Monday, December 13, 2010

Grading

As you know, I'm grading assignments online for the Virtual High School at Creek Wood. The biggest problem we have with them is plagiarism. The students copy and paste. That's bad enough, but apparently they seem to think we don't read their assignments and/or are too stupid to check the source. What they really don't realize is how easy it is to tell that a high school student did not write the assignment. The vocabulary, sentence structure, spelling, and much more are not even close to what they write on their own and shouldn't be. Yet somehow they think we should believe that it is their own work. I have to explain what they need to do so often that I have a note I copy and paste for them! Good grief!

Primarily I grade the social studies assignments (US History, World History, geography, government, and economics) and English IV. You know they don't get it when the answer to the "Black Friday" section of this assignment begins with "the Friday after Thanksgiving" and continues with shopping details. Sheesh!!
REPORT: RECONSTRUCTION SCANDALS

Use an encyclopedia, the Internet, or other sources to research the following Reconstruction scandals:

* The Tweed Ring in New York
* The Credit Mobilier Scandal
* Black Friday
* The Dawes Acts (including civil service reforms)

Write at least 300 words about each of these four scandals. In your own words describe the people involved, the consequences of their actions, etc.

6 comments:

David Dust said...

{{{raises hand in attempt to get teacher's attention}}}

"Excuse me Ms. Flame, but what is an 'encyclopedia'?" ...

XOXOXO

the dogs' mother said...

I love the Black Friday reference! The problem teachers had with Daughter's writing was to restrict her to a word count. Never failed, after the first assignment they had to clarify that 300 words meant the limit...

I never got to take American history. Tweed has something to do with corruption in NYC a long time ago - the name Boss Tweed is familiar. Do any of them have something to do with the Tea Pot Dome scandal? Dawes Act...
does this have anything to do with West Wing?

We bought a fun book for Thanksgiving - the citizenship test that immigrants take to obtain citizenship. I figure I'll catch up a lot that way.

Off to look these up and see how far off I am.

Joy said...

Yes, DD, that question would imply that they listen!

Wow, Froggy! I'm impressed!

Mistress Maddie said...

The Black Friday part cracks me up! lol

Trooper Thorn said...

Or when they think Sacco and Vanzetti are famous designers.

Unknown said...

I think that kids don't understand the concept of intellectual property until they hear..." And just where have you been all this time Young Man?" It gets complicated with what information they consider private and personal. THAT they get but that someone has worked hard for an original idea or statement, they somehow feel THAT they are entitled to.