Who Is in Your Online Community?How are we all part of an online community?We are all connected on the internet! By learning the Rings of Responsibility, students explore how the internet connects us to people in our community and throughout the world. Help your students think critically about the different ways they connect with others, both in person and online.Objectives:Compare and contrast how they are connected to different people and places, in person and on the internetDemonstrate an understanding of how people can connect on the internetVocabulary community internetSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Common Sense Education Digital Citizenship Curriculum VideoEquitable and Inclusive Curriculum  The CSDE believes in providing a set of conditions where learners are repositioned at the center of curricula planning and design. Curricula, from a culturally responsive perspective, require intentional planning for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the development of units and implementation of lessons. It is critical to develop a learning environment that is relevant to and reflective of students’ social, cultural, and linguistic experiences to effectively connect their culturally and community-based knowledge to the class. Begin by connecting what is known about students’ cognitive and interdisciplinary diversity to the learning of the unit. Opposed to starting instructional planning with gaps in students’ knowledge, plan from an asset-based perspective by starting from students’ strengths. In doing so, curricula’s implementation will be grounded in instruction that engages, motivates, and supports the intellectual capacity of all students.Empowering Thoughtful Digital Citizens:Digital citizenship is a critical skill that empowers students to navigate the complex digital landscape with wisdom, empathy, and responsibility. We strongly believe in a whole-school approach to digital citizenship that engages educators, school leaders, and families in supporting students' technological growth. Our model curriculum is designed to equip students from kindergarten through high school with essential skills to safely and thoughtfully engage with technology, fostering digital literacy, critical thinking, and social-emotional learning. By creating intentional learning spaces that encourage in-person connections, teach impulse control, and develop media literacy, we aim to prepare students to appreciate the nuanced nature of technology use, protect their well-being, and cultivate healthy digital habits that will serve them throughout their lives.Course Description:  In this third-grade course, students explore digital citizenship through the lens of community responsibility and online identity. Students learn to create strong, memorable passwords, evaluate their digital presence, and understand how photo and video alterations can influence perceptions. The course emphasizes building positive online communities, developing empathy, and responding effectively to cyberbullying. Students gain critical thinking skills to navigate their expanding digital world responsibly.Upon completion of Grade 3, students should have a deeper understanding of:Examine both in-person and online responsibilities.Describe the Rings of Responsibility as a way to think about how our behavior affects ourselves and others.Identify examples of online responsibilities to others.Define the term "password" and describe a password's purpose.Understand why a strong password is important.Practice creating a memorable and strong password.Consider how posting selfies or other images will lead others to make assumptions about them.Reflect on the most important parts of their unique identity.Identify ways they can post online to best reflect who they are.Define what a community is, both in person and online.Explain how having norms helps people in a community achieve their goals.Create and pledge to adhere to shared norms for being in an online community.Understand that it's important to think about the words we use, because everyone interprets things differently.Identify ways to respond to mean words online, using S-T-O-P.Decide what kinds of statements are OK to say online and which are not.Recognize that photos and videos can be altered digitally.Identify different reasons why someone might alter a photo or video.Analyze altered photos and videos to try to determine why.Aligned Core Resources:Core resources is a local control decision.  Ensuring alignment of resources to the standards is critical for success. The CSDE has identified Common Sense Education Digital Citizenship Curriculum  as a highly aligned core curriculum after a rigorous review process. Transferable Skills Addressed in the Course: Media Balance & Well-Being Privacy & Security Digital Footprint & Identity Relationships & Communication Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech News & Media Literacy Family Engagement Opportunities:Family engagement is fundamental to our digital citizenship efforts, rooted in a whole community approach that recognizes families as essential partners in supporting students' technological development. We are committed to providing family engagement resources, and opportunities to support healthy digital habits, establish open communication about technology use, and model responsible digital behavior. Recognizing that parents and caregivers have diverse concerns about media, technology, and devices, we aim to be a supportive resource in guiding their children's digital experiences. By fostering ongoing communication and partnership, we create a dynamic support system that addresses challenges across school and home environments, ultimately strengthening students' digital citizenship skills.

Is Seeing Believing?Why do people alter digital photos and videos?The web is full of photos, and even videos, that are digitally altered. And it's often hard to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake. Help your students ask critical questions about why someone might alter a photo or video in the first place.Objectives:Recognize that photos and videos can be altered digitally.Identify different reasons why someone might alter a photo or video.Analyze altered photos and videos to try to determine why.Vocabulary advertising alter persuade photo retouchingSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

The Power of WordsWhat should you do when someone uses mean or hurtful language on the internet?As kids grow, they'll naturally start to communicate more online. But some of what they see could make them feel hurt, sad, angry, or even fearful. Help your students build empathy for others and learn strategies to use when confronted with cyberbullying.Objectives:Understand that it's important to think about the words we use, because everyone interprets things differently.Identify ways to respond to mean words online, using S-T-O-P.Decide what kinds of statements are OK to say online and which are not.Vocabularyempathy interpretSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Common Sense Education Digital Citizenship Curriculum VideoEquitable and Inclusive Curriculum  The CSDE believes in providing a set of conditions where learners are repositioned at the center of curricula planning and design. Curricula, from a culturally responsive perspective, require intentional planning for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the development of units and implementation of lessons. It is critical to develop a learning environment that is relevant to and reflective of students’ social, cultural, and linguistic experiences to effectively connect their culturally and community-based knowledge to the class. Begin by connecting what is known about students’ cognitive and interdisciplinary diversity to the learning of the unit. Opposed to starting instructional planning with gaps in students’ knowledge, plan from an asset-based perspective by starting from students’ strengths. In doing so, curricula’s implementation will be grounded in instruction that engages, motivates, and supports the intellectual capacity of all students.Empowering Thoughtful Digital Citizens:Digital citizenship is a critical skill that empowers students to navigate the complex digital landscape with wisdom, empathy, and responsibility. We strongly believe in a whole-school approach to digital citizenship that engages educators, school leaders, and families in supporting students' technological growth. Our model curriculum is designed to equip students from kindergarten through high school with essential skills to safely and thoughtfully engage with technology, fostering digital literacy, critical thinking, and social-emotional learning. By creating intentional learning spaces that encourage in-person connections, teach impulse control, and develop media literacy, we aim to prepare students to appreciate the nuanced nature of technology use, protect their well-being, and cultivate healthy digital habits that will serve them throughout their lives.Course Description:  In today's digital age, children are growing up with technology all around them. This course introduces Kindergarten students to the basics of digital citizenship in a fun and age-appropriate way. Students will learn how to balance their online and offline activities, manage their time with technology, and stay safe when exploring the online world.Upon completion of Grade 4, students should have a deeper understanding of:Learn the "What? When? How Much?" framework for describing their media choices.Use this framework and their emotional responses to evaluate how healthy different types of media choices are.Begin to develop their own definition of a healthy media balance.Identify the reasons why people share information about themselves online.Explain the difference between private and personal information.Explain why it is risky to share private information online.Define the term "digital footprint" and identify the online activities that contribute to it.Identify ways they are -- and are not -- in control of their digital footprint.Understand what responsibilities they have for the digital footprints of themselves and others.Define "social interaction" and give an example.Describe the positives and negatives of social interaction in online games.Create an online video game cover that includes guidelines for positive social interaction.Reflect on the characteristics that make someone an upstanding digital citizen.Recognize what cyberbullying is.Show ways to be an upstander by creating a digital citizenship superhero comic strip.Define "copyright" and explain how it applies to creative work.Describe their rights and responsibilities as creators.Apply copyright principles to real-life scenarios.Aligned Core Resources:Core resources is a local control decision.  Ensuring alignment of resources to the standards is critical for success. The CSDE has identified Common Sense Education Digital Citizenship Curriculum  as a highly aligned core curriculum after a rigorous review process. Transferable Skills Addressed in the Course: Media Balance & Well-Being Privacy & Security Digital Footprint & Identity Relationships & Communication Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech News & Media Literacy Family Engagement Opportunities:Family engagement is fundamental to our digital citizenship efforts, rooted in a whole community approach that recognizes families as essential partners in supporting students' technological development. We are committed to providing family engagement resources, and opportunities to support healthy digital habits, establish open communication about technology use, and model responsible digital behavior. Recognizing that parents and caregivers have diverse concerns about media, technology, and devices, we aim to be a supportive resource in guiding their children's digital experiences. By fostering ongoing communication and partnership, we create a dynamic support system that addresses challenges across school and home environments, ultimately strengthening students' digital citizenship skills.

A Creator's Rights and ResponsibilitiesWhat rights and responsibilities do you have as a creator?It's common for kids to use images they find online, for school projects or just for fun. But kids don't often understand which images are OK to use and which ones aren't. Help your students learn about the rights and responsibilities they have when it comes to the images they create and use.Objectives:Define "copyright" and explain how it applies to creative work.Describe their rights and responsibilities as creators.Apply copyright principles to real-life scenarios.Vocabulary attribute copyright intellectual property license plagiarismSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Be a Super Digital CitizenHow can we be upstanders when we see cyberbullying?Online tools are empowering for kids, and they also come with big responsibilities. But do kids always know what to do when they encounter cyberbullying? Show your students appropriate ways to take action and resolve conflicts, from being upstanders to helping others in need.Objectives:Reflect on the characteristics that make someone an upstanding digital citizen.Recognize what cyberbullying is.Show ways to be an upstander by creating a digital citizenship superhero comic strip.Vocabulary digital citizen cyberbullying upstanderSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Keeping Games Fun and FriendlyHow can I be positive and have fun while playing online games, and help others do the same?Social interaction is part of what makes online gaming so popular and engaging for kids. Of course, online communication can come with some risks. Show your students how to keep their gaming experiences fun, healthy, and positive.Objectives:Define "social interaction" and give an example.Describe the positives and negatives of social interaction in online games.Create an online video game cover that includes guidelines for positive social interaction.Vocabulary digital media griefing online video game social interactionSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

My Media ChoicesWhat makes a healthy media choice?We all make choices every day about the media we consume and create. But do kids understand what makes a media choice healthy or not? Hint: It's about more than just screen time. Use the activities in this lesson to give kids a framework for making informed media choices.Objectives:Learn the "What? When? How Much?" framework for describing their media choices.Use this framework and their emotional responses to evaluate how healthy different types of media choices are.Begin to develop their own definition of a healthy media balance.Vocabularymedia media balance media choicesSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Our Online TracksHow does our online activity affect the digital footprints of ourselves and others?Your digital footprint can affect your online reputation for a long time. But kids don't always realize that digital footprints aren't just a personal matter. Show your students how they can contribute to a positive digital reputation, both for themselves and for others.Objectives:Define the term "digital footprint" and identify the online activities that contribute to it.Identify ways they are -- and are not -- in control of their digital footprint.Understand what responsibilities they have for the digital footprints of themselves and others.Vocabulary responsibility digital footprint fossil inferenceSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Private and Personal InformationWhat information about you is OK to share online?It's in our students' nature to share and connect with others. But sharing online comes with some risks. How can we help kids build strong, positive, and safe relationships online? Help your students learn the difference between what's personal and what's best left private.Objectives:Identify the reasons why people share information about themselves online.Explain the difference between private and personal information.Explain why it is risky to share private information online.Vocabulary hardwired personal information · private information · register (online)Select the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Common Sense Education Digital Citizenship Curriculum VideoEquitable and Inclusive Curriculum  The CSDE believes in providing a set of conditions where learners are repositioned at the center of curricula planning and design. Curricula, from a culturally responsive perspective, require intentional planning for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the development of units and implementation of lessons. It is critical to develop a learning environment that is relevant to and reflective of students’ social, cultural, and linguistic experiences to effectively connect their culturally and community-based knowledge to the class. Begin by connecting what is known about students’ cognitive and interdisciplinary diversity to the learning of the unit. Opposed to starting instructional planning with gaps in students’ knowledge, plan from an asset-based perspective by starting from students’ strengths. In doing so, curricula’s implementation will be grounded in instruction that engages, motivates, and supports the intellectual capacity of all students.Empowering Thoughtful Digital Citizens:Digital citizenship is a critical skill that empowers students to navigate the complex digital landscape with wisdom, empathy, and responsibility. We strongly believe in a whole-school approach to digital citizenship that engages educators, school leaders, and families in supporting students' technological growth. Our model curriculum is designed to equip students from kindergarten through high school with essential skills to safely and thoughtfully engage with technology, fostering digital literacy, critical thinking, and social-emotional learning. By creating intentional learning spaces that encourage in-person connections, teach impulse control, and develop media literacy, we aim to prepare students to appreciate the nuanced nature of technology use, protect their well-being, and cultivate healthy digital habits that will serve them throughout their lives.Course Description:  In today's digital landscape, 5th grade students face increasingly complex online interactions and media consumption. This course empowers students to become savvy digital citizens who can evaluate media content, navigate online relationships safely, and respond effectively to cyberbullying. Students will learn to identify clickbait and unreliable news sources, recognize gender stereotypes in media, and develop healthy online friendship boundaries. Through creating personalized media plans, students gain practical tools to make responsible digital choices and become critical consumers of online information.Upon completion of Grade 5, students should have a deeper understanding of:Reflect on how balanced they are in their daily lives.Consider what "media balance" means, and how it applies to them.Create a personalized plan for healthy and balanced media use.Define "the curiosity gap."Explain how clickbait uses the curiosity gap to get your attention.Use strategies for avoiding clickbait.Define "gender stereotype" and describe how they can be present online.Describe how gender stereotypes can lead to unfairness or bias.Create an avatar and a poem that show how gender stereotypes impact who they are.Compare and contrast different kinds of online-only friendships.Describe the benefits and risks of online-only friendships.Describe how to respond to an online-only friend if the friend asks something that makes them uncomfortable.Recognize similarities and differences between in-person bullying, cyberbullying, and being mean.Empathize with the targets of cyberbullying.Identify strategies for dealing with cyberbullying and ways they can be an upstander for those being bullied.Understand the purposes of different parts of an online news page.Identify the parts and structure of an online news article.Learn about things to watch out for when reading online news pages, such as sponsored content and advertisements.Aligned Core Resources:Core resources is a local control decision.  Ensuring alignment of resources to the standards is critical for success. The CSDE has identified Common Sense Education Digital Citizenship Curriculum  as a highly aligned core curriculum after a rigorous review process. Transferable Skills Addressed in the Course: Media Balance & Well-Being Privacy & Security Digital Footprint & Identity Relationships & Communication Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech News & Media Literacy Family Engagement Opportunities:Family engagement is fundamental to our digital citizenship efforts, rooted in a whole community approach that recognizes families as essential partners in supporting students' technological development. We are committed to providing family engagement resources, and opportunities to support healthy digital habits, establish open communication about technology use, and model responsible digital behavior. Recognizing that parents and caregivers have diverse concerns about media, technology, and devices, we aim to be a supportive resource in guiding their children's digital experiences. By fostering ongoing communication and partnership, we create a dynamic support system that addresses challenges across school and home environments, ultimately strengthening students' digital citizenship skills.

Beyond Gender StereotypesHow do gender stereotypes shape our experiences online?Kids encounter all kinds of stereotypes in the media. But are kids always aware of what they're seeing? Help your students think critically about how gender stereotypes can affect the ways they view themselves and others.Objectives:Define "gender stereotype" and describe how they can be present online.Describe how gender stereotypes can lead to unfairness or bias.Create an avatar and a poem that show how gender stereotypes impact who they are.Vocabularyavatar bias gender stereotypesSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Digital FriendshipsHow do you keep online friendships safe?Kids make friends everywhere they go -- including online. But are all of these friendships the same? How can kids start online friendships and also learn ways to stay safe? Help your students understand both the benefits and the risks of online-only friendships.Objectives:Compare and contrast different kinds of online-only friendships.Describe the benefits and risks of online-only friendships.Describe how to respond to an online-only friend if the friend asks something that makes them uncomfortable.Vocabulary benefit private information riskSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Finding My Media BalanceWhat does media balance mean for me?Helping kids learn what makes different media choices healthy or not is a good start. But how do we help them actually make responsible choices in the real world? Give your students the opportunity to create a personalized media plan.Objectives:Reflect on how balanced they are in their daily lives.Consider what "media balance" means, and how it applies to them.Create a personalized plan for healthy and balanced media use.Vocabulary balance media media balanceSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Is It Cyberbullying?What is cyberbullying and what can you do to stop it?Let's face it: Some online spaces can be full of negative, rude, or downright mean behavior. But what counts as cyberbullying? Help your students learn what is -- and what isn't -- cyberbullying, and give them the tools they'll need to combat the problem.Objectives:Recognize similarities and differences between in-person bullying, cyberbullying, and being mean.Empathize with the targets of cyberbullying.Identify strategies for dealing with cyberbullying and ways they can be an upstander for those being bullied.Vocabulary bully bullying bystander cyberbullying empathy target upstanderSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Reading News OnlineWhat are the important parts of an online news article?Kids find and read news in lots of different ways. But studies show they're not very good at interpreting what they see. How can we help them get better? Teaching your students about the structure of online news articles is an important place to start.Objectives:Understand the purposes of different parts of an online news page.Identify the parts and structure of an online news article.Learn about things to watch out for when reading online news pages, such as sponsored content and advertisements.Vocabulary news article commercialSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

You Won't Believe This!What is clickbait and how can you avoid it?The internet is full of catchy headlines and outrageous images, all to make us curious and get our attention. But kids don't usually realize: What you click on isn't always what you get. Show your students the best ways to avoid clickbait online.Objectives:Define "the curiosity gap."Explain how clickbait uses the curiosity gap to get your attention.Use strategies for avoiding clickbait.Vocabulary advertising clickbait headline Curiosity GapSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Common Sense Education Digital Citizenship Curriculum VideoEquitable and Inclusive Curriculum  The CSDE believes in providing a set of conditions where learners are repositioned at the center of curricula planning and design. Curricula, from a culturally responsive perspective, require intentional planning for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the development of units and implementation of lessons. It is critical to develop a learning environment that is relevant to and reflective of students’ social, cultural, and linguistic experiences to effectively connect their culturally and community-based knowledge to the class. Begin by connecting what is known about students’ cognitive and interdisciplinary diversity to the learning of the unit. Opposed to starting instructional planning with gaps in students’ knowledge, plan from an asset-based perspective by starting from students’ strengths. In doing so, curricula’s implementation will be grounded in instruction that engages, motivates, and supports the intellectual capacity of all students.Empowering Thoughtful Digital Citizens:Digital citizenship is a critical skill that empowers students to navigate the complex digital landscape with wisdom, empathy, and responsibility. We strongly believe in a whole-school approach to digital citizenship that engages educators, school leaders, and families in supporting students' technological growth. Our model curriculum is designed to equip students from kindergarten through high school with essential skills to safely and thoughtfully engage with technology, fostering digital literacy, critical thinking, and social-emotional learning. By creating intentional learning spaces that encourage in-person connections, teach impulse control, and develop media literacy, we aim to prepare students to appreciate the nuanced nature of technology use, protect their well-being, and cultivate healthy digital habits that will serve them throughout their lives.Course Description:  In today's digital age, children are growing up with technology all around them. This course introduces Kindergarten students to the basics of digital citizenship in a fun and age-appropriate way. Students will learn how to balance their online and offline activities, manage their time with technology, and stay safe when exploring the online world.Upon completion of Grade 6, students should have a deeper understanding of:Reflect on their common online and offline activities.Identify ways to "unplug" to maintain balance between online and offline activities.Use the Digital Habits Checkup routine to create a personal challenge to achieve more media balance.Compare and contrast identity theft with other kinds of theft.Describe different ways that identity theft can occur online.Use message clues to identify examples of phishing.Reflect on reasons why people might create fake social media accounts.Identify the possible results of posting from a fake social media account.Debate the benefits and drawbacks of posting from multiple accounts.Analyze how well they know the people they interact with online.Reflect on what information is safe to share with different types of online friends.Learn to recognize red flag feelings and use the Feelings & Options thinking routine to respond to them.Reflect on how easily drama can escalate online.Identify de-escalation strategies when dealing with digital drama.Reflect on how digital drama can affect not only oneself but also those around us.Learn reasons that people put false or misleading information on the internet.Learn criteria for differentiating fake news from credible news.Practice evaluating the credibility of information they find on the internet.Aligned Core Resources:Core resources is a local control decision.  Ensuring alignment of resources to the standards is critical for success. The CSDE has identified Common Sense Education Digital Citizenship Curriculum  as a highly aligned core curriculum after a rigorous review process. Transferable Skills Addressed in the Course: Media Balance & Well-Being Privacy & Security Digital Footprint & Identity Relationships & Communication Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech News & Media Literacy Family Engagement Opportunities:Family engagement is fundamental to our digital citizenship efforts, rooted in a whole community approach that recognizes families as essential partners in supporting students' technological development. We are committed to providing family engagement resources, and opportunities to support healthy digital habits, establish open communication about technology use, and model responsible digital behavior. Recognizing that parents and caregivers have diverse concerns about media, technology, and devices, we aim to be a supportive resource in guiding their children's digital experiences. By fostering ongoing communication and partnership, we create a dynamic support system that addresses challenges across school and home environments, ultimately strengthening students' digital citizenship skills.

Chatting Safely OnlineGames, social media, and other online spaces give kids opportunities to meet and chat with others outside the confines of their real-life communities. But how well do kids actually know the people they're meeting and interacting with? Help students consider whom they're talking to and the types of information they're sharing online.Objectives:Analyze how well they know the people they interact with online.Reflect on what information is safe to share with different types of online friends.Learn to recognize red flag feelings and use the Feelings & Options thinking routine to respond to them.Vocabulary private information red flag feeling inappropriate riskySelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson