CYBERSMART! LESSON PLAN - WHOSE IS IT, ANYWAY?

Download the "Whose is it, Anyway' Student Activity Sheets (1&2) (PDF)

• Overview
  Students learn that, although the Internet makes it very easy, copying others' work and presenting it as one's own is unethical. They also learn about circumstances in which it is permissible to copy others' work.

• Objectives
  • Define plagiarism and describe its consequences
  • Explain how the Internet makes copying others' work easy
  • Identify conditions that make copying acceptable

• Introduce
  • Have students each write a brief paragraph on the same subject. Collect the paragraphs and give each student someone else's work.
  • Invite volunteers to read the paragraphs, pretending that it is their own work. Praise them for "their" work and say that you would like to publish "their" work in a parent newsletter or submit it to a writing contest.
  • Invite both the true owner and the person pretending the work is theirs to comment on how the situation makes them feel

• Teach 1
  • Distribute Activity Sheet 1.
  • Have students work in pairs to complete the sheet. NOTE: Postpone discussion until students have read the information on Activity Sheet 2.

• Teach 2
  • Distribute Activity Sheet 2.
  • Share with students your school's official policy on plagiarism and its consequences. If there is no official policy, explain how you handle plagiarism in your classroom.
  • NOTE: Copyright laws protect the ownership of authors' written works, photos, drawings and other graphics by requiring that people who make copies do so only with permission of the owner. However, use of such works for schoolwork is considered "fair use" and does not require permission, only that credit be given.

• Teach 3
  • Have students revisit Activity Sheet 1 and discuss changes or additions to their answers. Guide students to consider the following in their discussion:
    • David's homework: E-mail makes it easy for students to share their work. However, unless the teacher tells them to work together, s/he expects David's work to be his own. Even though Justin gave David permission to copy his work, it is still plagiarism.
    • Manny's paragraph: Copying someone's work from the Web in his own handwriting does not make it Manny's work. This is plagiarism.
    • Samantha's work: Using the exact words of someone else is plagiarism-even if you add your own topic sentence. Samantha should restate the passage in her own words.
    • Marybeth and the drawing: It is okay to print a drawing from a Web site for a school report as long as credit is given to the person who made it or the site from which it came.