Plagiarism and How To Avoid It

Now it is time to see if you have understood plagiarism and can explain it to others.  Let's use a creative way of finding out.

You will be divided into groups of three or four.  When you meet with your group members, you are to develop a skit to be performed for the rest of the class.  In the skit, you should act out a scene that shows some of the do's and don'ts of plagiarism.  You should plan out the skit as follows:

·       Decide on a setting (where and when the story takes place) and the characters involved in the scene.  Quickly decide who will play each role.

·       Come up with a problem that will be the center of your story (for example, a student is up late at night with an assignment due the next day but has not completed any of the work.)  Make sure the problem centers on plagiarism and reflects something you learned in this WebQuest.

·       Plan out what will actually happen in the skit.  How will it begin?  What will be the main part of the presentation?  How will it end?  Will it have a positive outcome or will you leave it up to the audience how to fix the problem?

·       Plan the dialogue for the skit--what will the characters say?  You do not have to write out every line word-for-word, but you should practice the dialogue from beginning to end.

·       Figure out what you need to present the skit.  Should you use chairs?  A table or a desk?  Should you have any props?  (Remember that you can pantomime--you do not have to use actual objects if they are not readily available.)   Where should you place the furniture?

·       Decide where the characters should be on the stage and when and where they should move.  This is called "staging" the skit.

·       Once everything is planned, you and your group members should practice, practice, practice until it is ready to present it to your classmates.

The groups will then perform their skits for each other.  While you are in the audience, you should watch carefully and be able to discuss the plagiarism problem with everyone afterwards.  When it is your group’s turn, be prepared to lead the discussion about the problem and how it was or should be handled.

Good luck!  Make sure your skit is both creative and informative.