Copyright for Kids
What is Copyright?
• Copyright is a United States LAW that
protects the works of authors, artists,
composers and others from being used
without permission.
IT’S A LAW!
Why learn about Copyright?
• When you do RESEARCH, you look for
answers to your questions:
• In Non-Fiction books …
• In Encyclopedias …
• On the Internet …
So what?
• When you SHARE YOUR RESEARCH
(present the answers to your questions)
you have used someone else’s:
•
•
•
•
•
Ideas
Words
Music
Pictures
WORK!
What if I put it in my own words?
• Even when you TAKE NOTES and use
your own words, you must give credit to
the original author’s ideas.
• ALWAYS GIVE CREDIT TO THE
AUTHOR!
What if I don’t?
• Then you have stolen someone else’s
work! This is called plagiarism.
• You have BROKEN THE LAW!
What is Plagiarism?
• Using other authors’ words and ideas in
your writing without giving them credit.
How Can I Avoid Plagiarism?
• Always develop a Bibliography or a
Works Cited list.
• Use quotation marks when you record the
author’s exact words.
• Common knowledge (like the fact that
birds fly or frogs are amphibians) does not
need in-text citations but must be written in
your own words. Just list the source in
your bibliography.
Citing
Sources
How do I show where I got my
RESEARCH information?
• Where you found your RESEARCH
information is called your SOURCE.
• There is a proper way to list, or CITE, your
sources. You can use APA, MLA, etc…
Copy RIGHT … Don’t Copy WRONG!
How do I cite a book?
• To cite a book:
Author(s). Title. City of publication:
Publisher, Date.
How do I cite an article from an
encyclopedia?
• To cite an encyclopedia article…
Author (if given) or editor (ed.). “Title of
article.” Title of book or publication. edition
year.
How do I cite something I found on
the INTERNET?
• To cite something from the INTERNET …
Author. “Title.” Online posting. Date of
posting. Name of forum. Date of access
<Electronic address or URL>.
COPY RIGHT
Be sure tocite!
What about MY Work?
• Whenever you write a poem, or story, or
paper, or draw a picture, you own the
copyright to it!
• Copyright protects the work of ALL authors
and creators.
• You alone have the right to make or share
copies of your work.
Copyright Vocabulary
Vocabulary Review
• Research: Asking questions and finding
answers
• Source: Where you found the answers for your
research
• Cite: Listing your sources
• Bibliography: A record of all sources used in
your research
• Works Cited: a list of all sources that you cite in
the text of your paper
• Copyright: A law that protects someone’s
original work
• Plagiarism: Using other author’s words or ideas
without giving them credit
Cool Copyright Websites!
To Learn More …
• Visit Cyberbee, an interactive Web site
designed especially for kids.
• Look at Copyright Kids for more detailed
information.
Sources
Nottage, C. & Virginia Morse. Independent
Investigation Method. Epping: Active
Learning Systems, 2000.