COPY THAT: Understanding Copyright and Using Creative Commons to Work Within It

This lesson consists of two parts: a Google Slides Presentation and a Teacher's Guide with printables.

Teachers are constantly told about the importance of reinforcing copyright with students. One of the main problems is, the whole idea of copyright is a foreign concept to people who are unfamiliar with it. Students - who have grown up with an ongoing barrage of images and sound that just to be part of the natural world - do not, unless directed, wonder about who owns what, or the laws governing the music they listen to, the videos they watch or the printed materials in front of them. Pointing all of this out to them is - yes! - yet another job for teachers - on top of teaching all the actual curriculum. The good news is, there are some fun ways to teach this. 

First, let’s deal with the why. Besides the emails we get from educational administrators and the warning signs about the dangers of breaking copyright posted near the photocopier, where does it really say we have to do this? The two following paragraphs are from the Introduction of the Ontario Language Curriculum, under Media Literacy:

“Media literacy explores the impact and influence of mass media and popular culture by examining texts such as films, songs, video games, action figures, advertisements, CD covers, clothing, billboards, television shows, magazines, newspapers, photographs, and websites.3”

“3. Teachers should make students aware that images, print materials, music, or video clips used in connection with tasks and assignments may be subject to copyright, and the appropriate releases should be obtained prior to use. This applies to items downloaded from the Internet as well.”

This unit will answer two key questions for students: 1) What is Copyright? 2) How Can I Work Within It?

The first part of the lesson will consist of straight-up information supported by your discussion with students. In the second part, students will create a project* using a tool that is fully allowed under the rules of copyright. You can assign this project to individuals or partners. To make it more than just an exercise, it would be ideal to integrate this with another subject you teach to this group - i.e. to culminate or display learning of content - as the project needs some content.