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Cyber Civics: Level 1
Digital Citizenship
Cyber Civics meets the urgent and growing demand to equip middle school students with the skills to become ethical, safe, and productive digital citizens. This turnkey program includes everything to deliver one full year of weekly in-classroom or at-home lessons—in the event of Distance Learning—on "digital citizenship" (the norms of appropriate and responsible technology use). Includes: lesson plans, engaging activities, videos, parent letters w/activities, and ongoing teacher support.
About Level 1
This first level of Cyber Civics is packed with peer-to-peer learning activities that call on critical and ethical thinking skills. Students engage in discussion, hands-on projects, problem solving, and role-playing games all surrounding "digital citizenship" (the norms of appropriate, responsible, behavior with regard to technology use). These lessons have been tested and refined in classrooms across the U.S. for over a decade and can be taught without technology (because experts widely agree that the most important new media skills are social and behavioral skills). It scaffolds important digital citizenship topics so they make sense to young people. Lessons are easily used for Distance Learning.
Many parents ask for their students to receive these lessons before youth receive their first connected device.
Our STORY
Launched in a California public Waldorf-inspired charter school (Journey School) in 2010, Cyber Civics™ is the most comprehensive digital literacy program you'll find. Currently taught in all types of schools, after-school programs, and by home-schoolers across 47 US states and internationally, it has received national media attention, been honored as an "Innovation in Education" award finalist by Project Tomorrow and the O.C. Tech Alliance, and its founder, Diana Graber, is the recipient of the "2017 Media Literacy Teacher Award" from the National Association of Media Literacy Education (NAMLE). Her book—"Raising Humans in a Digital World: Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology" (HarperCollins Leadership) tells the Cyber Civics story.
We're fully aligned with ELA, Tech and SEL Standards, see how
Frequently Asked Questions
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Low subscription cost is determined by size of school.
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Subscribing schools/organizations receive a school-wide license with full support.
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Any teacher at subscribing school or organization can open a private account and get access to lesson plans (downloadable PDF's), videos, teacher guides, and parent letters.
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School license extends to parents in the event of Distance Learning.
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Always current resources and constantly updated.
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Teachers receive a monthly newsletter announcing new lessons and resources.
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Multiple school/district discounts available.
- Low home school cost.
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For online demonstrations or onsite presentations, contact us.
See our full FAQ's
Plus!
Testimonials
“Since the Cyber Civics™ classes started at our school, there have been only three reported incidences of poor digital behavior; none in the last two years. This is unheard of in this day and age. What has been a small investment has paid off tenfold. Plus it allows us to put our energy on what matters most, learning and teaching in a happy, safe, and healthy community.”
-Shaheer Faltas, Administrator at the Founding School
"After seeing Journey School's Cyber Civics program presentation and learning more about it, I am pleased to endorse it on behalf of Charters OC as a solution to helping young people learn how to use digital media competently and thoughtfully."
-Susan Mas, Executive Director, Charters OC- an initiative of Innovators OC and the California Charter Schools Association
"An excellent resource to teach students how to be safe and wise online. The activities, videos, resources, and support staff are top notch."
-Morgan Hensley, Teacher, Southwestern Middle School, Hanover, IN
"Cyber Civics lays a strong foundation for healthy digital ethics, information and computer literacy so when children face inevitable, difficult choices online, they will make the right decisions."
-Dr. Paul Helfrich, Teacher, Westside Waldorf School, L.A., CA
“Over the course of three years working with Diana Graber and watching her develop the curriculum, I recognize that it is based on the the same cognitive developmental skills that are foundational to Waldorf teaching in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. While this curriculum has found a rich home in Waldorf schools that foster ethical development, it is a curriculum that can fit in all educational settings.”
- Bonnie River, Chair of Hybrid Program, Rudolf Steiner College
"The thoughtfulness and breadth of the program is an asset to our school, and the parents are very happy to have "tech-driver's-ed" in our curriculum."
-Soni Albright, City of Lakes Waldorf School
"We know that digital-citizenship education works. The Journey School in Aliso Viejo, a small Southern California city, is an example of a digital-citizenship success story. Since instituting a three-year middle school series on digital citizenship, information literacy on evaluation of online sources, and media-literacy courses to teach critical-thinking skills around media texts of all kinds—music videos, film, print advertising—the school has nearly eliminated bullying and behavioral issues and significantly boosted standardized-test scores."
-Education Week, July 2016
Cyber Civics is the best digital media literacy curriculum I've seen yet as it is developmentally based and creative."
-Sheila Reilly, Administrator, Woodland Star Charter School
"Since cyber-life is imperative to a child's future, isn't it about time to demand that schools implement Cyber Civics classes?"
-Online Safety Expert Sue Scheff, in "Digital Citizenship Is a Important as Potty Training: Let's Start Cyber Civics In All Schools"
“If a Cyber Civics or digital literacy class is offered in your school or community, sign the kids up."
Kelly Wallace, CNN, in "5 Things To Think About Before Buying Your Child a Cell Phone"
subscriber-only CURRICULUM
TEACHER PREP
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Getting Started Guide for Teachers
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Parent Guide if Teaching at Home
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What is Cyber Civics? Parent Letter
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Educational Standards Alignment
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Foundational Research
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Student Pre- and Post- Assessments
UNIT 1:
BECOMING A DE-TECH-TIVE*
Students consider the impact technology has had upon society throughout history, before investigating the digital tools of today.
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Teacher Guide
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Parent Letter w/Home Activities
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De-Tech-Tive Work
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Investigating Today's Tech
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How Much Do You Know About the Internet?
UNIT 2: CITIZENSHIP
Students learn the basic principles of citizenship as they explore what it means to be a citizen in the digital age.
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Teacher Guide
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Parent Letter w/Home Activities
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Principles of Citizenship
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How To Be a Good Citizen Online
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Designing a Positive Online Community
UNIT 3: YOUR DIGITAL REPUTATION
Through role-play and hands-on activities, students discover why and how to take a proactive role in managing what others learn about them online
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Teacher Guide
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Parent Letter w/Home Activities
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Digital Background Check
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To Share or Not To Share?
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Your Digital Billboard
UNIT 4: ETHICAL THINKING
Students engage in activities that help them think through the ethical implications of their online actions.
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Teacher Guide
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Parent Letter w/Home Activities
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Ethical Thinking Online
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Creating a Code of Conduct
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How to Communicate Online
UNIT 5: CYBERBULLYING & DIGITAL DRAMA
This important unit helps students identify cyberbullying, digital drama, and empowers them with strategies to deal with and/or report online cruelty of any kind.
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Teacher Guide
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Parent Letter w/Home Activities
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Hiding Behind a Screen
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Real People, Real Feelings
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What is Cyberbullying? Digital Drama?
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How To Be Upstanding
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Cyberbullying Strategies
UNIT 6: YOUR IDENTITY & PRIVACY
While the Internet can be a good place to explore different ideas or personal characteristics, there can be a dangerous side to sharing too much personal information online, which is explored in this unit (also includes hate speech lesson).
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Teacher Guide
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Parent Letter w/Activities
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Who Am I Online?
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You Are The Words You Use
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My Self, My Selfie
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You, In Six Words
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A-Okay or No Way