Student Learning and Academic Performance
Digital Law
Copyright and Fair Use : Lesson Plan PDF
Grade Level: 6 -12

 

Part I - Introduction

Do you copy material from the Internet without giving credit? Do you know that intellectual property is a valuable commodity? You are violating the law if you do not give credit where it is due. Digital Law is the legal rights and restrictions governing technology use. It is easy to post, locate, and download information from the Internet. Is it legal to do so? Not always! We must be accountable for our use of digital technology. Some digital law issues include: copyrights, plagiarism, file sharing, pirating software, hacking into networks or systems, and stealing someone's identity.

What determines Fair Use? These four factors need to be considered: 1.The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature, or is for nonprofit educational purposes, 2. The nature of the copyrighted work, 3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole, and 4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work.

Part II - Class/Advisory Activities

•  Videos

 

  1. Fair Use and Copyright [5:09 minutes]
  2. Plagiarism - Don't Do It! [1:46 minutes]

•  Discussion Questions

 

 

  1. Are you using technology the way it was intended? How?
  2. What are the consequences of sharing or copying work of another?
  3. What are some ways to detect plagiarism?
  4. What are some guidelines in stopping the abuse of copyright violations and plagiarism?

•  Activities

 

Copyright & Fair Use

Watch: Copyright and Fair Use and Plagiarism- Don't Do It.
Class Discussion: Are you using technology the way it was intended? How? What are the consequences of sharing or copying work of another? What are some ways to detect plagiarism ? What are some guidelines in stopping the abuse of copyright violations and plagiarism?
Teacher Tips: When discussing how to detect plagiarism, focus on how easy it is for teachers to place quotes around the words and Goggle them; they can even use sites likeTurnitin.com etc . Students forget that the ease of copying and pasting is what makes it so easy for teachers to “spot” plagiarism in their class papers.
When discussing guidelines for stopping abuse, share the following suggestions: use better spyware and stronger punishment. Everyone should know the clear consequences of downloading music illegally, pirating movies, or creating a virus, Report a suspicious e-mail and don't open or reply to it. Report straight away if you suspect any identity theft. Don't steal music or movies just go ahead and pay for them. Don't put up inappropriate pictures. Don't post personal information. Download anti-virus software.
Activity Suggestion : Copyright & Fair Use PowerPoint, Copyright Checklist and Copyright Scenarios, writing prompt 1 and journal writing 1.

Part III - Reflection

•  Writing Prompt(s)  

After learning about plagiarism, I realized that I have violated copyright and fair use because:

•  Journal Writing

 

What are three of the most interesting facts you learned about plagiarism?

Part IV - Extension Activities

•  Class/Advisory - School Activities

 

Copyright Challenge

Part V - Resources

U.S. Department of Justice -

 

http://www.cybercrime.gov/

Ethics in Computing

 

http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/

Thinking about Plagiarism

 

http://www.antiplagiarism.com/

How to Credit Sources

 

http://library.csusm.edu/plagiarism/howtocredit/

Virtual School

 

http://www.virtualschool.edu/mon/Academia/RightsComputerUsers.html

Digital Law

 

http://digiteen.wikispaces.com/Digital+Law#toc2

U.S. Copyright Office

 

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/index.html#fl

10 Big Myths

 

http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html