Worthington
English 101A
Essay Assignment (3-4 pages)
Assignment:
In the essay “Your Kid’s Going to Pay for Cheating”, Leonard Pitts criticizes the actions of several
students who plagiarized a biology assignment. He strongly supports the instructor’s decision to
assign zeroes to the offending students. Many parents and some school officials, however, felt
the teacher’s actions were too harsh.
Although most people do not condone cheating, there are some who feel that cheating in school
may result from “mixed messages” that students receive from society. Adults often search for
ways to beat the system by cheating on income taxes, taking supplies from work to use at home,
or engaging in unethical work practices, yet want teachers to punish students who cheat.” Do you
agree with Pitts that school officials should apply strict disciplinary measures to students who
cheat, or should parents and educators consider societal influences when administering
punishment?
Explain your response using evidence from the text and your own observations. You may
also consider using examples from the Primetime Thursday documentary “Caught
Cheating,” the articles “Everybody Does It” by Regan McMahon and “Cheating in the
Heartland”, class notes, and your own experiences and observations.
Organization/Format:
Begin your essay with an interesting introduction that describes the issue and includes your
thesis. Remember the methods we discussed in class.
Your body paragraphs should be focused and well-developed with topic sentences that are easy
to identify. Include specific details to support your reasons, followed by your own analysis.
Your essay should end with a strong, memorable conclusion. Try to move beyond the “simple
summary” approach.
To avoid plagiarism, remember that direct quotes and the author’s original ideas must be followed
by a parenthetical citation.
All drafts should be neatly typed and double-spaced in MLA format (we will discuss formatting in
class). Each page of your essay should include your last name and the page number in the
upper-right corner of the page. Your heading should be double-spaced and should appear in the
upper-left corner of the first page.
Due Dates:
09/12/12
Draft one with three extra copies for peer review and self-assessment.
09/17/12
Final draft, previous draft self-assessment sheet with “does/says” statements.,
and outline.
Note
,
“Rewrites” are due one week after you receive your final draft grade.
“No Credit Rewrites” are due one week after conferencing with the instructor.
Please submit your drafts on the assigned date. Late drafts will be
reduced by one full grade.