Copyright Regulations for Kids

It has been my experience over the last few years that students will find information on the internet, and then, somewhat innocently, do a copy and paste with the material they find.

An important point for students to understand is the set of rules they need to follow to avoid copyright violation. This is necessary so that they can follow accepted conventions, and also avoid negative repercussions if their teachers determine they are cheating because they did not give credit to sources they have used.

I have encountered three sites that help explain the ins and outs of using internet (and traditional) resources without running afoul of copyright regulations. They are appropriate for various levels, but they should probably be used as follows:

• elementary level - http://www.cyberbee.com/cb_copyright.swf

• middle school level - http://www.copyrightkids.org/

• high school level - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/