Why do I cite?

We're big on copyright in our school library.  Why?

1.  Learning about copyright early builds good habits for high school and beyond.  The elementary years are when we need to really teach copyright, the importance of citing, and fair use so that it can become the status quo.

2.  Understanding copyright leads to greater appreciation for the arts.  Students know that books, artwork, and music are not just things but were created by people.

3.  We need to "create a culture of citing."  I heard this at a Super 3 workshop by Michael Eisenberg and his daughter.  We make our students accountable, and, in turn, they make their teachers accountable.  I love when I visit a classroom and students show me the "C symbol" on their worksheets and tell me their teacher was allowed to copy it, but only for school!

4.  We help students develop their moral judgement.  Looking at Kohlberg's moral stages, it's easy to see how copyright discussions can help students move to the higher stages of moral development.  Very young children think of rules not in terms of right and wrong, but of right and punishment.  Teaching about the purpose of copyright laws helps them to understand that there are reasons for rules.  Older children learn to empathize with the creators of the protected works.  When looking at fair use we show students that rules can change based on circumstances.  And remember that moral development does not always occur at set ages - you would be astounded at the variance in just one class.
      Here's an example of how copyright instruction can aid in moral development.  During a recent unit on copyright, students were asked to discuss whether a boy should make a copy of a video game for his friend.  At least one group in each class came up with the answer, "He should not make a copy because he will get arrested."  After clearing up the "getting arrested" issue, the students moved on to other arguments:  "He didn't make the game, so he doesn't have the right to decide who can copy it," and "The boy should not copy the game because if everyone did then the game maker would not make more games."  Of course, one lesson is not going to turn every child into a philosopher, but regular informal discussions of ethics can make a big difference over time.

A great copyright curriculum for K-5 is "Join the C Team" from YMI.