Plagiarism and how to avoid it

Plagiarism is an increasing issue in high schools and unversities (just read this article from Friday's Chronicle-Herald). As a result, I've prepared a presentation about plagiarism and how to avoid it that you can view here (in PDF format).

Additionally, the following links are to helpful resources about plagiarism, from what plagiarism is to how to cite sources using MLA style.

Book review: The Gravesavers

The Gravesavers by Sheree Fitch


Minn (short for Cinnamon) is spending the summer with her grandmother in a quiet Nova Scotia town while her parents recover from a family tragedy. Minn is not pleased, since she and her grandmother have never gotten along - and Minn is wary of her grandmother's secret locked closet.

When Minn discovers a tiny skull on the beach and meets a mysterious young man, her summer becomes far more interesting and she learns that people are not always what they seem to be.

I liked Minn. She is quirky (she swears by saying geographic locations - "Pugwash!" - or Latin plant names) and she did some things during the summer that surprised even herself. In particular, the scenes set in the past were interesting with the interactions between the two brothers. I had not known that Sheree Fitch wrote novels until I read this book (recommended to me by a student), and I hope she will publish more in the future.

4 stars out of 5 for The Gravesavers.

Read a review.

About Sheree Fitch.

Parrsboro School newsletter/calendar - May 2007

The May school newsletter has been sent home, but now you can also view them online. I have linked to them below.

May Newsletter (PDF file - you will need Adobe Reader to view this file, which you can download for free)

May 2007 Calendar (PDF file)

PEBS Winners (PDF file)

A Wonder of the Web: Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is a website that provides over 20,000 free e-books that are out of copyright in the United States, from Jane Austen to Edgar Allan Poe to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The electronic books come in a variety of different file formats, such text files and audio files, and are rather easily downloaded (although sometimes you have to download the files in a number of parts).

I have to admit, I'm not one to read a book on a computer screen. However, I have found that the human-read audio books (as opposed to computer-read audio books) on Project Gutenberg are fantastic! There is everything from poetry to fairy tales to entire novels, and the volunteers who read the pieces I've listened to have been wonderful.

Enjoy!

Library Corner column: Graphic Novels

Graphic novels have experienced a major increase in popularity in the past few years but still retain some stigma of being a “lower” form of literature than novels and picture books. Why is that?

Graphic novels are stories told with both words and illustrations with varying levels of sophistication. Ranging from wordless stories like “Owly” to perspectives on history and politics like “Persepolis,” graphic novels can cover almost any topic – yes, even superheroes – and range in length from 30 pages to well over 100.

Graphic novels also enhance instead of detracting from a child’s reading skills. Consider this: when reading a novel the reader needs to process the words on the page, but when reading a graphic novel the reader must process not only the words but the visual cues as well, from character facial expressions to indications of movement to sequence of events. When it comes to a student’s learning and comprehension, studies have shown that students who learn from books containing images have a deeper understanding of the topic at hand. This is one reason why I have been collecting graphic novels on historical topics at both the elementary and high school libraries.

Apart from their educational and literary benefits, graphic novels are also a lot of fun and entertaining to read. I can’t keep any graphic novels on the shelf at the elementary school, and often the moment a student returns one there is a student next in line to borrow it. If a book has a quality story and can make a child excited about reading, then I’m sold.

Below are links to further information about graphic novels and their place in libraries.




Some graphic novels in the PRHS library collection:

Book review: The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson has always had a tough time at school, but he wasn't expecting his math teacher to turn into a demon and attack him during the field trip - nor that his favorite teacher would toss him a sword to fight with. What Percy discovers is that he is the son of a Greek god and is, as a result, a hero like Hercules. But whose son is he, and will he survive his terrifying quest to retrieve an invaluable weapon?

The Lightning Thief is exciting, funny (I laughed out loud a number of times) and full of interesting characters. It's a great twist on Greek mythology and how it fits into modern life in a very "Men in Black" kind of way - including the altered memories of regular human witnesses.

4 stars out of 5 for The Lightning Thief.

Visit the Lightning Thief website.