Emily Gorman, MLIS Candidate

University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences

Lesson Plan: Referencing for Psychology Students

Concept/Topic to Teach: Plagiarism and proper referencing/citation in an academic setting,

specifically with the APA 6th edition style

Standards Addressed: Information literacy

Goals:
1. Understand plagiarism and how to avoid it
2. Become familiar with the APA 6th edition citation style and how to use it to construct
citations and references

Learning Objectives:
1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of plagiarism by successfully completing a
worksheet on identifying examples of plagiarism
2. Students will construct accurate citations and references using the APA 6th edition style
3. Students will be able to use the APA 6th edition style manual to help them reference
correctly

Required materials:
• Projector with connected computer or cable to hook up to personal computer
• Presentation slides
• Plagiarism handout
• Books and journal articles to use for creating practice references
• APA 6th edition style manual
• APA referencing handout
• Pencils

Anticipatory Set: Mention a high profile case of plagiarism and the consequences, then outline
the consequences of committing plagiarism at Pitt

Procedures [Session duration – 60 minutes]:

1. Begin with the slideshow presentation that outlines the plagiarism examples (including
definition of plagiarism) and the consequences of committing plagiarism at Pitt [5 min]
2. Hand out the plagiarism worksheet and have students complete it [8 min]
3. Discuss the plagiarism worksheet and the answers [6 min]
4. Continue the slideshow and present the slides on citation and referencing – the difference
between a citation and a reference, the elements of citations and references, when to use
them [6 min]
5. Present the slides on the APA 6th edition style – example citations and references, how to
cite a book, how to cite a journal article (print and electronic), how to cite a website [8
min]
6. Mention that even though there is a set style, many teachers have personal preferences
when it comes to what elements to include (e.g. access date, url, doi) so be sure to consult
your teacher about what he or she expects [1 min]
Emily Gorman, MLIS Candidate
University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences

7. Hand out the sample books and journal articles and the APA referencing worksheet [1
min]
8. Wander the room as students complete the worksheet to serve as a guide for students who
may be struggling [12 min]
9. Discuss the students’ experiences in completing the worksheet – did they struggle to
construct the references? How easy was it to find the necessary information to build a full
reference? Did they run into any problems? [6 min]

Closure: Display contact information in case students want to get in touch, and mention the
library’s free workshops on using reference management software [2 min]

Assessment: At the end of the session students will complete a brief survey form to provide
feedback on the class and its usefulness. [5 min]