Assignment #1 - Plagiarism and MLA Citation

This assignment is not very long, but you will not do a very good job if you wait until the last minute to start it. Get started right away!
To complete the assignment for this week, follow these steps:

1. Read this document VERY carefully (maybe even twice)...
How to Avoid Plagiarism: Step-by-Step Guide
This document will tell you how to avoid plagiarism and how to properly cite your work.
(Refer back to it when necessary)

2. Read the following articles:
NPR Article on Drugs
NPR Article Transcript
Your assignment will be written about these articles - they are very short!

3. On a SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER write your full name, the assignment title, and which class you are in. Now answer the following question: Do you think it is better to buy brand name or generic medicine? Your answer should be 5-7 sentences and in PARAGRAPH FORM. Make sure to use only one DIRECT QUOTE and to PARAPHRASE when necessary. Remember that any idea that is not yours or common sense, needs to be referenced. On the backside of your assignment, I want you to create your WORKS CITED page. This is what you will be turning in to me.

Tip: If you have any questions, refer to the resources on this blog (especially those under the Plagiarism and MLA Citations section). Otherwise, you have a week to ask me any questions about this assignment. Good luck!

Another picture of what a work cited page looks like. For this assignment, you only have to reference one article so you will only have one reference. However, this should be done correctly!

Researching Topics

Research Organizer:

Getting to Know Your Country (Use the CIA World Fact Book Below to Find This Info)

Links that will help you find the information that you need:

Official Model UN Page of Research Links (Tips for Starting Your Research)

Tips for Researching Your Country or Topic (More General Tips)

What You Should Know About Your Country

What You Should Know About Your Topic

How the UN Relates to Your Topic and Country (General Structure of the UN)

Finding UN Documents (Great for the International Section of Your Paper)

A List of Great Research Links

CIA World Fact Book (Learning more about your country)

Deciding whether a source is reliable or not:

Good and Bad Sources

After you have researched your topic and country, make sure to have the following questions answered:

Position Paper Outline

Short Stories

Here are a couple American short stories:

The Lottery

The Tell-Tale Heart

Plagiarism and MLA Citations

Make sure to check out the guide below:

How to Avoid Plagiarism: Step-by-Step Guide

Other Helpful Links:

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism Quiz

In-Text Citations

Works Cited Page

Writing a Position Paper

Here is the Powerpoint that I shared with you on how to write a position paper (there are helpful tips for writing the position paper at the end):

Position Paper Powerpoint - Pizza Edition

Simplified Guides:

Position Paper Outline

Important Position Paper Documents

Here is a sample position paper:

Violence Against Women

Position paper rubric:

Rubric

Remember that your position paper should have 4 distinct parts:
1. Introduction
2. Information about the issue domestically
3. Information about the issue from an international level
4. Conclusion
*Use statistics and quotes SPARINGLY and only when they have a "WOW-factor" to them (only 2-4 MAX per essay).

Formatting:

1.     Your heading should only include the following:

Your name(s)

Committee Name:

Country:

Topic:

*You do NOT need a separate cover page or additional heading, but don’t forget your WORKS CITED page (which will go on a separate piece of paper)

2.     Please use: 12 point (size), Times New Roman font, single spacing through your ENTIRE essay; maximum length is 1 page.

3.     Do use paragraphs; you should end up with about 4 paragraphs for your essay (this is not a strict requirment, you may have one or two more paragraphs).

Intro to the UN and Global Classrooms

The following is a link to the Powerpoint where you will find a brief introduction to the UN, Global Classrooms, and a timeline of how the year will look:

Intro to UN/GC Powerpoint

Here are the millennium development goals:

Millennium Development Goals

More About the MDGs

A document with everything you need to know about the UN:

Everything about the UN

The UN Bodies

A video on how the UN works: