Idea Ownership Slides Idea Ownership
Lesson 1: Understanding Intellectual Property and Why Credit Matters
RESEARCH DETECTIVES UNIT
The Stolen Drawing
Imagine you spent hours on a beautiful drawing for a school contest.
Someone else takes your drawing, writes their name over yours, and wins the first-place prize.
How do you feel?
NOT YOURS
What is "Property"?
Physical Property
• Your phone
• Your shoes
• Your backpack
You can touch it.
Intellectual Property
• Songs you write
• Stories you tell
• Art you create
• Codes you program
The product of your brain.
Why give credit?
1
Respect: It honors the hard work of the creator.
2
Law: Taking ideas without credit is called plagiarism.
3
Trust: It shows your readers that you are an honest researcher.
Golden Rule
Acknowledge
the Source
"Whenever you use an idea, a picture, or words that you didn't invent yourself, you must tell your reader where you found it."
Words
Images
Sounds
Fair Play Worksheet Fair Play Case Studies
Research Detective Log #101
Name:
Date:
Instructions: Read each scenario below. Decide if the student is practicing Academic Integrity (being honest) or committing Plagiarism (stealing ideas). Explain why you chose your answer.
Case #01
The TikTok Tune
Mateo finds a cool beat made by a small creator on TikTok. He downloads the music and uses it as the background for his school presentation. He includes the creator's username on his last slide.
Fair Play
Idea Theft
Why? (Evidence from the story):
Case #02
The "Perfect" Paragraph
Sofia is tired and has a big essay due tomorrow. She finds a perfect paragraph on Wikipedia that explains exactly what she wants to say. She copies it into her essay and changes three words so it sounds a bit more like her. She does not mention Wikipedia.
Fair Play
Idea Theft
Why? (Evidence from the story):
Case #03
The Space Photo
Leo is doing a report on Mars. He finds a stunning photo of the Red Planet on the NASA website. He puts the photo in his report and adds a caption underneath that says: "Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech."
Fair Play
Idea Theft
Why? (Evidence from the story):
Detective Reflection
In your own words, what is the biggest difference between "sharing" and "stealing" an idea?
Integrity Basics Teacher Guide Teacher Facilitation Guide
Integrity Basics
Lesson 1: Understanding Intellectual Property
6th Grade
ESL / Academic English
Objectives
• Define intellectual property in simple terms.
• Contrast physical theft vs. plagiarism.
• Identify ethical choices in research scenarios.
ESL Support
Key Vocabulary to Scaffold:
Integrity: Being honest and doing the right thing.Credit: Giving someone public thanks/mention.Source: Where the information came from.
1
The Hook (10 min)
Start with the "Stolen Drawing" scenario from the slides. Ask students to describe their feelings in one word (angry, sad, cheated).
Teacher Prompt: "If I steal your backpack, I have it and you don't. But if I steal your idea, we both have it. Is it still stealing? Why?"
2
Direct Instruction (15 min)
Use the Idea Ownership Slides . Distinguish between physical property (shoes, phones) and intellectual property (art, music, code).
Highlight that in middle school and beyond, words are also property. When we use them, we "borrow" them and must give them back with a "receipt" (the citation).
3
Case Study Practice (20 min)
Students work in pairs on the Fair Play Worksheet . Encourage them to find "evidence" in the text of the scenario (e.g., "He included the creator's username").
Answer Key Notes:
• Mateo: Fair Play (Gave credit)
• Sofia: Idea Theft (Hidden source)
• Leo: Fair Play (Direct credit)
Differentiation:
For lower proficiency, allow students to draw a "smile" or "frown" next to the scenarios before writing.
Citation Anatomy Slides Anatomy of
a Citation
Lesson 2: Cracking the Code of Academic Credit
Metadata Investigation
The Information Map
A citation is like a GPS coordinate for information.
It tells your reader exactly where to find the "treasure" you found during your research.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Scholastic, 1998.
Without the map, no one can check your facts!
The "Big Four" Parts
Author
Who created the work?
Title
What is the work called?
Publisher
Who made it public?
Date
When was it published?
Assembly Required
To make a citation, we follow a specific pattern:
Author Last, First. "Title of Work." Publisher, Year.
Smith, Jane. The Secret Life of Penguins. Ice Press, 2023.
Punctuation Patrol
Citations use special punctuation to separate the information. Look closely!
. A Period ends the Author, Title, and Date.
, A Comma comes after the Publisher.
The Title is usually italicized.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter. Scholastic, 1998.
Citation Code-Cracker Worksheet Citation Code-Cracker
Metadata Analysis Workshop
Name:
Date:
The Color Code
Author
Title
Publisher
Date
1 Color the Components
Use highlighters or colored pencils to color-code each part of these real citations.
Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Amulet Books, 2007.
Gorman, Amanda. The Hill We Climb. Viking, 2021.
Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief. Disney Hyperion, 2005.
2 Assembly Line
Build a correct citation using the pieces provided in the boxes. Don't forget the punctuation!
Author Colfer, Chris
Title The Land of Stories
Publisher Little, Brown
Date 2012
Assemble Here:
__________________________________________________________________________________
Punctuation Detective
This citation has 3 mistakes in punctuation or formatting. Can you find and circle them?
Patterson, James, I Funny. Little, Brown: 2012!
Mistake 1: ________
Mistake 2: ________
Mistake 3: ________
Citation Parts Key Citation Parts Key
Answer Key & Teacher Reference
SOLUTIONS
1 Color-Coding Analysis
Citation 1:
Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Amulet Books, 2007.
Citation 2:
Gorman, Amanda. The Hill We Climb. Viking, 2021.
Citation 3:
Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief. Disney Hyperion, 2005.
2 Correct Assembly
Colfer, Chris. The Land of Stories. Little, Brown, 2012.
Period after Author Period after Title Comma after Publisher Period after Year
3 Punctuation Detective Results
The comma after "James" should be a period.
Patterson, James. (End of Author part)
The colon after "Little, Brown" should be a comma.
Little, Brown, 2012.
The exclamation point at the end should be a period.
Generator Glitch Slides ERR:404
Null Value
Caps Lock
MISSING_AUTHOR
2026-01-18
Generator
Glitches
Lesson 3: Why Citation Tools Aren't Always Right
The Power and the Problem
The Good News
Tools like MyBib or EasyBib are fast!
They format things instantly.
They find links automatically.
They save you a lot of typing.
The Reality Check
Computers are not detectives. They are scanners.
"Garbage In = Garbage Out"
If the website is messy, the citation will be messy.
YOU are the one who gets the grade, not the tool!
Common Machine Errors
SHOUTING TITLES
The tool copies a title written in ALL CAPS. (Needs fixing to Title Case!)
Missing Authors
The tool can't find the name, so it leaves it blank. (You might need to find it yourself!)
Wrong Publisher
The tool thinks the website name is the publisher. (Check the "About Us" page!)
Bad Data In
Machine Process
Bad Citation Out
"A generator is just a fast robot. It doesn't know if the information is correct; it only knows it's there."
The 3-Step Verify
1
Names
Are the names capitalized correctly? Last name first?
2
Dates
Is there a year? Is it the most recent one listed?
3
Punctuation
Did the tool miss a period or add a weird symbol?
Generator Checkup Worksheet Generator Checkup
Diagnostic Report: Digital Tools
Detective:
Unit: Academic Integrity
Instructions: The citations below were made by a robot. Every robot made at least one mistake! Circle the errors and write the corrected version in the box.
Error Type: Caps Lock
Johnson, Mark. EXPLORING THE DEEP OCEAN. Sea Press, 2024.
Corrected Version:
Johnson, Mark. ________________________________________. Sea Press, 2024.
Error Type: Missing Info
Generator Output:
"The Life of Mars." Space.com, 2022.
Detective Note:
I checked the website. The article was written by Sarah Miller.
Your Fix (Add the Author):
_____________________. "The Life of Mars." Space.com, 2022.
Error Type: Punctuation Mess
Gomez, Elena: "Robots in 2050" TechWorld, (2025)
Re-write it perfectly (Check dots and commas!):
The Human Verdict
"If a generator makes a mistake on your 'Works Cited' page, whose fault is it: the computer's or yours? Explain why."
Citation Cheat Sheet The Citation
Cheat Sheet
A Researcher's Essential Guide
Standard: MLA 9
The Golden Order
1
Author. (Last, First.)
2
"Title." (In quotes or italics)
3
Publisher, (Company Name)
4
Year. (Most recent year)
Pro Tips
No Author? Start with the Title .
Website? Use the site name as the Publisher .
Alphabetical Order! List your sources by the first letter.
Perfect Examples
For a Book:
Dahl, Roald. The BFG. Puffin Books, 1982.
For a Website:
Marsden, Chris. "Extreme Weather." Science Daily, 2024.
Punctuation Patrol
.
The Stop
After Author, Title, and at the very end.
,
The Pause
Only after the Publisher name.
"Citation is not about memorizing rules. It's about being consistent so other researchers can follow your footsteps."
Tag-It Slides Tag-It
Lesson 4: Mastery of In-Text Attribution
Academic Signaling
The Newsroom Technique
Watch a news anchor. Before an expert speaks, the anchor introduces them.
"Now let's go to Dr. Sarah Lee, who says the storm is moving North."
In research, you are the anchor. Your sources are the guests!
GUEST EXPERT
Signal Phrases
Use these "tags" to show where someone else's idea begins:
"According to..."
"The author states..."
"Research shows..."
"In the words of..."
Anatomy of a Tag
According to Dr. Smith, "the ocean is rising two inches every year."
Signal Phrase
The Source
The Evidence
Transparency
The Clear Window
Tags create a "clear window" into your research. Readers can see exactly which ideas are yours and which belong to experts.
Builds Trust
Better Grades
Avoids Plagiarism
Looks Academic
Tag Team Worksheet Tag Team Practice
Research Detective Log #104
Name:
The Anchor's Job
Below are pieces of information from expert sources. Your job is to act like a news anchor and tag the information correctly using a signal phrase.
Source Information:
Expert: Dr. Linda Garcia
Fact: "Honeybees are essential for growing 1/3 of our food."
Your Academic Sentence (Use a signal phrase):
__________________________________________________________________________________
Source Information:
Website: National Geographic
Fact: "Mount Everest is getting taller by about 4mm every year."
Your Academic Sentence (Use a signal phrase):
__________________________________________________________________________________
Source Information:
Book: Ocean Secrets by Sarah Wood
Fact: "The giant squid has eyes as large as dinner plates."
Your Academic Sentence (Use a signal phrase):
__________________________________________________________________________________
Detective Tip:
Remember to use a comma after your signal phrase (like Dr. Garcia says,) or use the word that (Dr. Garcia states that...).
Sentence Starter Cards Signal Starters
Classroom Reference Cards
Cut these out to use as desk references or post them on your research board!
THE CLASSIC
According To...
Great for authors, experts, or organizations.
"According to NASA, the moon is moving away from Earth."
THE ACTION
The Author States...
Use for books, articles, or papers.
"The author states that volcanoes are important for the Earth."
THE PROOF
Research Shows...
Use for facts, statistics, or data.
"Research shows that students who read more have better vocabularies."
THE QUOTE
In the words of...
Use for direct quotes from people.
"In the words of Einstein, 'Imagination is more important than knowledge.'"
Punctuation Alert!
Always place a comma after your signal phrase if it ends with a person's name, or use the word that to connect it to the fact.
Research Credits Slides Research
Credits
Final Mastery Project
The Citation Star Award
The Credit Roll
At the end of every movie, there is a Credit Roll .
It lists every person who helped make the movie happen—from the lead actor to the person who brought the snacks.
Your "Works Cited" is the Credit Roll for your brain's big production!
Directed By
YOU
Supporting Experts
National Geographic
Dr. Linda Garcia
Sarah Wood
The Mission
1
Topic
Choose a topic you love (Soccer, Gaming, Space, Animals).
2
Sources
Find 3 different sources (Book, Website, Article) about your topic.
3
The Poster
Create a poster with summaries and a Perfect Works Cited.
Your Poster Needs:
A bold, creative Title .
One paragraph summarizing your topic.
Three in-text citations (Using signal phrases!).
A Works Cited section with 3 perfect citations.
The Final Oath
Truth & Transparency
"I will share my knowledge honestly. I will honor the experts. I will build my research on the truth."
START YOUR BLUEPRINT
Poster Blueprint Graphic Organizer Poster Blueprint
Final Project Planning Sheet
Research Lead:
Step 1: My Topic
What are you researching? (e.g., The History of Minecraft, Why Tigers are Endangered, etc.)
My topic is: ____________________________________________________________________
Step 2: The Source Tracker
SOURCE #1
Author(s)
Title of Work
Publisher / Website
Year
SOURCE #2
Author(s)
Title of Work
Publisher / Website
Year
SOURCE #3
Author(s)
Title of Work
Publisher / Website
Year
Step 3: Drafting My Summary
Write a draft of the paragraph for your poster. Remember to use at least two signal phrases (e.g., "According to...") to show where your information came from.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ready to Design?
Once this blueprint is checked by your teacher, you can start your final poster. Make sure your "Works Cited" section is at the very bottom and listed in alphabetical order!
Citation Star Rubric Final Project Assessment
Citation Star Rubric
100
Total Points
Criteria Citation Star (25) Honest Researcher (15) Needs Backup (5) Content & Summary Clear, interesting summary of the topic with all major points covered. Summary is mostly clear but missing some minor details. Summary is too short or difficult to understand. In-Text Attribution Used 3+ signal phrases correctly to introduce information. Used 1-2 signal phrases, or used them incorrectly. No signal phrases or source names mentioned in text. Works Cited Formatting 3 sources listed. All authors, titles, and dates are in the correct place. 3 sources listed, but some punctuation/order is wrong. Missing sources or citations are incomplete. Design & Effort Poster is colorful, neat, and professional. Zero "garbage" data. Poster is neat but lacks color or visual elements. Poster is messy or difficult to read.
Strengths:
Areas to Improve:
Final Score
____ / 100
CERTIFIED ACCURATE
