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Grades

6 - 8

Lesson Plan Type

Standard Lesson

Estimated Time

Three 50-minute sessions

Lesson Author

Publisher

Student Objectives Session One Session Two Session Three Student Assessment/Reflections
STUDENT OBJECTIVES

Students will:

define plagiarism, fair use, and paraphrasing.

recognize and provide examples of plagiarism, fair use, and paraphrasing.

use appropriate paraphrasing strategies to replace advanced-level words with age/grade/level appropriate vocabulary.

Note: In addition to the stated NCTE/IRA standards, this lesson is also aligned to the following American Association of School Librarians Standards for the 21st-Century Learner.

1. Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge

Respect copyright/intellectual property rights of creators and producers.

Follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information

3. Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society

Use information and technology ethically and responsibly.

Respect the principles of intellectual freedom.

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Session One
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1. The classroom teacher and library media specialist should co-lead a discussion of the students' responses for the "know" and "want to know" columns of the plagiarism section of the worksheet.

2. Create a class definition of plagiarism, using the information on students KWL chart. Be sure that the class definition includes the idea of using another person's words or ideas without crediting the original writer.

3. Expand the discussion to include consequences and solutions. Be sure to include any consequences that are specific to your school or community. Discussion can include the following:

Failure of the assignment or course

Requirement to do the work over

Lawsuit, fines, and/or firing for workplace plagiarism

Solutions can include these options:

Paraphrase with appropriate citations

Give credit through footnotes/endnotes, a works cited page, or a bibliography

4. Share examples from the Identifying Plagiarism PowerPoint Presentation or Identifying Plagiarism Sheet, and ask students to determine whether the passages are plagiarized. Add examples from class texts to expand this practice at identifying plagiarism.

5. During the class discussion of the passages, consider the following advice from Laura Hennessey DeSena's book Preventing Plagiarism: Tips and Techniques:

"In teaching students how to paraphrase, I tell them to put the text aside for a few moments and try to remember what the writer said--the ideas, the insights. Then I ask students to try to write down these ideas. I have them compare the two versions, their translation with the original text. Integrity of ideas much remain intact. If student writers change the meaning, then they will have to try again. If they, unintentionally, appropriated exact language, then they will have to try again. If students are unable to remember what they have read, then they should view the passage as a whole and synthesize the main points in their own words. Encourage them to change sentence structure, in addition to altering diction. In changing language choices, they should try to use their own words, before consulting a dictionary or thesaurus." (49).

DeSena, Laura Hennessey. 2007. Preventing Plagiarism: Tips and Techniques. (Chapter 3). Urbana, IL: NCTE.

6. Have students complete the "learned" column for plagiarism on the Research Skills KWL handout.

7. If time permits, share this school media center Website on plagiarism to review the concepts that have been covered and point out available resources.

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Session Two
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1. Begin with a brief review of the previous session.

2. Be sure the students have the correct definition of fair use.

The Copyright Office at the Library of Congress defines fair use as "purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered 'fair,' such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research."

The 1961 Report of the Register of Copyrights on the General Revision of the U.S. Copyright Law cites examples of activities that courts have regarded as fair use: "quotation of excerpts in a review or criticism for purposes of illustration or comment; quotation of short passages in a scholarly or technical work, for illustration or clarification of the author's observations; use in a parody of some of the content of the work parodied; summary of an address or article, with brief quotations, in a news report; reproduction by a library of a portion of a work to replace part of a damaged copy; reproduction by a teacher or student of a small part of a work to illustrate a lesson; reproduction of a work in legislative or judicial proceedings or reports; incidental and fortuitous reproduction, in a newsreel or broadcast, of a work located in the scene of an event being reported." (Factsheet on fair use of copyrighted works. U.S. Copyright Office, July 2006.)

3. Using the information from Copyright Kids! Copyright Basics & FAQs, share each question with students and have them use the Think-Pair-Share strategy (think about it on your own, pair with a neighbor, share with a larger group) to answer the question.

4. Ask students to think about times when fair use might apply to them. Have them brainstorm times both in school and in their personal life when fair use might affect them. Some possible responses include the following:

in school: for assignments such as term papers, class plays, presentations

personal life: Internet downloads, podcasts, personal writings

5. Have students discuss their thoughts and reactions.

6. Pose the following scenarios one at a time to the class. Students should use the Checklist for Fair Use handout in order to determine if the use is fair or not.

John is writing a science term paper on the life of a ferret. He has used two books, a general encyclopedia, and several Websites to gather his information. He has put much of the information into his own words but has used a few direct quotes, citing information that is not his own. Is his work okay according to the Checklist for Fair Use? Why or why not? (Answer: yes—educational purposes; only a portion of information used; factual information; paraphrased; and credit given.)

Mary and her friends like the poems of Shel Silverstein, so she copied a bunch of the poems using the school photocopier, stapled them together, and made plans to sell the booklet to anyone who wants it. Is this fair use? Why or why not? (Answer: no—the poems being reproduced are not the student's own work; entire poems used; heart of the work used; creative work; copies sold, therefore depriving author of income.)

Uncle Marty always videotapes family events. He has put together a video CD with some of the highlights and is giving out the CDs to family members. He has asked each recipient to pay him for the cost of the blank CD so he can continue to make more copies. Is this fair use? Why or why not? (Answer: yes—originator doing the reproduction.)

Taylor has purchased music from iTunes and placed it on her MP3 player. She also gave the music to three of her friends. Are these uses fair? Why or why not? (Answer: yes and no—The download to Taylor's MP3 player is fine because she paid for the download; however, giving the music to her friends is not because it deprives the copyright owner of income.)

7. Have the students complete the "learned" column of the fair use section of the Research Skills KWL handout.

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Session Three

1. Begin with a review of the previous sessions.

2. Create a class definition of paraphrasing, using the information on students KWL chart. Be sure that the class definition includes the idea of restating another person's ideas in your own words or format.

3. Ask students to give examples of some of the ways they paraphrase information. Make sure the discussion includes summarizing, rewording, and using direct quotes.

4. Make sure that students understand that summarizing is putting the main ideas of a piece of writing in a shortened form that uses their own words. This process can be completed by reading an entire text (paragraph, page, section, etc.) and then writing down what they remember accurately.

5. In collaboration with another content area teacher, assign an unfamiliar passage from the students' textbook for students to read and summarize.

6. Make sure students understand that rewording is restating the material in their own words. Explain to students that their teachers expect them to write as students would write, not as textbooks or encyclopedias sound. Then show them how to take a statement and rewrite it using words they know and would use.

7. Go over the students' suggestions aloud after each example, and offer comments on the results.

8. Discuss the final strategy, the direct quote, beginning with the impact of using a direct quote, including ideas such as the following:

An important person's words lend credibility to the writing.

The reader will think you are very strategic to seek out an authority's idea to include in the report.

The words and phrases in the quote simply express the idea too powerfully not to use the original.

9. Ask students to consider why it is important that a paper is not one long quote or a series of quotes from a book even if credit is given.

10. Provide instruction on footnotes, endnotes, or bibliography compilation if appropriate at this time, using the class textbook.

11. Have volunteers share what they learned over the entire lesson.

STUDENT ASSESSMENT/REFLECTIONS

The classroom teacher and school media specialist should assess students' learning through observation and anecdotal notetaking on participation and class discussions.

Test students' understanding by choosing a three-paragraph passage from the class textbook, and asking each student to demonstrate the following skills: summarize paragraph one; paraphrase paragraph two; and choose a significant quotation from paragraph three, citing it correctly.

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Exploring Plagiarism, Copyright, and Paraphrasing - ReadWriteThink

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Grades 6 - 8 Lesson Plan Type Standard Lesson Estimated Time Three 50-minute sessions Lesson Author Publisher Student Objectives Session One Session Two Session Three Student Assessment/Reflections Students will: define plagiarism, fair use, and paraphrasing. recognize and provide examples of plagiarism, fair use, and paraphrasing.

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ReadWriteThink couldn't publish all of this great content without literacy experts to write and review for us. If you've got lessons plans, videos, activities, or other ideas you'd like to contribute, we'd love to hear from you.

Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.

Teacher Resources by Grade

More

Grades

3 - 5

Lesson Plan Type

Standard Lesson

Estimated Time

Four 30-minute sessions

Lesson Author

Publisher

Student Objectives Session 1: Introduction of Paraphrasing Session 2: Review and Guided Practice With Paraphrasing Session 3: Review and Guided Practice With Paraphrasing Session 4: Review and Independent Practice With Paraphrasing Extensions Student Assessment/Reflections
STUDENT OBJECTIVES

Students will

Demonstrate comprehension by paraphrasing facts from informational texts

Gain knowledge and apply what they have learned about paraphrasing by reading information about three unusual animals

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Session 1: Introduction of Paraphrasing
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1.

Use the following explanations when introducing paraphrasing to students:

a.

Paraphrasing means putting what you have read into your own words.

b.

You paraphrase by reading something, thinking about what it means, and then restating it in your own words.

c.

Paraphrasing is a useful strategy to check to be sure that you have understood when reading something difficult or something that is important to remember.

d.

If you cannot paraphrase after reading, it is important to go back and reread to clarify information.

3.

Provide examples of paraphrasing by making these sentences available to students (on a whiteboard, overhead, etc.): Although the okapi resembles a zebra, it is actually a close cousin to the giraffe. Discovered in 1900, it inhabits the rainforests of the Congo area in Africa. Okapis tend to be solitary animals, secretive in their habits." Think aloud as you look away from the text and paraphrase these sentences.

For example, you might say, "Okay, I have read this; now I need to think about it and put it into my own words. That'll help me know that I have understood it, and it will help me remember it. Let's see, the okapi looks like a zebra, but it is kin to the giraffe. They found it in Africa in 1900, but that was hard because it lives alone and is hard to find. Now, let's check and see if I remembered the information and put it into my own words." Reread the sentences and compare them to your paraphrase.

4.

Another example: "Okapis eat mostly leaves, twigs, and fruit which they reach with their long tongues. They may eat as much as 65 pounds of food in one day, mostly during the afternoon and evening when they are most active." Think aloud as you paraphrase.

You might say, "Okay, here I go again, I need to read this, think about it, and then put it into my own words. If I can do that, I know I have understood it and I'll remember it longer. Okapis have long tongues so they can reach leaves and fruit on trees. They eat a lot each day, usually in the afternoons and evenings." Check the text against your paraphrasing. You may want to explain to students that you wanted to remember that they eat a lot but that you could have included "65 pounds" in the paraphrase if you thought that the actual number was important.

5.

Direct students to look at the first paragraph about okapis from the San Diego Zoo: Animal Bytes website. After they have read the paragraph, think aloud as you share paraphrasing the information with them.

You might say, "Okay, let's do one together. Look at the first paragraph about okapis from the San Diego Zoo: Animal Bytes website. Let's read it together." You can have them read it silently, or you can read it to them. (You may need to explain what the words hindquarters and resemblance mean.) Then say, "Now, let's think about it and put it into our own words. We need to do this to make sure we have understood it and to help us remember the information. We'll write down our paraphrase of this paragraph here on the whiteboard. What shall we write first? How about 'the okapi is beautiful'?" Ask students to think about the rest of the information in the passage and put it in their own words. Take suggestions from the students, reminding them if necessary that the paraphrase should be in their own words. Write the shared paraphrase on the whiteboard (or overhead). Do the same exercise with the second and third paragraphs, gradually releasing the responsibility for the paraphrasing to students.

6.

At the end of this session, ask students to write what information they have learned about the okapi without looking at the computer screens or the shared paraphrases. Have students share their writing with each other. Point out to students that they have probably remembered a lot more information because they paraphrased it following each paragraph. Take the writing from them to check for content and whether they have used their own words.

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Session 2: Review and Guided Practice With Paraphrasing
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2.

Ask students what they know about the anaconda. Record their responses on the whiteboard. Direct them to look at the information about the anaconda from the National Geographic Kids: Creature Features website on the first screen. After everyone has had an opportunity to read the text with the first photograph, think aloud as you paraphrase it.

You might say, "Okay, I'm going to paraphrase this first paragraph by putting it in my own words. Remember that I do that to make sure that I have understood it and to help me remember the information. Let's see, the green anaconda is bigger than all other snakes in the world if you think about how long it is and how much it weighs. That must mean that some snakes are longer but don't weigh as much, and some snakes may weigh that much but aren't as long." Again, if you believe the length and weight are important, you could add: "It's 30 feet long and weighs 550 pounds."

6.

At the end of the session, ask students to write what they have learned about the anaconda without referring to the computer screens. Ask if they remember more because they took time to paraphrase. Take the writing from them to check for content and whether they have used their own words.

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Session 3: Review and Guided Practice With Paraphrasing
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2.

Tell students that you are going to use paraphrasing to find out more about another animal that may not be well-known to them. Show a picture of the echidna from the Australia Zoo: Amazing Animals website, and ask students if they know what the animal is. Discuss what they already know about the echidna or what they could guess from looking at its picture. List the information on the whiteboard.

3.

Read the first paragraph about the echidna together. This text is more difficult than the texts about the okapi and the anaconda, so you can use it to model your thought process as if you did not understand on the first read. Think aloud, modeling what you would do if you did not remember or understand what was in the paragraph and then reread.

For example, you might say, "Okay, I'm going to put this into my own words so I can be sure I have understood it and can remember it. The echidna has a long tongue and it has spines. Uh-oh, that's all I remember; there was something about curling inside, but I don't remember what. I'd better read it again!" Reread and then start again, "The echidna has a narrow nose and long tongue to catch insects. Its spines protect it from enemies, and it curls up when it's scared."

5.

At the end of the session, ask students to write what they now know about the echidna without referring to the computer screens. Collect their writing to check to be sure that they have used their own words and that they have understood the information correctly.

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Session 4: Review and Independent Practice With Paraphrasing

3.

At the San Diego Zoo: Animal Bytes website, each student will choose an animal to read about. If all students do not have access to a computer at the same time, you can print the information ahead of time and have students read the hard copy. Or, if students have access to computers but not all at the same time in the classroom, you can ask them to complete this assignment when their turn at the computer comes. You could also have students work in pairs if there isn't enough time for each of them to have a turn at the computer.

4.

Students will read the text about an animal of their choice, paraphrase as they read, and write down what they have learned. Remind students not to write until they have orally (or silently) paraphrased the information. At the end of the session, students can share their information either in small groups or with the entire class. Take the written information from students to check both accuracy and that they have used their own words.

EXTENSIONS

Paraphrasing is a good way to prepare students to write written reports. When students put information into their own words, they are not copying directly from a text. After the previous four sessions, a possible extension would be to identify another topic (such as countries, planets, plants), have students brainstorm what kind of questions would be interesting to answer about these, assign print materials or websites for students to read and paraphrase, take notes to answer the questions, and prepare written reports. These would be more formal than the quick writes that were done in the paraphrasing sessions.

STUDENT ASSESSMENT/REFLECTIONS

Throughout the sessions, when students are working in pairs or independently, make note of whether or not they are using their own words in paraphrasing. Be ready to intervene with additional modeling and practice if students are having difficulty paraphrasing.

The quick writes at the end of the sessions should be collected to see whether students are using their own words, whether they have understood the text they read, and what information they have learned about the animals. Compare the prior knowledge that you assessed at the beginning of each session with the information included in the quick writes to see what new information has been learned.

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I Used My Own Words! Paraphrasing Informational Texts - ReadWriteThink

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ReadWriteThink couldn't publish all of this great content without literacy experts to write and review for us. If you've got lessons plans, videos, activities, or other ideas you'd like to contribute, we'd love to hear from you. Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.