Digital Citizenship Lesson Plan

Subject/Course: Public Safety 1

Teacher: Christina Dobie
Standard: 6.05 – Cybersecurity Services
I can understand types of careers in Cybersecurity Services
Lesson Title: Digital Citizenship
Lesson Duration: 1 ½ hours
Grade Level: 9th – 12th

Bell Ringer:
How online communication affects privacy and security.
 Why is it important to know the extent of your digital footprint?
 Why is it important to protect your personal information online?

Lesson Objectives:
In this lesson, students will examine their digital footprint, discuss the positives and
negatives of having a footprint, and determine how they can most safely manage their
footprint. Students will realize that their digital footprint can affect them long
term.

Lesson Vocabulary:
Digital footprint, cookie, privacy policy, hacker, and database

Summary of Tasks / Actions:

Watch the following videos on Digital Citizenship:
 Digital Citizenship and You! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VnAU2lbf2c)
 Live My Digital for Students: Digital Footprint
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBg2YYV3Bts&list=PLnlt1sfMNckt5RH2GCfNVMCJpUermJYm4)

On a piece of paper answer the following questions and write down our thoughts and
opinions.
1) Your Physical and Digital Footprint?
 What is a physical footprint?
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 What might you be able to tell a person based on their physical footprint they
leave behind?
 What is a digital footprint? How might a digital footprint – something that
reveals our online activity – tell other people about who you are or what
interests you?

2) Your digital footprint is as permanent as physical footprints set in cement.

When students publish on social media, communicate via email, browse websites,
and like and share items, they are leaving virtual footprints on their
communications and personal information.
 Review the handout labeled “How Your Personal Information is Tracked,
Collected, and Used”. What surprises you about how your personal information
is tracked, collected, and used? How does such exposure make you feel?

3) Your online activities are tracked using a digital tool called a cookie. The term
was derived from fortune cookie because of its embedded message. Cookies are
data sent from websites we visit and stored on a user’s web browser. Normally,
they help the website remember the user so they can forgo signing in. Cookies
also help computers receive information more efficiently. But they also can
track searches, cataloging the words used and the sites visited. You can see
cookies working when you have shopped online for something and then see ads
for the same item on search engines, social media sites or email.
 How have you seen cookies retaining your information? Give some examples.

4) Privacy policies can only protect some personal information from being tracked,
collected and used by others. Some companies implement and enforce their
privacy policies while some do not. Some online companies don’t even have
privacy policies. There are also hackers who can break into secure systems and
steal information from emails and databases.
 Given all the information, do you feel protecting their personal information is
their responsibility? Why or why not? How can making smart decisions help
reduce the chance or unwanted exposure?

5) Privacy and its importance to students.

 Make two columns “Private” and “Public” and make a list of information that is
OK to share with others, and what information should remain private.
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 Can any of the items in your private column be collected from information you
see in the handout?

6) Look at the handout “What’s in Your Digital Footprint?” The handout is a profile
of Camila Ortiz (a fictitious person), who has used several social media accounts
for the past three years.
 Look at the information on the sheet and then make a list of items that may be
found on your social media.
 How much of your information is out there?
 What surprises you about what Camilia found?
 How is the information on the sites similar or different?
 Do you thin Camilia would want any of her footprint to be changed or eliminated?
Why or why not?

7) Look at the handout “Ways to Protect Your Digital Footprint.”

 List some ways you can protect your digital footprint.
 What are some changes you are going to make starting today to protect your
digital footprint?
 Do you think social media can follow you for the rest of your life? Explain your
answer.
 Do you think social media can hinder college acceptance and/or future jobs?
Explain your answer.

Material Needed:
Vocabulary Definitions
How Your Personal Information is Tracked, Collected and Used Handout
What is Your Digital Footprint Handout
Ways to Protect Your Digital Footprint Handout

Resources:
Teaching Tolerance – Digital Literacy
https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/tolerance-lessons/how-online-communication-affects-
privacy-and-security