Text Referencing Activity

When completing TDA activities, it is important to remember what you are expected to do and how you are expected to do it. Below, you will find several things to help you with that.

First….a copy of a Level 4 grading rubric.

Notice the language that is used and what is expected of you. Most students do not read through the entire rubric nor refer to it when writing. However, to sum it up, in order to do well, you need to do the following effectively:

  1. Did you answer the prompt?
  2. Do you know what you’re talking about?
  3. Did you reference to the text?

Most students can self-assess questions one and two…but have difficulty with number three. What does “reference to the text” actually mean?

Let’s try an activity. Read the paragraph below taken from a Wikipedia article. Below are several statements about that article. Determine whether those statements properly “reference to the text.”

“The Emancipation Proclamation, or Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. It changed the federal legal status of more than 3 million enslaved people in the designated areas of the South from slave to free. As soon as a slave escaped the control of the Confederate government, by running away or through advances of federal troops, the slave became legally free. Ultimately, the rebel surrender liberated and resulted in the proclamation's application to all of the designated slaves. It did not cover slaves in Union areas that were freed by state action (or by the 13th amendment in December 1865). It was issued as a war measure during the American Civil War, directed to all of the areas in rebellion and all segments of the executive branch (including the Army and Navy) of the United States.” (

Analyze the following statements and determine if they “reference to the text” about the article above. Write “yes” or “no” in the space to the left of each statement if the statement does or does not reference to the text.

  1. The Emancipation Proclamation was important because it freed slaves.
  2. According the article, the Emancipation Proclamation affected more than three million enslaved people.
  3. Although it freed many slaves, the proclamation “did not cover slaves in Union areas.”
  4. The proclamation was issued during the American Civil War.
  5. Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

If you answered “no” to any of the statements on the previous page, re-write it so that it does “reference to the text.”

Essentially, there are two ways to “reference to the text.”

  1. Use a direct reference such as a quote (verbatim, letter perfect, word for word) from the article.
  2. Use an indirect reference that rewords what is stated in the article without using the exact phrases from the text.

For instance, in the following statement:

“George Washingtonwas an American statesman and soldier who served as the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797 and was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.” (

Statement with a direct Quote “reference to the text”:

George Washington was president of the United States and was “one of the founding fathers of the United States.”

Statement with an indirect reference:

According to the article, George Washington was a statesman, soldier, president, and founding father.

Referencing Activity

Read the paragraph below. Then, create twosentences about the article in which you provide a direct reference and two sentences in which you use an indirect reference.

“Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is the 45th and current President of the United States, in office since January 20, 2017. Before entering politics, he was a businessman and television personality. Trump was born and raised in Queens, New York City, and earned an economics degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He took over running his family's real estate business in 1971, renamed it The Trump Organization, and expanded it to involve constructing and renovating skyscrapers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses. Trump also started various side ventures, including branding and licensing his name for real estate and luxury consumer products. He managed the company until his 2017 inauguration. Trump also gained prominence in the media and entertainment fields. He co-authored several books, including The Art of the Deal, and from 2003 to 2015 he was a producer and the host of The Apprentice, a reality television game show. Trump owned the Miss Universe and Miss USA beauty pageants from 1996 to 2015. According to Forbes magazine, he was the world's 544th richest person as of May 2017, with an estimated net worth of $3.5billion.” (

Direct:

1.

2.

Indirect:

1.

2.