7th Grade Language Arts

MIEL-Con 2014-2015

MIEL-Con Breakdown

Main idea: The point you want to prove. Introduction of Evidence: At what point in the

story/essay/poem does the quote you are about to use come in? Lead into the quote by BRIEFLY summarizing the situation. Only include details that are needed to understand the text you are quoting. Use a signal phrase to lead into the quotation.

Evidence: Use of direct quote(s) from the text (with MLA citation) that supports (help you to prove) your main idea.

Link: Link the evidence back to your main idea by analyzing what the quote means and why the quote is important. Don’t just trust the reader to “get” why the quote is important; explain clearly why and how this quote works to prove your point.

Conclusion: How does the evidence you have just used work to support your main idea? Make a statement that makes the connection between your main idea and your evidence clear.

MIEL-Con Breakdown

Main idea: The point you want to prove.

MIEL-Con Breakdown

Introduction of Evidence: At what point in the story/essay/poem does the quote you are about to use come in? Lead into the quote by BRIEFLY summarizing the situation. Only include details that are needed to understand the text you are quoting. Use a signal phrase to lead into the quotation.

MIEL-Con Breakdown

Evidence: Use of direct quote(s) from the text (with MLA citation) that supports (help you to prove) your main idea.

MIEL-Con Breakdown

Link: Link the evidence back to your main idea by analyzing what the quote means and why the quote is important. Don’t just trust the reader to “get” why the quote is important; explain clearly why and how this quote works to prove your point.

MIEL-Con Breakdown

Conclusion: How does the evidence you have just used work to support your main idea? Make a statement that makes the connection between your main idea and your evidence clear.

I-American Unit Question

How do race, family culture, and/or tradition affect identity of persons living in the United States?

MAIN IDEA statement needs to address the prompt clearly:

How do race, family culture, and/or tradition affect identity for characters in “My Mother’s Food”?

MAIN IDEA statement needs to address the prompt clearly:

How do race, family culture, and/or tradition affect identity for characters in “My Mother’s Food”?

The tradition of eating kim chee negatively affects the narrator’s sense of identity when she begins school in “My Mother’s Food.”

MAIN IDEA statement needs to address the prompt clearly:

How do race, family culture, and/or tradition affect identity for characters in “My Mother’s Food”?

The tradition of eating kim chee negatively affects the narrator’s sense of identity when she begins school in “My Mother’s Food.”

Be specific about the character’s race or the cultural tradition that affects identity.

How does it affect identity? Negatively or Positively?

Make sure to include the story title and other specifics in your main idea.

INTRODUCTION TO EVIDENCE should only provide information relevant to understanding your EVIDENCE.

At what point in the story does the quote you are about to use come in?

Your INTRODUCTION TO EVIDENCE should be about 2-4 sentences in length for a standard MIEL-Con paragraph, this will vary for longer MIEL-Con Analysis. Use the last sentence leading into the EVIDENCE.

INTRODUCTION TO EVIDENCE should only provide information relevant to understanding your EVIDENCE.

As part of your INTRODUCTION TO EVIDENCE you must use a signal phrase to lead into the quotation. Here are some common signal phrases: states, says, narrates, recalls, asks, wonders, exclaims.

Incorrect: In the text it says “Hamadi liked to use Spanish words.”

Correct: The narrator states, “Hamadi liked to use Spanish words.”

Evidence

The EVIDENCE that you choose needs to support your MAIN IDEA topic sentence.

In choosing your EVIDENCE, do not use dialogue between two people or a mixture of dialogue and narration.

MLA format

– Comma needed after the signal phrase– Parentheses are around the page number– Page number is written without “pg”– Period comes after the parentheses (not

inside the quotes)

MLA format Sample Signal Phrase:

The narrator feels that she has been punched in the stomach and states, “Though I liked the sharp taste of garlic and pepper biting my tongue, I stopped eating my mother’s food” (106). – Comma needed after the signal phrase– Parentheses are around the page number– Page number is written without “pg”– Period comes after the parentheses (not inside

the quotes)

LINK

Link the evidence back to your main idea by: 1. analyzing what the quote means 2. why the quote is important.

BUT…do NOT specifically say “this quote means” and “this quote is important because…”

Conclusion

Your CONCLUDING SENTENCE should succinctly restate the MAIN IDEA of the paragraph and summarize the EVIDENCE.

Do not use “I, you, your, my, me, mine, our, we,” when writing about literature.

In my opinion the tradition of eating kim chee negatively affects the narrator’s sense of identity when she begins school in “My Mother’s Food.” I think that eating kim chee was an important Korean cultural and family tradition for the narrator.

Do not use “I, you, your, my, me, mine, our, we,” when writing about literature.

Incorrect: In my opinion the tradition of eating kim chee negatively affects the narrator’s sense of identity when she begins school in “My Mother’s Food.” I think that eating kim chee was an important Korean cultural and family tradition for the narrator.

Do not use “I, you, your, my, me, mine, our, we,” when writing about literature.

Correct: The tradition of eating kim chee negatively affects the narrator’s sense of identity when she begins school in “My Mother’s Food.” Eating kim chee was an important Korean cultural and family tradition for the narrator.

*Exception: Of course, it is okay to quote evidence that has first and second person.

Sample MIEL-Con (1 Paragraph Format)

Focus Question: How do race, family culture, and/or tradition affect identity for characters in “My Mother’s Food”?

The tradition of eating kim chee negatively affects the narrator’s sense of identity when she attends school in “My Mother’s Food.” Growing up in a traditional Korean family the narrator was exposed to savory and unique foods. Unfortunately, one moment of ignorance revoked her happiness. The narrator felt she had been punched in the stomach and stated, “Though I liked the sharp taste of garlic and pepper biting my tongue, I stopped eating my mother’s food” (106). After the encounter at school, the narrator turned her back on her culture and made a decision to embrace America. No more would she enjoy her mother’s cooking, and she stopped eating Kim chee. The narrator believed that successful assimilation meant to eradicate any signs of Korean from her life, even things she loved. The tradition of eating kim chee negatively affects the narrator’s sense of identity in “My Mother’s Food.” Eating kim chee was an important Korean cultural and family tradition for the narrator, even though she worked tirelessly to suppress her cravings.

Sample MIEL-Con (1 Paragraph Format)

Focus Question: How do race, family culture, and/or tradition affect identity for characters in “Hamadi”?