Lesson Plan: Annotated Bibliographies
English
Objective
To prepare students to write annotated bibliography entries
Total Estimated Time
50 minutes
Work Completed Before Class
Students have written research proposals and met with a reference librarian to discuss their research. For this class, students have read a critical article on the text we are reading.
In Class
There is a PowerPoint presentation that goes along with this lesson plan.
- Slide 1: Go over the elements of an annotated bibliography entry (5 minutes)
- Slide 2: Show students a sample annotation and ask them to map out what the author is doing in the entry. (5-10 minutes)
- Slide 3: Discuss the elements of a good annotation (clear distinction between summary and evaluation; smooth transitions; concise writing). (5-10 minutes)
- Ask students to work with a partner to write an annotation for the critical article they read for class today. They should discuss the three elements (the article’s subject, its argument, and their evaluation) and then write 1-2 sentences for each. (10 minutes)
- Slide 4: Ask one pair to write their annotation on the blank slide and have the class discuss. Did everyone agree with their statement of the article’s argument? Their evaluation? Revise together. (10 minutes)
- Slide 5: For our assignment, students were asked to write full annotations for some entries and one-sentence summaries for others. Show them a sample one-sentence summary and ask students to write their own. If there is time remaining, use the final slide for one or more students to share their sentences.
Lauren Holm and John Plotz
Developed at Brandeis University through a grant from the Davis Educational Foundation
Faculty Spotlight
"I could not believe how effectively my colleagues had designed classes with a series of linked short writing exercises, culminating in a single longer piece of writing that was almost woven out of those bits and pieces. It's changed how I design both undergraduate and graduate classes."
Professor John Plotz