Classroom Resources

Computers are usually programmed using a “language,” which is a limited vocabulary of instructions that can be obeyed. One of the most frustrating things about programming is that computers always obey the instructions to the letter, even if they produce a crazy result. This activity gives children some experience with this aspect of programming.

The mission of the Newseum, located in Washington, D.C., is to increase public understanding of the importance of a free press and the First Amendment. Visitors experience the story of news, the role of a free press in major events in history, and how the core freedoms of the First Amendment — religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition — apply to their lives.

Using this resource, students can see how the front pages of thousands of newspapers from across the country and globe differ.  With a NewseumED account, teachers (and students) can access past dates that are considered of historical significance. The account is free. 

Are your students savvy searchers? Can they spot the difference between a straight news article and an opinion piece? Do they recognize bias in their sources … or in themselves?

You may need Fact Finder: Your Foolproof Guide to Media Literacy’s 11 flexible, multimedia lesson plans to tackle these challenges. Eight skill-building lesson plans introduce essential media literacy concepts through engaging explainer videos and colorful infographics that help students revisit, retain and apply the key concepts. The accompanying News or Noise? media map provides a collection of examples ready for students to analyze and evaluate with the support of worksheets and discussion prompts to determine if data provided is relevant information and/or a viable resource. Help students take what they’ve learned and apply it to their own content creation, inspired by the issues that matter to them.

A map of the “information universe” helps students learn to define and identify different types of content, from fact-based reports to advertising or satire.

Accessing this free resource requires that you create a free account. 

Are your students savvy searchers? Can they spot the difference between a straight news article and an opinion piece? Do they recognize bias in their sources … or in themselves?

Do you need Fact Finder: Your Foolproof Guide to Media Literacy’s 11 flexible, multimedia lesson plans to tackle these challenges. Eight skill-building lesson plans introduce essential media literacy concepts through engaging explainer videos and colorful infographics that help students revisit, retain and apply the key concepts. The accompanying News or Noise? Media Map provides a collection of examples ready for students to analyze and evaluate with the support of worksheets and discussion prompts. Three reporting lesson plans help students take what they’ve learned and apply it to their own content creation, inspired by the issues that matter to them.

A simple flowchart and video explain how to differentiate news from other types of information; then students put their news-spotting abilities to the test.

You will need a free account to access this lesson plan. 

A layered graphic helps students understand how a news story goes from raw information – the source – to their newsfeed or text chain; then students zero in on sources in real-life news stories.

You are in need of Fact Finder: Your Foolproof Guide to Media Literacy’s 11 flexible, multimedia lesson plans to tackle these challenges. Eight skill-building lesson plans introduce essential media literacy concepts through engaging explainer videos and colorful infographics that help students revisit, retain and apply the key concepts. The accompanying News or Noise? Media Map provides a collection of examples ready for students to analyze and evaluate with the support of worksheets and discussion prompts. Three reporting lesson plans help students take what they’ve learned and apply it to their own content creation, inspired by the issues that matter to them.

A layered graphic helps students understand how a news story goes from raw information – the source – to their newsfeed or text chain; then students zero in on sources in real-life news stories.

You will need to create a free account to access this lesson plan. 

In this lesson plan from Newseum, students use a video and graphics to help tune up their “fairness meters” to detect three key factors that can determine how objective or biased a news story is; then they analyze real-life examples.

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A nautically-themed infographic with an accompanying video helps students understand how to tailor the search process to the complexity of the question; then students put their new search strategies to work.

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An infographic and explainer video break down some of the often-invisible ways that search engines —and people — make recommendations; then students hunt for these “search signals” to rank and evaluate real examples.

To access this lesson plan, you will need to create a free account. 

Students will review a court case and case study to determine what is protected and what may not be. 

Elonis v. the United States provides the foundation for a debate on what forms of expression on social media are and are not protected by the First Amendment — and the blurry line in-between.

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Start a conversation about fake news and media literacy with this collection of links to fake, real (but surprising or hard to believe), and problematic (where truth and error or spin combine) news stories. Since bogus stories often disappear from the internet (and sometimes real stories, too), you’ll also find an archived link for each story that will remain usable even if the original link breaks.

Access to this content will require a free account. 

Students will define confirmation bias, motivated reasoning, and examine accuracy, perspective, credibility, and relevance in sources.  Through articles and an opportunity to research one side of a debate, students will consider how confirmation bias and motivated reasoning shape the way we respond to evidence presented in news and opinion pieces.

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In this lesson, students are introduced to the idea that “hot” emotional states such as anger or excitement can make it harder for them to control how they act. They also discuss the concept of empathy and look at the ways in which digital communication can make it harder to feel empathy for other people. Students then read scenarios that portray two sides of an online conflict and consider how to resolve them, using their discussion to build a list of tools for emotional management and conflict resolution online. Finally, students create a media product that explains and reminds them of one of those tools.

Students will:

• learn to identify “hot” emotional states and their effects on decision-making
• practice extending empathy to the online context
• identify differences between online and offline communication
• explore moral dilemmas relating to online communication
• learn skills for managing emotions during online interactions
• practice preventing and managing conflict during online interactions
• create a media product

The lesson elements in this module teach students about the privacy principle “Your information is larger than you think”. They are designed to be independent and flexible, so you can incorporate them into any size lesson plan. Student lesson is available at https://teachingprivacy.org/youre-leaving-footprints/.

Summary of Learning Objectives: Students can enumerate ways their online and offline activities contribute to their information “footprint”; students can use privacy settings and critical thinking skills to limit the exposure of their footprint.

Target Age: High school, college undergraduate.

1. Students can give examples of ways their online and offline activities generate digital footprints, within each of the following broad categories: intentional posting/online activities, metadata attached to posts, information transmitted by devices, and others collecting or posting information about them.
2. For at least one example of an activity that generates digital footprints, students can explain (at least in non-technical terms) how that activity generates those footprints.
3. Students can enumerate some factors that affect how many people or entities can see the data in their information footprint, including (minimally) privacy settings and third-party data sharing, and give examples of potential negative consequences of exposure.
4. Students can explain how the amount of information available about them, and how many people have access to it, is affected by the mining of data from different sources to form a picture of each person and can give examples of inferences that can be drawn by data-mining.
5. Students can give examples of available privacy settings for apps, online services, and devices they use frequently, and explain why they would choose particular settings based on their information-sharing preferences.
6. Students can suggest some potential uses apps and online services might have for particular types of personal data they typically request access to and evaluate whether those uses would likely be beneficial, neutral, or harmful to the student.

The lesson elements in this module teach students about the privacy principle “There is no anonymity on the Internet”. They are designed to be independent and flexible, so you can incorporate them into any size lesson plan. Student resources are available at https://teachingprivacy.org/theres-no-anonymity/.

Summary of Learning Objectives: Students can explain (in general terms) how data tracked by online services can be used to identify them; students can use tools and techniques to reduce the effectiveness of tracking.

Target Age: High school, college undergraduate.

Learning objectives:

1. Students can explain (in general terms) how data aggregation, data mining, and inference are carried out and can give examples of how these techniques can be used to match “anonymous” users to their real identities.
2. Students can explain what online behavioral tracking is, can give examples of what types of information can be gathered about them, and can give examples of how personal devices can be used to track and collect that information.
3. Students can give examples of what types of information can still be collected by websites when they are using their browser’s “private browsing” or “incognito” mode.
4. Students can explain how the amount and type of information available about them online affects the likelihood that someone can connect their online personas with their offline identities.
5. Students can give examples of effective tools and techniques that reduce the ability of websites, apps, and services to track their online behavior, explain (in general terms) how they work, and enumerate some of their limitations.

The lesson elements in this module teach students about the privacy principle “Information about you on the Internet will be used by somebody in their interest — including against you”. They are designed to be independent and flexible, so you can incorporate them into any size lesson plan. Student resources are available at https://teachingprivacy.org/information-is-valuable/.

Summary of Learning Objectives: Students can give examples of how their data may be used to benefit others; students can investigate and evaluate how different online services use data, in order to make informed choices.

Target Age: High school, college undergraduate.

Learning Objectives:

1. Students can give examples of personal data that services or sites may share with other services or companies, and examples of how those “third parties” may use that data. Examples should include both information they explicitly post and supposedly hidden information.
2. Students can give examples of how having their personal data might benefit any of the following: friends/family, acquaintances, businesses, institutions, governments, and cybercriminals.
3. Students can explain the business model that allows companies that provide free or cheap online services to make money by selling consumer data to advertisers and/or data brokers.
4. Students can explain the difference between “opt-in” and “opt-out” models for information sharing, and relate those models to the lack of comprehensive laws regulating data sharing by companies, institutions, or governments.
5. Student can investigate how online services use data and who they share it with, and explain how they would use this information in choosing which services to use and which data to give those services access to.
6. Students can identify potential consequences of choosing particular privacy settings on apps, sites, and devices, in terms of how their data could be used by the parties who can see it — and whether those uses would likely be beneficial, neutral, or detrimental to themselves.

Unencrypted communication over the Internet works a lot like sending a postcard: it can be read by anybody along the delivery route. Communication is routed through intermediary computers and systems, which are connected to many more computers and systems. Encryption, or encoding information so it appears scrambled to anyone who doesn’t know the key, is a way to wrap a postcard in an envelope. While it can never be 100% secure, stronger encryption makes it harder for people to get to the contents.

The lesson elements in this module teach students about the privacy principle “Communication over a network, unless strongly encrypted, is never just between two parties”. They are designed to be independent and flexible, so you can incorporate them into any size lesson plan. Student resources are available at https://teachingprivacy.org/someone-could-listen/. 

Summary of Learning Objectives: Students can articulate how the multi-step, multi-party pathways of networked communication affect users’ privacy; students can identify and use more secure communication options.

Target Age: High school, college undergraduate.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Students can describe how intermediary devices, and the services that provide them, are involved in transmitting information from point A to point B on the Internet.
2. Students can explain how the interconnected, many-layered structure of the Internet affects the security and privacy of online communication.
3. Students can identify the difference between a private network and a shared network and can describe some of the potential risks of using a shared network.
4. Students can describe how encryption decreases the chances of outside parties infiltrating private communications and accessing private information.
5. Students can explain why their security depends (in part) on their own decisions and behavior.
6. Students can give some examples of common encryption protocols, identify what layer of an electronic communication each of those protocols protects, and describe how they would verify that those protocols were being used.

Any time you interact online, that information is recorded in the network. And, as with in-person communication, once you’ve shared something, you can’t control what happens to it — or how people will interpret it. Other people can repost or forward content to any audience without your permission, websites can sell information to other businesses, and data can be legally subpoenaed. Websites and search engines automatically pick up and duplicate content, making it impossible to “unshare” — the Internet never forgets!

The lesson elements in this module teach students about the privacy principle “Sharing information over a network means you give up control over that information — forever”. They are designed to be independent and flexible, so you can incorporate them into any size lesson plan. Student resources are available at https://teachingprivacy.org/sharing-releases-control/. 

Summary of Learning Objectives: Students can enumerate ways their information may be recorded, re-shared, and reinterpreted once it is online; students can use privacy settings and imaginative self-inquiry to limit potentially harmful sharing.

Target Age: High school, college undergraduate.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Students can explain that once any type of content is shared online, it can be instantly available to anyone. As a result, students can make more informed decisions about the type of content they choose to share.
2. Students can list examples and elaborate on ways in which shared content may be stored online forever, disseminated, and potentially used to harm them.
3. Students can list some factors that might lead to an online communication being misinterpreted.
4. Before sharing a piece of information online, students can imagine potential negative consequences of that information becoming public knowledge.
5. Students are aware of privacy settings, can explain what they do, and can apply these skills to aid them in better controlling what information they release and to whom.
6. Students are able to articulate how their behavior significantly affects the privacy of others, and can apply this knowledge by asking others about unspoken sharing preferences.

Every day more data is being put online. Search engines are getting better, allowing “deeper” the searching of more types of data. Techniques for extracting and connecting information from different sources are getting more powerful. Furthermore, information that is not retrievable today may be retrievable tomorrow due to changes in terms of service, public policy, law, and technical privacy settings.

The lesson elements in this module teach students about the privacy principle “Just because something can’t be found today, doesn’t mean it can’t be found tomorrow.” They are designed to be independent and flexible, so you can incorporate them into any size lesson plan. Student resources are available at https://teachingprivacy.org/search-is-improving/. 

Summary of Learning Objectives: Students can explain how changes in technology and regulations can affect who has access to their data; students can use techniques to monitor and limit the exposure of their data.

Target Age: High school, college undergraduate.

Learning Objectives:

1. Students can describe (in general terms) how a search engine works, including that results are constantly being refreshed to include new information and that the search engine itself is continually updated to deal with newer types of information.
2. Students can provide examples of offline data that can be digitized and put online.
3. Students can give example scenarios describing how changes to laws and regulations could affect the availability of personal information.
4. Students can briefly summarize the purpose of privacy policies and the effects that their ever-changing nature has on users’ privacy.
5. Students can investigate what information about them is available online, and assess which types of information — social, financial, etc. — are currently available to different entities.
6. Students can monitor changes in privacy policies and default privacy settings and evaluate how those changes might affect who can see what information about them.

Your online activities and communications are as much a part of your life as your offline activities and communications; they are interconnected and can affect your life and relationships in the same way.

The lesson elements in this module teach students about the privacy principle: “The online world is inseparable from the ‘real’ world”. They are designed to be independent and flexible, so you can incorporate them into any size lesson plan. Student resources are available at https://teachingprivacy.org/online-is-real/. 

Summary of Learning Objectives: Students can give examples of how online and offline activities affect each other; students can think imaginatively about the potential consequences of their posts for themselves and others.

Target Age: High school, college undergraduate.

Learning Objectives:

1. Students can critically examine the relationship between online and offline activities. They can outline example scenarios in which information originating online could affect their offline interactions and vice versa.
2. Students can explain how their online presence (both their intentional posts and other parts of their information footprint) might have a larger audience than that of which they are aware, and give examples of who might be in that larger audience.
3. Students can identify privacy settings on a particular app or site they use regularly and edit their settings according to their preferences.
4. Students can explain how interacting with privacy settings allows them to minimize who can see their personal information and posts.
5. Students reflect on the content that they choose to post, and can discuss the impact a post might have, or the reaction it might evoke, in a greater offline audience — not just within their circle of friends or followers.
6. Students can describe how they might approach a friend or family member to discuss privacy preferences.

Creating an identity on the Internet or impersonating somebody else is often just a matter of a few clicks. Currently, there is no foolproof way to match a real person with their online identity. This means that you can never be sure with whom you are communicating and that someone could steal your online identity and impersonate you!

The lesson elements in this module teach students about the privacy principle: “Identity is not guaranteed on the Internet”. They are designed to be independent and flexible, so you can incorporate them into any size lesson plan. Student resources are available at https://teachingprivacy.org/identity-isnt-guaranteed/.

Summary of Learning Objectives: Students can explain why it is difficult to be sure who one is communicating with online; students can investigate and evaluate the legitimacy of services that want their personal information.

Target Age: High school, college undergraduate.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Students can give examples of potential consequences of disclosing information online if the entity they’re sharing it with isn’t who they say they are.
2. Students can give examples of “weak points” that might allow someone to steal their identity, and examples of what that person could do with the stolen identity to compromise their privacy.
3. Students can explain how “phishing” works, and describe how they should respond to messages they suspect of phishing.
4. Students can give examples of methods they could use to verify someone’s identity online and can explain the shortcomings of those methods.
5. Students can give examples of methods they could use to verify the authenticity of apps, sites, and services that request their personal information, and can explain the shortcomings of those methods.
6. Students can describe some of the basic precautions they can take to keep their accounts secure from hackers and identity thieves.

Even if you’re not actively using the Internet, someone else may be sharing information about you — intentionally or unintentionally. So, avoiding the Internet does not guarantee privacy.

The lesson elements in this module teach students about the privacy principle: “You can’t avoid having an information footprint by not going online”. They are designed to be independent and flexible, so you can incorporate them into any size lesson plan. Student resources are available at https://teachingprivacy.org/you-cant-escape/. 

Summary of Learning Objectives: Students can enumerate ways their offline activities generate data that is stored and shared online; students can communicate effectively with others about everyone’s information-sharing preferences.

Target Age: High school, college undergraduate.

Learning Objectives:

1. Students can explain why abstaining from online activities is not an effective strategy for maintaining online privacy.
2. Students can give examples of how someone’s information footprint could be impacted by the online activities of others, including how information about someone’s offline activities might end up online.
3. Students can give examples of ways that information in someone’s digital footprint that was not created by them could still be used against them.
4. Students can describe how they would apply privacy tools provided on social networking sites to minimize unwanted posts by others about their activities.
5. Students can investigate what information is being shared about them online by devices and services they use and organizations they participate in, and use privacy settings or opt-out mechanisms to limit that sharing.
6. Students can describe how they would approach discussing their privacy preferences with their friends and family to minimize unwanted information-sharing.

Most Internet technology is not designed to protect the privacy of those who use it; in fact, most technology providers make money by leveraging your private information. “Privacy policies” are generally written to protect those providers from lawsuits, not to protect users’ privacy. Laws and regulations cover only certain aspects of privacy and vary from place to place — and enforcement is even more varied. So, like it or not, your privacy is your own responsibility and requires your constant attention.

The lesson elements in this module teach students about the privacy principle: “Only you have an interest in maintaining your privacy”. They are designed to be independent and flexible, so you can incorporate them into any size lesson plan. Student resources are available at https://teachingprivacy.org/privacy-requires-work/. 

Summary of Learning Objectives: Students can articulate why technology design, laws, and business policies do not inherently protect their privacy; students have the capacity to acquire new privacy-management skills as technology and policies change.

Target Age: High school, college undergraduate.

Learning Objectives:

1. Students can describe the user’s personal role in protecting their own online privacy.
2. Students can explain the purpose of a privacy policy.
3. Students can describe some of the limitations of privacy policies.
4. Students can describe some limitations of the laws protecting privacy.
5. Students can explain why it is important to periodically check privacy settings.
6. Students can give examples of effective actions they can take towards improving online privacy protections in general, including actions that can affect business practices and government regulations.

Students consider the feelings of themselves and others when making decisions about when, where, and how much to use technology. Through video and song, students will learn to balance the time they use technology and when to take breaks. 

Students will be able to:

• Know when and why to take breaks from device time.

• Consider the feelings of the people around them, even when engaged in fun online activities.

Users will need to create a free account to access resources. 

Whether it's watching TV or playing on a tablet, using tech can be super fun! Often, kids find it hard to transition from an online activity to an offline one. Teach your students a simple routine for how to manage those inevitable digital interruptions that are part of everyone's lives in the digital age. By examining feelings associated with being asked to stop doing something we enjoy, students will learn that it is respectful and kind to be mindful of the requests of others. 

Students will be able to:

• Learn why it's important to be aware and respectful of people while using devices.

• Learn the Pause, Breathe, Finish Up routine as a self-regulation strategy for transitioning from technology to face-to-face interactions.

 Users will need to create a free account to access resources. 

The power of the internet allows students to experience and visit places they might not be able to see in person. But, just like traveling in the real world, it's important to be safe when traveling online. On this virtual field trip, kids can practice staying safe on online adventures.

• discover that the internet can be used to visit faraway places and learn new things.
• compare how staying safe online is similar to staying safe in the real world.
• explain rules for traveling safely on the internet.

Users will need a free account to access this resource.

From our head down to our toes, and our feet up to our nose, the Digital Citizens teach students how to be safe, responsible, and respectful online.

Students will be able to:

• understand the importance of being safe, responsible, and respectful online.

• learn the "Pause & Think Online" song to remember basic digital citizenship concepts.

Users will need a free account to access this resource. 

This foundational digital citizenship lesson challenges kids to pay attention to their feelings while using tech. With an engaging emoji game, students learn practical strategies for managing their feelings -- good, bad, and everything in between.

Students will be able to:

• recognize the different kinds of feelings they can have when using technology.

• know what to do when they don't have a good feeling when using technology.

Users will need a free account to access this content. 

Staying safe online is a lot like staying safe in the real world. Using a fun traffic light activity, students learn how to identify "just right" content, giving them the green light to learn, play, and explore the internet safely.

Students will be able to:

• understand that being safe online is similar to staying safe in real life.

• learn to identify websites and apps that are "just right" and "not right" for them.

• know how to get help from an adult if they are unsure about a website.

Users will need an account to access this resource. 

Students explore the amazing possibilities that come with using technology. They'll also learn from the Digital Citizens, who take a pledge to be safe, responsible, and respectful when traveling through the online world.

• Understand that being a good digital citizen means being safe and responsible online.
• Take a pledge to be a good digital citizen.

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Technology use isn't always a distraction, but there are definitely times when it's best to keep devices away. Help students learn when it's appropriate to use technology and when it's not -- and practice making family rules for device-free time at home.

Students will be able to:

• Recognize the ways in which digital devices can be distracting.

• Identify how they feel when others are distracted by their devices.

• Identify ideal device-free moments for themselves and others.

Users will need to create a free account to access this resource. 

Staying safe online is a lot like staying safe in the real world. By helping a Digital Citizen sign up for a new app, students learn about the kinds of information they should keep to themselves when they use the internet -- just as they would with a stranger in person.

• Recognize the kind of information that is private.
• Understand that they should never give out private information online.

Users will need to create a free account to access this resource. 

Does what you do online always stay online? Students learn that the information they share online leaves a digital footprint or "trail." Depending on how they manage it, this trail can be big or small, and harmful or helpful. Students compare different trails and think critically about what kinds of information they want to leave behind.

Students will be able to:

• Learn that the information they share online leaves a digital footprint or "trail"

• Explore what information is OK to be shared online

User will need to create a free account to access this resource. 

We are all connected via 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.

• Compare and contrast how they are connected to different people and places, in person and on the internet
• Demonstrate an understanding of how people can connect on the internet

Users will need to create a free account to access this resource. 

The internet is filled with all kinds of interesting people, but sometimes, some of them can be mean to each other. With this role play, help your students understand why it's often easier to be mean online than in person, and how to deal with online meanness when they see it.

• Understand what online meanness can look like and how it can make people feel
• Identify ways to respond to mean words online, using S-T-O-P

Users will need to create a free account to access this resource. 

With so much information at our fingertips, students learn what it means to "give credit" when using content they find online. Taking on the role of a detective, students learn why it's important to give credit and the right ways to do it when they use words, images, or ideas that belong to others.

Students will be able to:

• Explain how giving credit is a sign of respect for people's work

• Learn how to give credit in their schoolwork for the content they use from the internet

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