Plagiarism: Avoiding Accidental Internet Plagiarism

Created by:

Theresa Foy DiGeronimo

Title/Role:

Teacher/librarian

Organization/School Name:

Hawthorne High School

Location:

New Jersey

Grade Level:

11, 12

Type of Lesson:

Lesson in a unit

Type of Schedule:

Flexible

Collaboration Continuum:

Limited

Content Area:

Language Arts

Content Topic:

Research Paper Writing

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner

Skills Indicator(s):

2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful.

3.1.6 Use information and technology ethically and responsibly.

Dispositions Indicator(s):

1.2.2 Demonstrate confidence and self-direction by making independent choices in the selection of resources and information.

Responsibilities Indicator(s):

1.3.1 Respect copyright/intellectual property rights of creators and producers.

Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):

1.4.2 Use interaction with and feedback from teachers and peers to guide own inquiry process.

Scenario:

During a Professional Learning Community meeting, the English teachers concurred that too many students were in the habit of using the Internet to practice “cut-and-paste plagiarism” in their research papers. As part of the introduction to the Language Arts unit on writing the research paper [NJCCCS Language Arts Standard W.11-12.7; W.11-12.8: Conduct research to gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation], the SL was asked for assistance in teaching the students what Internet plagiarism is, why it is unacceptable and how to avoid it. For this full-period lesson, the students came with their teacher to the library computer lab for a team-teaching approach to this lesson. The classroom teacher will follow-up this activity as the research papers are written and return to the library for reinforcement lessons as necessary.

Overview:

In this lesson in the research paper unit, students will learn why cutting information from the Internet and pasting it into a research paper is plagiarism. They will learn how to properly paraphrase and cite their sources to avoid the consequences of theft of intellectual property. The essential questions for this lesson include: Why can't I cut and paste information from the Internet? How can I report my research without risking a charge of plagiarism?

Final Product:

Students will use a peer-edit assignment to finalize the process of correctly turning a paragraph of information into a bulleted list of facts and then turning that list into a paraphrased paragraph with proper in-text citation.

Library Lesson:

Students will follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information. They will also avoid accidental Internet plagiarism by accurately paraphrasing source material.

Estimated Lesson Time:

45 minutes

Assessment

Product:

SL and teacher asses the students’ completed note cards and paraphrased paragraphs; they also review the peer-edit of each paraphrase to determine each student’s understanding of how to take notes from an original text and how to transform those notes into a cited paraphrase. At the end of the lesson, SL and students return to a discussion of a version of the opening question: "Do you believe it is okay to take information from the Internet and put it into research papers without using either direct quotes or a paraphrase of the information with proper citation?"

Process:

The SL and teacher circulate among the students to observe and help students create their bulleted lists on the index cards. They give individualized attention to make sure all the necessary information is paraphrased in the rewritten paragraph and is concluded with proper in-text citation. They then review each student's peer-edit assignment paper to determine if the student has fully grasped the concept of paraphrasing and citation.

Student self-questioning:

Do I know why I can’t cut information from an Internet article and paste it directly into my research paper? Do I know how to use the bulleted-list notecard method to put research information into my own words? Do I know how to give proper attribution at the end of my paraphrased paragraph? Did I help my classmate by answering all the given questions and pointing out any areas of weakness in his/her paraphrase?

Instructional Plan

Resources students will use:

Text (books, letters, poems, newspapers, etc.)

Resources instructor will use:

Projector

Smart board

Instruction/Activities

Direct instruction:

To engage student interest, this lesson opens with discussion based on the question: "Does the teen generation believe it is okay to take information from the Internet and put it into research papers without using either direct quotes or a paraphrase of the information with proper citation?" To further motivate discussion on the misconceptions surrounding Internet plagiarism, students will read the attached New York Times article "A Campus Fad That's Being Copied: Internet Plagiarism Seems on the Rise." After class discussion of the article, the SL will explain copyright law and the ethical protection of intellectual property that is required in all academic research. The SL will then explain the lesson objective to help students avoid the consequences associated with theft of intellectual property. (These consequences will be based on the school policy for handling breach of academic integrity cases or may be based on an understanding of society's damnation of intellectual fraud as seen in widely publicized cases such those involving contemporary authors such as Stephen Ambrose, Kaavya Viswanathan, or even Dan Brown.)

Modeling and guided practice:

Using the Smart Board or computer projector, the SL demonstrates how to avoid plagiarism by using the bulleted-list notecard method. Using the attached "Modeling Example" students will see how to take notes of fact in bulleted lists and then how to turn that list of facts into a paraphrased paragraph with proper in-text citation at the end. (If SL does not have a Smart Board or computer projector, the attached document can be printed and copied for distribution to the students.)

Independent practice:

Using the paragraph in the attached "Paraphrasing Assignment," students will practice the bulleted-list notecard method of tranforming information into one's own words and then giving proper in-text citation attribution.

Have you taught this lesson before:

Yes

Strategies for differentiation:

As the SL notices students needing differentiated instruction who may be struggling with the concept or falling behind in the paraphrase, the SL will alert the teacher who can provide individualized explanations. Students with in-class support personnel will work with their support person to find the key points to add to their notecards. Students with attention deficits will be given a printout of the model lesson that is displayed for the class on the Smart Board or with the computer projector.

AASL/Common Core State Standards Crosswalk

English Language Arts:

CC.11-12.W.7 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. (11,12)

CC.11-12.L.6 » English Language Arts » Vocabulary Acquisition and Use » 6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.7 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.8 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation. (11,12)

CC11-12WH/SS/S/TS8 » Writing Standards » 8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.6 » English Language Arts » Production and Distribution of Writing » 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information. (11,12)

CC11-12WH/SS/S/TS1a » Writing Standards » a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences the claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. (11,12)

CC11-12WH/SS/S/TS2a » Writing Standards » a. Introduce a topic and organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.2 » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.3 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 3. Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text. (11,12)