Paraphrasing

I had requested assistance with another assignment and the writer had a lot of plagiarisms in the writing and I got dinged for it.  I received a non-passing grade and have to complete the assignment below to get put back in to good standings.  I was sent to what they call a Principles class to explain why this happened. 
Due to the plagiarism I was unable to complete the last assignment for my high school diploma, graduate, and walk with my senior class. That was devastating to me and very hurtful. 
Part I:
Write an essay of 100 words or more in which you explain why you were sent to this class, what consequences your actions may have had on yourself, your teacher, and CompuHigh, and what you would do differently now.
Some questions to consider as you write:
•    Were you aware that you were doing something inappropriate?
•    Do you think it’s fair that you are here?
•    Would you change what you did if you could?
•    What kind of help do you need to change this behavior?
Part II:
Paraphrasing is an important skill for several reasons:
1. It prevents plagiarism.
2. It forces you to process the material you’ve read so that you better understand it.
3. It allows you to convey the material in your own voice.
4. It keeps your reader from becoming bored if he or she has already read the primary material.
You will now do exercises that help you practice paraphrasing. First, study the Paraphrasing section of the Plagiarism and Citation page. http://www.compuhigh.net/classes/Plagiarism_and_Citation.htm

1. Summarize text so that you can talk about it.
Study the following page to learn paraphrasing tools:
www.plagiarism.org --Be sure to explore all four major parts of the site, shown in black boxes.
Use your tools to read the Gettysburg Address, and then write 50-75 words paraphrasing it. After your paraphrase, tell me what tools and tips from the website you used to paraphrase.
http://libertyonline.hypermall.com/Lincoln/gettysburg.html
2.   Techniques for Conveying the Material in Your Own Voice
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/1/

This page from the Purdue Writing Center will give you an excellent overview of the techniques of paraphrasing.  Read the linked page and then click "Next Resource" in the bottom right-hand corner until you've read all three pages on Paraphrasing.

3.  Using What You've Learned
Choose an article that is at least five paragraphs long from a newspaper (some possibilities are linked below).  
a)Give me the URL address for the specific article (not just the newspaper, but the actual link to the article).  
b)Paraphrase that article in  50-75 words.  
c) Write at least two sentences in which you tell me what techniques or lessons from the Purdue site you used to help you paraphrase.

Some sample newspaper sites:
www.washingtonpost.com
www.nytimes.com
www.latimes.com
www.ajc.com
www.houstonchronicle.com
www.suntimes.com
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/