1. A Lesson on Copyright Laws for 5 – 8 grade students.
Copyright & Fair Use
A Lesson on Copyright Laws for 5 – 8 grade students.

2. Opening Questions
Discuss these questions with a partner or group for 5 minutes.
Have you ever used the internet for help with your school work?
Discuss examples of how you used the internet.

3. Group Discussion Let’s share!
One person from each group share some examples of what you have discussed.
One person in the class take notes on the white board or chart paper.

4. Copyright Definition Examples
Rules that keep others from copying work without the author or creator’s permission.
a textbook written by a professor
a book report written by a student

5. Fair Use Definition Examples
"Fair use" is the right of the public to make reasonable use of copyrighted material in special circumstances without the Copyright Owner’s permission.
using a magazine advertisement in a collage that criticizes advertising (parody and criticism)
recording a TV show so you can watch it later

6. Public Domain Definition Examples
Works that are in the public domain belong to everyone and can be freely used without compensating the authors.
space photos taken by NASA
a photograph of Woodrow Wilson (c. 1912)
Shakespeare's plays
facts

7. Lesson Activity
With your group, choose 3 of your favorite websites you use for school work.
Use the Copyright Clearance checklist.
Decide with your group whether or not the images, text, or video you use violate fair use

8. Closing Activity
Think about the examples we discussed earlier of how you use the internet for homework.
Which examples may be copyrighted, fair use, or public domain? Why?

9. Sources Copyright Kids http://www.copyrightkids.org/defframes.htm
Teaching Copyright
Love, Cassaundra “Students as Creators: Exploring Copyright”