CS 113: Unit 6 ~ Writing and plagiarism WELCOME! Just for fun…get your thinking caps on! In this editing exercise please jot down the items that are incorrect.

CS 113: Unit 6 ~ Writing and plagiarism

WELCOME!Just for fun…get your thinking caps on!

In this editing exercise please jot down the items that are incorrect in the below paragraph.

There are 10 mistakes in the paragraph.

July is the best month for gathering fresh blueberries. Blueberries are one of the few truly blue foods on earth. They are all so one of a handful of frutes that is native to north America. Native Americans used blueberries for food, medicine, and to make dye for coloring cloth. The pilgrims ate blueberries, and Civil War soldiers use them to make a drink to top it all off, scientists say eating blueberrys can help fight cancer and heart disease.

Answers to the editing exercise

Original paragraph July is the best month for gathering fresh blueberries. Blueberries are one of the few truly blue foods on earth. They are all so one of a handful of frutes that is native to north America. Native Americans used blueberries for food, medicine, and to make dye for coloring cloth. The pilgrims ate blueberries, and Civil War soldiers use them to make a drink to top it all off, scientists say eating blueberrys can help fight cancer and heart disease.

Edited paragraph July is the best month for gathering fresh blueberries. Blueberries are one of the few truly blue foods on Earth. They are also one of a handful of fruits that are native to North America. Native Americans used blueberries for food, medicine and to make dye for coloring cloth. The Pilgrims ate blueberries, and Civil War soldiers used them to make a drink. To top it all off, scientists say eating blueberries can help fight cancer and heart disease.

Glad you’re here – let’s chat for a bit!

It’s Unit 5! How do you think things are going? Do you feel like you are making great strides in your learning? Are there things that have been surprising to you?

Share the good news! Anything fun or interesting going on this week?

By the end of Unit 5, you will be able to:

Explain why good writing is important Know the 3 things to consider before you start writingDescribe the steps of the writing process Describe the resources and services provided at the

Kaplan University Writing CenterUnderstand more about plagiarism Have a better understanding of the Unit 6 assignment

All writing is done for a purpose

Everything that is written is done with a purpose. We write a grocery list so we don't forget to buy what we need when we go to the store. Memos are written to tell us about something important at work. A diary is written to help the writer keep a record of his or her thoughts and actions.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think good writing is important?

Why is good writing important?

Good writing skills will help you express your thoughts and ideas more clearly. People who have the ability to clearly express their thoughts, ideas, needs, and wants are happier and enjoy more control over their lives. They are also more successful students when it comes to school and learning. For example, you may fully understand the reading assignments and activities provided in the unit, but your online instructors will never know unless you are able to communicate what you know in written form (i.e. during seminars, responses to discussion questions, and project assignments).

Discussion Question

Why do you think the writing process can be intimidating?

Writing and intimidation

Fear of others reading what you have written (also worrying about being graded for what you have done)

Fear of others reading your personal thoughtsFear of using improper spelling or grammarFear of not knowing what to write about or how to get

started

Discussion Question

What are the three things to consider BEFORE you start writing?

3 things to consider BEFORE you start writing

1. Purpose Examples: to inform, to persuade, to explain, to share an opinion

Note: there can be more than one purpose when writing

2. Audience Examples: your instructor, your boss, a lay person, or an expert

Consider—based on your audience, do you alter your writing style?

3. Form Examples: email, memo, formal research paper, letter

The Writing Process

Pre-Writing

1. Drafting

2. Revising

3. Editing

Step 1: Pre-Writing

This is the planning part of the writing process. It is where you: brainstorm different topics research material ask questions talk to other people write freely on a topic take notes (like creating an

outline, map, or chart) and narrow down your topic. Prewriting gives you a chance to

think about your topic (and assignment) in an unstructured, non-intimidating way.

Academic

Strategies

Discussion Question

Do you usually pre-write? If so, what is your strategy for pre-writing?

Step 2: Drafting

This is the first draft of the writing assignment. It is where you bring in your prewriting ideas and form them into sentences and paragraphs. Your first focus in this stage is on content. You want to think about your introduction, forming and organizing your ideas into the body of the paper, and starting on a conclusion. At this stage of writing, do not worry about grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.

Discussion Question

When you draft your work, do you focus on the content and ignore spelling, grammar, and sentence structure?

Or do you edit as you go along?

Step 3: Revising

This is a vital part of the writing process. This is where you use your critical thinking skills to make sure you covered all of the important elements in the directions of the assignment.

Questions to ask: Is the voice of the paper correct? Are you sending a clear message to your audience? Does the word choice, sentence, and paragraph structure flow? Did you follow the instructions? Does you paper meet the requirements as stated in the rubric?

Step 4: Editing

After you are completely satisfied with your paper, it is time to begin the editing process. This is where you look at the technical aspects of the paper such as grammar, punctuation, and spelling. You look over the spacing of your project, look at capitalization elements, and make sure to limit contractions. This is a great time to print the latest version of your paper and slowly read every word (reading out loud helps as well).

(MIT Online Writing and Communication Center, 1999).

KU’s Writing Center!

Don’t forget that you have an excellent (and FREE) resource available to you --

Navigating the Writing Center

Click on the “My Studies” tab, then select Writing and Math Centers from the pull down menu

Navigating the Writing Center, cont.

Click on the Writing Center link to open all the Writing Center options OR select the specific topic listed under the heading

Discussion Question

What is plagiarism?

NOTE: Don’t forget to take the anti-plagiarism quiz in Unit 5! It closes on the last day of Unit 6 and is worth 20 points!

Definition

Plagiarism is:

Plagiarism refers to academic dishonesty that can be intentional or unintentional.

This can be the result of attempting to recycle your own work from another course or semester, inaccurately citing the work of someone else, failing to give credit to someone else for his or her ideas or writing, failing to summarize or paraphrase a quote in your own words, or anything else that falsely represents any part of your work.

KEY!!In short, be honest with your reader and yourself. Know when and how to use APA formatting and be sure that it isaccurately implemented.

Taken from: http://www.kucourses.com/ec/media/store/mediausobu/CS113_0902B/CS113_4/html/ku_plagiarism.pdf

Plagiarism…some misconceptions

Common MISconceptions Reusing one of your own papers is not considered plagiarism. As long as you include a reference page at the end of your paper,

you are safe. It is ok to use someone else’s work as long as you replace a few of

the words and change the sentence around a bit. A source is plagiarized only if you forget to use quotation marks. Plagiarism counts only if it is intentional. “I didn’t mean to” is an acceptable excuse for plagiarism.

All of the above count as plagiarism. Students usually have a good idea of what it means to plagiarize, but there are some things you probably do not know. This short tutorial will tell you exactly what you need to know about plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Taken from: http://www.kucourses.com/ec/media/store/mediausobu/CS113_0902B/CS113_4/html/ku_plagiarism.pdf

Writing Case Study

Case study questions

1. How would following a writing process help Carmen?2. How can time management help Carmen become a

better writer?3. Why do accountants and other business professionals

need good writing skills?4. What other tips could you give Carmen to help her

succeed with writing?

Unit 6 Assignment– Write two paragraphs

Paragraph #1Purpose: Descriptive writing

Write a complete paragraph about a person who has influenced you in positive ways. Focus on at least one way in which this person has made an important impact upon you. Use specific ideas and examples to illustrate your points and make sure to refer to the Paragraph Structure chart located at the end of the Unit 6 Reading. Include a topic sentence, supporting details and a conclusion (minimum 5 complete sentences).

Paragraph #2Purpose: Share an Opinion

Write a complete paragraph about the advantages and disadvantages of taking online classes. Use specific ideas and examples to illustrate your points and make sure to refer to the Paragraph Structure chart located at the end of the Unit 6 Reading. Include a topic sentence, supporting details and a conclusion (minimum 5 complete sentences).

Unit 6 Assignment – cont.

As you are writing…1) Make sure you are utilizing the writing steps discussed in Unit 5, especially

editing

2) Consider utilizing the Writing Center for this assignment

3) Utilize the provided template

4) Submit your paper via the Dropbox no later than Tuesday at 11:59 PM EST

5) Contact me with any questions you have

Unit 6 Tasks

1) Unit 6 DB• Initial post by Saturday, post on three separate days

2) Unit 6 Assignment: write two paragraphs3) Unit 6 quiz on plagiarism

• This is worth 20 points• It opens on the first day of the unit and closes on the last day• I cannot reopen it so please plan accordingly• Your scores will show in the grade book at the close of the unit.• You will only see your scores, not the items you missed. If you want

to know what you missed, please contact me.

As always, I’m available for any questions you may have!

Email: [email protected]

Wrapping up