Making Your Quote Work For You

“97% of University of Houston undergraduates are from Texas” (Peterson 527).

Is this quote useful? Why or why not?

MISS! HELP!

STUDENT: “I’ve looked everywhere, and I can’t find a book source! All they have are stupid statistics!”

TEACHER: “No problemo! You can make those statistics work for you! What college are you researching?”

STUDENT: “UofH…”

Let’s Make it Work!

This poor student is researching UofH and cannot make her quotes work with her paper. Lucky for her, there is an easy way to make it work.

Let’s Make it Work!

People from Texas• Good ol’ Southern

Hospitality• polite/respectful• friendly/ charming• outgoing/easygoing

People From New York• Rude/impolite• unfriendly • high-strung• Fast-paced

So, based on our list, Texans are…

Choice Topic

Question: What qualities do people from Houston have?

Question: What qualities do people from Texas have?

Question: If people from Houston and Texas have x and y qualities, and most people who attend U of H are Texans, what kind of school is it?

U of H is a _______________ school.

Hey look, now we have our choice topic!

friendly, diverse

Peanut Butter Quotes

This is your opinion (and it is the top piece

of bread)

This is the opinion of an expert/professional

This is your opinion (and it is the bottom

piece of bread)

The top piece of bread is used to introduce your quote.

The peanut butter is the quote or idea of the expert/professional

The last part of the bread should explain how that quote relates to your paper

1. Top Piece of Bread

We need to talk about ______ being ________ and ______ being _________, so that readers know what our quote will focus on.

Texas

friendly Houston diverse

1. Top Piece of breadExample: 1) Texas: True to their southern roots, Texans welcome

outsiders with a friendliness not seen in most states. 2) Houstonians:The city of Houston has representation

from many cultural and ethnic groups. Fortunately, its southern hospitality maintains a pleasant atmosphere within Houston’s diverse population.

Together: True to their southern roots, Texans welcome outsiders with a friendliness not seen in most states. The city of Houston has representation from many cultural and ethnic groups. Fortunately, its southern hospitality maintains a pleasant atmosphere within Houston’s diverse population.

2. Peanut Butter

We need to put the quote and make sure that it is cited properly.

In fact, most Texans love the diversity of friendliness offered so much that they do not want to leave. According to the Encyclopedia of Colleges, “97% of University of Houston undergraduates are from Texas” (Peterson 527).

3. Bottom Piece of Bread

We need to explain how the quote relates to our paper.

A statistic this staggering can only exist because Texans love the diversity and positive atmosphere offered by their state. The University of Houston has much to offer students, enough that native Houstonians do not feel the need to look any further in their college search.

Sandwich!

When it’s all put together, we end up with the following paragraph:

True to their southern roots, Texans welcome outsiders with a friendliness not seen in most states. The city of Houston has representation from many cultural and ethnic groups. Fortunately, its southern hospitality maintains a pleasant atmosphere within Houston’s diverse population. In fact, most Texans love the diversity of friendliness offered so much that they do not want to leave. According to the Encyclopedia of Colleges, “97% of University of Houston undergraduates are from Texas” (Peterson 527). A statistic this staggering can only exist because Texans love the diversity and positive atmosphere offered by their state. The University of Houston has much to offer students, enough that native Houstonians do not feel the need to look any further in their college search.

Now You Try

1) Look at your rough draft and pull out one of your quotes.

2) Write your quote at the top of a blank sheet of paper.

3) Create a sandwich!