Compare the student text with the source.

Source: Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, pages 39-40. Published by W.
W. Norton & Company, 1997:
Anyone who has experienced firsthand the overwhelming power of the life-sized painted bulls and horses in the Lascaux Cave of southwestern France will understand at once that their creators must have been as modern in their minds as they were in their skeletons.
Student text:
If you've seen the ancient paintings in France's Lascaux Cave, then you know that their creators must have been as modern in their minds as they were in their skeletons.
Is the student's text plagiarized? Why or why not?
Make it sound like an 8th grader wrote it

1 answer

The student’s text isn’t exactly plagiarized, but it is really similar to the original source. They used almost the same idea without changing the wording much. The student says, "If you've seen the ancient paintings in France's Lascaux Cave," which is a bit different from the source’s "Anyone who has experienced firsthand," but it still keeps the same main point.

To avoid plagiarism, the student should try to put the idea into their own words more and maybe add some extra details or thoughts. It’s important to make it sound different and show that they really understand what the source is saying!