Connected, 24/7

Download Student Activity Sheet(s) for printout.

Read a Letter to Educators about cyberbullying from The National Cyber Security Alliance.

Overview

Students explore how bullying behaviors on social networking sites and cell phones can affect teens around the clock. They identify positive actions that bystanders can take to alleviate a particular scenario. Then they write a letter to the editor discussing the positives and negatives of social networking sites, messaging, and cell phone technologies used by teens.

Objectives

Analyze online behaviors that could be considered cyberbullying.
Generate multiple solutions for dealing with a cyberbullying situation.
Communicate positives and negatives related to Internet and cell phone technologies by teens.

National Educational Technology Standards for Students © 2007

Source: International Society for Technology in Education

Communication and Collaboration
1. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
Digital Citizenship
1. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
2. exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.

Home Connection

Download the Grades 9-12 Home Connection page related to this lesson.

Site Preview

Optional online research is suggested under Teach 4.

An optional strategy for using Web 2.0 tools with your students is recommended under Teach 4.

Materials

Student Sheets (2)

Introduce

Discuss with students how eager many middle school students are to join social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, even going so far as to disregard the age rules to sign up. Ask: What advice would you give to middle school students about using these sites?

Teach 1: What's the Problem?

Distribute the student sheets. Have students read the scenario about Nicole and the social networking group.
Have students write their answers to the questions under What's the Problem? Look for responses that show empathy for Nicole, realizing that she might be angry, upset, frightened, or even depressed by the behavior of her so-called friends. Because the harassment is also taking place at school, students may conclude that the school has a responsibility to help resolve the situation.
Allow students to share their own stories. Ask: Have you ever witnessed social networks being used to cyberbully a person or a group? Without names, share the story with your class.

Teach 2: Think About It

Tell students that researchers have found while some teens say they are not bothered by cyberbullying behavior, others report feelings of anger, sadness, and frustration.
Because cyberbullying can take place 24/7, the effects on teens can be very intense.

Teach 3: Find Solutions

Have students work in pairs to discuss and answer the questions on their activity sheet.
Have students role-play some ways to handle this situation. Take roles of Nicole, the other girls, Nicole's parents, a trusted teacher, and the school principal. Discuss each person's point of view. For example, teens often say the last person they would ask for help is a parent because parents, in an attempt to protect their children, often react by taking away their child's Internet privileges.

Teach 4: Take Action

Write a Letter to the Editor Have students choose a local or national news story related to teens' questionable use of Internet or cell phone technologies. If they wish to do an Internet search, suggest the keyword cyberbullying. They may also read letters to the editor online to get a feel for the format. For example, many letters begin by referring to the title, author, and date of an article published in that paper.

Have students use Web 2.0 tools, such as a wiki, so that they can brainstorm, post the information they find during research, and collaborate in writing their letters to the editor.

Assess

The following items assess student mastery of the lesson objectives.

Ask: What are some advantages and disadvantages of 24/7 communications technologies?
Ask: What are some reasons that schools might need to get involved in resolving technology-related incidents?
Ask: What should parents, teachers, and other community members know about teen use of Internet and cell phone technologies?

Extend

Students will benefit by revisiting this lesson each year.
For students who completed this lesson in a previous grade, have them find news stories related to the ever-changing ways teens use Internet and communications technologies and analyze the positive and negative aspects of each.

Cyberbullying Prevention Activities for Your School, Families, and Community

Extend this classroom lesson with activities that will support a cyberbullying prevention campaign for your school, families, and community.

includes strategies for using interactive online Web 2.0 tools.

Free CyberSmart! Educator Toolbar

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