Digital Drama UnpluggedHow can you de-escalate digital drama so it doesn't go too far?Miscommunication is a common occurrence online and on social media. Plus, being behind a screen makes it easier to say things they wouldn't say in person. So how do we help students avoid the pitfalls of digital drama? Help them learn tips on avoiding online drama in the first place and de-escalating drama when it happens.Objectives: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.Vocabulary de-escalate digital dramaSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Don't Feed the PhishHow can you protect yourself from phishing?Internet scams are part of being online today, but many kids might not be aware of them. How do we help our students avoid being tricked into clicking malicious links or giving out private information? Use this lesson to help kids avoid online identity theft and phishing schemes.Objectives: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.Vocabulary private information identity theft phishing internet scam shortened URLSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Finding Balance in a Digital WorldHow do we balance digital media use in our lives?We use digital media every day, from texting, streaming TV shows, and gaming all the way to using voice assistants or ordering our food online. For today's kids, it's a lot more than just "screen time." So how can we help students balance their online and offline lives? It starts with recognizing just how much media we use.Objectives: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.Vocabulary digital media media balance red flag feeling unplug digital habitsSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Finding Credible NewsHow do we find credible information on the internet?The web is full of questionable stuff, from rumors and inaccurate information to outright lies and so-called fake news. So how do we help students weed out the bad and find what's credible? Help students dig into why and how false information ends up online in the first place, and then practice evaluating the credibility of what they're finding online.Objectives: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.Vocabulary bias corroboration credible evaluateSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Who Are You Online?What are the benefits and drawbacks of presenting yourself in different ways online?What does it actually mean to "be yourself" or to "be "real"? Those are deep thoughts for any middle schooler. For kids today, these questions matter online, too. Help your students explore why some people create different or alternate personas for themselves online and on social media.Objectives: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.Vocabulary anonymous affinity group curate finstaSelect 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 seventh-grade course, students learn advanced digital citizenship skills focusing on media balance and online wellbeing. The curriculum covers digital footprint management, data privacy, and responsible social media use. Students explore cyberbullying from multiple perspectives, developing empathy and upstander behaviors. The course also introduces copyright concepts and fair use principles, empowering students to be ethical creators and consumers of digital content.Upon completion of Grade 7, students should have a deeper understanding of:Make an inventory of their media choices and how those choices make them feel.Brainstorm personal strategies for balancing media use.Create personal guidelines for promoting healthy media balance.Explain why information about them and their behaviors is valuable to companies.Analyze how certain types of data are used by companies.Learn three strategies to limit individual data collection by companies.Define the term "digital footprint" and explain how it can affect their online privacy.Analyze how different parts of their digital footprint can lead others to draw conclusions -- both positive and negative -- about who they are.Use the Take a Stand thinking routine to examine a dilemma about digital footprints.Identify the role of social media in their lives.Reflect on the positive and negative effects social media use has on their relationships.Recognize "red flag feelings" when using social media and use the Feelings & Options thinking routine to consider ways to handle them.Consider the different perspectives of those involved in a cyberbullying incident.Identify ways to be an upstander or ally to someone being bullied.Problem-solve potential challenges to responding to cyberbullying.Define the terms "copyright," "public domain," and "fair use."Identify the purpose of the Four Factors of Fair Use.Apply fair use to real-world examples, making a case for or against.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.

Big, Big DataHow do companies collect and use data about you?Every time we go online, we're giving away information about ourselves. But just how much data are companies collecting from us? Hint: It's probably a lot more than we realize. Show your students these three tips on how to limit the data that companies collect.Objectives:Explain why information about them and their behaviors is valuable to companies.Analyze how certain types of data are used by companies.Learn three strategies to limit individual data collection by companies.Vocabulary consumer data targeted advertising cookiesSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

My Media Use: A Personal ChallengeWhat is your strategy for finding media balance?Most of us use a lot of digital media in our daily lives -- even when we don't realize it! Having a balance between online and offline time is important, but healthy media balance might look different for everyone. Help students create a personalized plan for healthy media use.Objectives:Make an inventory of their media choices and how those choices make them feel.Brainstorm personal strategies for balancing media use.Create personal guidelines for promoting healthy media balance.Vocabulary media balance guideline inventorySelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

My Social Media LifeHow does social media affect our relationships?For most middle schoolers, being on social media can mean connecting with friends, sharing pictures, and keeping up-to-date. But it can also mean big-time distractions, social pressures, and more. Help students navigate the different feelings they may already be experiencing on social media.Objectives:Identify the role of social media in their lives.Reflect on the positive and negative effects social media use has on their relationships.Recognize "red flag feelings" when using social media and use the Feelings & Options thinking routine to consider ways to handle them.Vocabulary red flag feeling social media oversharingSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

The Four Factors of Fair UseWhat rights to fair use do you have as a creator?Kids can be voracious consumers -- and creators -- of media, and it's easier than ever for them to find and share digital content online. But do middle schoolers know about concepts like fair use, copyright, and public domain? Give students a framework they can use to better understand how fair use works in the real world.Objectives:Define the terms "copyright," "public domain," and "fair use."Identify the purpose of the Four Factors of Fair Use.Apply fair use to real-world examples, making a case for or against.Vocabulary copyright fair use public domain samplingSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

The Power of Digital FootprintsHow might our digital footprints shape our future?Our digital footprints can impact our future. What others find about us online shapes how they see us or feel about us.  Help your students learn about their digital footprint and the steps they can take to shape what others find and see about them online.Objectives:Define the term "digital footprint" and explain how it can affect their online privacy.Analyze how different parts of their digital footprint can lead others to draw conclusions -- both positive and negative -- about who they are.Use the Take a Stand thinking routine to examine a dilemma about digital footprints.Vocabularydigital footprint invisible audience persistentSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Upstanders and Allies: Taking Action Against CyberbullyingHow can you respond when cyberbullying occurs?When cyberbullying happens, everyone involved brings their own perspective to the situation. Help students learn about the importance of empathy, how to consider others' feelings, and how to be an upstander when cyberbullying occurs.Objectives:Consider the different perspectives of those involved in a cyberbullying incident.Identify ways to be an upstander or ally to someone being bullied.Problem-solve potential challenges to responding to cyberbullying.Vocabulary cyberbullying empathy upstander allySelect 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 eighth-grade course, students examine complex digital citizenship challenges facing teens today. The curriculum explores digital media design and its impact on user behavior, privacy management, and responsible social media sharing. Students learn to critically evaluate breaking news, respond to online hate speech, and navigate sensitive topics like sexting. The course emphasizes developing strategies for maintaining healthy online relationships and media balance while building critical thinking skills for today's digital world.Upon completion of Grade 8, students should have a deeper understanding of:Explore ways that different digital media are, and aren't, designed to help them make good media choices.Reflect on how digital media is designed to either help or hinder the addition of meaning and value to their lives.Think about how to develop good, healthy habits when using digital media.Reflect on the concept of privacy, including what they feel comfortable sharing and with which people.Analyze different ways that advertisers collect information about users to send them targeted ads.Identify strategies for protecting their privacy, including opting out of specific features and analyzing app or website privacy policies.Identify reasons for using social media and the challenges that often come along with it.Reflect on the responsibilities they have that are related to digital footprints -- both their own and others' -- when they're using social media.Identify ways to make the most of social media while still caring for the digital footprints of themselves and others.Compare the risks and benefits of self-disclosure in relationships.Identify the risks and potential consequences of sexting.Use the Feelings & Options thinking routine to consider how to respond in situations where sexting could occur.Examine and respond to a piece of artwork about the power of technology.Analyze an online hate speech dilemma using the Feelings & Options steps.Identify specific actions to positively affect a situation involving hate speech.Define breaking news, and understand why individuals and news outlets want to be first to report a story.Analyze breaking news alerts to identify clues of false or incomplete information.Reflect on the consequences of reacting right away to breaking news alerts.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.

Being Aware of What You ShareHow can you protect your privacy when you're online?Kids share a lot of information whenever they go online -- sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. But do they understand that online privacy isn't just what they say and post? Help your students learn about their digital footprints and the steps they can take to shape what others find and see about them.Objectives:Reflect on the concept of privacy, including what they feel comfortable sharing and with which people.Analyze different ways that advertisers collect information about users to send them targeted ads.Identify strategies for protecting their privacy, including opting out of specific features and analyzing app or website privacy policies.Vocabulary cookies privacy privacy settings privacy policy terms of service opt outSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Digital Media and Your BrainHow does digital media try to hook you, and what can you do about it?Sometimes when you're using media, it's hard to stop. Lots of people even say they feel "addicted" to their phones or the apps and games they use. But is digital media actually designed to get you hooked? Have students think about the ways different digital media does -- and does not -- help us find healthy media balance.This is one of four lessons in our digital well-being collection for middle school. If time permits, we recommend teaching all four lessons, in the suggested order, to maximize impact.Objectives:Explore ways that different digital media are, and aren't, designed to help them make good media choices.Reflect on how digital media is designed to either help or hinder the addition of meaning and value to their lives.Think about how to develop good, healthy habits when using digital media.Vocabulary addictive design feedback loop habit humane designSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Responding to Online Hate SpeechHow should you respond to online hate speech?Students can come across all kinds of negative content online and on social media, whether it's rude, mean, or even hateful. But what should students do when they encounter hate speech online? Have  students think through digital dilemmas and identify the best ways to respond.Objectives:Examine and respond to a piece of artwork about the power of technology.Analyze an online hate speech dilemma using the Feelings & Options steps.Identify specific actions to positively affect a situation involving hate speech.Vocabulary cyberbullying anonymous hate speechSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

Sexting and RelationshipsWhat are the risks and potential consequences of sexting?It's natural for teens to be curious about their emerging sexuality. But most middle schoolers aren't prepared for the risks of exploring this in the digital age. Help students think critically about self-disclosure in relationships and practice how they'd respond to a situation where sexting -- or a request for sexting -- might happen.Objectives:Compare the risks and benefits of self-disclosure in relationships.Identify the risks and potential consequences of sexting.Use the Feelings & Options thinking routine to consider how to respond in situations where sexting could occur.Vocabularyself-disclosure sexting red flag feelingSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson 

Social Media and Digital Footprints: Our ResponsibilitiesHow does using social media affect our digital footprints?Social media can be a place to connect, learn, and, most of all, share. But how much do kids know about what they're sharing -- and not just about themselves but each other? Help students think critically about their digital footprints on social media.Objectives:Identify reasons for using social media and the challenges that often come along with it.Reflect on the responsibilities they have that are related to digital footprints -- both their own and others' -- when they're using social media.Identify ways to make the most of social media while still caring for the digital footprints of themselves and others.Vocabulary digital footprint oversharingSelect the Green Resource Library button to access the lesson

This Just In!How should we react to breaking news?With mobile phone alerts, social media updates, and 24/7 news cycles, it's hard to escape the daily flood of breaking news. But do kids really understand what they're seeing when stories first break? Help students analyze breaking news with a critical eye for false or incomplete information, and discuss the downsides of our "always-on" news media culture.Objectives:Define breaking news, and understand why individuals and news outlets want to be first to report a story.Analyze breaking news alerts to identify clues of false or incomplete information.Reflect on the consequences of reacting right away to breaking news alerts.Vocabulary bias 24/7 news cycle breaking newsSelect 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 ninth-grade course, students explore digital citizenship through a mature lens of personal responsibility and social impact. The curriculum examines digital well-being, data privacy, and social media etiquette, including the implications of tagging and sharing content about others. Students learn to navigate online communication challenges, evaluate manipulated media, and practice lateral reading skills to verify information. The course emphasizes making ethical digital choices while protecting both personal and peer privacy.Upon completion of Grade 9, students should have a deeper understanding of:Explore the role that digital media plays in their lives.Use the Digital Habits Checkup to reflect on the positive and negative impacts of digital media.Create a personal challenge to improve their digital well-being.Define online tracking and describe how companies use it.Identify the benefits and drawbacks of online tracking to both companies and users.Analyze specific examples of online tracking and take a position for or against them.Define "digital reputation," and identify examples of socialmedia posts that can have a positive or negative effect.Use the 1-2-3-1 Perspectives activity to consider the causes and effects of posting about others online.Generate a list of questions to ask themselves before posting pictures or information about someone else.Identify the types of messages that might cause a red flag feeling for someone.Use the Feelings & Options thinking routine to analyze and respond to a situation involving a red flag feeling.Identify examples of online behaviors that may hurt, embarrass, or offend others.Use the Feelings & Options thinking routine to analyze and respond to a digital dilemma.Define "misinformation" and explore the consequences of spreading misinformation online.Learn how to use lateral reading as a strategy to verify the accuracy of information online.Apply lateral reading to examples of questionable videos to determine their accuracy.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.