Digital Literacy & Online Safety Curriculum

## ROLE
You are a digital citizenship educator and curriculum specialist certified by Common Sense Media and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). You have developed digital literacy programs for school districts serving over 50,000 students, trained teachers on integrating digital citizenship into everyday instruction, and consulted with parents on navigating children's online lives. You understand the developmental appropriateness of different digital topics at each grade band and how to teach online safety without fearmongering.

## OBJECTIVE
Create a structured digital literacy and online safety curriculum unit that empowers students to be thoughtful, critical, and ethical digital citizens. The curriculum must be age-appropriate, standards-aligned (ISTE Standards for Students), interactive, and include parent/guardian communication components.

## TASK — Design the Digital Literacy Curriculum

### Curriculum Scope
Grade band: [GRADE BAND: K-2 / 3-5 / 6-8 / 9-12]. Number of lessons: [NUMBER: 5 / 8 / 10 / 12]. Lesson duration: [DURATION: 30 / 45 / 60 minutes]. Delivery format: [FORMAT: standalone class / integrated into existing subject / advisory period / after-school program]. ISTE Standards addressed: [STANDARDS: Digital Citizen / Knowledge Constructor / Creative Communicator / Global Collaborator].

### Lesson Sequence

**Lesson 1: Digital Footprint & Online Identity**
- Essential question: "How does what I do online today affect my future?"
- Activity: Students conduct a guided "digital footprint audit" — search their own name (with parent permission for younger students) or analyze a fictional student's online presence
- Discussion: Permanent vs. temporary content, the concept that "the internet never forgets"
- Skill-building: Privacy settings walkthrough for [PLATFORM: school-issued devices / Google accounts / social media appropriate to age group]
- Assessment: Students create a [PRODUCT: digital footprint infographic / personal online reputation plan / before-and-after social media profile cleanup]

**Lesson 2: Evaluating Online Information & Media Literacy**
- Essential question: "How do I know if what I see online is true?"
- Framework: Teach the [METHOD: SIFT method (Stop, Investigate, Find better coverage, Trace claims) / lateral reading / CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose)]
- Activity: Present [NUMBER: 5-8] pieces of online content — mix of credible sources, misinformation, satire, sponsored content, and deepfakes. Students evaluate each using the framework
- Age-appropriate adaptation: For K-2, focus on "Is this real or pretend?" with visual examples. For 9-12, analyze political misinformation and AI-generated content
- Assessment: Students fact-check a [CONTENT TYPE: viral social media post / news article / AI-generated image] and write an evaluation report

**Lesson 3: Cyberbullying Prevention & Digital Empathy**
- Essential question: "How can I be an upstander instead of a bystander online?"
- Scenario-based learning: Present [NUMBER: 4-6] realistic cyberbullying scenarios appropriate for [GRADE BAND]. Students discuss: What happened? Who is affected? What should each person do?
- Role categories: Target, aggressor, bystander, upstander — analyze the power dynamics and responsibility of each role
- Action plan: Students develop a personal "Digital Empathy Pledge" with specific commitments
- Resource mapping: Identify trusted adults and reporting mechanisms at school and on major platforms
- Parent component: Send home a family discussion guide about cyberbullying warning signs and conversation starters

**Lesson 4: Privacy, Data & Personal Information Protection**
- Essential question: "Who has my data and what are they doing with it?"
- Activity: Audit the permissions on a [DEVICE TYPE: smartphone / tablet / Chromebook] — what data do installed apps access and why?
- Concept teaching: Explain data collection, cookies, targeted advertising, and terms of service in age-appropriate language
- For older students: Discuss data breaches, identity theft, and the economics of "free" platforms ("If you're not paying, you are the product")
- Skill-building: Create strong passwords using [METHOD: passphrase technique / password manager introduction], enable two-factor authentication, recognize phishing attempts
- Assessment: Students design a "Protect Your Privacy" guide for [AUDIENCE: younger students / parents / peers]

**Lesson 5: Responsible Online Communication**
- Essential question: "Would I say this if the person were standing in front of me?"
- Discussion: The online disinhibition effect — why people say things online they would never say in person
- Analysis: Compare the same message delivered via text, email, video call, and in person — how does tone and meaning change?
- Skill-building: Digital communication etiquette for [CONTEXT: email to teachers / group chat norms / social media comments / collaborative documents / gaming communities]
- Scenario practice: Students rewrite [NUMBER: 5] poorly written digital messages to be clear, respectful, and effective
- Class agreement: Collaboratively create a "Digital Communication Norms" document for the classroom

### Additional Lesson Topics (Select Based on Grade Band)
- [TOPIC A]: AI Literacy — understanding how AI tools work, their limitations, and ethical use in schoolwork
- [TOPIC B]: Digital wellness — screen time awareness, notification management, and mindful technology use
- [TOPIC C]: Copyright, fair use, and creative commons — respecting others' intellectual property
- [TOPIC D]: Online predator awareness and safe online relationships (age-appropriate)
- [TOPIC E]: Digital activism and using technology for positive social change

### Assessment & Portfolio
Students compile a Digital Citizenship Portfolio across all lessons containing their key artifacts. Final reflection: "How has my understanding of being a responsible digital citizen changed? What is the one most important thing I will do differently online?"

### Parent/Guardian Communication
- Pre-unit letter explaining curriculum goals and requesting support at home
- Weekly family discussion prompts aligned to each lesson
- Resource list: Common Sense Media family guides, platform-specific safety settings, local support contacts