Introduction to Digital Citizenship
1 Day 1: Digital Footprint: What Will You Leave Behind?
Start the class with an interactive program called PollEverywhere. Questions should be laid back, and prep students for an introductory course. (I.E: "What types of social media do you use on a regular basis?" or "Have you ever Googled yourself?")
Show class results from the survey.
Proceed to show the class a Youtube video entitled: "Live My Digital for students: Digital Footprint" and answer questions if they have any.
Prepare a Powerpoint for the class defining digital citizenship, and describe the importance of using the T.H.I.N.K. model. Also discuss the importance that "what you post on the internet can never be removed," and reiterate that social media posts are indexed by search engines like Google and Bing. Talk about how employers often screen employees' social media accounts, and how posts can change your professional reputation.
(This is one my my favorite activities;) For each student, print a screenshot of their names in a Google search bar. Ask your students to discuss in their table groups what they would want to see if they Googled themselves, and then have your students draw search results based on what they would want to see. Encourage creativity! Then, randomly select students to share what they wrote/ discussed.
Adjourn the lesson by answering student questions and summarizing what the students learned.
2 Day 2: Oversharing & Respecting Others
Start the second lesson watching a YouTube video entitled: "Internet Safety Tips for Teens - Helpful AND Funny." Answer student questions if needed.
Access the link of Common Sense's "Oops! I Broadcast it on the Internet," and then show Brittney's Story. Hand out the video discussion questions and give 10 minutes for students to write thoughtful responses. Ask students to volunteer to discuss their thoughts on the video.
Next, open a PowerPoint on respecting others' privacy. Discuss how Brittney's privacy was violated. Discuss ways to report videos or images that were taken without someone's consent. Access the link to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and access their page on your rights to taking photos and videos. If you have time, watch the YouTube video featuring Criminal Defense Lawyer Emmet Duncan, who talks about what individual rights you have if you choose to film something and post it online.
End the lesson.
3 Lesson 3: Cyberbullying Awareness & Prevention
Watch a visualization of "Troll" by Shane Koyczan. After the video, discuss some of the takeaways and core messages seen in the video.
Next, access Common Sense's "Turn the Dial Down on Bullying," and watch Stacey's story. Have students complete the video discussion task. Give students 10 minutes to complete the task, and ask students to volunteer and contribute to their responses.
Proceed to show students a PowerPoint. Introduce the "think before you post model." Next, tell students what should be done if their friends or family members become subject to bullying. Introduce a wide range of resources, including hotlines, websites, on-site counselors or even state-wide anti-bullying campaigns.
Have your students read the article entitled "Cyber Bullying, Bystanders, and the role of Upstanders," and introduce the concept that becoming a bystander in a bullying situation makes you just as accountable as a bully.
Lastly, watch a YouTube video on Cyberbullying prevention, and ask if students have any thoughts or comments on the videos or tasks they comleted.
End the lesson.
Key Standards Supported
Reading Informational Text
By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 11–12 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Speaking & Listening
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.