Description: 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.
Essential Question: Are we addicted to our devices, and, if so, are companies to blame?
Learning Targets
Students will be able to:
Lesson Plan
Description: Kids have to be at least 13 to sign up for most social media platforms. But we know that many tweens work around the restriction. In doing so they can connect with peers and have fun, but they're also vulnerable to a number of risks -- mainly overuse and challenges to their social-emotional health. Reflecting on age-appropriate content and behaviors can help students think through social media's effects on all of us, regardless of our age.
Essential Question: At what age should people be allowed to use social media?
Learning Targets
Students will be able to:
Lesson Plan
Description: Our digital footprints can have a powerful impact on our future. This can be a scary thought, given that what's in our digital footprint isn't always in our control. Teach students that digital footprints are an opportunity to showcase their best selves and craft a footprint that leads to future success.
Essential Question: How can information you post online affect your future opportunities?
Learning Targets
Students will be able to:
Lesson Plan
Description: 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.
Essential Question: How can we use code-switching to enhance our communication with online audiences?
Learning Targets
Students will be able to:
Lesson Plan
Description: Texting and chatting online can sometimes feel just like talking to someone in person, but it's actually pretty different. It's all because of something called the "online disinhibition effect," which makes us more likely to share or communicate differently from how we would in person. Help your students learn to consider this concept before they post, and stop digital drama and cyberbullying before they start.
Essential Question: How does online disinhibition sometimes lead to cyberbullying?
Learning Targets
Students will be able to:
Lesson Plan
Description: 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 and not to inform? "Clickbait" headlines may benefit advertisers and publishers, but they don't benefit readers. And when they go viral, they can badly misinform the public. Help students recognize and analyze clickbait when they see it.
Essential Question: How does internet advertising contribute to the spread of misinformation?
Learning Targets
Students will be able to:
Lesson Plan