Page 81 - SpringBoard_Writing_Workshop_Grade7_Flipbook

Writing Workshop 6 (continued)
6. Three ways to record important information and avoid plagiarism are paraphrasing and direct quoting. Read the following passage, and then examine the samples of each type of note taking.
“Words belong to the person who wrote them. There are few simpler ethical notions than this one, particularly as society directs more and more energy and resources towards the creation of intellectual property. In the past thirty years copyright laws have been strengthened. Courts have become more willing to grant intellectual-property protections. Fighting piracy has become an obsession with Hollywood and the recording industry, and in the worlds of academia and publishing, plagiarism has gone from being bad literary manners to something much closer to a crime.
Gladwell, Malcolm. “Something Borrowed,” What the Dog Saw. Little, Brown and Co., New York, 2009, p. 225.
Paraphrase: Today plagiarism is more often considered a crime than a simple act of thoughtlessness (Gladwell 225).
Direct quotation: “plagiarism has gone from being bad literary manners to something much closer to a crime” (Gladwell 225).
7. As you gather information from your sources, practice writing some information in your own words and copying some information word-for-word to use later as a direct quotation in your research. Remember that you will have to cite your sources, no matter how you present the source information.
8. If you have access to note cards, create bibliography cards for each source you consult for information. Number each of these source cards for easy reference. Then, take notes on separate cards, matching the number on each note card to the number on the corresponding source card.
9. In your research, you may find relevant information in a graph or a chart. Choose an example from the source materials provided for this activity and restate the information in written form.
10. When reviewing your research notes, you may see that you need more information. To guide additional research, generate additional questions whose answers will provide needed information. As a class, write three or four secondary questions for your research question.
11. Complete the research by collecting information on your secondary questions, and create additional note cards and bibliographic information as necessary.
12. With your class, you will prepare and execute a presentation plan for the information you have assembled to answer your research questions. To use the information effectively in your presentation, you will do the following:
• Write a thesis statement that answers your research question.
• Develop an organizational structure that provides a thoughtful presentation of your evidence, reasoning, and conclusions.
8 SpringBoard® Writing Workshop with Grammar Activities Grade 7
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