PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE FUTURE

Given IP’s continued importance to the economy and world around us, how can we ensure that the children of today will be prepared for the jobs of tomorrow? While current STEM education techniques continue to improve by incorporating hands-on activities and lessons in entrepreneurship, the lack of IP instruction across all parts of our educational system is a glaring oversight that must be addressed. It is not enough to simply teach students how to create, design and invent; they must also learn how to protect what they create ... whether it’s a song they wrote or a widget they invent.

K-12 IP Education Programs

IP Resources for Students & Educators

Intellectual property (IP) is all around us—shaping the music we enjoy, the technology we use, and the ideas that drive our world. This guide brings together curated resources across patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets, organized by age and learning level.

Whether in the classroom, a workshop, or independent study, this guide helps learners understand how to create, protect, and build from original work—and participate confidently in today’s creative and innovation economy.  We thank our IP  partners for their dedication in developing and sharing these valuable educational resources.

How to Use This Guide

1. Select Your Audience:  Choose the worksheet that best fits your group: K–5 | 6–8 | 9–12 | Professional/Educator

2. Explore IP TopicsL  Browse resources by category: Patents | Copyrights | Trademarks | Trade Secrets

3. Use & Apply  Each resource includes a short description and direct link—ready for use in lessons, presentations, programs, or personal learning.

Contact Michael Frnka for IP Information.

IP Learning Resources

Do you want to learn more about how creators like artists, musicians, and inventors protect their creations?

• Grades K-5

  • Howtoons: Instructional comics that teach kids how to build projects and toys using everyday household goods

  • PBS Kids DESIGNsquad: Interactive website where students can Watch videos about design and innovation, Design and build their own cool ideas, be Wowed by cool technology, and Play games to learn how stuff works!

  • Lemelson-MIT Program: Website with a suite of reading and instruction materials including a STEAM activity book that teaches kids (ages 6-8) about inventions

  • United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Kids: Website that explores the basics of intellectual property and provides a variety of resources on famous inventions and inventors

  • National Inventors Hall of Fame: A website that teaches K-8 students about inventions using STEM activities that are inspired by inductees to the National Inventors Hall of Fame

  • Copyright & Creativity For Ethical Digital Citizens: A website with free-to-use materials that discuss concepts such as ownership and attribution and how they relate to digital citizenship; requires registration

  • Kidpreneurs: A teaching guide for parents on how to teach the basics of intellectual property to children

• Grades 6-8

  • United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Kids: Website that explores the basics of intellectual property and provides a variety of resources on famous inventions and inventors

  • National Inventors Hall of Fame: A website that teaches K-8 students about inventions using STEM activities that are inspired by inductees to the National Inventors Hall of Fame

  • Copyright & Creativity For Ethical Digital Citizens: A website with free-to-use materials that discuss concepts such as ownership and attribution and how they relate to digital citizenship; requires registration

  • Michelson Institute: A hub of free educational materials that cover the fundamentals of intellectual property; requires registration

  • Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation: A website that offers a turnkey lesson plan and self-contained toolkit for presenting the basics of intellectual property for a variety of age groups; offers other tools like a consersational AI assistant that answers questions on IP

  • PBS NewsHour Classroom: A collection of invention lesson plans that cover a wide variety of topics on the environment, health, sports, and social issues

• Grades 9-12

  • United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Kids: Website that explores the basics of intellectual property and provides a variety of resources on famous inventions and inventors

  • Crash Course: Series of seven videos, each about 10 minutes, that covers the basics of intellectual property law including how it applies to platforms like YouTube

  • Copyright & Creativity For Ethical Digital Citizens: A website with free-to-use materials that discuss concepts such as ownership and attribution and how they relate to digital citizenship; requires registration

  • Michelson Institute: A hub of free educational materials that cover the fundamentals of intellectual property; requires registration

  • Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation: A website that offers a turnkey lesson plan and self-contained toolkit for presenting the basics of intellectual property for a variety of age groups; offers other tools like a consersational AI assistant that answers questions on IP

  • World Intellectual Property Organization: A series of short videos with interviews of inventors, researchers, and entrepreneurs from around the world

  • United States Copyright Office: A series of short videos on the basics of copyright including fair use, the public domain, and the work-for-hire doctrine

  • PBS NewsHour Classroom: A collection of invention lesson plans that cover a wide variety of topics on the environment, health, sports, and social issues

• Professional Development

  • Lemelson-MIT Program: A list of webinars and in-person workshops for administrators and educators who are interested in learning the best practices for teaching STEM, innovation, and entrepreneurship

  • ConnectSafely: A quick guide for educators on how copyright issues affect classroom activities

  • National Inventors Hall of Fame: Contact information for bringing a professional development program on student engagement with STEM and IP to your district

  • Copyright & Creativity For Ethical Digital Citizens: Resources for learning about how copyright impacts the classroom and how to use the educational materials the organization offers

  • World Intellectual Property Organization: A distance learning course for teachers that covers existing IP teaching challenges and provides access to school curricula

  • K-12 Maker Lab: Resources for educators on how to design and implement a Makerspace

• Events and Programs

  • National Inventors Hall of Fame: Information on summer, year-round, and afterschool programs that educate students on inventions; programs meet national and state standards and qualify for certain funding sources

  • Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation: Information on a virtual competition for students; students who have obtained a patent can connect with industry professionals to advanced their invention

  • Georgia Science Teachers Association & Georgia Science Supervisors Association

    Georgia Department of Education: Information on the annual conference for science teachers in the State of Georgia

  • University of Georgia: Information on the annual Georgia Science and Engineering Fair (GSEF) where students can present original research and compete for awards

  • Georgia Institute of Technology: Information on the annual K-12 InVenture Prize competition that challenges students to design novel solutions to real-world problems

  • Lemelson-MIT Program: Information on the InvenTeams initiative where students can earn a grant to invent technological solutions to real-world problems

  • United States Intellectual Property Alliance: A letter from the USIPA to librarians which contains a list of children's books to use for display or reading programs in celebration of intellectual property month