Duck, Duck, Who?

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Program Title: Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Essentials

  Course Title: Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Essentials

  Course Number: 9009110

  Career Cluster: Information Technology

  CIP Number: 149009100M

  Course Type: EXPL - Middle School Programs

  CTE Standard(s) or benchmarks

  CTE-IT.68.9009110.3.8 Compare and contrast rules for copyright and fair use, especially in relation to using online resources for school and educational purposes.

  CTE-IT.68.9009500.1.5 Describe ethical issues and problems associated with computers and information systems.

  Integrated benchmarks: ELA or Other:

  ELA.7&8.C.4.1 Conduct research to answer a question, drawing on multiple reliable and valid sources and generating additional questions for further research.

  ELA.6.C.4.1 Conduct research to answer a question, drawing on multiple reliable and valid sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

  ELA.8.C.2.1 Present information orally, in a logical sequence, supporting the central idea with credible evidence.

  ELA.7.C.2.1 Present information orally, in a logical sequence, emphasizing key points that support the central idea.

  ELA.6.C.2.1 Present information orally, in a logical sequence, using nonverbal cues, appropriate volume, clear pronunciation, and appropriate pacing.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “Duck, Duck, Who?”. See CPALMS resource ID#215700.

• Career Connection

  
  

  This will connect to any career in which copyright and plagiarism play a role, along with the communication and collaboration of the teams, which enhances the soft skills necessary for many careers.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • explain the difference between fair use and copyright infringement.
  • work with a team to research copyright law and develop a strategy to defend or prosecute the alleged violation.
  • recognize potential ethical issues that may come in play around copyright.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • explain what copyright protects.
  • define intellectual property.
  • understand what lawyers do in court.

• Guiding Questions

  
  

  What might be some ethical issues related to the use of copyrighted material for school projects?

  At what point does “fair use” become copyright infringement?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. To introduce the lesson, use the following questions to help get students ready for the case study (Duck, Duck, Who?).
     • What do you know about copyright?
     • What can you do with material that is copyrighted?
     • Have you ever used copyrighted material for school projects?
  2. Students will read the case study (with the teacher or alone).
  3. The teacher will lead a class discussion using these probing questions:
     • Did Isabella do anything wrong when she made Ronald the Duck? Why or why not?
     • Why does the company think that Isabella and her mom violated copyright law?
     • Who is in the wrong in this situation? Explain your reasoning. (Teachers could do a quick poll before talking about the case – allowing multiple options to be selected.)
  4. Students will be divided into an even number of teams. Of these teams, half will take the role of the legal team for the company that owns the IP and the other half will be take the role of the legal team representing Isabella and her mother.
  5. Students will research the difference between copyright infringement and fair use while playing the roles of the attorney teams.
     • A Background Sources on Fair Use handout is provided with sources to help guide students’ research if needed. Additionally, consider having students search for short videos about the topic, using search phrases like “Creativity, Copyright, and Fair Use,” or “Understanding Copyright, Public Domain, and Fair Use.”
  6. The teacher will conduct “trials” in which opposing teams are paired, allowing each team to present their evidence. A verdict can be selected by the teacher and/or the class based on which team presents the best arguments.
     • A Note-Gathering Guide handout is provided to assist students with taking notes from the evidence presented in each trial.
  7. The lesson will close with students writing up a verdict for one of the teams (assigned by the teacher) and supporting their verdict using information that they have learned about fair use.
  8. To conclude, the teacher should lead a discussion about the following:
     • How is copyright important when designing video games?
     • Are there other jobs that need to worry about protecting and not violating copyright?
     • Do you know of any situations where copyright infringement has been an issue?

• Teacher Notes

  
  

  For the role play, divide students into an even number of groups. You want to have one for each “side” able to work against each other in the mock trial. The optimal team size would be a pair of students, but teams as large as 3 may still work if needed.