Virginia SOL 12.R.1.G

ELA12th GradeEvaluation and Synthesis of Information 

The Standard

Define the meaning and consequences of plagiarism and follow ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information.

Virginia Standards of Learning for English

Teacher's field guide

What This Standard Means

What Students Need to Do

Students decide when borrowed words, ideas, images, or media need credit. They quote, paraphrase, summarize, and cite sources while following copyright, licensing, and school rules. They also explain what can happen when work is used dishonestly or illegally.

What Mastery Looks Like

Students can distinguish acceptable quotation, paraphrase, summary, and common knowledge. They credit sources consistently, preserve the original meaning, and explain academic, professional, and legal consequences of misuse.

Common Misconceptions

Students may think changing a few words removes the need for a citation. They may also believe online material is free to copy or that only direct quotations require credit. Some confuse collaboration, common knowledge, and unauthorized reuse.

How to Assess It

Give students a short source and a flawed paragraph that uses it. Ask them to identify the problem, revise the paragraph, add a citation, and name one possible consequence.

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

  1. Sort printed source-use cards into acceptable use, plagiarism, and uncertain cases, then revise each problem example with proper credit.

  2. Write a response to this prompt: When does borrowing another person's work become dishonest, and what consequence is fair?

  3. Play Citation Repair Relay, with teams correcting missing quotation marks, weak paraphrases, and incomplete citations on sentence strips.

  4. Review a news article, song sample, or social media repost and identify the permissions, credits, or licenses needed before reuse.

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Printable 12.R.1.G Worksheet

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