Communications
Teacher:
Ms. Gigowski
Course Objectives: This course is designed to enhance your communication skills in several areas:
interpersonal, interpersonal, small group and public.
Grading Procedures: You will pass this class! It’s fail proof, with two exceptions: being absent and not doing
the work! I call this “failure by default!” Be here, follow all school and classroom rules and guidelines, and do
the required work on time and you cannot help but do well. Because this class relies heavily on participation, it
is important for you to be in class and on time. Assigned work must be turned in/presented on the due date.
LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Grades are based on the following:
Class Participation
15%
Class Participation is based on staying on task, participating in group
discussions, your classroom behavior, and your attitude.
Journals/Bellwork
10%
You must have a bound notebook for your journal. You will have topics
or prompts to respond to most days at the beginning of class. You will
have ten minutes to write and must have a minimum of five sentences in
order to receive credit for your entry. At other times, you will be given a
worksheet or written assignment to be worked on as soon as you enter the
classroom.
Individual Projects and Presentations
30%
From time to time you will be assigned various in-class projects and
presentations.
Group Projects/Presentations
25%
From time to time you will be assigned group projects and
presentations.
Quizzes, Tests, and Papers
20%
Make up work: Remember that all make-up work is your responsibility. The student handbook rules apply.
Make sure you find out what you missed – without interrupting class or delaying its beginning.
Passes: You will be allowed two passes per nine week marking period. They may be used for the bathroom or
your locker. I do no give passes to library, office, counselor…. Plan your time accordingly!
Classroom Rules:
1. RESPECT yourselves, me, and each other, as well as all guests in
our classroom.
2. Come to class with a good ATTITUDE!
3. Come to class prepared everyday.
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Plagiarism – Frequently Asked Questions
Is it plagiarism if I change around the words in the sentence?
YES! Even if you change the order of the words, you are still stealing someone else’s concept.
Original Text:
George Eliot was born Mary Ann Evans on November 22, 1819, in Warwickshire, England. She
was the daughter of Robert Evans and Christina Pearson, and was the youngest of their five
children. A precocious and religious child, Evans was teaching Sunday school to the local farm
children at the age of 12.1
Plagiarized Text:
On November 22, 1819, George Eliot was born in Warwickshire, England. She was the youngest
of five children whose parents were Robert Evans and Christina Pearson. As a child, she was
young and precocious. At the age of 12, she began teaching Sunday school to the local children.
Properly Cited Text:
Born on November 22, 1819, Mary Ann Evans was the youngest of five. Her parents, Robert
Evans and Christina Pearson, were highly involved in the church. In fact, Mary Ann began
teaching Sunday school to the local children when she was twelve (Middlemarch 1).
When is it necessary to cite my sources?
Plagiarism.com states that it is necessary to cite your sources when you use the following:
another person’s idea, opinion, or theory;
any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings--any pieces of information--that are not common
knowledge;
quotations of another person’s actual spoken or written words; or
a paraphrase of another person’s spoken or written words.
To avoid inadvertently plagiarizing, it is best to read the information and then close the book or flip over
the paper and summarize the information in your own words.
What is common knowledge?
Common knowledge is information that is generally known and can be found everywhere. For example,
William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582. Although this may not be
common knowledge to you, it is a known fact. You do not have to cite information that is well known
such as a birth date, birth place, date of death, husband, wife, etc. These things are not opinions or ideas,
they are simply facts. The following is an example of information that is not common knowledge:
Original Text:
1
Middlemarch | George Eliot: A Brief Biography." ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre.
WGBH Educational Foundation. 03 March 2003
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/archive/programs/middlemarch/tg_biography.html>.
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Richard Hathaway died in September 1581 and left Anne the sum of 6 pounds 13 Shillings and 4
pence to be paid “atte the day of her maryage”.2
Correctly Cited Text:
When Anne Hathaway’s father died he left her 6 pounds 13 Shillings and 4 pence, which was to
be paid on the day of her marriage (Hathaway 1).
How do I cite my sources within the text?
The following is an example of how to use someone else’s words legally. The borrowed material is
placed within quotation marks and proper credit is given to the author.
Original Text:
In college courses, we are continually engaged with other people’s ideas: we read them in texts,
hear them in lecture, discuss them in class, and incorporate them into our own writing. As a result,
it is very important that we give credit where it is due. Plagiarism is using others’ ideas and words
without clearly acknowledging the source of that information.3
Correctly Cited Text #1:
Plagiarism is defined as “using others’ ideas and words without clearly acknowledging the source
of that information” (Peterson 1).
Correctly Cited Text #2:
John Peterson defines plagiarism as “using others’ ideas and words without clearly acknowledging
the source of that information” (1).
Is it necessary to cite an image taken from the internet or other source?
YES! The following is an example of how you may want to give proper credit to your visual sources. In
addition to doing this, be sure to put the complete bibliographic information on the works cited page.
Source: http://www.beatboxbetty.com/photogallery/photogallery3/photogallery3/photogallery3.htm
Cheating – Frequently Asked Questions
If I write the answers to a test on my hand prior to taking the actual test, is it cheating?
Yes. Writing answers on your notebook, desk, shoes, arms, legs, hands, or any other part of your body is
cheating. If there is anything questionable on, near, or around your desk during a test, you will be
disciplined for cheating.
2
Hathaway, Anne. “Anne Hathaway.” Hathaway Ancestor. 03 March 2003
<http://www.hathaway51.freeserve.co.uk/index.htm>.
3
Peterson, John. "Plagiarism: What it is and How to Recognize and Avoid It."
Writing Center at Indiana University Bloomington. The Trustees of Indiana
University. 03 March 2003 <http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html>.
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If I glance over at my neighbor’s test, is it cheating (even if I don’t write anything down)?
Yes. Your eyes belong on your paper and your paper only. If I see you looking around while the test is
on your desk, I will assume that you are cheating.
If I am assigned to work in a group and I don’t actually do the work, yet sign my name to the
project, is this cheating?
Yes. Group work is just that, GROUP work. Each person has a task to complete that he/she is
responsible for contributing to the project as a whole. Your task is not to sit back and take credit for work
that you did not do. In addition to this, if you are the person who did all of the work and allow other
people to take credit for the work, this too is academic dishonesty.
If my teacher says that it’s okay for me to work with a partner on an English assignment, would it
be cheating if I copied my partner’s answers?
Yes. Most English assignments are subjective. It would be unrealistic to say that you and your partner
have the exact same response to every single question. You are individual people with individual
thoughts and ideas. The purpose of working with a partner is to bounce ideas off one another while
reaching your own conclusions.
If a friend and I “work together” on an assignment, is it cheating?
Yes. Unless you have been specifically told to work with someone else, there is no reason to do so. I
understand that you may say to another student, “I don’t understand this.” It is absolutely fine for that
student to help you understand. However, you need to do the work on your own. The bottom line is this;
“we worked together” is not an acceptable excuse if you are suspected of cheating.
If you have any other questions concerning what does or does not constitute cheating/plagiarism, please
let me know. The handbook policy on cheating as well as plagiarism reads as follows:
1st Offense: Parent notification by staff member referring. No credit (a zero) on the
test, quiz, or assignment involved which may result in student failing class. May be
suspended 1-3 days out of school.
2nd Offense: Parent notification by staff member referring. No credit (a zero) on the
test, quiz, or assignment involved which may result in student failing class. May be
suspended 3-5 days out of school.
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Please sign below to indicate that you have read and understand the rules concerning cheating and
plagiarism. If you have any questions or concerns, I encourage you to contact me at 644-3944.
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Parent Signature
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Date
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Student Signature
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Date
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