Plagiarism
For Elementary Students
Before We Get Started...
As Christians, we believe that honesty and integrity are important values to uphold because they are important to God.
- Honesty: being truthful in words or actions
- Integrity: being trustworthy; having strong moral principles that you refuse to change
As we grow in Christ and learn to live like him, it is important to follow Him in all areas of our lives. This includes being honest and trustworthy when completing our school work. :)
What is Plagiarism?
- Plagiarism is when you take or use something that was written or spoken by someone else and use it as your own without giving proper credit to the original author.
- Plagiarism can happen in an essay or short answer question. It is considered plagiarism if you copy information from a source, and do not re-write the information in your own words.
- Plagiarism can occur unintentionally or intentionally. It is still regarded as plagiarism either way, and we want to help you avoid it.
Common Types of Academic Dishonesty
#1. Copy and Paste
When you copy information directly, you are not learning or understanding. Also, the online answers are often different than the ones found in the Ignitia curriculum. You will save yourself time and bring value to your education by avoiding this and using the tips below instead.
A Note About Using Other Websites in Your Answers
Instead, use the "ask for help" button to ask your teacher for help! :) The answers can always be found in the lesson, and your teachers can leave a bookmark for you or help give you guiding questions.
If you are stuck on a quiz or test and you are unsure of an answer, do not look it up on another website since this is considered cheating. Instead, you are allowed to use any handwritten notes you have taken to help you on quizzes or tests. We encourage you to practice taking notes as these are a great resource to have! If you are still not sure, it is best to give an educated guess for your answer instead of leaving it blank.
#2. The 15% Rule
It is okay to use quotations in your essays (and your teachers encourage it!), but it becomes an issue when direct quotes overshadow the essay. Quotes should be used as support, not writing the essay for you. :)
When writing essays or reports, it is great to use outside resources, but make sure you are writing the information in your own words, and including the sources of any information that you use.
- If you are using a website as your source, include the full URL link to the article. Example: https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/wallaby/390624
- If you are using another resource such as a book or encyclopedia, include the title of the book and the author's name. Example: "Meet a Baby Wallaby" by Anna Leigh
How Do I Avoid Plagiarism?
General Solutions to Avoid Plagiarism
1. Ask us! Your EA teachers genuinely want to see you do well in your academics to the glory of God. If you need help with documenting your sources and writing information in your own words, just ask! We will do everything that we can to help you out.
2. Check out LiveBinder! There are a bunch of helpful resources there that are free for your use.
3. Take Notes! If you are unsure of how to write information in your own words, a great starting point is taking notes while you are reading. It is helpful to write in bullet points or incomplete sentences, and then when it comes time to write your own paragraph, close out of the window. You can then use only your own notes to write your sentences, which helps remove the temptation to use the original author's wording.
One Last Bit of Encouragement
Remember that honesty and integrity are biblical principles that apply to all areas of our lives :).