Luciana Kelaiditis Frost

Teacher Guide for Webquest: Copyright & Plagiarism

 

Introduction: Copyright and plagiarism issues are becoming more important as students progress through the levels of their education.  In today’s Digital Age, students are becoming expert in copying information, but do not understand the repercussions of their actions. This webquest will help students explore what plagiarism means, as well as the real world consequences of plagiarism. 

 

1. Aim: The aim is to teach eighth-grade students what plagiarism is, real life repercussions of it, and how to identify it in their own work. 

 

2. Rationale: The rationale behind this webquest is simple. This webquest was designed for junior high students, specifically eighth grade.  This fits into the English/Language Arts curriculum, as well as the Instructional Technology curriculum.  This webquest will put the student in the role of the teacher, for as they complete their research, they will be responsible for teaching the seventh grade students about plagiarism.  Thus, there is a real-world research component as the students will be researching the reality of plagiarism, but there is also a component in which students will be teaching others. As students become more technologically proficient, their ability to copy and pass off other’s work as their own becomes more commonplace.  Students do not understand the repercussions of this very serious issue.  This webquest attempts to, while having students do research, teach students what plagiarism is so they can identify it, but to also show them that plagiarism is a real issue that has further effects on one’s livelihood, even outside of school.

 

3. Goals and objectives:

The learning outcomes are as follows:

1. The student will have a working understanding of copyright.
2. The student will be able to have a basic personal definition of plagiarism.
3. The student will be able to discuss consequences of plagiarism, both at the local as well as at the national level.
4. The student will be able to present concepts of plagiarism to peers.

This webquest supports the NETS-S learning goal #2:

Social, ethical, and human issues

□   Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.

□   Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software.

□   Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.

This webquest supports the English/Language Arts learning goal #5: Use the language arts to acquire, assess and communicate information.

 

4. Audience and pre-requisites: The audience for this webquest is eighth grade students at a south suburban parochial school.  I have had these students for two years and it is safe to assume that they have a basic understanding of computer operations.  These students will be able to view the webquest as well as follow any links from it, as well as create the presentation materials.  Many of these students have heard of the terms “copyright” and “plagiarism,” but do not have the necessary tools to identify it in their own work.  These students have become programmed to use technology to make their work easier, at the expense of becoming unassuming plagiarizers.  Because they are put into the role of researcher/teacher, they will have to examine the consequences of plagiarism as well as teach others what plagiarism is. 

 

5. Description of subject matter:  This webquest endeavors to combine technology standards with those of English/Language Arts.  This webquest will work to emphasize research skills, along with those of writing and presentation. 

 

6. Instructional plan: Teacher will introduce webquest.  Teacher will illustrate each piece of Task component before students begin to work.

 

1) In groups of 3:

a) Have students define "copyright"

b) Have students define "plagiarism"

Students need to discover what these concepts are and what they are not. Students need to be able to articulate a specific definition of each.  This will be written out. Teacher will then approve definitions and students will then move on (as a group to the next section

 

2) Then they research plagiarism in their lives.

                        a) They need to discover what the school's policy is regarding plagiarism

b) They need to discover what their future high school policy is regarding plagiarism (These are eighth graders)

Students will then take notes on this and present information to Teacher. Teacher will then let them continue to section 3.

 

3) Then they research cases of plagiarism. 

a) Find three specific cases of the consequences of plagiarism.  Who did it, what did they copy, what happened to them? These cases will run the gamut from school to professionals.  I will also provide links.

b) What are the ways teachers can uncover plagiarism - this means they will have to research sites like Turnitin or Google.

Students note take on their findings. They then meet with Teacher to review written findings.

 

4) Then they create presentation materials:

a) PowerPoint presentation for lower grades OR

b) Brochure for incoming eighth graders.

c) Individual assessment: self checklist for cheating

Students will then present their materials to the seventh graders.  Students will be assessed according to presentation rubric.  Students will then get an assessment sheet to assess their contribution, along with that of their colleagues.  They will also receive a grade on their individual assessment.  Thus, in all the students will be assessed on: Notes, Group work, and Individual work (self checklist).

 

7. Materials:  The students will need: pencils, paper and some kind of writing apparatus in order to complete the research.  They will also need a computer with Internet access in order to get to the webquest.  They will also need Word or some kind of alternate word processing program as well as PowerPoint or some other kind of presentation software in order to create the assessment materials.

 

8. Plans for assessment and evaluation: Students will be assessed on several components. They will be assessed after completing each part of the webquest (as detailed in the Instructional plan piece). They will also be responsible for completing a group evaluation, as well as a self evaluation.  They will then be assessed on the presentation materials as well as the self-checklist. Everyone will do the group evaluation as well as the self evaluation.  We will then discuss the pros and cons of the webquest itself in class.