How can you de-escalate digital drama so it doesn't go too far? Miscommunication is a common occurrence online and on social media. Plus, being behind a screen makes it easier to say things they wouldn't say in person. So how do we help students avoid the pitfalls of digital drama? Help them learn tips on avoiding online drama in the first place and de-escalating drama when it happens. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Reflect on how easily drama can escalate online. Identify de-escalation strategies when dealing with digital drama. Reflect on how digital drama can affect not only oneself but also those around us.

How do you keep online friendships safe? Kids make friends everywhere they go -- including online. But are all of these friendships the same? How can kids start online friendships and also learn ways to stay safe? Help your students understand both the benefits and the risks of online-only friendships. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Compare and contrast different kinds of online-only friendships. Describe the benefits and risks of online-only friendships. Describe how to respond to an online-only friend if the friend asks something that makes them uncomfortable.

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

To help you tackle the tough questions, Google created a Digital Wellbeing guide to spark productive conversations and identify healthy habits that work for your whole family. Topics include:
-Decide when and how to use devices
-Find positive content
-Determine when your kids are ready for a device
-Use social media meaningfully and responsibly
-Make gaming a positive experience
-Balance offline and online activities

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.

When kids explore the world of online video, they can be empowered to explore their interests, learn from different perspectives and foster a sense of belonging. And with videos from creators around the world — from DIY tutorials and music, to learning, gaming, shows and more — there is so much to dive into. To help your child get all the benefits that the online world has to offer, parents play an important role in helping kids learn the rules of the road — and where to turn if they need help. As kids grow up, their interests expand. They need to gain independence and find new ways to learn and create. And that need for growing independence in a digital world can be a source of anxiety for parents. That’s why we want to help parents and caregivers work with their kids to build the skills needed to safely and confidently navigate YouTube through a supervised experience.

We’ve worked with our friends at the PTA, the Parent Zone, and the Net Safety collaborative to create this guide for you to review with your kids before giving them access to YouTube in a supervised account. Use this as a starting point to help your kid learn how to browse and watch video content responsibly, but remember to check in and keep the conversation going.

This site is designed for students to learn more about the FBI through age-appropriate games, tips, stories, and interactives. They also introduce students to their working dogs and show how FBI special agents and analysts investigate cases.

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.

Learn all about Gmail: explore your inbox, compose an email, add an attachment and reply to emails you receive. Time to complete: 45-90 minutes

Learn how to use Google Search to find the information you need, quickly. Time to complete: 45-90 minutes

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.