CYBER CIVICS: LEVEL 2
INFORMATION LITERACY
Youth today must know how to find, retrieve, analyze, and use online information. Yet few get these essential lessons in school. This turnkey program offers everything needed to teach "Information Literacy." Includes a full year of weekly lesson plans, engaging activities, slides w/embedded videos, send-home parent letters, and full teacher support. Easily used for Homeschool and/or Distance Learning too.
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About Level 2
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After developing Level 1 of Cyber Civics—a full year of weekly "digital citizenship" lessons—it became clear that while students where prepared with terrific foundational skills to use technology safely and wisely, it was not nearly enough! They were ready and eager to learn practical research skills.
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Research shows that while young people seem incredibly tech-savvy, most know little about the core concepts of "information literacy" or, how to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information. While lessons that teach these skills can be found here and there, we couldn't find a comprehensive curriculum...which is why this one was created. Like Level 1, lessons emphasizes ethical and critical thinking skills through discussion, decision-making, hands-on projects, and role-play. Program is easily used for Distance Learning too.
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Why Information Literacy is So Important
Watch Cyber Civics on the Today Show
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Subscription cost determined by size of school.
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Subscribers 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), slides, videos, teacher guides, and parent letters.
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Always-current resources are constantly updated.
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Teachers receive monthly newsletter announcing new lessons and resources.
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Multiple school/district discounts offered.
- Low home school cost.
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For online demonstrations or onsite presentations, contact us.
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Fully Aligned with ELA, Tech and SEL Standards
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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 nearly every Waldorf school (public and private), large and small public schools, private schools, after-school programs, and by home-schoolers, 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.
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SEE LEVEL 2 (INFORMATION LITERACY)
SEE LEVEL 3 (MEDIA LITERACY FOR POSITIVE PARTICIPATION)
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Testimonials
​​subscriber-only CURRICULUM
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TEACHER PREP
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Getting Started Guide for Teachers
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If Teaching at Home Guide
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What is Cyber Civics? Parent Letter
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Student Pre- and Post- Assessments
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OPTIONAL PREP LESSON:
Although these lessons can be taught without having students on devices, some offer the option for them to use technology. This lesson will help ensure they are using devices safely and responsibly in the classroom.
UNIT 1: LEARNING BALANCE
Before learning to use the Internet as a research source, students examine how they spend their time. The goal of this unit is to inspire students to seek a balanced approach to their online and offline lives.
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Teacher Guide
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Parent Letter w/Activities
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Your Time
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Your Time Part 2
UNIT 2:
ONLINE SAFETY
While today's tools offer youth access to a wealth of information, they can also open the door to possible new risks. This unit helps students become aware of risks and provides basic information to keep them safe online.
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Teacher Guide
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Parent Letter w/Activities
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Online Safety 101
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Common Online Threats
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UNIT 3:
SEARCHING THE WEB
Through this series of lessons, students are introduced to the basics of Internet search, learn to craft effective search queries, understand how to effectively evaluate search engine results page, and consider the place of AI chatbots.
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Teacher Guide
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Parent Letter w/Activities
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Elements of a Web Search
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How Does Search Work?
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Constructing a Search Query
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Anatomy of a Results Page
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Why Can't I Cut and Paste?
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Unit Quiz
UNIT 4: YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
It is important for young people to know how and why websites and social media networks collect personal information. These lessons show them that while this exchange allows for a customized online experience, it is also how “filter bubbles” and "echo chambers" can happen. Learning the core concepts of online privacy helps students make careful choices about their personal information.
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Teacher Guide
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Parent Letter w/Activities
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Who's Watching You?
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Privacy Policies: Who Reads Them?
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Understanding Terms of Use
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Algorithms are Awesome. Or Are They?
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Protecting Your Online Data
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What Makes a Password Great?
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What Would You Collect?
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Unit Quiz
UNIT 5: COPYRIGHT | FAIR USE | PUBLIC DOMAIN
This series of lessons helps students learn to respect creative works they find online and shows them where to go to find creative works they can use. Students gain an understanding of copyright, plagiarism, remixing, Creative Commons, Fair Use, and much more.
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Teacher Guide
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Parent Letter w/Activities
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What is Copyright?
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Why Copyright Matters
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What's Creative Commons?
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Public Domain and Fair Use
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Living in a Remix World
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Unit Quiz
UNIT 6: HOW TO USE WIKIPEDIA
This unit helps students understand how Wikipedia works as they learn to become discerning users of this new media research tool.
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Teacher Guide
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Parent Letter w/Activities
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Why Wikis Work
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Exploring Wikipedia
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Editing Wikipedia