How does digital media try to hook you, and what can you do about it? Sometimes when you're using media, it's hard to stop. Lots of people even say they feel "addicted" to their phones or the apps and games they use. But is digital media actually designed to get you hooked? Have students think about the ways different digital media does -- and does not -- help us find healthy media balance. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explore ways that different digital media are, and aren't, designed to help them make good media choices. Reflect on how digital media is designed to either help or hinder the addition of meaning and value to their lives. Think about how to develop good, healthy habits when using digital media.

What information is OK to have in your digital footprint? Does what you do online always stay online? Students learn that the information they share online leaves a digital footprint or "trail." Depending on how they manage it, this trail can be big or small, and harmful or helpful. Students compare different trails and think critically about what kinds of information they want to leave behind. Approximately 40 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Learn that the information they share online leaves a digital footprint or "trail" Explore what information is OK to be shared online

How can you protect yourself from phishing? Internet scams are part of being online today, but many kids might not be aware of them. How do we help our students avoid being tricked into clicking malicious links or giving out private information? Use this lesson to help kids avoid online identity theft and phishing schemes. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Compare and contrast identity theft with other kinds of theft. Describe different ways that identity theft can occur online. Use message clues to identify examples of phishing.

How can filter bubbles limit the information we're exposed to? When we get news from our social media feeds, it often only tells us part of the story. Our friends -- and the website's algorithms -- tend to feed us perspectives we already agree with. Show students ways to escape the filter bubble and make sure their ideas about the world are being challenged. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define "filter bubble" and explain how it occurs. Reflect on the limitations and drawbacks that filter bubbles cause. Identify strategies for escaping their own filter bubbles.

How do we balance digital media use in our lives? We use digital media every day, from texting, streaming TV shows, and gaming all the way to using voice assistants or ordering our food online. For today's kids, it's a lot more than just "screen time." So how can we help students balance their online and offline lives? It starts with recognizing just how much media we use. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Reflect on their common online and offline activities. Identify ways to "unplug" to maintain balance between online and offline activities. Use the Digital Habits Checkup routine to create a personal challenge to achieve more media balance.

How do we find credible information on the internet? The web is full of questionable stuff, from rumors and inaccurate information to outright lies and so-called fake news. So how do we help students weed out the bad and find what's credible? Help students dig into why and how false information ends up online in the first place, and then practice evaluating the credibility of what they're finding online. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Learn reasons that people put false or misleading information on the internet. Learn criteria for differentiating fake news from credible news. Practice evaluating the credibility of information they find on the internet.

What does media balance mean for me? Helping kids learn what makes different media choices healthy or not is a good start. But how do we help them actually make responsible choices in the real world? Give your students the opportunity to create a personalized media plan. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Reflect on how balanced they are in their daily lives. Consider what "media balance" means, and how it applies to them. Create a personalized plan for healthy and balanced media use.

What rights to fair use do you have as a creator? Kids can be voracious consumers -- and creators -- of media, and it's easier than ever for them to find and share digital content online. But do middle schoolers know about concepts like fair use, copyright, and public domain? Give students a framework they can use to better understand how fair use works in the real world. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define the terms "copyright," "public domain," and "fair use." Identify the purpose of the Four Factors of Fair Use. Apply fair use to real-world examples, making a case for or against.

Can screen time be bad for us? The research is still out when it comes to exactly how screen time affects our health. But one area where we know it does is our sleep. Just having a device near us seems to change the way our brains work. Help students learn that being responsible with digital media means adjusting how we use it so it isn't unhealthy for our bodies or our brains. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify research trends related to the health impact of screen time. Reflect on the nature of their own screen time and how it compares to that of parents and teens generally. Use the Digital Habits Checkup routine to create a personal challenge to change a media habit.

How can you avoid being fooled by fake videos and other information online? We know not to believe everything we hear, but what about what we see? Advancements in computer-generated graphics, facial recognition, and video production have led to a world of viral videos that are often difficult to identify as fake. Help your students learn to read what they see on the web "laterally" by showing them how to get off the page, check credibility, and find corroboration. Approximately 50 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define "misinformation" and explore the consequences of spreading misinformation online. Learn how to use lateral reading as a strategy to verify the accuracy of information online. Apply lateral reading to examples of questionable videos to determine their accuracy.

Why is it important to listen to your feelings when using technology? This foundational digital citizenship lesson challenges kids to pay attention to their feelings while using tech. With an engaging emoji game, students learn practical strategies for managing their feelings -- good, bad, and everything in between. Approximately 30 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Recognize the different kinds of feelings they can have when using technology. Know what to do when they don't have a good feeling when using technology.

At what age should people be allowed to use social media? Children have to be at least 13 to sign up for most social media platforms. But we know that many tweens work around this restriction. By doing so they can connect with peers and have fun, but they're also susceptible to a number of risks, from privacy to bullying to challenges to their social-emotional well-being. Reflecting on when kids should be allowed to use social media can help us think through the risks and rewards of using social media, regardless of our age. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explain why websites that collect personal information have an age requirement of 13 in the United States. Identify the risks of targeted advertising, especially when it is targeted to children. Use the Take a Stand thinking routine to explore different perspectives about what age is best for starting to use social media.

How do you stay safe when visiting a website or app? Staying safe online is a lot like staying safe in the real world. Using a fun traffic light activity, students learn how to identify "just right" content, giving them the green light to learn, play, and explore the internet safely. Approximately 35 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Understand that being safe online is similar to staying safe in real life. Learn to identify websites and apps that are "just right" and "not right" for them. Know how to get help from an adult if they are unsure about a website.

What is cyberbullying and what can you do to stop it? Let's face it: Some online spaces can be full of negative, rude, or downright mean behavior. But what counts as cyberbullying? Help your students learn what is -- and what isn't -- cyberbullying, and give them the tools they'll need to combat the problem. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Recognize similarities and differences between in-person bullying, cyberbullying, and being mean. Empathize with the targets of cyberbullying. Identify strategies for dealing with cyberbullying and ways they can be an upstander for those being bullied.

Why do people alter digital photos and videos? The web is full of photos, and even videos, that are digitally altered. And it's often hard to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake. Help your students ask critical questions about why someone might alter a photo or video in the first place. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Recognize that photos and videos can be altered digitally. Identify different reasons why someone might alter a photo or video. Analyze altered photos and videos to try to determine why.

How can I be positive and have fun while playing online games, and help others do the same? Social interaction is part of what makes online gaming so popular and engaging for kids. Of course, online communication can come with some risks. Show your students how to keep their gaming experiences fun, healthy, and positive. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define "social interaction" and give an example. Describe the positives and negatives of social interaction in online games. Create an online video game cover that includes guidelines for positive social interaction.

How can you give credit for other people's work? With so much information at our fingertips, students learn what it means to "give credit" when using content they find online. Taking on the role of a detective, students learn why it's important to give credit and the right ways to do it when they use words, images, or ideas that belong to others. Approximately 30 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explain how giving credit is a sign of respect for people's work Learn how to give credit in their schoolwork for content they use from the internet

How do we find a happy balance between our online and offline activities? Students consider the feelings of themselves and others when making decisions about when, where, and how much to use technology. Approximately 25 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Know when and why to take breaks from device time. Consider the feelings of people around them, even when engaged in fun online activities.

What is the role of digital media in our lives? We often use our phones or other devices without even thinking about it. But paying closer attention to how -- and how much -- we use digital media can help us find better balance in our lives. Challenge students to truly consider how digital media adds to -- or takes away from -- their overall quality of life. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explore the role that digital media plays in their lives. Use the Digital Habits Checkup to reflect on the positive and negative impacts of digital media. Create a personal challenge to improve their digital well-being.

What makes a healthy media choice? We all make choices every day about the media we consume and create. But do kids understand what makes a media choice healthy or not? Hint: It's about more than just screen time. Use the activities in this lesson to give kids a framework for making informed media choices. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Learn the "What? When? How Much?" framework for describing their media choices. Use this framework and their emotional responses to evaluate how healthy different types of media choices are. Begin to develop their own definition of a healthy media balance.