Teaching Students to be Safe and Responsible Digital Citizens
Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology. They provide a FREE, pioneering curriculum that is designed to empower students to think critically and make informed choices about how they create, communicate, and treat others in our ever-evolving, 24/7 digital world. Currently the curriculum provides lesson plans and resources for grades K-8, soon they will also be adding content for grades 9-12.
Use the links below to access the resources and lesson plans for teaching students how to be safe and good digital citizens. You will need to create a free account with Common Sense Media to download and use these resources.
|
Unit: Safety
 Students learn that the Internet offers great ways to visit new
places, learn new things, and collaborate with others worldwide. They
learn to follow rules about safety online, such as not revealing private
information without a parent or guardian's permission.
Read the unit overview | See lessons in this unit
|
Unit: Security
Students learn several ways to keep their information secure online.
They learn how to: create and keep secure passwords, handle spam or
unwanted messages, be cautious about the enticing offers they see on
websites, and recognize privacy policies and seals of approval on
children's websites.
Read the unit overview | See lessons in this unit
|
|
Unit: Digital Life
The lessons in this unit are designed to harness students'
enthusiasm, encouraging them to talk about the impact of digital media
on their lives, their communities, and our culture. Students discuss the
positive and negative aspects of digital life and are introduced to the
concept of digital citizenship.
Read the unit overview | See lessons in this unit
|
Unit: Privacy and Digital Footprints
In a world in which everyone is connected and anything created can be
copied, pasted, and sent to millions of people, it is important that
students bring a sense of ethical responsibility to the online spaces
where they consume, create, and share information. In this unit's
lessons, students learn to manage their own privacy and respect the
privacy of others.
Read the unit overview | See lessons in this unit
|
|
Unit: Connected Culture
Students explore the ethics of participating in and building positive
online communities, as well as how communities are upset because of
cyberbullying and other damaging behaviors. The lessons explore the
impact of students' individual actions – both negative and positive – on
their friends and on the broader communities in which they participate.
Read the unit overview | See lessons in this unit
|
Unit: Respecting Creative Work
The lessons in this unit address students' rights and
responsibilities about respecting creative work, as well as explore
topics ranging from copyright to fair use. Students reflect on the
ethics of using creative work from others, and they are encouraged to
celebrate their role as 21st-century creative artists.
Read the unit overview | See lessons in this unit
|
|
Unit: Searching
Students learn how to select subject categories in a directory. They
also learn that keyword searching is an effective way to find
information online, and they practice selecting keywords to produce the
best results.
Read the unit overview | See lessons in this unit
|
Unit: Research and Evaluation
Students learn what to look for when evaluating the quality and
usefulness of children's information websites, and understand that not
all websites are equally good sources of information.
Read the unit overview | See lessons in this unit
|