aiMOOC

E10 M - Write from sources without copying

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Einleitung

Mini description: Use information from short materials to write your own text. Select relevant points, keep the meaning, change the wording and structure, and show where the information comes from.

Du arbeitest auf Klasse-10-M-Niveau mit kurzen Texten, Bildern und natürlichem Standardaudio. English comes first: Du sollst verstehen, auswählen, paraphrasieren, kommunizieren und überarbeiten – nicht Satz für Satz übersetzen.

Media start: Watch 0:22–1:40. Write down three key ideas. Do not copy full sentences. Then compare your notes with a partner.

I can ...

Goal	I can ...
Understand	identify the main idea and useful details in short sources.
Select	choose information that fits my purpose and audience.
Paraphrase	express a source idea in my own words and sentence structure.
Credit	name or link the source instead of presenting borrowed ideas as my own.
Revise	compare my draft with the source and improve meaning, wording and clarity.
Transfer	use these skills in an article, report, email, opinion text or presentation.

Lernweg

Phase	Your action
English first	Read, listen or watch before asking for German support.
Understand	Find the main message and key details.
Respond	Say the idea briefly in your own English.
Analyse	Decide what is relevant and what can be left out.
Communicate	Write or speak for a clear audience and purpose.
Feedback	Check meaning, source use and language.
Revise	Improve your own draft instead of replacing it.
Transfer	Apply the strategy to a new source set.

Vorwissen

Choose one short online text you already know. Without looking at it, explain its main point in two English sentences. Then open the source again and check: Did you keep the meaning? Did you copy a phrase? Could another person see where the information came from?

Input: Write from sources without copying

A paraphrase keeps the source idea but changes the wording and sentence structure. A summary gives only the main points and is much shorter. A quotation uses the exact words and therefore needs quotation marks. In all three cases, borrowed information should be connected to its source.

A strong source-based text does more than replace words with synonyms. First understand the idea, then close or look away from the source, write from your notes, and finally compare your version with the original.

The SOURCE method

Step	What you do
S – See the purpose	Who are you writing for, and why?
O – Observe the source	Find the main idea and reliable details.
U – Use keywords	Note ideas, not complete sentences.
R – Rebuild	Change the order, grammar and wording where possible.
C – Credit	Add a source name or link.
E – Examine	Compare meaning and wording before you submit.

Reading: short source pack

Task context: Your school website wants a short English article: Why can trees be useful around schools?

Source A – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, learner-friendly notes: Trees and other vegetation can cool urban places through shade and the movement of water through plants. They can also reduce the need for cooling in buildings and help with rainwater runoff. Source: U.S. EPA – Benefits of Trees and Vegetation

Source B – U.S. Forest Service, learner-friendly notes: Urban trees can improve air quality by removing some pollutants. Their overall effect depends on factors such as tree type, location and management. Source: U.S. Forest Service – Improved air quality and other services from urban trees and forests

Read and respond: Choose only three points that are useful for a school audience. Make keyword notes. Then explain the three ideas without looking at the source cards.

Model: too close or truly paraphrased?

Source idea: Trees can lower local temperatures by giving shade and releasing moisture.

Too close: Trees can reduce local temperatures by providing shade and releasing moisture.

Better: According to the EPA, green areas can make built-up places cooler because plants block some direct sun and release water into the air.

The better version changes more than individual words. It reorganises the idea and clearly connects it to a source.

Listening and viewing

Watch once for the main idea. Watch again and note keywords for these questions: What is the difference between a summary and a paraphrase? Why is understanding the source important? What should a writer check before using a paraphrase?

Do not try to write a transcript. Your goal is to listen, select and reformulate.

Kontextwortschatz

English	Meaning in this course	Short German support
source	where information comes from	Quelle
relevant	useful for your purpose	relevant
evidence	information that supports a point	Beleg
wording	the exact words used	Formulierung
structure	how ideas and sentences are organised	Aufbau
cite	show where information comes from	Quelle angeben
claim	a statement that may need evidence	Aussage
draft	a text version you can still improve	Entwurf

Aussprache und verständliches Sprechen

Practise these words in short chunks: source – relevant source – paraphrase – clear paraphrase – citation – source citation – evidence – useful evidence. Listen for word stress in the videos and imitate rhythm, not a particular accent.

Communication goal: Verständlichkeit ist wichtiger als Akzentfreiheit. Speak in meaningful groups and pause between ideas.

Speaking: explain, check, improve

Work in pairs. Student A explains one idea from Source A without looking at it. Student B checks the source and says whether the meaning stayed accurate. Change roles with Source B. Then discuss which information would be most useful for a school website and agree on three points.

Useful language: The source explains that ... / The main point is ... / I would use this because ... / I think that changes the meaning because ... / Could we say it differently?

Writing: your own source-based paragraph

Write 100–130 words for the school website. Use information from both source cards, but select only what fits your purpose. Add at least one source signal such as According to the EPA, ... or The U.S. Forest Service explains that .... Finish with one sentence of your own that connects the information to the school context.

Do not copy a sentence and only change one or two words. Keep your draft after feedback so that your revision process remains visible.

Functional grammar: reporting and connecting

Function	Useful pattern
Report	The source says that ... / The report explains that ...
Attribute	According to the EPA, ...
Add	In addition, ... / Another point is that ...
Contrast	However, ... / While Source A focuses on ..., Source B ...
Be careful with certainty	This can ... / This may ... / The source suggests that ...
Conclude	Overall, the sources show that ...

Use the present simple when you report what a source says. Use can, may or careful reporting language when the source does not support an absolute statement.

Mediation: purpose before translation

German school note: „Die Schülervertretung plant einen Aktionstag für mehr Schatten auf dem Schulhof. Gesucht werden Ideen, die sich mit wenig Platz umsetzen lassen. Vorschläge sollen auf zuverlässigen Informationen beruhen.“

Your English exchange partner asks what the project is about. Give the information they need in 2–3 English sentences. Do not translate every word. Select for purpose and audience.

Source check and AI check

Before using information, ask: Who published it? Is the organisation or author identifiable? Is the page current enough for the topic? Does the source support the exact claim you want to make?

AI output is not automatically reliable evidence. If AI is used under school rules, verify factual claims against suitable sources and keep your own draft. This course does not require you to send texts, recordings or personal data to an external AI service.

Feedback code

Code	Meaning	Revision
M	meaning changed	check the source and correct the idea
C	wording is too close	close the source and rebuild the sentence
S	source connection is missing	add a source signal or citation
R	relevance is weak	remove or replace the detail
L	language is unclear	simplify the sentence

Feedback should improve your own text, not replace it. Give one strength and one concrete next step.

Fehleranalyse

After feedback, choose your two most important problems. For each one, record: What happened? Why did it happen? What will I do next time? Typical causes are copying while looking at the source, changing meaning with an unsuitable synonym, forgetting the audience, or adding a claim that the source does not support.

Transfer: a second source type

Watch only a short section selected by your teacher. Make keyword notes and turn one useful idea into a two-sentence explanation for a classmate. Name the video source. Then compare your wording with the video transcript only if a transcript is available.

Privacy, fairness and media use

Recordings are voluntary and should stay private unless everyone involved has agreed to a different use. Do not upload classmates' voices, names or work without permission. If you practise application or CV writing in a transfer task, use fictional profiles only. Avoid culture stereotypes: one source or one example never represents a whole country or group.

The Wikimedia Commons images in this course are linked through their Commons file pages; licence and author information can be checked there. YouTube videos are embedded for learning and are not copied into the course.

Prüfungs- und Bildungsplanbezug Baden-Württemberg

Stand 02.10.2026: Für Klasse 10 im M-Niveau trainiert dieser Kurs insbesondere strukturiertes, adressatengerechtes Schreiben sowie das weitgehend selbstständige Planen, Verfassen und Überarbeiten. Die aktuelle Übergangsregelung zum überarbeiteten Fachplan Englisch V2 bedeutet, dass die bisherige Fassung für ältere Jahrgänge weiterhin auslaufend gilt. Offizielle Grundlagen: Bildungsplan Englisch Klasse 10 – Schreiben und Inkrafttreten und Übergangsregelung V2.

Für die Realschulabschlussprüfung 2027 nennt das Kultusministerium den 3. Mai 2027 als Haupttermin der schriftlichen Englischprüfung; die Kommunikationsprüfung in der Pflichtfremdsprache soll vom 22. Februar bis 2. März 2027 stattfinden. Nach der RSAPO dauert die Kommunikationsprüfung in der Pflichtfremdsprache etwa 15 Minuten je Schülerin oder Schüler. Quellen: Kultusministerium – Prüfungstermine und RSAPO §10. Dieser aiMOOC ist keine offizielle Musterprüfung und übernimmt keine nicht bestätigten Prüfungsformate.

Can-do check

I can ...	Not yet	Mostly	Yes
select relevant information from two short sources	□	□	□
paraphrase without copying sentence structure	□	□	□
keep the original meaning accurate	□	□	□
connect information to its source	□	□	□
revise my own text after feedback	□	□	□
explain a source idea clearly in spoken English	□	□	□

Folgekurs

Continue with E10 M - Compare and evaluate sources or transfer the strategy to E10 M - Write an opinion text with sources.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What is the main goal of a paraphrase? (To express the same idea in your own wording and structure) (!To copy the sentence and change one word) (!To add a new fact that was not in the source) (!To translate every word into German)

What should you do before paraphrasing? (Understand the source idea) (!Search for the longest synonym) (!Copy the original sentence into your draft) (!Remove the source name)

Which note-taking method best supports independent paraphrasing? (Write keywords and short ideas) (!Write every sentence from the source) (!Copy only the longest phrases) (!Translate the complete source word for word)

What is a summary? (A shorter text with the main points) (!An exact copy with quotation marks removed) (!A list of unrelated details) (!A sentence with more detail than the source)

When do you use quotation marks? (When you use exact words from a source) (!Whenever you mention your own opinion) (!Whenever you use a connector) (!Whenever you write a summary)

Why should you name a source after paraphrasing? (Because the underlying information or idea came from that source) (!Because paraphrasing makes the source your own) (!Because sources are only needed for direct quotations) (!Because every sentence must contain a website address)

Which change is usually not enough for a good paraphrase? (Replacing a few words with synonyms) (!Changing the sentence structure) (!Writing from keyword notes) (!Reordering information while keeping the meaning)

What should you check after writing a paraphrase? (Meaning and similarity to the original) (!Only the number of letters) (!Only whether the text is longer) (!Only whether every word is different)

Which phrase clearly introduces information from a source? (According to the report) (!I copied this) (!Nobody knows) (!This is definitely always true)

What is the best response if an AI tool gives you a factual claim? (Check the claim against a suitable source) (!Assume it is correct because it sounds fluent) (!Remove all source information) (!Use the claim without reading it)

Memory

Paraphrase	Same idea in new wording and structure
Summary	Short version with main points
Quotation	Exact words from a source
Citation	Information showing where material comes from
Relevance	Fit between information and purpose
Draft	Text version that can still be revised

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Writing action
Understand	Find the source's main idea
Select	Choose information for your purpose
Rebuild	Change wording and sentence structure
Credit	Connect the idea to its source
Check	Compare meaning and wording

Kreuzworträtsel

Paraphrase	What do you call a reformulation that keeps the source meaning?
Citation	What shows where borrowed information comes from?
Summary	What is a short version containing the main points?
Relevant	Which word describes information that fits your purpose?
Source	What do you call the place where information comes from?
Revise	Which verb means to improve a draft after checking it?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Keyword notes: Read one short source card and reduce it to five keywords. Close the source and explain the idea in two English sentences.
Paraphrase check: Rewrite one short source statement twice with different sentence structures. Keep the meaning unchanged.
Source signals: Create four useful sentence starters for naming a source and use each in a short example.
Copy detector: Compare a source sentence and a close paraphrase. Mark which parts are still too similar and rebuild the sentence.

Standard

Video notes: Watch one embedded video section and make keyword notes only. Write a 60-word explanation for a classmate.
School website article: Use Source A and Source B to write 100–130 words on why trees can be useful around schools. Select rather than collect.
Peer feedback: Exchange drafts and use the M-C-S-R-L feedback code. Give one strength and one next step, then revise.
Mediation for an exchange partner: Use the German school note and explain only the relevant information in 2–3 English sentences.

Schwer

Two-source synthesis: Find two reliable short sources on a teacher-approved topic and write 130–160 words that combine them without copying.
Source reliability check: Compare two webpages on the same topic. Explain which details make each source more or less useful for your purpose.
Mini presentation: Present three source-based points for two minutes without reading full sentences. Name your sources orally and respond to one spontaneous question.
Revision portfolio: Keep source notes, first draft, feedback and final version. Add a short reflection on the two changes that improved your text most.

Lernkontrolle

Meaning transfer: You receive a short source and a paraphrase that changes one important idea. Identify the change, explain why it matters and write a corrected version.
Purpose and selection: From two source cards, choose the information needed for a message to younger students. Justify one detail you include and one you leave out.
Source-based writing: Write a coherent 120–150-word text from two short sources. Use at least two source signals and add a conclusion of your own.
Revision task: Improve a draft that contains close copying, a missing source signal and one unclear sentence. Explain each revision briefly.
Source check: Given two online sources, decide which information you would trust for a school article and support your decision with author, date, evidence and purpose.
Transfer speaking: Explain one source-based claim orally, react to a follow-up question and reformulate if your partner says the meaning is unclear.

Lernnachweis

Für einen Lernnachweis zu diesem Thema ist wichtig, dass Du:

relevante Informationen gezielt auswählst statt alles zu übernehmen.
den Sinn einer Quelle korrekt wiedergibst.
Wortlaut und Satzbau ausreichend eigenständig gestaltest.
fremde Informationen sichtbar mit ihrer Quelle verbindest.
einen klaren, adressatengerechten B1-orientierten Text verfasst.
Feedback nutzt und Änderungen zwischen Entwurf und Endfassung zeigen kannst.
problematische Stellen wie Copying, Bedeutungsverschiebungen oder unbelegte Aussagen erkennst.
Quellen und KI-Angaben prüfst, bevor Du Fakten übernimmst.

OERs zum Thema

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