Re: Helping kids past plagiarism

["Eileen A. Schauermann" <eas001@NS1.WMDC.EDU>]

I just am completing research reports with Gr. 3 - animal project - with 2
sources; and Gr. 4 - biography using 2 sources.  Getting them to use
bullet-like notes was tough..I explained it was in an effort to help them
use their own words. We are not using the Internet.
I thought I was not getting through.
But we are taping their "reports". They are obviously using their own
words, and as they rehearse their presentation with me before the taping,
and I ask some leading questions (believe me this is on the fly), they are
coming up with some good stuff..like "I didn't write this in my report but
I remember reading.....; or opening their speech as the character with a
Quote from the character.  One boy doing Alexander Graham Bell brought in
a telephone and with a little prompting, opened his report with Bell's
line to Watson.
They used different colored cards for each sub-topic,
(personal history, education, accomplishment, quote or admirable trait)
or for the animals (physical characteristics, habitat, habits, appetite,
human use or unusual characteristic);
and did short bullets
o born xxxx
o patented  blah blah

I thing they are getting it. They love the taping, bringing in props,
wondering who will see it. I'm thrilled.
 - Eileen Schauermann,
Librarian, St. John School, Westminster, Md 21157 eas001@ns1.wmdc.edu

On Fri, 20 Mar 1998, Lynda Tempest wrote:

> I have good advise, but it will be tough to sell to teachers.  I see no
> reason to require "reports" as such. Such reports only encourage
> plagiarism.   Instead, be creative.  If you want them to be able to find
> short answers to certain questions, provide a worksheet-like form and then
> let them research and fill in the blanks.  Then, require that the research
> information be used in a unique way, e.g.  if researching a president, have
> them do a video interview.  Or they could write a first person account of
> an important event in that person's life or perhaps a series of diary
> entries that might be written by that person.  If they have researched a
> state or country, they could use the facts they found to design and write a
> travel brochure.  I know it is easier to tell students to "write a report,"
> but some kids don't know what that means and then copy an encyclopedia out
> of desparation.  There are many, many ways to use and show information
> besides a "report."
>
> Some of our fifth graders just did the most incredible reports on
> presidents.  They used the chromokey function in our video studio to make
> it appear that they were in various rooms of the white house where they
> interviewed white house employees who were specialists about certain
> presidents.  They did research, found information and reported it back
> without copying.   Believe me, they did this with little or no help from
> me.  Kids are terribly bright and creative if they are allowed to be.  I
> know all people do not have these video capabilities, but I just use this
> as an example of an alternative to a written "report".
>
> Hyperstudio is another wonderful way to display and share research
> information.
>
> I was a classroom teacher of fourth and fifth grade.  Now I am a Media
> Specialist.  If I ever go back into the classroom (at any grade level) I
> will never again require a written "report" that could be copied from
> reference materials.   It is a counterproductive and useless exercise.
>
>
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