Digital Citizenship Lesson for K-2 Students

With the expanding technology industry, it is more important than ever to teach children and students how to carefully navigate the Internet.  By using Common Sense Education’s idea for comparing the Internet to an online neighborhood, I was able to create a mini-lesson tailored for K-2 students.  

Here are the lesson objectives:

1.    Students will learn how the Internet can be used to explore new places and things.

2.    Students will be able to explain the three rules for traveling safely on the Internet.

3.    Students will be able to compare how real-world safety relates to staying safe online.

First, as the teacher, you should begin the discussion by asking your students to raise their hand if they have ever been on the Internet before. Then, ask what sites they visit frequently.  Once you have received some answers, you can then ask them to raise their hand if they have ever gone on the Internet without permission.  

After this initial discussion, you can explain how important it is to be safe when exploring sites on the Internet.  Once the discussion is over, show your students this video from Common Sense Education about Internet safety:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPHOsCnjMU4

After showing the video, ask your students how they think navigating the Internet is similar to navigating in the real world.  Brainstorm ideas about how to ensure they are on “safe” sites.

It’s important for children to understand the dangers of communicating with strangers online, and to foster an understanding of safe skills if they do encounter someone outside of their immediate circle.  By reading Mary Beth Hertz article titled, “How to Teach Internet Safety to Younger Elementary Students,” your students will better understand what topics to avoid when talking to strangers and how to protect their personal information:  https://www.edutopia.org/blog/internet-safety-younger-elementary-mary-beth-hertz

Encouraging class discussion about Internet safety will ensure your students think before entering an unknown site and potentially communicating with an unknown user.  If you feel your students have fully comprehended the importance of Internet safety, use this Kahoot quiz to test their individual knowledge: https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/2e7ea005-2c20-4b48-ab2d-d1b25b3a1858

Common Core Standards:

-Grade K: W.2, W.5, W.7, W.8, W.10, SL.1a, SL.1b, SL.2, SL.3, SL.4, SL.5, SL.6, L.6

-Grade 1: W.5, W.7, W.8, L.6

-Grade 2: W.2, W.7, W.8, SL.1a, SL.1b, SL.1c, SL.6, L.6

ISTE Student Standards:

-3a, 3b, 5a, 5b, 6a