Which activity violates fair-use laws for teachers?

Making copies for a fourth-grade team from a workbook violates fair-use laws for teachers because it typically involves reproducing a substantial portion of a resource intended for commercial sale. While educators are allowed to make limited copies of certain materials for instructional purposes, this does not generally extend to duplicating whole pages or sections of workbooks that are not explicitly marked for educational use. Such actions may infringe upon the copyright holder’s rights, especially if the material is not licensed for educational distribution.

In contrast, using a 30-second video clip often falls within fair use guidelines, especially when used for educational purposes without impacting the market value of the original work. Downloading information from a website can be permissible if it's for personal or educational use and adheres to the website's usage policies. Additionally, using an idea found on a website does not typically violate copyright laws, as ideas themselves are not subject to copyright, only the specific expression of those ideas.