Curriculum

Safety and Security Online

Lesson Plans and Student Activity Sheets

CyberSmart! original, nonsequential standards-based lesson plans and student activity sheets adopt an integrated approach using best practices from the fields of cyber security and character education to impact behavioral change.

Private Identity Information Students experience the excitement and power of the Internet while learning safety and security rules to protect their identities online, not only in terms of personal safety but in the context of identity theft.
Grades	Lesson Title	Lesson Overview	Codes^*
K-1	Go Places Safely	A virtual field trip helps children experience the power and excitement of the Internet by taking them places in cyberspace that might be impractical for a class to visit. They also learn that, just as when traveling in the face-to-face world, they should always take an adult with them when traveling in cyberspace.
2-3	What's Private?	Children learn about the power of the Internet to facilitate collaboration among students worldwide. While co-writing a story online, students learn an important safety rule: Before sharing private information in cyberspace, they must get permission from a parent or teacher.
4-5	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.
6-8	Private and Personal Information^Updated!	Students learn they can converse and share ideas and opinions with others in cyberspace. They adopt a critical thinking process that empowers them to protect themselves and their families as they visit sites requesting private identity information.
9-12	Online Identity Theft: Information is Power^New!	Students learn about the methods criminals use to steal identities online. They develop an identity theft prevention tip list and propose ways to communicate their tips to their families.

Meeting People Online Students learn that, although they may develop rewarding online relationships, the people they meet in cyberspace must be treated as strangers.
Grades	Lesson Title	Lesson Overview	Codes^*
4-5	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.
6-8	Savvy Online Talk and Messaging^Updated!	Students explore the benefits of online talk and messaging and consider scenarios in which they might feel uncomfortable or be asked to give away private identity information. They identify situations in which flirting and sexual talk is risky and discuss safety rules to apply online.
6-8	Protecting Private Identity Information	Educators have asked us why this lesson is no longer part of the CyberSmart! Student Curriculum. The reason: We've replaced it with several new and updated lessons that address the latest research related to protecting private identity information in greater depth. If you used this lesson to explore password security with your students, consider a newer lesson called Strong Passwords. If you used this lesson to review the various types of private identity information, consider the updated Private and Personal Information. In our update we've addressed the most recent recommendations for preventing identity theft—yes, even kids have their identities stolen. If you used this lesson to help students avoid unwanted sexual solicitations, the latest research shows that revealing private identity information online does not put youths at greater risk, but that flirting or talking about sex with people they meet online does. Our updated lesson, called Savvy Online Talk and Messaging, addresses this issue.
9-12	Making Good Decisions^New!	Students take a true/false quiz about the risks to teens regarding online sexual victimization by adults. They use an analysis of the results as the basis for a classroom discussion of how they can harness the power of the Internet while avoiding risky behavior that can lead to involvement in criminal sexual activity.
9-12	Your Online Image^New!	Students explore the consequences of unintended audiences viewing their social network profiles. They consider four key characteristics of social network sites and how they might affect teens as they try out new identities. Then, students collaborate to write a letter to parents demonstrating their understanding of issues related to unintended online audiences.

Security Students learn how to handle e-mail, messaging, texting, password-protected accounts, and computer networks securely.
Grades	Lesson Title	Lesson Overview	Codes^*
4-5	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.
4-5	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.
6-8	Smart, Safe, and Secure Online^Updated!	Students consider some security challenges related to e-mail, instant messaging, and free downloads—spam, malware attachments, electronic chain letters, and phishing—discussing ways of handling them safely and responsibly. Then they create cartoons and comics to educate others about cyber security.
6-8	Strong Passwords^New!	Students learn how to create secure passwords in order to protect their private information and accounts online.
9-12	Managing Passwords^New!	Students take a quiz to determine the strength of their passwords. They learn the reasons for building passwords that are hard to crack and practice creating passwords that follow recommended security rules. They devise a way to communicate what they have learned to their families.
9-12	Safeguarding Your Stuff, My Stuff, Our Stuff^New!	Students explore real stories of cyber security threats and damage and learn to think responsibly about securing their families' data at home and when using public computers. They think creatively about how to talk with their families about cyber security.

Online Privacy Students learn that commercial Web sites collect information about visitors and how to recognize whether such sites protect the privacy of children.
Grades	Lesson Title	Lesson Overview	Codes^*
2-3	Filling Out a Form—Ask First	Students learn that many Web sites have enticing offers in exchange for information and discuss how to responsibly handle such offers.
4-5	Privacy Rules!	Students learn that children's Web sites must protect their private information, and look for privacy policies and privacy seals of approval.
6-8	Check the Privacy Policy	Students evaluate Web site privacy policies with a checklist based on Federal Trade Commission rules for compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
6-8	Privacy—What's the Big Deal?	Students explore the concept of privacy in their everyday lives and as it relates to visiting Web sites.

Social Networking
Grades	Lesson Title	Lesson Overview	Codes^*
4-5	Safe Talking in Cyberspace^Updated!	Students sign a pledge to follow nine rules for safe chat on social networking and other Web sites.
6-8	Private and Personal Information^Updated!	Students learn to differentiate the kinds of information about themselves they should be particularly careful to protect and the kinds of information they can safely share when using social networking and other Web sites with chat.
6-8	Savvy Online Talk and Messaging^Updated!	Students learn that online flirting and sexual chat with people they do not know face to face is risky and discuss safety rules for handling such situations.
9-12	Making Good Decisions^New!	Students learn that while it is normal for teens to flirt and talk about sexual matters online with other teens they know face to face, it is illegal to send sexual photos over the Internet or for adults to use the Internet to seek sex with teens.
9-12	Your Online Image^New!	Students consider four ways they can lose control over the content they post on social networking profiles and how these make the normal desire of teens to try out new identities complicated.

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