My 9th-grader just finished a short paper for her AP Gov class that she asked me to read over. She did a pretty good job, after stressing all afternoon.
The assignment asks that she pretend to be a particular historical figure and write a 1st-person speech that would be consistent with that person’s views. Within the speech that DD wrote, she included a one-sentence quote that this person, in fact, did say (according to historical record.) She didn’t put quotation marks or a specific footnote for this sentence. When I asked her about this, she said she thought about it but felt it would look awkward, as the whole paper is to be a pretense that the historical character is saying every word in it. I get her point, but feel she’s being incorrect. At the very least, I suggested she let the teacher know about her dilemma before turning it in tomorrow (but doubt she will.) Is there a correct way to handle this? I vote to put in the quotation marks anyway, as it needs to be attributed. Don’t want her accused of plagiarism. But it’s her learning experience…maybe I should just butt out?
Is it due tomorrow? I would think the first place to go would be for her to ask her teacher. In 9th grade, this is part of the learning process and her teacher could guide her. It’s also a good habit to get them to go to teachers with academic questions.
Thanks so much, @bodangles, @bouders , @doschicos, I’ll let her know what you said, and let her choose one. I’m not so concerned about a potential cut in grade, as her average in the class is high enough to absorb it… just don’t want her to get in trouble for it.
Always better to be safe than sorry, in my opinion. You made your suggestions - she’ll have to decide what to do with them. I definitely think she should take your advice or just remove that quote altogether.
My daughter had a teacher who threatened to put a comment on a student’s transcript that colleges could see if she ever caught them cheating on their homework. When my kid told me that, I was just like “Holy cow!” (I mean, don’t most kids, at least occasionally, work with friends and family when doing homework?). So I had a serious discussion with her about how that or other academic infractions (like plagiarism) could affect her.
So depending on how strict the teacher or school is, she might not just get a cut in her grade. My kid goes to an average public high school, so I was very surprised that a teacher would do something that severe.
Yes, it’s due tomorrow @doschicos. Just assigned Friday ( did her other homework Friday evening and had band practice/trip/competition from 9am to after midnight Saturday. Yay! they won the chapter championship!!!) Next week will be MORE busy each day with more practices, marching in Halloween parade, a performance for parents, Football game performance , a homecoming dance and the very next day (Sunday) traveling to the big regional band championship. Had a bit of a melt-down this afternoon with the stress, but all’s well now except for this final detail to deal with. I think she footnoted. She’s often a bit shy to talk to a teacher about an issue. AARGH! THANKS!
Yes, LeastComplicated, I heartily agree! Being prone to errors, I don’t always dot my "i"s but I sure try to!
Ahh, @ProfessorMom1, I like the idea of italicizing if she keeps the quote. I think she would have to re-print at this point, but that’s a small price to pay.
As busy as you are, enjoy these days! When you are an empty nester you kind of look back on them fondly.
“She’s often a bit shy to talk to a teacher about an issue.”
Understandable but a goal to work on getting over it. Developing a rapport and comfort with teachers comes in handy - for teacher recs for college as well as for college academics in general, so a good habit to get into to.
Thanks, @doschicos, I can barely stand to think of the empty nest. In fact, I think I started on this forum to begin with, to get used to the thought (well-beforehand to mitigate the shock) that she will, indeed be leaving someday.
I gave her the updated suggestions (and your cautionary tale, @LeastComplicated), and told her she really needs to talk to the teacher before turning the paper in to show that she’s trying to do the right thing. And it’s true: she does try to do the right thing. She’s not perfect, but she’s a great kid in that way
I know this is already done, but I’m still going to add my two cents. Since the assignment is supposed to be her writing, if she does not somehow indicate that the sentence is a quote, she is de facto claiming that the words are hers when they’re not. I’m sure she doesn’t intend that, but it’s important to know that that’s how it will look. Unless they’re incredibly well-known (“we have nothing to fear except fear itself”), I think she needs to footnote or something. It sounds like she did, so great! This comment is more on the general discussion for all. (-The more they understand this before they get to college, the better things will go there–signed, a college composition professor.)
Thanks, @garland, I have to agree. But I’m also trying not to be a super-helicopter parent (I find striking the balance challenging.) Her assigned “person” is a very minor figure and his words are not well-known, so, except for the subtle change of wording style within the speech she wrote, the average person reading it wouldn’t know it was a quote. (Much of her stress over the assignment was, in fact because she could find very little information about this person to work with. I think she wanted to include the quote as a way to try to add a bit of gravitus to what she feared was a sparse essay.) Pretty sure she didn’t paraphrase but added the footnote, as that was simplest for her to do (and she was exhausted.) She said she will talk to the teacher.
Don’t know when results will come out but I’Il let you know! Thanks, everyone!
I’m late to the party, but I would have had her eliminate the quote altogether and put in a very general and vague sentence. Since the assignment was to create a speech using their viewpoints - not their actual quotes - it could be termed lazy to use exact quotes because then some students could rely on using entire passages the person said.
@inthegarden --I get your reticence, but for me, friendly support from a parent about a sticky situation that could conceivably lead to a scary outcome is not super-helicoptering. It might well not have been brought up in class in the manner she did it in her paper, but that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be undo repercussions. I never did my kids’ work, but I was always available as a consultant, and they seem to have handled college and adulthood okay :). My feeling is, trust your instincts.
