Famous British Authors

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An introduction to your research project English 4 Mrs. Guerrero Librarian Mrs. Stout

This PowerPoint will introduce you to three famous British authors and examples of his/her writing. As you are learning information about each author, please write down three interesting things about each author. Also, write down one question you have about each author. After viewing the PowerPoint, your tasks will be to:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Choose an author that interests you. Begin your research. Use print sources to locate information and take notes. Use databases to locate information and take notes Use internet sources to locate information and take notes Create a PowerPoint with ten slides on your British author.

We will now begin with the introduction of our authors . Drum roll please .

To be, or not to be, that is the question:

Click on the author who wrote this famous quote A. Charles Dickens B. J.K. Rowling C. William Shakespeare D. Jane Austen

That famous quote was written by William Shakespeare

Every man is surrounded by a neighborhood of voluntary spies."

Click on the author who wrote this famous quote. A. Charles Dickens B. Jane Austen C. Mary Shelley D. HG Wells

That famous quote was written by

Jane Austen
Jane Austen lived in England from 1775 1817. Austen s novels are widely read in schools and have been made into numerous movies and television episodes. She never married nor had children. Four of her novels were published during her lifetime and two of her novels were published after her unexpected death.

Look at the following website ..

http://www.janeausten.org

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
Click on the author who wrote this famous quote.

A. Charles Dickens B. J.K. Rowling C. H.G. Wells D. Mary Shelley

That famous quote was written by Charles Dickens.

Charles Dickens lived in England from 1812-1870. At the age of 12, Charles was forced to begin working to support the family after his father was imprisoned for debt. Some of his popular novels are A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist.

Charles Dickens had an interesting biography. Make sure you have your notes with details about his life.

You have now explored some information about three famous British authors. Your job now is to select an author to research further. Will you choose . William Shakespeare Jane Austen Charles Dickens

Locating information in print sources ..

Taking notes - everyday

You will read the information about your author and begin to take notes. Look for information about your author s early life (where they were born, where they lived, information about their family, and education). Continue with information about their career and if they were married and had children. What works did they write? Where did they live? Finally, look for information about the end of their life. When and how did they die. Where are they buried. Your information should not be copied word for word. This is plagiarism. Anything that you feel is necessary to include word for word, you must include quotations marks and cite your source!

Using print sources Day 2

I have pulled books from the nonfiction and biography section for you. You may find a book that is entirely about your author. You may also check the Encyclopedia of World Biography s located in the Reference section. Use the index to locate your author. You will begin looking in print sources tomorrow. Please continue reading through the PowerPoint.

Citing your sources .

We will be using the MLA format to cite your sources. Every book that you use, you must find the appropriate citation information. Look at the following websites for citation tips and help:
www.bibme.com (put in your information and it formats it for you)

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ If you have questions, please ask for help.

Online Databases Day 3

Our school has access to several online databases. These databases contain articles that are reliable resources to use for research. By using these resources, you will not have to decide if the information you are reading has been written by a credible author. The next two slides will instruct you on how to log on and locate information.

EBSCO This database is specifically designed for students in high school. Search the database by different sources such as: magazines, newspapers, biographies, etc. Also included is an online dictionary and encyclopedia. Great resource for your research topics! Steps to Log-in: Go to www.sweenyisd.org Go to the schools tab and then to Sweeny High School Go to the Student resources tab then library Look for the list of Resources and click on EBSCO User ID sweeny Password lib Searching is simple type in your topic or search by subject. You are only a few clicks away from finding your answers!!

Facts on File Facts on File has been a reputable resource for school libraries for many years. Steps to Log-in: Go to www.sweenyisd.org Go to the schools tab and then to Sweeny High School Go to the Student resources tab then library Look for the list of Resources and click on EBSCO User ID sweeny Password lib You can browse articles and images or type in the topic you are researching. Super fast super easy!

You will use the databases on day 3 of your research. I will provide you with a database tip sheet. Log in information will be included on the tip sheet.

Internet sources Day 4

Many times we use Google to locate information for answers to our questions. However, your results may surprise you. Not all websites are reliable resources. It is important to check the author of the website, the last time the website was updated, and the purpose for the website. Be aware that professional looking websites, may not be. Anyone can create a website. Always do some detective work. In order to save us time, we will use a reliable search engine www.sweetsearch.com. This search engine is designed for students. All of the articles have been read and approved by librarians and other educators. Let s check it out www.sweetsearch.com! Click on SweetSearch Biographies and type in William Shakespeare, Jane Austen or Charles Dickens.

Reminder .
Day 1 view the PowerPoint to learn some background information on authors, print sources, databases, internet sources and citing your information. Day 2 Use print sources to find information on your author (books have been placed on a cart for quick retrieval) Day 3 use databases to locate information on your author (tip sheet with log on information will be provided) Day 4 use internet sources to locate information on your author (use www.sweetsearch for your search engine) Day 5 7 work on PowerPoint presentation (10 slides with information about your chosen author I will provide more details on Day 5) Take notes each day Cite all of your resources

Bibliography

Lucky World Production, LTD.. (1995). Famous Authors: William Shakespeare: 1564-1616 [Full Video]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/ Lucky World Production, LTD.. (1997). Who Is Jane Austen? [Video Segment]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/

Lucky World Production, LTD.. (2004). The Fame of Charles Dickens [Video Segment]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/ Perdue, David. (2010). David Perdue s Charles Dickens page. Retrieved from http://charlesdickenspage.com/ www.janeausten.org http://robertarood.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/charles-dickens.jpg