Curriculum

Lessons by Grade Level

Grades 4-5

Free to educators, the CyberSmart! Student Curriculum empowers students to use the Internet safely, responsibly, and effectively.

Safety and Security

Lesson Title	Lesson Overview	Codes^*
Private Information	By examining and identifying actual online requests for private information, students learn to apply the same safety rules in cyberspace as they use when encountering strangers in the face-to-face world.
Safe Talking in Cyberspace^Updated!	Students learn that they can develop rewarding online relationships, but they should never reveal private information to a person they know only in cyberspace without asking their parent or guardian for permission.
Powerful Passwords^New!	Students learn the benefits of using passwords and then play a board game to discover some strategies for creating and keeping secure passwords.
Handling E-mail and IM^Updated!	Students consider the positive uses of e-mail and instant messaging and identify strategies for responsibly managing spam and other messages that make them uncomfortable.
Privacy Rules!	Students learn that children's Web sites must protect their private information, and look for privacy policies and privacy seals of approval.

Manners, Cyberbullying, & Ethics

Lesson Title	Lesson Overview	Codes^*
The Power of Words^New!	Students consider that while they are enjoying their favorite children's Web sites, they may encounter messages from other children that can make them feel angry, hurt, sad, or fearful. They explore ways to handle a particular cyberbullying situation, learn some basic prevention rules, and propose actions to take to calm down when online language makes them angry.
Group Think^New!	Students learn that sometimes youths in groups think and behave differently than they would if each person was alone. They examine the role of the bystander in cyberbullying situations and develop an ethical pledge for bystanders.
Be Comfortable^Updated!	Students consider some online scenarios and examine their personal comfort levels. They learn to recognize such feelings and responsibly manage their actions in cyberspace.
Citizens of Cyberspace	Students learn that Internet users are citizens of a global community with the power to share ideas with people around the world.
Understand Your Acceptable Use Policy	Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) contracts encourage responsible behavior by students and staff and give administrators enforceable rules for acceptable use of school computers. Students will interpret and make inferences about their school's AUP.
Speak Out	Students learn that, as citizens of their country, they have a responsibility to speak out on important issues and that the Internet provides easy ways to do so.
Whose Is It, Anyway?	Students learn that, although the Internet makes it very easy, copying others' work and presenting it as one's own is unethical. They also learn about circumstances in which it is permissible to copy others' work.
Do the Right Thing	Students learn that they should apply the same ethical principles in cyberspace that guide them in face-to-face situations.
Good E-mail Manners	Students learn good manners dos and don'ts when sending E-mail.

Authentic Learning and Creativity

Lesson Title	Lesson Overview	Codes^*
Purchasing Power	Students are guided through a multi-lesson project to collaborate in making real-world purchasing decisions using mathematical and critical thinking skills and accessing Internet resources to collect information.

Research and Information Fluency

Lesson Title	Lesson Overview	Codes^*
Choosing a Search Site	Through online observations, students record and compare the features of four children's search sites. They then construct a lift-the-flap poster that will guide them in selecting appropriate search sites.
Choosing Categories or Keywords In Development
Rating Web Sites	Students discuss and apply criteria for rating informational Web sites, compare their results, and infer that all Web sites are not equally good sources of research information.
Homework Help in a Hurry	Students learn strategies for getting immediate help with their homework, including going online with an adult to homework help search services and reference databases.
E-mailing for Homework Help	Students visit sites where, with a parent or guardian, they can ask a homework question and receive an answer from an expert over the Internet. They find out that such personalized help takes time and is not suitable if they need an immediate answer.
What's at the Library?	Students learn that libraries offer easy-to-use resources for researching a topic for a school report.
A Place to Advertise	Students consider that some Web sites are designed as advertising environments to entertain visitors while promoting advertisers' brands and products.

Twenty-First Century Challenges

Lesson Title	Lesson Overview	Codes^*
Great Communicators	Students consider great communications inventions, including the Internet, and assess advantages and disadvantages of each.
Cyberspace Country	Students contrast cyberspace with actual and fantasy places, learn that cyberspace is where real people connect using computers and real experiences take place, and visually express their conception of the geography of cyberspace in the U.S.
What Is a Network?	Students model a network and learn that the Internet consists of many computer networks that are able to communicate with one another.
Imagining the Future	Students consider emerging computer and Internet technologies, and predict how such developments might directly affect the lives of kids in the future.

No computer required =
Optional Web 2.0 tool activity =
Internet connection required =