Plagiarism Policy Update: Alternate Assignment

Plagiarism Policy Update: Alternate Assignment



There has been numerous students who have plagiarized their work on the course's Independent Reading Projects. This has been evident for both English 4 and AP Language/Composition students. Academic Dishonesty is never acceptable. Cheating fails to provide experiences that lead to reflection and growth of the applied skills. Dishonesty and cheating can lead to being terminated from your job, losing scholarships, expulsion from a program or the entirety of a university or training school, or, in extreme cases, civil or criminal litigation.

On these projects, academic dishonesty was demonstrated via copying and pasting work from a website and claiming it as one's own work. I have identified these people and informed them via comments on those assignments. My original policy has been to score the assignment a ZERO with no possibility of redoing the work or making it up; however, given the unique circumstances of this school year, I am providing an alternate assignment as a method of redoing plagiarized work. 

Independent Reading Project: Alternate Assignment Due to Plagiarism

Only students who have received a ZERO for plagiarism may complete this alternate assignment to count for their Independent Reading Project grade (this is for any month). 

You will attach a Google Doc to the Project you committed plagiarism in and resubmit when complete.

You are to write a essay that includes the following:
  • An introduction that includes:
    • A brief summary of the book -or- a brief background of the author
    • A thesis discussing a claim made by the author that has at least two pieces of evidence
  • At least two body paragraphs discussing each piece of evidence
    • Each paragraph must discuss a different piece of evidence used by the author to assert that claim
    • Each paragraph must include:
      • Topic: The main point being discussed
      • Evidence: The evidence being used (a direct quote or short summary)
      • Commentary: A discussion of how the evidence supports the major claim (thesis)
  • A conclusion
    • Connect it to the outcome of the book
      • How do the characters in the book portray the claim
Your essay must follow these guidelines:
  • Be at least one page in length (single-spaced)
  • Use 12 pt. font size
  • Use Arial or Times New Roman font styles
  • Must be neat and well-written. I am expecting you to work in a professional manner and will not accept sloppy essays rapidly thrown together.
Below is an example outline for this essay:
  • Book: Othello by William Shakespeare
  • Intro
    • Background of the book and main characters
    • Thesis: Shakespeare, in the play Othello, posits that jealously is ruinous to even the strongest relationships via dialogue between Othello and Iago as well as the play's climax
  • Paragraph 1
    • Topic: Iago's ironic warning to Othello about jealously
    • Evidence: "Jealously is the green-eyed monster that doth mock the meat it feeds on" (Iago)
    • Commentary: Jealously is destructive, both outwardly to others, but also inwardly towards the one who harbors this emotion
  • Paragraph 2
    • Topic: The play's climax
    • Evidence: Othello kills his wife via smothering her with a pillow
    • Commentary: Othello's jealously pushes him to be murderous to others while also destroying everything he holds dear to himself. As a result, he stabs himself and dies as well. Jealously destroyed both sides of the relationship
  • Conclusion
    • As the play progresses, Othello becomes more and more jealous
    • He becomes less trusting of his wife and more distant
    • False evidence of an affair drives him into a rage where he kills his wife without even offering her a chance to explain or critically thinking upon the evidence and events
    • He loses everything and kills himself at the end
Feel free to email me, message me on Remind, or set up a meeting over Zoom if you have any questions!

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