Digital Citizenship - Third Grade

Media Balance and Well Being

Lesson: Finding Balance in a Digital World

Description: Teaching digital citizenship is all about helping kids think beyond themselves and recognize the ripple effects of their actions. Personal responsibility is important, but understanding their responsibilities to others can help kids unlock new ways to learn and connect with their communities -- and even change those communities for the better.

Essential Question: How do we balance digital media use in our lives?

Students will be able to:

  • Reflect on their common online and offline activities.
  • Analyze and prioritize the activities that are most important to them.
  • Identify ways to "unplug" to maintain balance between online and offline activities.

Lesson Plan: Your Rings of Responsibility

Privacy & Security

Lesson: Password Power-Up

Description: Stronger, more secure online passwords are a good idea for everyone. But how can we help kids create better passwords and actually remember them? Use the tips in this lesson to help kids make passwords that are both secure and memorable.

Essential Question: How can a strong password help protect your privacy?

Students will be able to:

  • Define the term "password" and describe a password's purpose.
  • Understand why a strong password is important.
  • Practice creating a memorable and strong password.

Lesson Plan: Password Power-Up

Digital Footprint and Identity

Lesson: This is Me

Description: From selfies to social media, many of us create unique online identities for ourselves, and our students are no different. But do kids always understand how others might perceive what they post? Help your students think critically about the online identities they're creating.

Essential Question: How does what I post online affect my identity?

Students will be able to:

  • Consider how posting selfies or other images will lead others to make assumptions about them.
  • Reflect on the most important parts of their unique identity.
  • Identify ways they can post online to best reflect who they are.

Lesson Plan: This is Me

Relationships and Communication

Lesson: Our Digital Citizenship Pledge

Description: Belonging to various communities is important for kids' development. But some online communities can be healthier than others. Show your students how they can strengthen both online and in-person communities by creating norms that everyone pledges to uphold.

Essential Question: What makes a strong online community?

Students will be able to:

  • Define what a community is, both in person and online.
  • Explain how having norms helps people in a community achieve their goals.
  • Create and pledge to adhere to shared norms for being in an online community.

Lesson Plan: Our Digital Citizenship Pledge

Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech

Lesson: The Power of Words

Description: As kids grow, they'll naturally start to communicate more online. But some of what they see could make them feel hurt, sad, angry, or even fearful. Help your students build empathy for others and learn strategies to use when confronted with cyberbullying.

Essential Question: What should you do when someone uses mean or hurtful language on the internet?

Students will be able to:

  • Understand that it's important to think about the words we use, because everyone interprets things differently.
  • Identify ways to respond to mean words online, using S-T-O-P.
  • Decide what kinds of statements are OK to say online and which are not.

Lesson Plan: The Power of Words

News and Media Literacy

Lesson: Is Seeing Believing?

Description:The web is full of photos, and even videos, that are digitally altered. And it's often hard to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake. Help your students ask critical questions about why someone might alter a photo or video in the first place.

Essential Question: Why do people alter digital photos and videos?

Students will be able to:

  • Recognize that photos and videos can be altered digitally.
  • Identify different reasons why someone might alter a photo or video.
  • Analyze altered photos and videos to try to determine why.

Lesson Plan: Is Seeing Believing?