Classroom Resource

Can Hackers Be Heroes?

Subject Area

Digital Literacy and Computer Science

Grade(s)

7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Overview

PBS's Off Book asks if hacking is inherently good or bad, or if is it an ethical area we have yet to define. Looking beyond the media hype and scare tactics, it is clear that "hacking" is a term that should be up for debate, and that some hackers could actually be heroes and not villains.

Digital Literacy and Computer Science (2018) Grade(s): 7

DLCS18.7.11

Demonstrate positive, safe, legal, and ethical habits when creating and sharing digital content and identify the consequences of failing to act responsibly.

Unpacked Content

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Knowledge

Students know:
  • safe, legal, and ethical habits to use when creating and sharing digital content and that failing to do so can have negative consequences.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • use safe, legal, and ethical habits when creating and sharing digital content.
  • identify consequences of failing to use safe, legal, and ethical habits when creating and sharing digital content.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • consequences exist for failing to use positive, safe, legal, and ethical habits when creating and sharing digital content.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science (2018) Grade(s): 8

DLCS18.8.11

Advocate for positive, safe, legal, and ethical habits when creating and sharing digital content.

Unpacked Content

UP:DLCS18.8.11

Knowledge

Students know:
  • that works may be protected by rights which prevent use or reuse of content.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • identify rules of use or reuse of digital content.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • creators of digital content may maintain rights to their creation(s) which may prohibit use of that content.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science (2018) Grade(s): 09-12

DLCS18.HS.11

Model and demonstrate behaviors that are safe, legal, and ethical while living, learning, and working in an interconnected digital world.

Unpacked Content

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Vocabulary

  • ethics
  • digital world
a.
    cookies
  • virus
  • malware
  • packet sniffing
  • spyware
  • phishing
b.
  • browser history
c.
  • personal data
d.
    data mining
  • digital marketing
  • online wallets
  • personal information
  • data accessibility
  • passwords.
e.
  • cyberbullying
  • harassment
  • sexual communication
f.
  • online safety

Knowledge

Students know:
  • safe, legal, and ethical behaviors for online behavior.
a.
  • tracking methods are often used to improve digital tools and advertising.
  • hazards exist when unknown entities have access to a user's digital habits.
b.
  • methods to counteract the use of tracking.
c.
  • that often, end-user licensing agreements (EULA) are often written to protect the entity that created the digital tool, rather than the user of the digital tool.
  • that EULAs and terms of service agreements can grant access to the user's personal data.
  • that personal data can include images, posts, personal information (phone number, address, birth date, access to friends), and browsing data.
d.
  • often there exists an inverse relationship between online privacy/personal security and convenience.
e.
  • that inappropriate digital behavior can have physical, legal, and ethical consequences.
f.
  • that negative digital behaviors can have lasting consequences.
  • that some behaviors are illegal.
  • strategies to lessen the impact of negative digital behaviors and assess when to apply them.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • interact digitally while exercising safe, legal, and ethical behaviors.
a.
  • identify tracking methods used to gather data.
  • identify hazards that exist when tracking methods are used.
b.
  • list techniques to avoid tracking.
  • apply techniques to avoid tracking.
c.
  • interpret the terms of EULAs and terms of service agreements.
  • make an educated decision to agree to EULAs and terms of service agreements.
d.
  • weigh the risks of using a digital tool to one's personal security.
  • identify potential risks to using various digital tools.
  • evaluate a digital tool's security.
e.
  • identify inappropriate digital behaviors.
  • identify consequences of inappropriate digital behaviors.
f.
  • identify negative digital behaviors.
  • share strategies to to lessen the impact of negative digital behaviors.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • because the Internet can be such a persisting environment, it is vital to interact with safe, legal, and ethical behaviors.
a.
  • entities use tracking methods to make products more appealing to their users.
  • hazards exists when tracking data can be tied to individual users.
b.
  • privacy can be violated when tracking is used.
  • techniques exist to mitigate the effects of tracking methods.
c.
  • nothing is free—you often give up data to use digital resources for no charge.
  • it is important to educate yourself on EULAs and terms of service agreements.
d.
  • free digital tools can compromise one's privacy and security.
  • it is important to be aware of what one is trading for use of a service.
e.
  • inappropriate digital behavior can have physical, legal, and ethical consequences.
  • consequences of inappropriate digital behaviors can have life-altering consequences.
f.
  • digital identity is tied to online digital behavior.
  • negative digital behaviors can have lasting consequences.
  • some digital activity is illegal.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science (2018) Grade(s): 09-12

DLCS18.HS.17

Discuss the ethical ramifications of malicious hacking and its impact on society.

Unpacked Content

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Vocabulary

  • white hat hacking
  • black hat hacking
  • information
  • ransomware

Knowledge

Students know:
  • that not all people use technology in a legal or ethical manner.
  • that software and processes are created to elicit personal data for negative purposes.
  • that the negative behaviors associated with technology have impacts on society.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • identify malicious hacking.
  • discuss ethical ramifications of malicious hacking.
  • discuss the impacts on society of malicious hacking.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • that not all people use technology in a legal or ethical manner.
  • that software and processes are created to elicit personal data for negative purposes.
  • that the negative behaviors associated with technology have impacts on society.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science (2018) Grade(s): 09-12

DLCS18.HS.23

Debate the positive and negative effects of computing innovations in personal, ethical, social, economic, and cultural spheres.

Unpacked Content

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Vocabulary

  • innovation
  • ethics
  • social
  • economic

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how to discuss positive and negative effects of computing innovations in multiple contexts.
  • that changes in computing innovations can have a range of effects in many contexts.
  • how to communicate their beliefs about computing innovations and the effects caused by advances.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • recognize that innovations can have both positive and negative consequences.
  • identify positive and negative effects of innovation.
  • communicate support for or against innovation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • advancements can also have drawbacks.
  • we are in a state of change that will require adaptation and education to be a constant.
Link to Resource
https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/8721d2e3-c31a-44fa-acdd-2ef1aa18b6a3…

CR Resource Type

Audio/Video

Resource Provider

PBS
Accessibility

Accessibility

Video resources: includes closed captioning or subtitles
License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/help/terms-of-use/

Approved Date

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