It is very important to model adherence to copyright for students. Often students think because they can do something, that it is okay to do. I always say, and in fact I have a banner on the wall, "Just because you can does not mean that you should."
Because yes, the students may know HOW to copy an internet photo and put it in a presentation or report, does not mean that it is legal. I relate the story to other moral issues that they know, like a physical theft of property. they seem to be able to understand it when it is a more tangible example of theft.
I tell and show them how to get good photos - like from the copyright free sites and how to do searched on Google and Flickr using the Creative Commons.
Of course, most student work in grade 4 - for a China report, for example, will never be subject to a lawsuit, but I feel that the issue is one that could get them in trouble one day, with images, or music or another type of material. Learning the skills to do this search from the beginning of their internet-rich lives is worth the time it takes in our busy schedules of state mandated testing. It is an opportunity for teaching a knowledge and skill that everyone needs to learn to live in our internet society.
Step 2 of this is to make sure that each TEACHER is modeling this same behavior for the students...this is the more difficult of the 2 tasks!
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