Seventh Grade · Writing · week 16

Building a Complete Works-Cited Page

Format a complete, accurate works-cited page listing every source used, in a simple, consistent citation style.

A works-cited page lists every source used in a report, in alphabetical order by the author's last name, or by the title or organization name when there is no individual author, so a reader can find and check any source. A simple, consistent format for common source types -- books, websites, and encyclopedia entries -- names the author (if any), the title, the publisher or website name, and the date or year.

This matters beyond just following a rule: a complete works-cited page lets a curious reader go deeper into the topic, and it is the final proof that a report's facts came from real, checkable places rather than guesswork.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Gather every source used throughout the whole project first -- website tabs, library books, encyclopedia articles -- before starting to format the list.
  • Model alphabetizing two or three entries together, since ordering by the author-or-title first word trips up many students the first time.
  • Double-check that every source cited IN the report also appears on the works-cited page, and nothing appears on the page that was never actually used.
  • Keep the citation format consistent across every entry -- pick one style and use it for all sources, rather than mixing formats.
Talk about it:
  • How many total sources does your works-cited page list?
  • Which source was trickiest to format correctly, and why?
  • Why does a complete works-cited page matter to a curious reader?

Mastery looks like: They produce a complete, correctly alphabetized works-cited page in a consistent format that matches every source actually used in the report.

Common stumbles: Leaving off a source that was actually used in the report; alphabetizing by the wrong word or leaving the list in random order.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Writing for this learner.
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