Name:
Class Period:
Let’s Have a Discussion About Plagiarism
Take this “quiz” on plagiarism. We’ll discuss each point in conjunction with our Plagiarism Policy
here at Solon High School.
Part I: Is it acceptable to . . .
_____ incorporate a quote form an article but neglect to put quotation marks and/or give
parenthetical citations?
_____ research factual information about an author and paraphrase it using a citation?
_____ use Spark Notes as a means of getting an overview of a novel’s themes and symbols as
preparation for class discussion or in-class writing?
_____ copy the answers for the exercises in a vocabulary unit from a classmate?
_____ use spell check and grammar check on your computer to find errors in your writing?
_____ have your aunt, an English teacher, rewrite parts of your sentences because you have a
hard time writing clearly even though you have great ideas?
_____ ask your friends what was on the test that you missed when you were at the
orthodontist?
_____ tell your friends during lunch what was on the Honors Biology test you took earlier in
the day?
_____ turn in a paper for an assignment in Health class that you originally wrote for English?
_____ claim you shouldn’t be punished for plagiarizing because you didn’t know you were
doing it?
Part II: Learning How to Paraphrase Properly
Often students plagiarize when they are actually trying to paraphrase an author’s ideas. Before
we take a look at the rules of thumb for paraphrasing, let’s see what we notice in the examples
below. Here is the original text written by Flora Davis: “If the existence of a signing ape was
unsettling for linguists, it was also startling news for animal behaviorists” (Davis 26).
Decide if each paraphrase below is acceptable or unacceptable and be prepared to explain your
answer.
_____ An ape who knew sign language unsettled linguists and startled animal behaviorists
(Davis 26).
_____ If the presence of a sign-language-using chimp was disturbing for scientists studying
language, it was also disturbing to scientists studying animal behavior (Davis 26).
_____ When they learned of an ape’s ability to use sign language, both linguists and animal
behaviorists were taken by surprise (Davis 26).
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Plagiarism Rules of Thumb
1. Read the passage carefully several times, focusing on the gist/main ideas. (You may consider
highlighting key words/phrases but be careful not to reuse those words directly*).
2. Put the passage aside and write down the gist of the passage in your own words.
3. *As you paraphrase, you may borrow direct words/phrases by putting them in quotation
marks.
4. Make sure that you have aligned to the original text’s meaning and tone. Do not change
them and misrepresent the original.
Paraphrasing Activities
A. Original text: “Because of their unique perspective, Americans fear globalization less than
anyone else, and as a consequence they think about it less than anyone else. When
Americans do think about globalization, they think of the global economy as an enlarged
version of the American economy (Thurow).
Read the following samples of student paraphrases below, then choose the one that follows
the rules of thumb most closely and explain your answer in a concise but complete sentence
below.
1. According to Lester Thurow, Americans fear globalization less than people from other
countries and as a consequence spend less time thinking about it. Indeed, Americans
see globalization as an enlarged version of their own economy (Thurow).
2. Lester Thurow maintains that because Americans see globalization simply as a bigger
form of their own economy, they are less concerned about it than is the rest of the
world (Thurow).
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B. Original Text: “Intellectual honesty is the admission that humanity is linked together in a
kind of collective learning process. Very little is discovered ‘de novo,’ that is, without a
solid foundation in other researchers’ previous exploration and understanding. Citation
is an act of humility and an act of appreciation for what other scholars have pieced
together about the nature of a particular problem or an aspect of some phenomenon”
(Hoemann).
Read the following samples of student paraphrases below, then choose the one that follows
the rules of thumb most closely and explain your answer in a concise but complete sentence
below.
1. Intellectual honesty is the admission that humanity is linked together in a kind of joint
learning process. Not very much is discovered new without really understanding other
scholars’ previous research and knowledge. Citing shows you are grateful and
appreciate what other researchers have figured out about a particular issue (Hoemann).
2. Hoemann says that there is very little absolutely new knowledge. Most of our
discoveries take advantage of work done by those who have gone before us. The
process of learning is, in fact, a long tradition passed on from generation to generation.
Acknowledging the source of ideas gives recognition to the contributions of others in
this tradition and is, as Hoemann says, an “act of humility” (Hoemann).
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C. Original Text: However, although humans are comparatively poor sprinters, they also
engaged in a different type of running, endurance running, defined as running many
miles over extended time periods using aerobic metabolism (Bramble and Lieberman).
Read the following student paraphrase below and determine whether or not it is acceptable.
Clearly and precisely explain you answer.
Having limited success in sprinting compared to other mammals, humans perform
better in endurance running, which is a form of aerobic running over extended distances
and periods of time (Bramble and Lieberman).
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D. Original Text: In The Sopranos, the mob is besieged as much by inner infidelity as it is by
the federal government. Early in the series, the greatest threat to Tony’s Family is his
own biological family. One of his closest associates turns witness for the FBI, his mother
colludes with his uncle to contract a hit on Tony, and his kids click through Web sites
that track the federal crackdown in Tony’s gangland (Fields 290).
Read the following student paraphrase below and determine whether or not it is acceptable.
Clearly and precisely explain you answer.
Tony Soprano’s mobster activities in the first season of The Sopranos are more
threatened by members of his biological family than by agents of the federal
government. This familial betrayal is multi-pronged. Tony’s best friend is an FBI
informant, his mother and uncle are conspiring to have him killed, and his children are
surfing the Web for information about his activities (Fields 290).
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E. Original Text: Statements that seem complimentary in one context may be
inappropriate in another. For example, some women in business are uncomfortable if
male colleagues or superiors compliment them on their appearance: the comments may
suggest that the women are being treated as visual decoration rather than as
contributing workers (Manderly 323).
Read the following student paraphrase below and determine whether or not it is acceptable.
Clearly and precisely explain you answer.
Women are exceptionally sensitive to compliments they receive at the workplace.
When a male co-worker makes mention of their appearance, women are apt to take
offense and interpret the comment as demeaning and harassment (Manderly 323).
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Over
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F. Original Text: Critical care nurses function in a hierarchy of roles. In this open heart
surgery unit, the nurse manager hires and fires the nursing personnel. The nurse
manager does not directly care for patients but follows the progress of unusual or longterm patients. On each shift a nurse assumes the role of resource nurse. This person
oversees the hour-by-hour functioning of the unit as a whole, such as considering
expected admissions and discharges of patients, ascertaining that beds are available for
patients in the operating rooms, and covering sick calls. Resource nurses also take a
patient assignment. They are the most experienced of all the staff nurses. The nurse
clinician has a separate job description and provides for quality of care by orienting new
staff, developing unit policies, and providing direct support where needed, such as
assisting in emergency situations. The clinical nurse specialist in this unit is mostly
involved with formal teaching in orienting new staff. The nurse manager, nurse
clinician, and clinical nurse specialist are the designated experts. They do not take
patient assignments. The resource nurse is seen as both a caregiver and a resource to
other caregivers . . . Staff nurses have a hierarchy of seniority . . . Staff nurses are
assigned to patients to provide all their nursing care (Chase).
Read the following examples of plagiarism. Underline all words taken directly from the
original.
Critical care nurses have a hierarchy of roles. The nurse manager hires and fires nurses. S/he
does not directly care for patients but does follow unusual or long-term cases. On each shift a
resource nurse attends to the functioning of the unit as a whole, such as making sure beds are
available in the operating rooms, and also has a patient assignment. The nurse clinician orients
new staff, develops policies, and provides support where needed. The clinical nurse specialist
also orients new staff, mostly by formal teaching. The nurse manager, nurse clinician, and
clinical nurse specialist, as the designated experts, do not take patient assignments. The
resource nurse is not only a caregiver but a resource to other caregivers. Within the staff there
is also a hierarchy of seniority. Their job is to give assigned patients to all their nursing care
(Chase).
Read the following examples of plagiarism. Underline all words taken directly from the
original.
Chase describes how nurses in a critical care unit function in a hierarchy that places designated
experts at the top and the least senior staff nurses at the bottom. The experts – the nurse
manager, nurse clinician, and clinical nurse specialist – are not involved directly in patient care.
The staff nurses, in contrast, are assigned to patients and provide all their nursing care. Within
the staff nurses is a hierarchy of seniority in which the most senior can become resource
nurses: they are assigned a patient but also serve as a resource to other caregivers. The experts
have administrative and teaching tasks such as selecting and orienting new staff, developing
unit policies, and giving hands-on support where needed (Chase).
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