1. Internet Safety Unit
• Unit Title : Safe “Surfing” on the Internet
• Grade Level(s): 6th & 7th
• Subject/Topic Area(s): Computers/Safety
• Key Words: personal information, private identity,
cyberspace, cyber pals, ethiical
• Designed By: Original unit by John Dolan
• Time Frame: 3 weeks
• School: St. Luke’s School, New Canaan, Connecticut.
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2. Purpose
• This in class learning activity is part of a larger unit, on
internet safety. I developed this unit two years ago. After
attending a UbD workshop. When I took over as the
middle school computer teacher, there was little or no
emphasis on internet safety. The previous teacher taught
the students Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint . There
was little or no emphasis on internet safety, ethical use
of the internet and internet research skills. I knew there
was a need to teach the students about internet safety. I
happened to attend a UbD workshop, and thought it
would be a great opportunity to create an internet safety
unit scratch, using the UbD model.

3. 1. The Connecticut Framework
K-12 Curricular Standards
• Technological Impacts-Students will
understand the impact that technology has on
the social, cultural and environmental aspects
of their lives.
• Educational experiences in Grades 5-8 will
assure that students:
• Indicator 1: explain how technology and
technological has expected and unex-pected
effects; citizenship.

4. 2. American Association of School
& Library Standards
Standard 8: The student who contributes
positively to the learning community and to
society is information literate and practices
ethical behavior in regard to information and
information technology.]
Indicator 3. Uses information technology
responsibly

5. 3. The ISTE Standards (NETS•S)and
Performance Indicators for
Students
• Standard 5: Digital Citizenship-Students
understand human, cultural, and societal
issues related to technology and practice legal
and ethical behavior. Students:
• Indicator a. advocate and practice safe, legal,
and responsible use of information and
technology.

6. 3. The ISTE Standards (NETS•S)and
Performance Indicators for
Students
• Indicator b. exhibit a positive attitude toward
using technology that supports collaboration,
learning, and productivity.
• Indicator c. demonstrate personal
responsibility for lifelong learning.
• Indicator d. exhibit leadership for digital
citizenship

7. Desired Results
• In this lesson students will…
• Distinguish between private identity information and
personal information
• Recall that private identity information should not be
communicated in cyberspace without permission of
a teacher or parent
• Learn how the Internet can be used to communicate
with others in cyberspace
• Relate reasons for protecting private identity
information in cyberspace
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8. Desired Results
• Determine whether a site is required to post a
children's privacy policy
• Analyze privacy notices for compliance with
FTC rules

9. Learning Plan 1
Introduction
• Some web sites ask for information before allowing you
to participate in an online activity.
• What do you think private identity information is?
• What do you think personal information?
• In your group create questions that you would ask
yourself before providing private or personal
information.
• If you were to share private information online. Write a
paragraph explaining what impact (if any) this might this
have on your life.
• Refer to A Great Place to Share Ideas
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10. Learning Plan 1
• What is the difference between private and personal
information?
• What kind of personal information can be used to
indentify you?
• What kind of personal information can you share that
won’t identify you?
• Why might someone want your private identity
information? What good is it to them?
• Why might someone want your personal information?
What good is it to them?
• Refer to A Great Place to Share Ideas
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11. Learning Plan 2
• Introduce (offline)Ask students for examples of Web sites
that request private identity information. Allow volunteers to
describe the content of the site, what information was
requested, and how they handled the request.
• Explain that the United States government passed the
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in October,
1998. This law requires site owners to help protect the
privacy of kids 13 and younger; they are also required to post
and explain the elements of the privacy policy they’re
returning

12. Learning Plan 2
• Teach 1 (online)Distribute one copy of the activity
sheets.Take students to www.becybersmart.org or
www.cybersmartcurriculum.org, click on Student Links, and
then click on the diamond. Find the title of this lesson, and
open its links. Choose a site to explore with the class.
• Have students complete the checklist through Question 3. A
“yes” response to the first three questions indicates that the
site is required to comply with COPPA. If this is the case, have
students complete the rest of the checklist, recording how
the site complies in the “Details” column.

13. Learning Plan 2
• In addition to the BBB and TRUSTe seals, some Web sites may
display the CARU (The Children's Advertising Review Unit) seal from
the Council of Better Business Bureaus or the ESRB kids privacy seal
from the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Point out to
students that since anyone can create an official-looking “seal,” it's
important to investigate the reliability of the organizations that
issue unfamiliar seals.NOTE: What CyberSmart! calls “private
identity information,” others may call “personal information.”
CyberSmart! defines private identity information as any
information that can be used to discover one's identity. Personal
information is defined as any information about the person that
cannot be used to discover his or her identity. By reading carefully,
students should be able to tell when a privacy policy is referring to
information that can be used to identify an individual.

14. Learning Plan 2
• Have students look over their completed checklists. Explain
that if the answers to Questions 4-17 are “yes,” the site is in
compliance with the rules. Additionally, if the answers to
Questions 18 and 19 are “yes,” the site is monitored and
approved by watchdog organizations.
• Point out that, in order to protect their private identity
information, students should make a habit of checking the
privacy policy at the sites they visit.Discuss strategies for
dealing with a site that asks for more information than
students feel comfortable sharing or that does not post a
clear policy. Remind students they can leave the site or ask a
parent or teacher to contact the site for more information.
NOTE: The FTC also provides an online Consumer Complaint
Form for adults at www.ftc.gov.

15. Learning Plan 2
• Teach 3 (online) Distribute a second copy of the activity
sheets. Assign individuals or groups to the remaining sites,
have them complete the checklist, and share their results
with the class.
• Close (offline)Ask: What types of sites are required to post a
children's privacy policy? (Sites that are intended for kids 13
and under and that request private identity
information.)Ask: How do you use the CyberSmart! checklist
to decide whether a site is following the law? (Answer the
first three questions to decide if it must follow the law. If so,
check to see if each of the rest of the questions can be
answered “yes.”)

16. Learning Plan 3
Writing Activity
• Write a biography about yourself. You can include
personal information, but leave out private identity
information. Once you are finished, you will present it to
the class. The class will evaluate whether you have
provided information in your biography that could
threaten your safety, identify your exact location or can
be used for other purposes i.e. identity theft.

17. Learning Plan 3
Post the Essential Questions
• Who should you not talk with on the internet?
• What does anonymity mean on the internet?
• Where should you not share private identity
• information?
• When is online chatting and messaging harmful to you or
others?
• When is online chatting and messaging beneficial?
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18. Learning Plan 3
Create Groups
• Form a group of three safe “surfer” dudes
• In your group try to predict what lesson this online game
will teach you.
• Surf to the Privacy Playground
• Create an online name that will identify your group
• One person in the group will “surf” through the game
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19. Learning Plan 3
Assign Roles
• One person will be the “spotter”, spotting the errors
each character makes
• One person will be the “recorder”, recording the errors
each character makes
• Play the game and look for ways that Mo, Lil and Les (the
characters in the game) are not being cybersmart.
• Why do you think they are not being cybersmart?
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20. Learning Plan 3
Activity
• Play the game a second time
• Record on chart paper Mo, Lil and Les' errors under each
character's name. What did each of them do wrong
regarding sharing information online?
• In real life, if you were to make the same mistakes as
Mo, Lil and Les. What do you think might happen? How
might your online mistakes affect your life or the lives of
those close to you? How might you rectify your errors?
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21. Learning Plan 3
Discussion
• Did they select a play or pay site?
• What does 'play or pay site' mean?
• What is the virtualpigsty.com trying to sell?
• Why do you think they are trying to sell it?
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22. Learning Plan 3
Search for similar sites
• Switch roles i.e. different person being the surfer,
spotter and recorder
• Search for two sites that are similar to virtualpigsty.com
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23. Learning Plan 3
Record
• Once you have found three sites that are
similar to virtualpigsty.com
• Write down the web addresses
• Write down what they’re trying to sell
• Do they ask you to identify your real name, age or
address?
• If they do why do you think they ask you for your name,
age or address. Write down five reasons why they might
ask you for these?
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24. Wrap up
• In your group write down 20 questions you
have about internet safety in general.
• You will share your questions
• Then as a group you will then pick your top
three questions
• We will use the top three questions from each
group to further explore the topic of internet
safety.