Description
Updated for MLA 9th Edition! Teach students how to write in-text citations using MLA 9 with these scaffolding activities. Includes anchor charts with in-text citation examples! Suitable for online learning with digital worksheets for Google Classroom®.
Included with these In-Text Citations Worksheets for MLA 9:
- “Skeleton of a Citation” Reference Poster with MLA Citation Examples
- Anchor Charts for Parenthetical and Narrative In-Text Citations
- Multiple-Choice Questions: Formatting In-Text Citations – Digital & Print
- 4 Narrative In-Text Citations Practice Paragraph Worksheets – Digital & Print
- 4 Parenthetical In-Text Citations Practice Paragraph Worksheets – Digital & Print
- Tic-Tac-Toe Worksheet for In-Text Citation Activities – Digital & Print
- Answer Keys for all activities
- Teacher Instructions for using this resource
How to use these In-Text Citations Worksheets:
This resource includes eight scaffolding worksheets for MLA citations, each containing a paragraph that features either a parenthetical or narrative citation. These worksheets are designed to help students practice identifying in-text citations and understand how they function within a paragraph. For each worksheet, students must locate the in-text citation, analyze its placement and formatting, and then organize the points provided to construct a coherent, well-structured paragraph. This process encourages students to think critically about citation integration, helping them develop strong academic writing skills while reinforcing proper MLA citation practices. These In-Text Citations Worksheets provide a step-by-step approach to scaffold learning, making the complexities of citation formatting more accessible to students of varying skill levels.
Topics explored in this resource include:
- Wisdom Teeth Extraction – Understanding why this common dental procedure is recommended for young adults.
- Strength Training for Teens – Examining the benefits and potential risks of weightlifting for adolescent athletes.
- Urban Legends – Exploring the cultural significance of widely known myths and their psychological impact.
- Wet’suwet’en Solidarity Protests – Investigating the historical and political context of Indigenous land disputes in Canada.
- Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech – Analyzing the rhetorical devices and lasting impact of this historic speech.
- Advantages of Immigration – Discussing the economic and social benefits of immigration in various countries.
- And more! – A diverse range of topics ensures students engage with relevant, thought-provoking content while practicing in-text citations.
This selection of topics allows students to practice MLA citation skills while engaging with real-world discussions. By incorporating informational and argumentative texts, these In-Text Citations Worksheets give students a comprehensive foundation in citation formatting and source integration across different writing styles.
Completed paragraphs and highlighted in-text citations can be found in the answer key for this resource. The answer key serves as a reference guide that ensures students understand how correctly formatted citations should appear within their writing. Additionally, the highlighted citations make it easy to identify where and how citations fit naturally into an academic paragraph. This tool provides clear, accurate examples that reinforce MLA formatting guidelines and give students a model for structuring their own citations properly.
Also included in this resource is a set of multiple-choice questions that highlight important information regarding MLA 9 formatting for in-text citations. These questions focus on key citation rules, including the placement of in-text citations, punctuation, and handling of missing author names. The multiple-choice format allows students to self-assess their understanding of MLA citation rules and provides teachers with a quick way to gauge student progress. An answer key with explanations has also been provided, ensuring that students not only identify the correct answer but also understand the reasoning behind it. This helps reinforce concept mastery and allows for targeted corrections if misunderstandings arise.
To further support students in scaffolding in-text citations, anchor chart posters have been included in this resource. These visual reference tools provide a “skeleton of a citation” to illustrate the simplified structure of an MLA in-text citation. They also showcase examples of parenthetical and narrative citations, helping students visualize the correct format while learning how to implement citations effectively. These posters are ideal for classroom bulletin boards as a quick reference or can be distributed as individual student reference sheets. Whether displayed on a wall or kept in a student binder, these charts serve as a constant reminder of proper MLA citation rules, reinforcing student learning throughout the year.
This resource is inclusive and adaptable, making it accessible for English Language Learners, students with learning exceptionalities, and students reading at different Lexile levels. The Lexile range for these worksheets is 1010L – 1300L (Grade 9-12+), ensuring that students at varying proficiency levels can engage with the material. The Lexile levels are indicated in the answer key, allowing educators to differentiate instruction and tailor assignments based on individual student needs. By accommodating diverse learning styles, these In-Text Citations Worksheets create an environment where all students can succeed in mastering MLA citation skills.
Finally, a Tic-Tac-Toe worksheet has been provided to incorporate student choice and engagement. This interactive worksheet allows for flexibility in assignment selection, giving educators multiple ways to implement citation practice. Teachers can assign all paragraphs for structured practice, select specific worksheets based on student proficiency, or allow students to choose their own tasks by playing Tic-Tac-Toe. This game-based approach encourages active learning while keeping students engaged. I like to have students work with a partner to complete a line of three tasks, but they can also work independently by selecting and crossing out their own chosen tasks. By introducing an element of gamification, these In-Text Citations Worksheets transform citation practice into an engaging, student-centered activity that reinforces MLA formatting skills in an enjoyable way.
✨ Kindly note that due to copyright restrictions, this resource is not editable, except for the files specifically labelled as editable. This is a common practice within the online marketplace in order to protect the clip artists and software providers that have authorized their intellectual property for the development of this resource.
See what other teachers are saying about this In-text Citations Worksheets:
“This resource is phenomenal. The level of detail provided to scaffold this skill made it so much more approachable for my students. I work with primarily English Language Learners and they were really successful with this.”
– Vivian A.
⭒ For classrooms utilizing Google Classroom® ⭒
To access the digital version of these worksheets, simply follow the instructions within the resource to copy the files directly to your Google Drive®.
Verified owner
Beth H. (verified owner) –
Helpful resource.
Vivian A. (verified owner) –
This resource is phenomenal. The level of detail provided to scaffold this skill made it so much more approachable for my students. I work with primarily English Language Learners and they were really successful with this.
Katja W. (verified owner) –
Incredibly detailed! Would have never had the time to create this myself. Thanks for this!
Stefanie K. (verified owner) –
This resource had everything in one. I was able to use the lessons to teach as minilessons and the assessment to provide feedback quickly before we began writing our research papers. Thank you!
Priscilla S. (verified owner) –
These worksheets were very helpful, thanks!
Christian L. (verified owner) –
Amazing! Thank you.
Elizabeth L. (verified owner) –
This tool has some good worksheets and things in it. I haven’t gotten a chance to use everything, but it is very detailed.
Laurie K. (verified owner) –
These practice assignments were very helpful for my students!
Rafath H. (verified owner) –
Great worksheets for all of my students
Mindy L. (verified owner) –
This is a fantastic resource, and my students were highly engaged!
Mindy L. (verified owner) –
This is a fantastic resource, and my students were highly engaged!
Tracy W. (verified owner) –
Great resource. I used as review activities at the end of the year.
Tracy W. (verified owner) –
Great resource. I used as review activities at the end of the year.
Alana T. (verified owner) –
Loved this!!
Jeff W. (verified owner) –
My students loved the gamification aspect of this resource!
Zoe S. (verified owner) –
Super comprehensive worksheets and activities. I will continue to use this next year when I’m back in the classroom.
Eileen G. (verified owner) –
This is essential for teaching writing in my classroom. Thank you!
Tara M. (verified owner) –
Fantastic, thank you
Robert O. (verified owner) –
This helped my students’ supplemental work.
Lauren S. (verified owner) –
My students were motivated by the tic-tac-toe game and I used the remaining activities for extra credit on our assessment of this skill. Great resource!
Todd B. (verified owner) –
Great practice for writing in-text citations.
Kari C. (verified owner) –
After the lockdowns, this resource has been a solid starting point to reintroduce my students to MLA and citing sources.
Kari C. (verified owner) –
After the lockdowns, this resource has been a solid starting point to reintroduce my students to MLA and citing sources.
John A. (verified owner) –
A great addition to my research writing unit
Jennifer S. (verified owner) –
Terrific resource! Definitely a lot of options/possibilities with this resource. I am very happy with this purchase. Thank you.
Rolanda R. (verified owner) –
Great review/practice.
Carolyn K. (verified owner) –
Amazing! Thank you!!
Ashley N. (verified owner) –
A great resource to pair with my Research paper unit for Senior English. Used this as a reteaching tool after my assessment showed where the students needed more help.
Ashley N. (verified owner) –
A great resource to pair with my Research paper unit for Senior English. Used this as a reteaching tool after my assessment showed where the students needed more help.
Rachael K. (verified owner) –
I have been trying to find different ways to help my students understand citations without generators. This is perfect! In-text citations made easy!
Rachael K. (verified owner) –
I have been trying to find different ways to help my students understand citations without generators. This is perfect! In-text citations made easy!
Manar S. (verified owner) –
Fantastic!
Manar S. (verified owner) –
Fantastic!
Book Inspired Teaching (verified owner) –
Perfect review and practice for my 10th graders before heading into writing their research papers. Thank you!
Book Inspired Teaching (verified owner) –
Perfect review and practice for my 10th graders before heading into writing their research papers. Thank you!
Ms. J (verified owner) –
Excellent!
Ms. J (verified owner) –
Excellent!
Annelise C. (verified owner) –
This was an invaluable resource with my students as we moved away from strictly citing an quoting to “embedding” quotes into writing. Well worth it.
Annelise C. (verified owner) –
This was an invaluable resource with my students as we moved away from strictly citing an quoting to “embedding” quotes into writing. Well worth it.
S S. (verified owner) –
Great resource!
S S. (verified owner) –
Great resource!
Learning Listings (verified owner) –
great resource to help explicitly break down a skill
Kirstie M. (verified owner) –
Great resource for my 8th graders. Thank you so much!
Kirstie M. (verified owner) –
Great resource for my 8th graders. Thank you so much!
Ms. Kilpatricks (verified owner) –
This helped me prepare for teaching MLA 9 to my 10th graders and they enjoyed the activities as it made it easy to understand.
Ms. Kilpatricks (verified owner) –
This helped me prepare for teaching MLA 9 to my 10th graders and they enjoyed the activities as it made it easy to understand.
Stefani R. (verified owner) –
Extremely helpful for my students! Not all of them have the same background knowledge, so this is a great activity to help everyone get on the same page.
Sarah C. (verified owner) –
Citing is always a challenge to get students to remember. This resource was a good reminder and reinforcement to the how and why.
Sarah C. (verified owner) –
Citing is always a challenge to get students to remember. This resource was a good reminder and reinforcement to the how and why.
Onnika C. (verified owner) –
My students struggle to remember MLA format, and this was a wonderful, engaging way to help them with it!
Onnika C. (verified owner) –
My students struggle to remember MLA format, and this was a wonderful, engaging way to help them with it!
Brooke R. (verified owner) –
A great resource to help my students understand in text citations.
Brooke R. (verified owner) –
A great resource to help my students understand in text citations.
Karly M. (verified owner) –
My students loved using this in class! They were engaged and learned well through this activity!
Tracy B. (verified owner) –
Motivated my students to participate. Great resource.
Tracy B. (verified owner) –
Motivated my students to participate. Great resource.
Taylor W. (verified owner) –
I was able to use parts of this resource to add to my lesson on formatting.
Taylor W. (verified owner) –
I was able to use parts of this resource to add to my lesson on formatting.
Taylor S. (verified owner) –
Thanks for this! It got my usually quiet English class to interact with me and each other. We didn’t do the tic tac toe because I wanted to save some sheets for our 50 minute lab, but I can see how that would be great too.
Jeanette L. (verified owner) –
This resource was thoroughly explained and accessible to my students. LOVE!
Jeanette L. (verified owner) –
This resource was thoroughly explained and accessible to my students. LOVE!
SalazarsClassroom (verified owner) –
This is a great resource. It was easily understood. A great resource engaging resources.
SalazarsClassroom (verified owner) –
This is a great resource. It was easily understood. A great resource engaging resources.
ELA Chromebook Classroom (verified owner) –
I used this for my 9th English class. Students were engaged throughout the process.
ELA Chromebook Classroom (verified owner) –
I used this for my 9th English class. Students were engaged throughout the process.
Christopher M. (verified owner) –
This lesson is definitely useful. I was hoping it would go a little more in depth, but it definitely gets the job done. Thank you!
Christopher M. (verified owner) –
This lesson is definitely useful. I was hoping it would go a little more in depth, but it definitely gets the job done. Thank you!
Maria S. (verified owner) –
The resource was easy to use, streamlined the process, and made it easier on the students.
Maria S. (verified owner) –
The resource was easy to use, streamlined the process, and made it easier on the students.
Middle School Survival –
I enjoyed using this with my 11th graders. I was able to give them a hands-on activity for something that’s usually a bit dry and boring. They loved it!