Lesson 5

Learning Intention: We are learning to understand and practise avoiding plagiarism.

Success Criteria:
✅ I know what plagiarism is.
✅ I can rewrite information in my own words.

As a class, read the paragraph below about the Sun. Then, practice rewording the text with students to avoid plagiarism. 

The Sun

The Sun is a giant ball of hot gases at the centre of our solar system. It is mostly made of hydrogen and helium and produces energy through a process called nuclear fusion. This energy travels through space and reaches Earth as sunlight and heat, which are essential for life. The Sun’s gravity keeps the planets, including Earth, in orbit around it. Although it looks small in the sky, the Sun is about 1.4 million kilometres wide—over 100 times wider than Earth. Without the Sun, there would be no light, no warmth, and no living things on our planet.

Reworded Version

At the heart of our solar system is the Sun, a huge sphere made up of burning gases like hydrogen and helium. It creates powerful energy through nuclear fusion, which gives us the sunlight and warmth we need to survive. The Sun’s strong gravity holds the planets in place, keeping them moving in orbits. Even though it seems small from Earth, the Sun is actually enormous—more than 100 times wider than our planet. Life on Earth wouldn’t exist without the Sun’s heat and light.

Instructions:

1. Choose one paragraph from your notes. This could be a section about The Sun, Asteroids, or another space topic.

2. Read through the paragraph carefully and think about what each sentence means.
   Ask yourself: Can I say this in a different way?

3. Use the “Word Swap” sheet (below) to help replace common space words with different or simpler vocabulary.
   For example, swap “orbit” with “travel around” or “gigantic” with “very large”.

4. Rewrite the paragraph in your own words.
   You can change the order of the words, use synonyms, or break up long sentences.

5. Check that your new paragraph keeps the same meaning as the original—but is written in a way that sounds like you.

Turn and talk - Why is it important to write in your own words?