Scholastic News Sticky Situation • March 15, 2010

Maggie has to write an essay. Writing is difficult for Maggie. She comes across a Web site of historians’ essays on famous people. Maggie wants to copy the historians’ words and give that in as her essay. Maggie doesn’t want to copy someone else’s work, but she wants a good grade. What should she do?

Write a paragraph explaining what you think Maggie should do in the "Post a comment" section below.

Other Scholastic News readers will be posting their thoughts about this week's ethical dilemma, too. So come back to the Sticky Situation blog to discuss their solutions!

Comments

[Denise G.]

Okay first if she wants a good grade she can take some information about the internet but if she need help maybe she should ask her parents. That what i think she should do.

[April M]

Copying someone's words is illegal. What she should do is shorten the thing.

[Jewel L.]

I think Maggie should write the Paragraph's in her own words then at the bottom or back of her essay write the bibliography. (Bibliography:tells what resource you got your information from)

[Tiffany L.]

Maggie should just read it and use some info from the writing. Then read it over and over to see if it makes sense.

[Frog-Luvr]

She shouldn't Do It!!

[Rowan C.]

Maggie should take notes off the essay instead of copying it. She could also put a fact from the essay in word for word if she uses quotes. She also would need to include the source in her bibliography. You can get in trouble with the law if you plagiarize.

[Krishna G.]

okay, maggie should definetely NOT copy the essay. Obviously if the teacher knows her writing well enough, then she probably would notice a difference. But the main reason Maggie shouldn't do it is because it's plagirism. she could get into SERIOUS trouble with this type of activity. DON'T EVER DO IT!

[Nobonita P.]

I think maggie should read the essay, and write whatever she learnt from the essay in her own words.

[Mikkah L.]

Do her own work.So at least when she gets her grade back she can have a honest grade that she can be proud of!!!!!

[MadisonC.]

Cheating is not the answer to anything so maybe she can take like two ideas from that web site and then think of the rest by her self and then hopefully she will get a good grade and if she doesint at least its only one little thing

[Samantha C]

She can not because thats playjorism

[GARRET G]

okay... so this girl wants to get a good grade rite? well cheating is not the answer... she should soo write it herself i mean her teacher obviously wont believe that she wrote this report that was actually written by someone else.. so maybe she should use some of the notes the author has in his report and change em into her own words... i personally thinks thats a fabulously great idea i mean i wish i thought of it... o wait i did!!!

[Josiah s.]

Maggie shouldn't copy off the computer. The only mental possesion she'll get is a guilty conscious. So what is her prize other than a good grade. You'll not know anything afterwards. Teacher assign kids essays so kids can learn stuff, and to see what they know, not what a computers wrote. Not to make themselves do grades, but to actually learn.I've read all of the comments posted. Most of them deal with copying the work and then put it in her own words.Maggie will still be copying her work. That means everyone who said make it in your own words thought she should copy it. A grade doesn't last forever, but a guilty conscious does. Noone can live like that. Maggie shouldn't copy ever.

[Jessica standinim]

Just deal with it and do your own.

[Christyna H.]

I think that she can take the essay on the internet and change them around so her teacher would no that she didnt copy the internet work. so that means that Maggie gets a A plus on her classwork

[cotton candy]

I think she should jot down some of the info on the website and kind of change it in her own words!

[Thnjim A]

I think Maggie shouldnt copy from someones elces work because that would be cheeting and it would be just to get a good gread. I thinK that Maggies teacher will be more proud of her if she made her own essay. She should go to the labrary and find some books to do for her essay.If writing is tough for her she can also do the essay on the computer if she knows how to type on it.If Maggie copys she will be in a whole lot of troble. So Maggie shouldnt copy the essay someone elce wrote.

[Hovni S]

i think maggie shoud not copy directly of off the computer or else the teacher would realize that.

she should actullay read the page understand it and then write about it in her own words. then maggie wouldn't be directly copyining of off the computer.and if maggie still gets a bad grade be poud of yourself at least she won't feel guilty about copyining of of the computer!! be glad about your grade!!!

[EB]

She should just write the paper herself. If she gets a bad grade it is okay because sometimes people fail in life.

[Kelsey O.]

I have dealt with many problems like this before. What Maggie should do is take little parts from the story and make them into her own words. Then she should add details that she already knows and some info from other places. After her essay is done, it should be different and in her own words if she uses this solution.

[Tariek Lamar .B.]

the lilttle girl should tell her mom how she really feels and then tell her that she dont mean to hurt her feelings or upset her

[Sammie]

She should learn the info, then put it in her own words. She should also make a bibliography of the websites where she got the info frm.

That way, EVRY0NE'S HAPPYYY. (: <3

[Glen Q.]

Maggie should put the words on the website in her own words. If she copies it directly from the website, she is plagiarizing.

[William S]

Just look at the info, put it in your own words and put up a footnote where she got the info.

[Brooklyn P.]

I think on her paper she should not copy all the work but if she does she should put it in her own words.

[karina d.]

Ithink she should not turn that in as her essay she should take some information from that and put it in her own words so its not plagerism,and so she wont get in trouble.

[Alexina L.]

I think she should take some ideas from the paper and put in her own words. But if she copies the it as her essay it will be plagerism and she can get into legal trouble.

[Marsha B]

I think she should not plagiarize because it is wrong, but she could make it into her own words

[Makayla C]

Dear Maggie,
I know it is hard for some people to write but if you copy you might go to jail if you copy when your older.It is like somebody taking your work and getting all the notice.So what I think you should do is only somewhat do the same thing but at lest try to put it in your own words.

[Akhila M]

i think that maggie should just ask someone to help her write the essay in her own words by taking that information

[alexis J.]

She should just try her best on her own.

[nickobi w]

She should not take the essay off of the computer she should write her own essay.

[valeria v.]

i tink she should read and study then she can write an assay.

[DAMONIQUE]

SHE SHOULD NOT DO THAT YOU SHOULD JUST MAKE YOUR OWN AND READ ABOUT IT AND TELL WHAT HAPPENS IN THE STORY THEN MAKE YOUR OWN WORDS.

[Emily A.]

I thnk that Maggie should write what she found on the website but wright it in her OWN words! that way she wrights the essay on what was on the website and wrights a couple of things that she thinks!

[Cody S and Dylan T]

She should not cheat because it is the wrong thing to do, and you will most likley get caught by your teacher or you'll finally breakdown and tell the truth. Plus thats considered plagarism!!!!!!! Just do a lot of research and put it in your own words. That or use the article you have print it out and take out words and make it your own.

[C.M.]

I think she should not copy off other people.

[someone]

i don't thing cheating is rigth for her becadse by now she should know about famous peopel.

[Samantha.c]

I think Maggie should do her own essay couse maybe she might get a good grade

[Samantha.c]

I think Julisa should tell her mom she dont like it and mayybe her mom could understand her

[Samantha C]

I do not think that Maggie should use the words that she found on the internet.It would be better if she didnt cheat because if the teacher found out that she found it off the computer then either Maggie would get an even lower grade or the same grade that she would have got in the first place.That is what I think that Maggie should do for her sticky situation.

[Angela E.]

I think Maggie should not copy the writing on the website. I say this because you never know, that might be wrong. Also thats called like forgeing or something and that is so illegal and someone might have read that website and they would tell on Maggie and she would get an F. She should just ask someone in her house to help her or she should ask one of her friends for help and she would get better at writing and she would have a better score than if she copied probably.

[leonardo s]

i think maggie should just try her best on the essaye and use her words

[JessyB]

I think that maggie should not copy from the computer.Because i think that it is wreong for her to do that. And when her teacher ask her how did she write this lovly written essay she is going to have to tell the truth. And when she go to school the next day she can just ask her teacher for help.And say that she did not know how to do it.

[Ashley W 3c hi]

I think she should just get her social studies notebook and studied American history instead of cheatingand letting your teacher give you a 1 or D

[Celinette F]

I think Maggie should tell her teacher to probably help her because she can't figure it out.

[Lukas L.]

Maggie should take notes from the essay and write her own essay, in her own words.

[Yemani R.]

Find resources then write the essay

[Emma M]

I think Maggie should not look at the essay that she found on the computer. That is cheating and wrong. Maybe she could look at the essay and get ideas but she should not copy it.

[MICHAEL JACKSON FAN]

i think she should take the computers idea and change it in her own words