Embedded Files
Lessons have been updated for 26-27 school year by Common Sense Education and Day of AI
(High school lessons will be updated in August, 2026)
All lessons prior to 26-27 school year are being archived by Common Sense Education. Lessons beginning the 26-27 school year have been updated. Due to this, high schools only have one option, instead of two, moving forward.
All lessons prior to 26-27 school year are being archived by Common Sense Education. Lessons beginning the 26-27 school year have been updated. Due to this, high schools only have one option, instead of two, moving forward.
SVUSD Digital & AI Literacy Roadmap
SVUSD Digital & AI Literacy Roadmap
Appropriate Use – Encourages respectful, ethical interactions
Safety & Privacy – Teaches how to protect personal information
Cyberbullying- Guides prevention and response
Artificial Intelligence – Introduces AI and its societal impact
Practical Resources – Provides hands-on digital skill-building tools
Community Support – Extends learning beyond the classroom
Assessment & Feedback – Supports growth through check-ins
Digital & AI Literacy
Digital & AI Literacy
Why Does Digital Literacy Matters?
Why Does Digital Literacy Matters?
Digital literacy helps students think critically, solve problems, and use technology responsibly. AI education builds awareness and ethical use, while digital tools enhance collaboration and productivity. Learning cybersecurity, respecting others' work, and managing one's online presence keeps students safe and prepared for success in school and beyond.
Digital literacy helps students think critically, solve problems, and use technology responsibly. AI education builds awareness and ethical use, while digital tools enhance collaboration and productivity. Learning cybersecurity, respecting others' work, and managing one's online presence keeps students safe and prepared for success in school and beyond.
What_Is_AI_site.mp4Why Does AI Literacy Matter?
Why Does AI Literacy Matter?
AI literacy is understanding how AI works, how it's used, and how to use it responsibly. For students and teachers, it means using AI for tasks like research and writing while thinking critically about its risks, sources, and impact. Being AI literate means using AI thoughtfully, ethically, and safely in school and beyond.
AI literacy is understanding how AI works, how it's used, and how to use it responsibly. For students and teachers, it means using AI for tasks like research and writing while thinking critically about its risks, sources, and impact. Being AI literate means using AI thoughtfully, ethically, and safely in school and beyond.
Digital Literacy Curriculum
Digital Literacy Curriculum
SVUSD uses Common Sense Education's Digital Literacy & Well-Being curriculum for grades K-12. For the 26-27 school year, Common Sense Education has updated their lessons (9-12 will arrive sometime in August 2026). Their older curriculum will be archived by them in December 2026, so we will need to move to their new curriculum. The new lessons are around 20 minutes each (down from about 45 minutes), but there are more lessons per grade level. Our site has been updated to reflect the new lessons (9-12 will be updated in the fall).
SVUSD uses Common Sense Education's Digital Literacy & Well-Being curriculum for grades K-12. For the 26-27 school year, Common Sense Education has updated their lessons (9-12 will arrive sometime in August 2026). Their older curriculum will be archived by them in December 2026, so we will need to move to their new curriculum. The new lessons are around 20 minutes each (down from about 45 minutes), but there are more lessons per grade level. Our site has been updated to reflect the new lessons (9-12 will be updated in the fall).
All Lessons for Each Grade Level Cover Six Core Topics
All Lessons for Each Grade Level Cover Six Core Topics
Scope & Sequence
Scope & Sequence
The curriculum's sequencing is thoughtfully designed based on research in both child development and students' actual experiences with media and technology. This ensures that lessons meet students where they are developmentally while addressing the digital challenges they actually face.
Kindergarten - 8th Grade
Kindergarten - 8th Grade
Kindergarten
DISCOVERY & AWARENESS
Kindergarteners are just beginning to explore digital experiences with close adult supervision. They are concrete thinkers who learn best through tangible examples, stories, and simple routines that mirror familiar classroom expectations. These lessons introduce foundational concepts through our Digital Citizen characters and visual metaphors that make abstract ideas concrete and accessible.
Lesson Sequence:
1st Grade
RECOGNITION & CONNECTION
First graders are starting to have more exposure to various apps, games, and content online, along with more basic literacy skills. They're also beginning to recognize how technology connects them to a wider community beyond their immediate classroom or family. These lessons introduce frameworks like the Internet Traffic Light to guide simple decision-making about online content. Students begin developing skills for distinguishing between different types of information and media, while learning to navigate their expanding digital world with growing confidence and awareness.
Lesson Sequence:
2nd Grade
GROWING RESPONSIBILITY & SIMPLE DECISION-MAKING
Second graders demonstrate increasing independence and abstract thinking. They are ready to take more responsibility for their actions and understand the consequences of their choices. These lessons respond to this growth by introducing decision-making frameworks that require weighing multiple factors, emphasizing the development of personal responsibility and agency in digital environments. Second grade showcases a storybook that guides students through a sequence of media literacy lessons, helping them think critically about what they consume online.
Lesson Sequence:
3rd Grade
DIGITAL LIFE FOUNDATIONS
Third graders are beginning to use digital tools more independently for schoolwork while learning to navigate basic online interactions. At this age, children are developing concrete operational thinking and beginning to understand others' perspectives, but still need tangible examples and clear guidelines. These lessons teach essential digital literacy skills while making direct connections to their growing independence as readers and communicators, providing them with tools and mindsets that help them navigate their expanding digital responsibilities.
Lesson Sequence:
4th Grade
EMERGING CRITICAL AWARENESS
Fourth graders are developing stronger critical thinking skills and a more nuanced understanding of social dynamics. This is when many students start using more complex digital tools and conducting online research for school projects. These lessons help students build awareness of how their tech use can impact how they feel, develop a better understanding of privacy, and learn to evaluate whether online information is trustworthy. Students learn strategies for handling peer pressure in digital spaces and develop a stronger sense of responsibility for how they treat others online.
Lesson Sequence:
5th Grade
PRETEEN DIGITAL LIFE
Fifth graders are preparing for middle school, developing more abstract thinking and increased social awareness as they prepare for significant transitions. While device ownership varies significantly, many students now have their own device or frequent access to a device, using messaging platforms and engaging in online social interactions. These lessons focus on media analysis, privacy management, and a deeper understanding of online relationships. Students learn about boundary setting and develop frameworks for making thoughtful and responsible decisions online—skills that will serve them well in middle school.
Lesson Sequence:
6th Grade
INCREASED INDEPENDENCE, ON- & OFFLINE
Sixth graders are beginning middle school, navigating new social hierarchies and friendship dynamics while adjusting to increased academic independence. As students' use of devices continues to deepen, the emphasis shifts to building healthy tech habits and responsible use of technology, including AI. Students learn about digital reputation and responsible sharing, developing the skills they need to thrive in middle school's more complex digital and social environment.
Lesson Sequence:
7th Grade
SOCIAL MEDIA LITERACY
Seventh graders often explore their expanded independence, including with their tech use, whether through their first personal device or increased access to social media and online platforms. This is also a time characterized by heightened friendship volatility and complex social hierarchies that play out both online and offline. These lessons focus on conflict resolution skills, including how to be an upstander and what to do when harmed online. Students reflect on parasocial relationships and continue to build healthy tech habits, focusing on intentional tech use and building emotional resilience during socially turbulent times.
Lesson Sequence:
8th Grade
LEADERSHIP & ETHICS
Eighth graders are in their final year of middle school, taking on more responsibility as school leaders and preparing for high school. Many students experience significant pressure around their digital footprints while navigating relational dynamics that extend into online spaces. These lessons focus on more sophisticated media literacy skills, including critical ignoring and understanding how recommendation algorithms shape what we see and believe. Students examine AI's influence on the information ecosystem and social connections, focusing on healthy tech habits and the value of face-to-face relationships.
Lesson Sequence:
9th - 12th Grade (coming fall 2026)
9th - 12th Grade (coming fall 2026)
Free, Self-Paced K-12 Teacher Training Courses
Free, Self-Paced K-12 Teacher Training Courses
All courtesy of Common Sense Education
Teaching Digital Literacy and Well-Being
Teaching Digital Literacy and Well-Being
This course will walk you through the Common Sense Digital Literacy & Well-Being Curriculum, exploring its core principles and experiencing the ready-to-use lesson plans firsthand. By the end, you'll have everything you need to help your students not only survive, but thrive in our tech-filled world.
You'll understand the need for teaching digital literacy based on current research, examine the core principles of the curriculum, and discover how it can be used to meet the needs of you and your students.
You'll explore the curriculum at your grade level in detail, unpack a sample lesson, and engage in hands-on learning activities.
You'll consider ways to integrate lessons with existing subjects and routines, and develop your initial plans for incorporating digital literacy and well-being lessons in your classroom.
AI Basics for K-12 Teachers
AI Basics for K-12 Teachers
This foundational course is designed for anyone who wants to understand the basics of generative AI and its impact on education.
Develop foundational AI literacy knowledge: what AI is, and an overview of how it works.
Identify safety factors for using AI in education, including topics like data privacy and biometric data.
Understand ethical considerations for AI use, including the role of AI in challenges like climate change.
Reflect on how and where AI might best fit into your teaching practice.
Modeling Health Digital Habits
Modeling Health Digital Habits
This course introduces you to digital citizenship, the routines to use when addressing digital issues, and how to incorporate healthy digital habits into your everyday life.
ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers
ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers
This course introduces you to the basics of artificial intelligence, generative AI, ChatGPT, and how to use ChatGPT safely and effectively. From decoding the jargon to responsible use, this course will help you level up your understanding of AI and ChatGPT so that you can use tools like this safely and with a clear purpose.
Advanced ChatGPT for Teachers
Advanced ChatGPT for Teachers
Ready to go deeper? Our advanced course builds upon our ChatGPT Foundations course with additional focus on developing the insights, mindsets, and practices that enable effective AI use in education. You'll:
Define your role in using AI safely, ethically, and responsibly while mastering ChatGPT's capabilities.
Develop a robust approach to using ChatGPT, with a deeper understanding of how the system works.
Apply proven strategies for using ChatGPT in schools, from key principles to classroom implementation.
Access real-world examples from educators already using ChatGPT effectively.
Important Links
Important Links
Standards Alignment for Digital Citizenship
Standards Alignment for Digital Citizenship
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