Choices and cheaters

Read this interactive comic

Now match the questions and the answers.

a) Why was C.L. tempted to cheat?      ____

b) How does the Internet make it easier to cheat?      ____

c) Should C.L.’s friend Tom have asked her to help him cheat?     ____

d) Were you surprised that any of the choices C.L. made were considered cheating?   ____

e) Why is cheating wrong?         ____

1. Sometimes teachers ask students to use the Internet for research or to work together on projects. But if they don’t give their permission to do so, it might be cheating. And it’s always cheating to look up answers online and copy them word-for-word. Students should talk to their teachers about the instructions before they start working on assignments.

2. Because C.L. needed good grades in order to win the trip to Australia. She knew that even if she worked hard, it wouldn’t guarantee good grades. Using the Internet to cheat may have seemed like an easy way to make sure that she would get an A.

3. Because stealing from someone online is just as bad as stealing from a store. Cheating also allows students to get rewarded for work they haven’t done. This means that students who have worked hard may not get the rewards they deserve – and that isn’t fair. If you find out that a classmate is cheating, you should encourage them to do the right thing and tell the truth. If they won’t tell, you should think about telling the teacher.

4. The Internet makes it easier to find, copy and share information. Some students may cheat by copying and pasting answers directly into their assignments. Others may use texting and social media to share answers outside of class or during tests. But anyone who’s tempted to cheat should remember that what you do online leaves a trail so it’s also easier to get caught!

5. No, he shouldn’t. Tom asks C.L. to do something that could get her into a lot of trouble. If C.L. is caught cheating, she could fail the class, get detention or even get kicked out of school. A real friend will not ask you to do anything that could hurt you. Real friends encourage you not to cheat.