Teach Digital Safety

Objective

Students will define digital citizenship and identify three responsible online behaviors.

Materials

Chart paper, markers, printed scenario cards (provided), one device per pair (optional).

Lesson Flow

• Hook (5 min): Share a short story of a kind comment versus an unkind one online and ask which made the day better.
• Direct teach (10 min): Define digital citizenship with three pillars: respect, responsibility, safety.
• Practice (20 min): In pairs, students sort 12 scenario cards into the three pillars and pick one card to act out.
• Reflect (10 min): Each student writes one promise they'll keep online this week and posts it on a class chart.

Assessment

Exit ticket: 'Name one thing a good digital citizen does and one thing they avoid'.

Discussion Questions

• What does it feel like to read an unkind comment online? How is that different from hearing it in person?
• If a friend posts something embarrassing about another student, what is a kind way to respond?
• Why is it important to ask permission before sharing a photo or video of someone else?

Objective

Students will create a 14-character passphrase, explain why reusing passwords is risky, and turn on multi-factor authentication on a sample account.

Materials

Projector, sample 'data breach' headlines, paper, optional sandbox account for MFA demo.

Lesson Flow

• Hook (5 min): Show a real news headline about a major breach. Ask: 'If this site was breached and you used the same password elsewhere, what could happen?'
• Direct teach (10 min): Demonstrate the four-random-words passphrase technique and the math of long versus complex passwords.
• Practice (20 min): Each student drafts their own passphrase (not a real one they'll use) and tests it on a public strength meter. Then walks through enabling MFA on a teacher-provided demo account.
• Reflect (10 min): Class discussion: which of your real accounts most need MFA tonight, and why?

Assessment

Short response: 'Explain why a 14-character passphrase made of common words is stronger than P@ssw0rd!'

Discussion Questions

• If a website you use is breached, what is the first account you would change a password on, and why?
• Why might someone reuse passwords even though they know it's risky? What would make MFA easier to adopt?
• Which is more important to protect: your email account or your social media account? Defend your choice.

Objective

Students will identify five phishing red flags, explain how AI-generated content makes detection harder, and apply a verification checklist to three real-world examples.

Materials

Projector, printed handouts of five phishing emails (sanitized), the SIFT method one-pager.

Lesson Flow

• Hook (5 min): Show two emails side by side, one real and one phishing. Vote anonymously which is which, then reveal.
• Direct teach (10 min): The five red flags (urgency, mismatched sender, unusual link, request for credentials or money, generic greeting) plus the SIFT method (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace claims).
• Practice (20 min): In small groups, students apply the checklist to three live examples and rate confidence.
• Reflect (10 min): Each student writes the rule they'll teach a family member tonight.

Assessment

Performance task: students score a fourth example on the checklist and justify their rating in 3 sentences.

Discussion Questions

• How does AI-generated text and imagery change the way you evaluate whether a message or article is real?
• Have you ever almost fallen for a phishing message? What red flag did you eventually notice?
• Whose responsibility is it to slow the spread of misinformation: platforms, governments, or individuals? Defend your view.