|
Policies
Plagiarism
Dear Parents/Guardians:
One of our responsibilities as educators is to teach
students to understand the process of conducting
research: gathering information, presenting the
information clearly and accurately, and documenting the
information properly. In teaching these skills, we must
address the issue of plagiarism as a serious matter,
making clear to students the consequences of stealing
the words and ideas of those who make their living as
writers and researchers. Research papers, journal
articles, and book reviews can easily be located on the
Internet, and students may be tempted to take short cuts
when completing an assignment for which many examples
are readily available. It is our obligation as
responsible adults to assure that students understand
the definition of plagiarism and do not participate in
this illegal activity.
The Handbook of Current English, by Corder and
Ruszkiewicz, lists “some of the circumstances in which
you might be accused of plagiarism…” (655).
- borrowing the ideas, examples, or
structure of a source without acknowledging
it
- taking, buying, or receiving a paper
written by someone else and presenting it as your
own
- failing to acknowledge the sources of any
information in your paper which is not personal
knowledge
- failing to acknowledge a direct quotation
by using quotation marks or indention
- improperly paraphrasing the original
words of your source
(Corder and Ruszkiewicz 655-656)
When introducing an assignment in which plagiarism may
become a factor, teachers discuss this concept thoroughly.
Students are instructed in writing and documenting research
in a way that allows them to avoid plagiarizing. Those who
choose to plagiarize will face the following consequences:
First Offense
- zero on assignment (in accordance with CVMS cheating
policy) or, if assignment contains several sections,
zero on portion of assignment, at teacher discretion
- parent contact
- additional copy of this letter sent home, signed,
and returned
Second Offense
- see above consequences
- one full Saturday detention
Third Offense
- see above consequences
- two full Saturday detentions and consideration of
placement at the RROC (Round Rock Opportunity Center)
Please take the time to read and discuss this letter with
your son or daughter. After this discussion, each of you
should sign the acknowledgement at the bottom of the “How to
Help” page. In addition, print the student’s name at the
top. Please return the signed copy of this page to your
child’s language arts teacher.
The consequences of plagiarism can be extremely damaging to
an academic career. With the wealth of information at our
fingertips each day, we must be sure that our students
participate in the learning process as informed and honest
citizens. Thank you for your assistance in setting high
standards for our students.
Sincerely,
The Administrators and Staff of Canyon Vista Middle School
Corder, Jim W., and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Handbook of
Current English. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1989.
To Top Page
Students often plagiarize when they lack confidence in
their own writing or reading ability. Some turn to
plagiarism when they feel pressure to finish an assignment,
which is in many cases due to poor time management. Here are
some tips on how to help your child write, read, and
research confidently.
|
Assignment
|
Students plagiarize by:
|
Students can avoid plagiarism by:
|
|
Book report/review
|
1)
copying the summary from the book jacket
2)
changing some key words in the summary
(i.e. “champion” becomes
“winner”), but keeping the same basic
sentence/paragraph structure
|
1)
NEVER using the summary on the book
jacket to assist in writing a book report or
review
2)
writing one sentence about each chapter;
revising if too long or too short
3)
focusing on own opinion and ideas
4)
taking quotes, if needed, from the pages
of the book and giving page numbers
|
|
Fiction story
|
1)
using the same story line as a
novel/short story read in the past, usually
changing some minor details, but keeping the
basic plot (i.e. boy in green coat chased by man
in a van becomes a girl in a red dress chased by
a woman in a van)
2)
taking a scene from a familiar book or
movie and inserting it into a story
|
1)
creating a character based on what they
know about people
2)
using personal experience as a starting
point
3)
participating in all parts of the process
of writing during class
|
|
Research-based writing
|
1)
taking an idea from someone and
presenting it as their
own
2)
downloading a paper from a web site
|
1)
giving credit when using the work or
ideas of others
2)
ALWAYS listing sources properly and
completely
3)
handing in all notes and research used in
the paper with the final copy (If it is not in
the notes, it shouldn’t be in the paper.)
|
To Top Page
|
