How can we be upstanders when we see cyberbullying? Online tools are …
How can we be upstanders when we see cyberbullying? Online tools are empowering for kids, and they also come with big responsibilities. But do kids always know what to do when they encounter cyberbullying? Show your students appropriate ways to take action and resolve conflicts, from being upstanders to helping others in need. Approximately 45 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Reflect on the characteristics that make someone an upstanding digital citizen. Recognize what cyberbullying is. Show ways to be an upstander by creating a digital citizenship superhero comic strip.
How can you protect your privacy when you're online? Kids share a …
How can you protect your privacy when you're online? Kids share a lot of information whenever they go online -- sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. But do they understand that online privacy isn't just what they say and post? Help your students learn about their digital footprints and the steps they can take to shape what others find and see about them. Approximately 50 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Reflect on the concept of privacy, including what they feel comfortable sharing and with which people. Analyze different ways that advertisers collect information about users to send them targeted ads. Identify strategies for protecting their privacy, including opting out of specific features and analyzing app or website privacy policies.
How do gender stereotypes shape our experiences online? Kids encounter all kinds …
How do gender stereotypes shape our experiences online? Kids encounter all kinds of stereotypes in the media. But are kids always aware of what they're seeing? Help your students think critically about how gender stereotypes can affect the ways they view themselves and others. Approximately 45 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define "gender stereotype" and describe how they can be present online. Describe how gender stereotypes can lead to unfairness or bias. Create an avatar and a poem that show how gender stereotypes impact who they are.
How do companies collect and use data about you? Every time we …
How do companies collect and use data about you? Every time we go online, we're giving away information about ourselves. But just how much data are companies collecting from us? Hint: It's probably a lot more than we realize. Show your students these three tips on how to limit the data that companies collect. Approximately 45 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explain why information about them and their behaviors is valuable to companies. Analyze how certain types of data are used by companies. Learn three strategies to limit individual data collection by companies.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of online tracking? Many of us …
What are the benefits and drawbacks of online tracking? Many of us are aware that we're being tracked when we go online. It's one of the ways our favorite websites and apps know how to recommend content just for us. But how much information are companies actually collecting? And what are they doing with it? Digging into the details can help us make smart decisions about our online privacy and how to protect it. Approximately 50 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define online tracking and describe how companies use it. Identify the benefits and drawbacks of online tracking to both companies and users. Analyze specific examples of online tracking and take a position for or against them.
Are we addicted to our devices, and, if so, are companies to …
Are we addicted to our devices, and, if so, are companies to blame? The word "addiction" packs a heavy punch, and the research is inconclusive on whether it's truly accurate when it comes to digital device use. What's certain, however, is that as people use devices and apps more, profits increase for the companies who make them. Help your students recognize how most of the technology they use is designed to keep them hooked, and help them use this as an opportunity to find more balance in their digital lives. Approximately 60 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Analyze and draw conclusions about a series of photos depicting device use. Use online resources to track arguments for and against whether we are addicted to our devices. Complete a short writing assignment analyzing one or more aspects related to the device addiction debate.
How can we challenge our own confirmation bias? Our brains are great …
How can we challenge our own confirmation bias? Our brains are great at using past experiences to make quick decisions on the fly, but these shortcuts can also lead to bias. "Confirmation bias" is our brain's tendency to seek out information that confirms things we already think we know. Help your students learn to recognize this when they encounter news online, as a way to examine competing opinions and ideas and to avoid drawing questionable conclusions. Approximately 45 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define confirmation bias and identify why it occurs. Explore examples of confirmation bias, particularly related to news and online information. Identify strategies for challenging their own confirmation biases.
How can you create a digital footprint that showcases your purpose? Research …
How can you create a digital footprint that showcases your purpose? Research shows that happiness in life is less about what you do and more about why you do it. When your actions have purpose, they lead to positive results -- both for you and the world. Help students use the power of the internet to turn their personal passions into positive impact. Approximately 50 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Explain what it means to find your purpose and why it is beneficial. Consider different ways that people have used their digital footprint to make a positive impact on the world and whether you would do something similar. Reflect on what your own purpose might be, including a problem you want to solve and how you might go about solving it.
How do you chat safely with people you meet online? Games, social …
How do you chat safely with people you meet online? Games, social media, and other online spaces give kids opportunities to meet and chat with others outside the confines of their real-life communities. But how well do kids actually know the people they're meeting and interacting with? Help students consider whom they're talking to and the types of information they're sharing online. Approximately 45 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Analyze how well they know the people they interact with online. Reflect on what information is safe to share with different types of online friends. Learn to recognize red flag feelings and use the Feelings & Options thinking routine to respond to them.
How can you tell when an online relationship is risky? Having conversations …
How can you tell when an online relationship is risky? Having conversations online, without nonverbal cues or being able to see people, can be awkward and sometimes even risky -- with drawbacks from simple misunderstandings to manipulation or inappropriate messages. Help students navigate and avoid these situations before they go too far. Approximately 45 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Identify the types of messages that might cause a red flag feeling for someone. Use the Feelings & Options thinking routine to analyze and respond to a situation involving a red flag feeling.
How does internet advertising contribute to the spread of disinformation? Well-crafted headlines …
How does internet advertising contribute to the spread of disinformation? Well-crafted headlines benefit everyone. They help readers digest information and publishers sell news stories. But what if the headline is misleading? What if it's crafted just to get clicks or even to spread disinformation? "Clickbait" headlines may benefit advertisers and publishers, but they don't benefit readers. Help students recognize and analyze clickbait when they see it. Approximately 45 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Describe how advertisers and publishers make money through online advertising. Describe how clickbait can contribute to the spread of fake news and disinformation. Use the Take a Stand thinking routine to consider different perspectives about whose responsibility it is to fight fake news and disinformation.
In this video, students learn to pause, breathe, and finish up whenever …
In this video, students learn to pause, breathe, and finish up whenever they have to say goodbye to technology. Includes Spanish version and a link to related lesson materials. [0:54]
In this video your students can hear other teens talk about the …
In this video your students can hear other teens talk about the ins and outs of presenting themselves to others online, and consider what it means to be yourself in digital spaces. [2:58]
How can we use code-switching to enhance our communication with online audiences? …
How can we use code-switching to enhance our communication with online audiences? What you say, and how you say it, often depends on whom you're talking to, both in person and online. The person or people you're chatting with -- and the apps or websites you're using -- affect how we communicate. Remind your students to consider their audience before they post or comment online, and help them build community and communicate effectively in the digital world. Approximately 50 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Apply the idea of code-switching to how they use phones and other devices in and outside of school. Consider different ways that code-switching online can make communication more meaningful and effective. Write an example post or message that uses code-switching to communicate with an online audience.
What should the consequences for online hate speech be? While some governments …
What should the consequences for online hate speech be? While some governments can't regulate hate speech, laws allow private organizations like social media apps and private universities to decide how to deal with hate speech within their spheres. How should these organizations respond to hate speech? What is an appropriate consequence? Pose these questions for students, and help them think through the importance of both respect for others and free speech. Approximately 50 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Reflect on whether hate speech is considered free speech. Identify the reasons for and against regulating online hate speech. Use the Take a Stand thinking routine to consider the potential consequences of online hate speech.
How can we counter online hate speech and xenophobia? As humans, we …
How can we counter online hate speech and xenophobia? As humans, we thrive on social connections and group associations. But this tendency can also lead us to be suspicious of people outside our group. This fear -- xenophobia -- can be overcome by more exposure to people who are different from us. However, the internet can often make this more difficult. Help students recognize this challenge and find strategies for navigating content online. Approximately 50 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Describe the relationship between hate speech and xenophobia. Analyze how the internet has contributed to an increase in hate speech and extremist views. Describe one way to use the internet to combat one type of hate speech.
What rights and responsibilities do you have as a creator? It's common …
What rights and responsibilities do you have as a creator? It's common for kids to use images they find online, for school projects or just for fun. But kids don't often understand which images are OK to use and which ones aren't. Help your students learn about the rights and responsibilities they have when it comes to the images they create and use. Approximately 45 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define "copyright" and explain how it applies to creative work. Describe their rights and responsibilities as creators. Apply copyright principles to real-life scenarios.
How can I create a social media presence that represents the real …
How can I create a social media presence that represents the real me? Social media gives us a chance to choose how we present ourselves to the world. We can snap and share a pic in the moment or carefully stage photos and select only the ones we think are best. When students reflect on these choices, they can better understand the self they are presenting and the self they aim to be. Approximately 50 mins.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: Describe how their curated self may or may not represent their real self. Analyze the benefits and drawbacks of representing different parts of their real self online. Create an avatar that represents both their real and curated selves.
Students learn that computers and electronic files are property and explore the …
Students learn that computers and electronic files are property and explore the reasons for, consequences, and ethics of teen hacking. This ISTE-aligned lesson plan for Grades 6-8 includes student activity and Home Connection sheets. Requires Adobe Reader.
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