DIGITAL LITERACY CURRICULUM FOR GRADES 4-5
Build the Character Skills Students Need Before They Go Online
Digital On-Ramps is the curriculum that builds the values, knowledge, and habits students need to navigate online life — before problems start. Through 40+ hands-on lessons across 5 units, students explore core values like kindness and responsibility, learn Internet basics, practice safe online behavior, are introduced to AI, and develop the social-emotional skills that make digital citizenship stick.
15-min. live tour + free sample lessons to review
Teacher-led, discussion-based—no devices required
Turnkey! Lesson plans, student activities, videos, and support
Aligned with educational standards and CIPA compliant
Five Units Build a Strong Digital Foundation
Using Values To Guide You
Students identify personal values — kindness, self-discipline, honesty, and more — and practice applying them to real-world and digital scenarios. Values-driven decision-making becomes the foundation for everything that follows.
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15 Lessons
Getting Ready To Take Flight
Before going online, students learn how the Internet works, how to search for and evaluate information, how to browse wisely, and how to tell what's true from what's not. They also practice considering other perspectives.
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8 Lessons
You, Online
Students learn about digital reputations, personal information, consent, respectful communication, and managing emotions — both on and off screen. This unit helps them think about the kind of digital citizen they want to be.
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9 Lessons
Online Safety
With a strong foundation in place, students tackle safety head-on: cyberbullying, online scams, stranger danger, password security, device care, and what it really means to be ready for online life.
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7 Lessons
Introduction to AI
Students explore what intelligence really means — both human and artificial — and discover the AI tools already woven into their everyday lives. Through hands-on discussion, they learn to think critically about AI relationships, including whether a chatbot can truly be a friend, building the foundation for thoughtful, human-centered AI use.
3 Lessons
Digital On-Ramps gave my students a shared vocabulary for talking about online choices. The values unit changed the culture of our classroom.
-Elenn Schneider, 5th Grade Teacher
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Meet Your Students' Favorite Teacher
Every lesson includes an engaging videos featuring our intrepid owl mascot, who is just learning to use the Internet too! These entertaining videos are designed to spark classroom discussion and make concepts stick. These aren't passive screen time—they're conversation starters that give teachers a natural entry point into each lesson.
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"My students can't wait for the owl videos! They're the highlight of their digital literacy block."
-Denise Filo, Librarian
All Videos
Grades 4-5
Digital On-Ramps
Values, Internet basics, online safety & intro to AI.
Grade 6
Digital Citizenship
Community, identity, relationships & responsibility.
Grade 7
Information Literacy
Sources, research, safety & AI literacy.
Grade 8
Media Literacy
Critical analysis of media and AI.
The Starting Point for a Complete Digital Literacy Education
Digital On-Ramps prepares students for our award-winning middle school curriculum — a multi-year program.
Explore Digital On-Ramps
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​Digital Literacy and Social-Emotional Learning Go Hand in Hand
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​READ: Are Tweens Too Young for Digital Literacy?
Turnkey and Easy To Teach!
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Lesson Plans
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Student Activities
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Videos
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Full Support
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Family Connections
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Student-Friendly Videos
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Whether you show these videos in the classroom or not, you can use our lesson plans to deliver the core concepts (at school or at home!) through engaging hands-on activities. ​​​
11% Point Gain
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Students in SEL programs showed improved social-emotional skills and a significant boost in academic performance.
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Meta-analysis of 213 school-based SEL programs
The same SEL competencies that improve academic outcomes — self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making — are exactly what students need to navigate online life. Digital On-Ramps weaves these competencies into every lesson, so students aren't just learning Internet rules. They're building the human skills that make those rules matter.
Book a :15 min. demo and get Digital On-Ramps lessons to try in your classroom!
FREE DOWNLOADS
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Teacher Guide
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Curriculum Flyer
subscriber-only CURRICULUM
UNIT 1: VALUES TO GUIDE YOU​
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What Is a Value?
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What Are Your Values?
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Values Can Guide You Online
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The Value of Kindness
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Showing Kindness Online
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The Value of Self-Discipline
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Practicing Self-Discipline Online
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The Value of Tact
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Showing Tact Online
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The Value of Mindfulness
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Practicing Mindfulness Online
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The Value of Responsibility
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Showing Responsibility Online
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The Value of Cooperation
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Learning to Cooperate Online
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UNIT 2: GETTING READY TO TAKE FLIGHT​
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A Short History of the Internet
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How the Internet Works
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Let’s Get Ready To Search
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Going Through Your Search Results
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Browsing Wisely
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Is It True? Or Not?
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Can You Believe This Image?
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Understanding Another's Perspective
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UNIT 3: YOU, ONLINE​
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What Does It Mean to “Be Online”?
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Having an Online Presence
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What is Personal Information?
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Think Before You Post
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Asking For & Getting Consent
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Communicating Online
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Managing Your Emotions
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Managing Your Emotions Online
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Finding Just the Right Balance
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UNIT 4: ONLINE SAFETY​
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Taking Care of Your Devices
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Opening Your First Account
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Keeping Safe from Cyberbullying
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Keeping Sate From Scams
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Keeping Sate From Strangers
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Opening Your First Account
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A Word About Passwords
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Are You Really Ready?
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UNIT 5: INTRO TO AI
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What Is Intelligence?
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AI All Around Us
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Can a Chatbot Really Be Your Friend?