Lesson Plan

• Describe the main categories of software licences and their key characteristics.
• Compare copyleft and permissive licences in terms of permissions and obligations.
• Analyse a development scenario and justify the most appropriate licence choice.
• Evaluate ethical considerations when selecting a licence.

• Projector and screen
• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed handout of the licence comparison table
• Laptops/tablets with internet access
• Case‑study worksheet (educational app)
• Sticky notes for group brainstorming

Begin with the question, “You’ve just created a useful app – which licence lets you share it freely while protecting your work?” Connect to students’ prior knowledge of intellectual property. Explain that by the end of the lesson they will be able to identify licence types and justify a suitable choice for a given scenario.

1. Do‑now (5') – Quick quiz on software ownership and basic IP terms.
2. Mini‑lecture (10') – Overview of proprietary, freeware, shareware, and open‑source licences (GPL, MIT, Apache, BSD) with real‑world examples.
3. Comparison activity (10') – In pairs, fill a Venn diagram contrasting copyleft (GPL) and permissive (MIT/BSD) licences.
4. Case‑study group work (15') – Analyse the educational‑app scenario, select a licence, and write a brief justification on the worksheet.
5. Gallery walk & peer feedback (5') – Groups display their justifications; classmates add comments on sticky notes.
6. Whole‑class debrief (5') – Teacher summarises key decision factors and ethical considerations.

Recap the main licence categories and the factors that guide a justified choice. Students complete an exit ticket by writing one sentence that justifies the licence they selected for the case study. For homework, each student finds a real piece of software, identifies its licence, and explains why that licence fits its purpose.