idea of the paragraph in which it occurs.

Introduction Paragraph: The first paragraph of an essay that introduces the main idea of the essay.

Body Paragraph: The main part of your essay or paper. Each body paragraph contains a topic sentence that tells readers what the paragraph is going to be about, supporting sentences that discuss the idea or ideas in the topic sentence using examples and/or evidence to support that discussion, and a concluding sentence that emphasizes the importance of the supporting examples or evaluates the connections between them.

Conclusion Paragraph: The final paragraph in the essay that provides a call to action and not a summary. The conclusion paragraph should give your readers something to think or discuss about the points in the essay.

Development Sentence: Occurs in the topic sentence after the body paragraph and provides a perspective that will allow for an understanding of the importance of the evidence that will follow --your opinion, though or idea regarding the topic.

Evidence: All words, ideas, facts or data from another source (other than the brain) that backs up the statements and opinions expressed --must be cited.

Analysis Sentence: Explains why the evidence is important and how it connects to the thesis -- do not restate or summarize the evidence.

Conclusion Sentence: Last sentence in the paragraph that carefully links the ideas that have been proven and provide the reader with some sort of critical evaluation of the overall importance of the argument.

Works Cited: A list of all source citations of the sources used in a piece of writing, on a separate page, usually presented at the end of the work, constructed in MLA format.

In-Text Citation: Sometimes called a parenthetical documentation, an in-text citation is a reference to a source incorporated within a piece of writing which refers to a Works Cited entry.

IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS