Lesson: A Creator’s Responsibilities (6-8)

• Downloaded a video from YouTube
• Bought a song on iTunes
• Cut out a magazine photo and put it in my locker

• Used information from a website in a school report
• Used photos I found in Google Image Search for PowerPoint slides
• Used video clips I downloaded from YouTube in a remix video I made

EMPHASIZE to students that they often use copyrighted work in their everyday lives: (1) they use and enjoy media as consumers, and (2) they incorporate media into their own creations (blogs, mash-ups, etc.). Whether they are just using material for enjoyment or using it to create a new work, highlight to students that they should be responsible and respectful of other people’s creative work by providing proper credit.

DEFINE the Key Vocabulary terms piracy, plagarism, and acknowledge with students. Ask students to listen for these words in the video they are about to watch.

DISTRIBUTE the A Creator’s Responsibilities Discussion Guide.

EXPLAIN to students that are going to watch a video about a teen boy who likes to take clips of music and movies and make them into his own creations.

SHOW students the “Henry’s Story – Making Mashups” video.

DISCUSS the video with the whole group. Use the A Creator’s Responsibilities Discussion Guide – Teacher Version for guidance about leading the discussion.

EMPHASIZE to students that there are right and wrong ways to use copyrighted work. People who pirate or plagiarize not only risk getting in trouble at school or with the law, but their behavior is also unethical and disrespectful to creators. Students should always show respect for the creative work they use by acknowledging – or giving credit to – the work they use. Provide an example of a citation (e.g., bibliography of a book).

DIVIDE students into groups of four or five.

HAVE groups choose one or two of the case studies listed in the A Creator’s Responsibilities Discussion Guide. They should read each case study and answer the discussion questions that follow.

ENCOURAGE students to use the Ask, Acknowledge, Add Value steps on the first page of the guide to craft advice specifically for their case studies’ characters.

INVITE students to choose a representative from their respective groups to summarize their case studies for the whole class. Then ask the representatives to share their group’s advice for the characters in the case studies.

You can use these questions to assess your students’ understanding of the lesson objectives. You may want to ask students to reflect in writing on one of the questions, using a journal or an online blog/wiki.

ASK: Why do you think it’s illegal for people to pirate or plagiarize other people’s work?
It hurts the original creator’s ability to receive credit, get paid, and get respect for his or her work.

ASK: What are some ways to use and rework copyrighted materials ethically and legally?
Encourage students to recall the Ask, Acknowledge, Add Value steps. These questions will help students reflect on the type of copyright they are dealing with, how they might ask the creator for permission to use the original material, how to give the creator credit, and the extent to which they have reworked the material to make new meaning and add something original.

ASK: What is something new you learned that helps you be responsible and respectful toward other people’s creative work?
Students’ answers will vary.