Activity #4: Detecting Plagiarism
Objective
Provided with original source material and citations, students will identify the quotes and paraphrases that are plagiarized.
Procedure
1. Print out a Plagiarism Activity Sheet for each student and one for the instructor.
2. Print out a Plagiarism Answer Sheet for the instructor and review the answers.
3. Teach a lesson on different forms of plagiarism. Refer to the Plagiarism section of Additional Resources for links to plagiarism Web sites, tutorials, and online quizzes for students.
4. Either independently or with a partner, have students complete the Plagiarism Activity Sheet.
5. Discuss the answers with the whole class.
Note: If you have done an extensive study of plagiarism or your students already have a good understanding of the subject, you may want to focus on asking students to explain why the quotes or paraphrases are plagiarized.
Note: The Plagiarism Activity Sheet could be divided into two sections. The first section could be used as a pre-test before the lesson, and the second section could be used as a post-test.
Additional Activity
Have students practice paraphrasing using the two text passages on the Paraphrase Practice Worksheet. This activity provides them with an opportunity to apply what they have learned.
Activity created by Wendy Baker Torrence. April 2008.