MLA Works Cited mastery + dash-colon distinction

Quick-write: in your source-portfolio, which sources need which MLA templates? Name them.

• Affirm source-type identification
• Connect: today MLA mastery + new dash-colon distinction

Today: MLA Works Cited at MASTERY (carrying from G8-fall) AND the new DASH-COLON distinction. MLA first. You learned 6 source-type templates in G8-fall (book / scholarly article / journalistic article / website / interview / video-multimedia). Today they return as mastery — apply quickly and correctly to your source-portfolio. Now: dash and colon. Look at MG-5. The em-dash (—) INTERRUPTS or EMPHASIZES. Use for parenthetical aside, sharp contrast, or sudden amplification. EXAMPLES: 'The research — careful and slow — shifted my thinking.' (paired, parenthetical) / 'Adichie's argument is clear — and devastating.' (single, emphatic). The colon (:) SETS UP what follows. The colon promises elaboration, definition, or list. EXAMPLES: 'The capstone demands three things: research, voice, and revision.' (list) / 'Audience-mapping has one principle: register follows audience.' (definition). The distinction matters: dash interrupts; colon promises. Use both deliberately in your capstone. This is a high-mark style move — readers and graders notice. Also: don't confuse em-dash (—) with en-dash (–) and hyphen (-). Three marks, three jobs. The em-dash is the punctuation mark; the en-dash is for ranges ('pp. 14-18'); the hyphen is for compound words ('audience-aware').

• Comma would be too quiet for the setup. Dash would suggest interruption, which isn't the meaning.

  model COLON — because what follows ELABORATES on 'one rule.' The setup-and-deliver rhythm serves the meaning.

  prompt Choose dash, colon, or comma: 'The capstone has one rule [?] sustain register across the full piece.'
• Paired dashes give the aside more weight than parens. Choose for emphasis level.

  model PAIRED DASHES — parenthetical aside with emphasis. Commas would also work but quieter; parentheses would be quietest.

  prompt Choose dash, colon, or comma: 'The research [?] careful and slow [?] shifted my thinking.'
• Personal interviews are valuable primary sources for civic-audience capstones. The MLA template is short — three elements.

  model INTERVIEW template: 'García, María. Personal interview. 15 March 2026.' Note: interviewee last-name first; 'Personal interview' (or specify if telephone/email/Zoom); date in MLA format.

  prompt Format Works Cited for an interview: 'Interview with Dr. María García conducted by you on March 15, 2026.'

• Pair-share: in your source-portfolio, identify one source needing each: book template / scholarly / journalistic.
• Cold Call: state the dash-colon distinction in one sentence.

M-8-S-GR-06-A Chart

MG-5 anchor: dash and colon with rule-of-use, examples per mark, high-mark style explanation. Print-ready 11x17.

MG-5 Chart

Dash-colon distinction anchor (CCSS L.8.2.a deeper): 2-column card with rule-of-use, examples, and high-mark style explanation. DASH (—) — INTERRUPTS or EMPHASIZES. STRUCTURE: em-dash (—) between phrases or sentences; can be single (for emphasis at end) or paired (for parenthetical aside). EXAMPLES: 'The research — careful and slow — shifted my thinking.' (paired, parenthetical) / 'Adichie's argument is clear — and devastating.' (single, emphatic) / 'The capstone took 12 weeks — half a school year.' (single, amplifying). USE WHEN: a parenthetical aside is sharper than commas; a single phrase needs sudden emphasis; you want contrast or surprise. COLON (:) — SETS UP what follows. STRUCTURE: colon at end of complete sentence; what follows ELABORATES, DEFINES, or LISTS. EXAMPLES: 'The capstone demands three things: research, voice, and revision.' (list) / 'Audience-mapping has one principle: register follows audience.' (definition) / 'The hardest pass is the first: structure.' (emphasis-elaboration). USE WHEN: you are about to elaborate, define, or list what just preceded; the setup-and-delivery rhythm serves your meaning. THE DISTINCTION: dash interrupts/emphasizes; colon promises elaboration. Use both deliberately in your capstone. The DASH-COLON distinction is a high-mark style move — readers and graders notice the difference. Bottom rule: 'Em-dash for interruption or emphasis; colon for set-up-and-deliver. Choose deliberately.' Print-ready 11x17.

• Compose MLA 9th Works Cited entries for ALL your portfolio sources (4-5 sources). Apply hanging indent and alphabetization.

  scaffold MG-15 MLA 6-source-type card (G8-fall); citation-manager option (Zotero/NoodleTools)
• Take a paragraph from your G8-fall synthesis essay. Rewrite using ≥1 deliberate em-dash and ≥1 deliberate colon. Note rationale in margin.

  scaffold MG-5 dash-colon card; G8-fall essay portfolio

M-8-S-GR-06-B Chart

MG-15 anchor carryover with 6 source-type templates; hanging-indent example; alphabetization rule. Print-ready 18x24.

• Submit your Works Cited list (≥4 sources, MLA 9th, hanging indent).
• In your paragraph rewrite, mark and explain one dash and one colon.

• Restate: MLA at mastery; dash interrupts/emphasizes, colon sets up
• Preview lesson 7: audience-register adaptation + mentor capstones across 3 audiences

• Complete Works Cited list. Continue annotated reading log. Source-portfolio target: ≥5 sources by week 6.