Introduction to Plagiarism (9th Grade)

Plagiarism According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to "plagiarize" means to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own to use (another's production) without crediting the source to commit literary theft to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.

Take the next five minutes to silently reflect on the following questions on a piece of paper. In your own words, what is plagiarism? What are different ways that people plagiarize? On a scale of 1-5, how serious of a problem is plagiarism? Do you think that plagiarism is a problem in our school? Society? Please explain your thinking. What are the consequences of plagiarism?

Citation A short, formal indication of the source of information or quoted material. The act of quoting material or the material quoted. There are multiple rules and styles of citation, as a school we usually use MLA formatting.

Small Group Discussion Working with a small group read through each type of plagiarism and study the examples provided for them. Then discuss whether you identified that type in your warm- up. Place a star next to each type that you had identified.

Come Back Together and Discuss Were any of these types of plagiarism new to you? What questions did this raise for you and your group? Do you feel some of these are more prevalent than others? More serious than others? Why is it important to give credit to others? Does plagiarism happen in both intentional and unintentional ways? When? How? What are your ethical responsibilities as a student when you create a product? How does this relate to our school’s Honor Code? How can you prevent plagiarism?

Wrapping It Up Go back to the questions that you answered at the beginning of class. Review your responses and then answer these questions in the last five minutes. What help do you need in preventing plagiarism in your own work? What are your strengths when it comes to preventing plagiarism in your own work? Are there any concerns that this raises for you as a high school student? What would you still like to know about plagiarism?

Power Point Citation “What is Plagiarism?” Plagiarism.org. Write Check. 2013. Web. 24 July 2013.