Digital Literacy
High School Lessons
Below are Digital Literacy Lessons for High School
Week 2 - Be Smart!
Choose 2 or more lessons that you think will be best for your students.
From Common Sense Media
Students are introduced to copyright, fair use, and the rights they have as creators. Students explore the legal and ethical dimensions of respecting creative work. Using the Mad Men Student Handout, students then apply these principles to a simulation activity in which they act as advertising executives who have to choose a photo for an ad campaign.
From Common Sense Media
Students reflect on the differences between taking inspiration from the creative work of others and appropriating that work without permission. Students review their knowledge of copyright and fair use, and examine a case study involving the appropriation of music by a popular band. Students then form groups in which they role-play different stakeholders in the music industry, and then debate the ethical and legal issues involved in using other people’s creative work in practices such as remixes and sampling.
From Common Sense Media
Students examine websites that foster positive community. Students explore the factors that increase community engagement on the Internet, such as social media messaging and sharing photos, videos, information, or opinions. They then apply what they have learned about building online community by designing their own websites that foster community.
From Common Sense Media
Students think critically about the different purposes and contexts of digital image editing. Students explore various benefits and drawbacks of photo manipulation with three case studies. The first prompts students to think about photo editing as a fun and artistic activity. The second raises ethical questions about altering photos, specifically within the context of journalism. The third invites students to think about the impacts that digitally manipulated photos have on different audiences. All three case studies highlight various ways that online communities both celebrate and regulate digital photo manipulation.
From Common Sense Media
Students analyze the statement, “The whole is better than the sum of its parts,” to understand the concepts of synergy and collective intelligence. Students consider both the benefits and drawbacks of using collective intelligence in different contexts. Students work in groups to develop materials for a website about their school, and then compare their experiences.