Writing essays that include evidence can seem difficult; however, it can be deliciously easy if you use the Quote Sandwich!
Practice
Directions: Take the following elements and format them using a Quote Sandwich. Compare your sandwich with the example below.
Author: Albert Einstein
Quotation: “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
Page Number: 3
Example Quote Sandwich
According to Albert Einstein, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing” (3). In saying this, Einstein encourages people to embrace curiosity as a mindset. The importance of curiosity can be seen in such inventions as the light bulb or the telephone. Without curiosity, these discoveries would not exist, and humans would certainly not have the modern conveniences that make life more comfortable today.
Deconstructing the Sandwich
Top Piece of Bread (Introduction): According to Albert Einstein,
Introduction Breakdown: The introductory phrase before the quotation helps the reader understand your evidence by explaining who or where it comes from; in this case, the source is Albert Einstein.
Filling (Quotation): “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing” (3).
Quotation Breakdown: The quotation is placed immediately after the introductory phrase, and it is placed in quotation marks. The number three in parentheses (3) after the quotation tells the reader that this line came from page three of the text that the writer is citing. This style of documenting page numbers is particular to the Modern Language Association (MLA), which is a commonly used style guide.
Bottom Piece of Bread (Explanation): In saying this, Einstein encourages people to embrace curiosity as a mindset. The importance of curiosity can be seen in such inventions as the light bulb or the telephone. Without curiosity, these discoveries would not exist, and humans would certainly not have the modern conveniences that make life more comfortable today.
Explanation Breakdown: The explanation of the quotation should explain what the writer thinks it means and/or how it connects to the larger thesis (main idea). In this case, the explanation clarifies Einstein’s meaning and elaborates on how curiosity is important when it comes to creating inventions.
More Quote Sandwiches!
Get the expanded content in the Super ELA! teaching resources available at TPT.
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Writing Concepts
