A Cause of Plagiarism

Begin by reading:

• "Why a College Football Player Would Plagiarize from a Little Kid" by Christopher Young

The writing assignment:

Athletes are not the only ones who are tempted to cheat, so in this essay you will examine another set of causes and effects. For this third essay, select and explain another reason or closely related set of reasons that might cause a student to cheat.

Mechanical details:

• The final product will be typed and double-spaced according to MLA format.
• The essay will be at least 950 words long. (That’s about 3 pages in standard format.)
• If the paper does not meet the minimum length requirement, it will be penalized. If you can’t think up enough material for 3 pages, ask for help! Go to the Writing Center! Ask the instructor for advice!
• The final copy of the paper will be submitted through the Blackboard drop box. You will find the drop box in the “Course Essentials” folder inside the “Course Essentials and Help” module at the top of our Blackboard page.

Due dates:

1. Monday, October 19: Bring TWO printed copies of your rough draft for peer editing. To get credit for this part of the assignment:
   1. Show up in person with your rough draft.
   2. Bring a paper copy of your rough draft, not a flash drive or a file on a laptop.
   3. Bring a substantial rough draft—at least 75% of the assigned length. A sentence or two about what you might write at midnight Sunday isn’t enough.
   4. Bring your own pen or pencil.
2. Wednesday, October 21: Final copy of essay #3 is DUE!

This essay is worth 75 points.