Information Literacy Lesson Plans

Many parents are concerned about whether their children are learning enough about internet safety. Information literacy lesson plans have to be comprehensive, and must acknowledge the fact that children aren't likely to be completely safe all the time. Here's what you need to know about teaching digital literacy to students

Start With the Basics: Privacy and Security

Begin by teaching children about malicious attackers, privacy issues, identity theft, and the security they need to control their data. This includes teaching children about theft, credit, and intellectual property. These are the same things that they're going to need to learn as adults, as adults commonly fall for phishing scams even today. Children need to know how to safeguard their identities and how to minimize their risk.

Discuss Untrustworthy Actors

In addition to identity thefts, there are also individuals who can try to blackmail children, or encourage them to act inappropriately. Children should be aware that there may be untrustworthy people online, whether they are adults or whether they also seem to be children like them. Children should be encouraged to talk to their family about any issues they experience while online, and they should be taught to identify when someone online is starting to cross boundaries.

Pay Attention to Social Media

For many children, social media is going to be their primary danger zone. Social media is where people can try to gain information and access about a child, and it's also where children may post information that could be used to steal their identity. Explain privacy settings for children so that they can begin to protect themselves.

If you're a parent or a teacher thinking about information literacy lesson plans, contact Cyber Civics today. Cyber Civics can help you learn how teaching digital literacy to students can help them stay safe on the internet.