Volume 4, Issue 8: April 2011

Theme of the Month: Cyber Safety

While cyber bullying often gets the most attention, students also need to learn how to protect themselves from other online dangers, such as predators, and phishing schemes. Students also need to know how to properly comport themselves in the internet world. This month’s articles aim to help younger students learn to protect themselves from the variety of dangers on the internet, as well as to educate older students how to conduct themselves properly in the cyber world.

“Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands.”
- Jeff Cooper

Daily Dilemma

Three of David's classmates have created an offensive website that attacks students and teachers. The principal wants to know who did it and David is the only one who knows. Should he lie to the principal or betray his classmates?

What should David do? Here's a hypothetical dilemma to discuss with your class.

“When you're safe at home you wish you were having an adventure; when you're having an adventure you wish you were safe at home”
- Thornton Wilder

Lesson Plans and Activities

Elementary School

Use this lesson plan to explain to students how the internet is like Halloween – everyone is wearing a mask, so you don’t know who they are. Afterwards, there is a group discussion, poster activity and finally a quiz to make sure students understood what they learned.

In this lesson plan for smaller children, there are a list of 7 safety tips on the internet. Once the students have learned the safety tips, they can test their knowledge with several written games. (PDF)

In this exercise, students develop their critical thinking and decision making skills by drawing a picture. This picture is based off of what the teacher read aloud. The exercise shows students that not everyone they chat with on the internet is telling the truth. The surfing safely maze mentioned at the end of the lesson can be found here.

Middle School

This discussion guide helps you conduct a conversation with the class about what cyber crime is, and how students can keep from being a suspect and a victim of cyber crime.

Using drama and role play, students are asked to define words such as “the internet” using only actions. Afterwards students are then asked to come up with a short skit to demonstrate dangers found on the internet. Students are also asked to discuss cyberbullying at the end of the lesson. (PDF)

Full of activities and discussion questions, this lesson plan has students learn about malware, viruses and the dangers of downloading unknown files to their computers. This lesson plan is designed for use with a CD-ROM video, but contains a wealth of great material that can be used on its own. (PDF)

High School

This multi step lesson plan for those just entering high school looks at naming conventions on the internet. Students will examine the names they use both in real life and on the internet and help them create a safe persona online.

This informational site about the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus looks legitimate, but it's actually fake. See how many of your students fall for the hoax, then start a discussion about how to tell whether or not an online source is trustworthy.

This lesson plan has everything you need to start a classroom debate about whether the school should punish students for cyberbullying that occurs off-campus. A debate is a fantastic way to initiate a productive classroom discussion. (PDF)

“Better a thousand times careful than once dead.”
- Proverb

This news article discusses an online safety class that a school hosted, explaining to students about privacy settings on Facebook. Use this article to start a discussion about social networking sites with your students, and to find out if they’re internet safe.

It’s not just older teens who are on Facebook. Younger children are taking to social networks, and this news article explains what we can do to keep them safe. Discuss with younger students their computer habits, and have them come up with ways they can connect with friends and family without using the computer.

While this article is heavy on scare tactics, it still brings up a valuable point about online predators. Talk with your students about who they friend online, and why they should censor both themselves and there whereabouts when talking to others on social networks.

“Prepare and prevent, don't repair and repent.”
- Author Unknown

Tips and Resources

Here is a list of 10 tips that you can use to discuss with students on how to keep safe on the internet.

The Center for Safe and Responsible Internet use is a great resource website full of articles and reports on how teachers can combat unsafe internet use among their students.

This website requires free registration, but Common Sense Media has a section for educators that includes a free digital literacy curriculum for grades K-12. (requires registration)..

“Luck runs out but safety is good for life.”
- Author Unknown

Please send us your comments, suggestions, character education stories, and any other ideas that you think would be of value in helping us improve our newsletter. E-mail us today!

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