Day 5: What is Plagiarism?

What is an interesting fact about you that other people may not know? Answer here!

Short List: 

1. Attendance 
2. Warm-up and Discussion 
3. Information Hunt 
4. Plagiarism G--- (it's hard for me to say it!... g... a... m... e...) 

Homework:

It's your lucky day!  

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The Details
Schedule of events:

1. Attendance Check

2. [20 minutes] Warm-up and discussion

1. Before we "learn things" today, we are going to get in small groups and see what we already know about this very important topic.  
2. First, who has heard of plagiarism? 
3. If your birthday is from 
• January - March = Group 1 (Front Left)
• April - June = Group 2 (Back Left)
• July - September = Group 3 (Back Right)
• October - December = Group 4 (Front Right)
4. As a group, answer the following questions:
• What is your definition of plagiarism? 
• What definitions do you find if you look on the internet like Google and Writer's Help?
• Do you do anything to avoid plagiarism?  If yes, what are your strategies for avoiding it? 
• Is there a difference between forgetting to cite something (or not knowing how) and using another person's ideas without giving them credit? Are both plagiarism? 
• Who owns your ideas?  What if they've been influenced by outside sources like your parents, school, faith, or the media?  
• Do you think plagiarism is right or wrong?  If you think it is wrong, how do you think students who plagiarize in an academic setting (like the University of Illinois) should be punished?  Should the punishment always be the same or should it ever be different? 
5. After this small group time, we will come together as a whole group and discuss our findings and opinions. 

3. [10 minutes] Information Hunt
In preparation for the game, we are going to spend a few minutes looking up the "official answers" to some of these questions about plagiarism, according to the University of Illinois and general acceptable use in English writing.

1. First, using the links provided, answer the questions as a small group in this document.  
2. After we have done that, we will all do the next step together.  

4. [25-30 minutes] Plagiarism Game
We have all seen games on TV or played them with our friends and family that require answering questions correctly and quickly--we are going to do exactly that with this fun plagiarism game.  How well do you know the University guidelines and about the ins-and-outs of what is and is not considered plagiarism?

Attribution: This lesson was developed by Jill Tschopp-Huang and has only been customized and adapted for my class and teaching style.  The overall lesson, the materials, and even many of the details are her creation.  

Homework:
Have a great, fun, exciting, and relaxing weekend! :)