BMS Families and Common Sense Media
BMS Family Engagement - Spring 2020
Now More Than Ever
Grade 6
Privacy and Security
Internet scams are part of being online today, but many kids might not be aware of them. How do we help our students avoid being tricked into clicking malicious links or giving out private information? Use this lesson to help kids avoid online identity theft and phishing schemes.
Students will be able to:
Compare and contrast identity theft with other kinds of theft.
Describe different ways that identity theft can occur online.
Use message clues to identify examples of phishing.
Family Tips - Help Boost Kids' Safety, Privacy, and Security
Digital Footprint and Identity
What does it actually mean to "be yourself" or to "be "real"? Those are deep thoughts for any middle-schooler. For kids today, these questions matter online, too. Help your students explore why some people create different or alternate personas for themselves online and on social media.
Students will be able to:
Reflect on reasons why people might create fake social media accounts.
Identify the possible results of posting from a fake social media account.
Debate the benefits and drawbacks of posting from multiple accounts.
Family Tips - Help Kids Post, Comment, and Upload Responsibly
News and Media Literacy
The web is full of questionable stuff, from rumors and inaccurate information to outright lies and so-called fake news. So how do we help students weed out the bad and find what's credible? Help students dig into why and how false information ends up online in the first place, and then practice evaluating the credibility of what they're finding online.
Students will be able to:
Learn reasons that people put false or misleading information on the internet.
Learn criteria for differentiating fake news from credible news.
Practice evaluating the credibility of information they find on the internet.
Family Tips - Help Kids Spot Fake News and Decode Media Messages
Grade 7
Relationships and Communication
Games, social media, and other online spaces give kids opportunities to meet and chat with others outside the confines of their real-life communities. But how well do kids actually know the people they're meeting and interacting with? Help students consider whom they're talking to and the types of information they're sharing online.
Students will be able to:
Analyze how well they know the people they interact with online.
Reflect on what information is safe to share with different types of online friends.
Learn to recognize red flag feelings and how to respond to them.
Family Tips - Help Kids Post, Upload, and Comment Responsibly
Privacy and Security
Every time we go online, we're giving away information about ourselves. But just how much data are companies collecting from us? Hint: It's probably a lot more than we realize. Show your students these three tips on how to limit the data that companies collect.
Students will be able to:
Explain why information about them and their behaviors is valuable to companies.
Analyze how certain types of data are used by companies.
Learn three strategies to limit individual data collection by companies.
Family Tips - Help Boost Kids' Safety, Privacy, and Security
Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, and Hate Speech
When cyberbullying happens, everyone involved brings their own perspective to the situation. Help students learn about the importance of empathy, how to consider others' feelings, and how to be an upstander when cyberbullying occurs.
Students will be able to:
Consider the different perspectives of those involved in a cyberbullying incident.
Identify ways to be an upstander or ally to someone being bullied.
Problem-solve potential challenges to responding to cyberbullying.
Family Activity
Family Tips - Help Kids Fight Cyberbullying and Other Mean Online Behavior
Family Engagement Resources
Grade 8
Media Balance and Well-Being
Sometimes when you're using media, it's hard to stop. Lots of people even say they feel "addicted" to their phones or the apps and games they use. But is digital media actually designed to get you hooked? Have students think about the ways different digital media does -- and does not -- help us find healthy media balance.
Students will be able to:
Explore ways that different digital media are, and aren't, designed to help them make good media choices.
Reflect on how digital media is designed to either help or hinder the addition of meaning and value to their lives.
Think about how to develop good, healthy habits when using digital media.
Family Tips - Help Kids Balance Their Media Lives
Privacy and Security
Kids share a lot of information whenever they go online -- sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. But do they understand that online privacy isn't just what they say and post? Help your students learn about their digital footprints and the steps they can take to shape what others find and see about them.
Students will be able to:
Reflect on the concept of privacy, including what they feel comfortable sharing and with which people.
Analyze different ways that advertisers collect information about users to send them targeted ads.
Identify strategies for protecting their privacy, including opting out of specific features and analyzing app or website privacy policies.
Family Tips - Help Boost Kids' Privacy, Safety, and Security
Digital Footprint and Identity
Social media can be a place to connect, learn, and, most of all, share. But how much do kids know about what they're sharing -- and not just about themselves but each other? Help students think critically about their digital footprints on social media.
Students will be able to:
Identify reasons for using social media and the challenges that often come along with it.
Reflect on the responsibilities they have that are related to digital footprints -- both their own and others' -- when they're using social media.
Identify ways to make the most of social media while still caring for the digital footprints of themselves and others.
Family Tips - Help Kids Post, Comment, and Upload Responsibly
