Common Sense Media –Internet Safety 8th grade lessons PowerPoint provided by Simons Middle School Please have students log this in their academic vocabulary notebook.

Grades 6th-8th Lessons

8th Grade Which Me Should I be? DAY 1

Motivate: To have a reason or purpose to do something Have you heard of… Motivate: To have a reason or purpose to do something Have you ever heard of people who exaggerated something about themselves online? Anonymous: Having an unknown identity Or people who deceive others by pretending to be someone else while they were on the Internet? Introduce REVISIT the definition of identity from Lesson 1: Your Online Self. Remind students that the parts of their identities that they express online may be different from the ones they express offline. They may present themselves to others differently on the Internet than they would face to face. REVIEW the Key Vocabulary words exaggerate and deceive. ASK Have you ever heard of people who exaggerated something about themselves online? Or people who deceive others by pretending to be someone else while they were on the Internet? Why do you think they did this? Sample responses: • I heard of a girl who exaggerated how many celebrities she had met, so that other people would be impressed • One kid exaggerated his experience to get a job on the school paper • Someone might pretend to be someone else to be mean or play a trick • I know someone who has several different avatars in an online virtual game DISCUSS with students where these events took place (which website or online community). REVIE W the Key Vocabulary words motivate, consequences, and anonymous with students. Explain that the last term will play an important part in the activity they will do following the movie. Consequences: Results; something that happens as an effect of a certain cause Why do you think they did this?

It’s perfectly normal to try out different identities, but lets see an example (Henry’s Story) Consequences: Results; something that happens as an effect of a certain cause REMIND the class that it’s perfectly normal to try out different identities online. However, they have to think about what motivates them to do so, and the possible consequences. Tell them: • Sometimes you might express different parts of your personality online because you want to be accepted by friends or people in an online community. Or you might do it to experiment and see how others react. • Other times, you might cross over into lying to or deceiving others by pretending you are someone you’re not. • It is important that you take responsibility for who you are and what you want to be online, and also consider how this might affect people you interact with online. EXPLAIN to the class you will now show them a video about Henry, a real boy who enjoys participating in an online world where he doesn’t (fully) reveal his identity. SHOW the video Henry’s Story to the class. http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/lesson/which-me-should-i-be-6-8

Think-pair-share What do you think motivates Henry to hide how old he is? What were the consequences of Henry hiding his age? ASK What do you think motivates Henry to hide how old he is? (Guide students to provide examples from the video. Henry wanted to feel respected, as people thought he was older than he really is. He was trying to fit in to a community based on his knowledge and interests rather than his age.) ASK What were the consequences of Henry hiding his age? (In this case, Henry’s deception did not seem to harm himself or anyone else.) ENCOURAGE students to keep the story of Henry in mind as you move on to the next activity.

Let’s Take a Stand! We are going to draw an imaginary line down the middle of the class. WE will be reading case studies and determining how harmful or harmless certain kid action were. You will take a stand by walking over to the appropriate side of the line/room EXPLAIN to students that they will use the HARMLESS/HARMFUL line to show responses to various situations in which someone presents themselves differently online. Tell students that they will be reading case studies – brief descriptions – about things that kids did on the Internet. They will decide how harmful or harmless the kid’s actions were, and then take a stand on the line.

Harmless or Harmful? Mikayla isn’t old enough to have a public profile on MyFace. Her parents also don’t allow her to have one yet. But all of her friends are on MyFace. So she creates a fake profile with the name Kayla. She puts all kinds of information about herself there, like photos, videos, and all the things she would want to share about herself. She tells her friends about her fake profile so they can become her friends online. She keeps it a secret from her family. Guide students to consider the motivation of Mikayla, and question her secrecy from her family. According to Facebook, you must be 13 years old to sign up, and for MySpace you must be 14 years old. By lying about her age, Mikayla deceives others online. By hiding her actions from her family, she deceives them as well. She harms herself, and she harms her family members by lying to them.)

Harmless or Harmful? Brian likes to chat on a sports fan site that has IM (instant messaging). People only know him by his screen name, so no one knows his true identity. Brian likes to start debates in chat rooms by responding to people’s posts about the best teams, players, and stats. He sometimes says things he wouldn’t say offline. A couple of times he has said bad words and called people stupid. Guide students to think about why Brian may feel freer to start debates online, where he is anonymous. Would Brian do the same thing with people if they were face to face? Why might Brian want to start debates? How is his behavior affecting others on the site? Would you feel the same way about the situation if Brian started debates but didn’t insult other people or use bad language? Students may be at different ends of the HARMLESS/HARMFUL line for this situation, though they should have some sense that healthy debate is fine, but anonymity and hurtful behavior can be harmful.)

Harmless or Harmful? Arianna visits a website that makes fun of a student at her school. She logs in under a fake name and leaves mean comments without anyone knowing who she is. (Guide students to consider Arianna’s motivation. She leaves mean comments because she is anonymous. Arianna is clearly harming others, particularly the student victim of bullying, and promoting a climate of mean-spiritedness.)

Harmless or Harmful? Jolie, who is 12, creates a fake social networking profile with a different name that says she’s 18. She uses a photo where she’s dressed up and wearing sunglasses, so it’s hard to tell how old she is. She starts a relationship with an older guy she meets online. He’s really fallen for her and wants to meet her in person. (Guide students to think about Jolie’s motivation to create a fake profile and the effects of deceiving the others she meets on the Internet. Jolie may have created the profile and interacted with the older guy online just for fun, or to see what would happen. But this situation is also dangerous. Jolie is very young and communicating romantically with an older man she does not know in real life. This puts Jolie at risk, which could cause her harm.)

Harmless or Harmful? Alejandro wants good reviews and comments on his YouTube videos, so he creates several user names. He uses them to leave good comments about his own videos. (Guide students to consider whether anyone is being harmed here, and how seriously. Alejandro adopting different user names seems pretty harmless, as long as he is not using them to post mean-spirited comments on other people’s videos. However, he is deceiving other viewers into thinking that a lot of people love his videos.)

Harmless or Harmful? Rob doesn’t normally get good grades. But on a website for people looking for summer jobs where he has a profile, Rob says that he gets straight A’s. He thinks this might help his chances of getting a job. Guide students to consider the possible consequences of Rob’s deception down the road. For instance, an employer might ask Rob for information about grades, want to talk to him about his classes, or expect certain skills associated with high grades. They might also talk to his teachers. Lying about grades to better his chances for a job is unethical, and can be considered harmful to Rob and to the person who might hire him.)

Go back to your Seats 1. Which of the following is an example of a RISKY way to present oneself in a different way online? a) Raquel creates an avatar in a virtual world with pink hair, even though her hair is brown in real life b) Dan’s profile picture is an image of his dog c) Nick lies to someone he meets online by saying he’s in college Answer feedback The correct answer is c. Presenting yourself differently online can be fun and freeing, but sometimes it can also get you into uncomfortable situations.

b) People might start talking to Lucy about rock music c) Both a and b 2. On Lucy’s social networking profile, she posts that she is older than her real age and that she likes rock music, which she actually doesn’t like. Which of the following might be a possible consequence of how Lucy presents herself online? a) Lucy might get attention from older people who think she is the age she has posted b) People might start talking to Lucy about rock music c) Both a and b Answer feedback The correct answer is c. The way you present yourself online can affect the way people interact with you.

3. Evan likes Maria, but she is dating Josh 3. Evan likes Maria, but she is dating Josh. Evan pretends to be Maria online and posts angry messages on Josh’s blog so that Josh thinks she is mad at him. Evan is ________ Josh by pretending to be Maria. a) deceiving b) helping c) motivating Answer feedback The correct answer is a. Evan is deceiving Josh because he is pretending to be someone he is not.

8th Grade Be Upstanding DAY 2

empathize: to imagine the feelings that someone else Have you heard of… empathize: to imagine the feelings that someone else is experiencing bystander: someone who sees cyberbullying happening, but does nothing to help What does it mean to be brave? How can you show bravery if someone is being cyberbullied and you are a witness? ASK: What does it mean to be brave? Sample responses: 􀂇􀀃To be courageous 􀂇􀀃To stand up for others 􀂇􀀃To go against social pressure to do what is right How can you show bravery if someone is being cyberbullied and you are a witness? Note: You may wish to remind students that cyberbullying is the use of digital media tools such as the Internet and cell phones to deliberately upset or harass another person. Sample responses: 􀂇􀀃 Standing up for the target 􀂇􀀃 Empathizing with the target 􀂇􀀃 Getting help from a trusted adult DEFINE the Key Vocabulary terms bystander, upstander, and empathize. DISCUSS the following qualities associated with upstanders: An upstander ... 􀂇􀀃is not directly involved in the cyberbullying incident, but steps in to help anyway. 􀂇􀀃empathizes with the targets of cyberbullying, letting them know that they care and are listening. 􀂇􀀃does not spread rumors or go along with cyberbullies because of peer pressure, and may even tell the cyberbully to stop. 􀂇􀀃encourages the target to tell a trusted adult about the situation. upstander: someone who helps when they see cyberbullying occur

REAL LIFE Kevin sends his friend José a short video he made at home, a reenactment of a famous fantasy movie scene. José, laughing at how Kevin looks, shows it to some other boys at school. The boys laugh at Kevin too, and then decide to post it on a video-sharing website. Millions of people then view Kevin’s video. Nasty comments are posted. Every day, Kevin goes online to check the site and sees more comments like “idiot” and “fat nerd.” Every day, he goes to school and hears similar cruel comments from his classmates.

Who are the bystanders? Kevin sends his friend José a short video he made at home, a reenactment of a famous fantasy movie scene. José, laughing at how Kevin looks, shows it to some other boys at school. The boys laugh at Kevin too, and then decide to post it on a video-sharing website. Millions of people then view Kevin’s video. Nasty comments are posted. Every day, Kevin goes online to check the site and sees more comments like “idiot” and “fat nerd.” Every day, he goes to school and hears similar cruel comments from his classmates.

What would you do if you were a bystander? Kevin sends his friend José a short video he made at home, a reenactment of a famous fantasy movie scene. José, laughing at how Kevin looks, shows it to some other boys at school. The boys laugh at Kevin too, and then decide to post it on a video-sharing website. Millions of people then view Kevin’s video. Nasty comments are posted. Every day, Kevin goes online to check the site and sees more comments like “idiot” and “fat nerd.” Every day, he goes to school and hears similar cruel comments from his classmates. Do not spread rumors; instead, tell the cyberbully to stop.

What would you say to José if you wanted him to stop? Kevin sends his friend José a short video he made at home, a reenactment of a famous fantasy movie scene. José, laughing at how Kevin looks, shows it to some other boys at school. The boys laugh at Kevin too, and then decide to post it on a video-sharing website. Millions of people then view Kevin’s video. Nasty comments are posted. Every day, Kevin goes online to check the site and sees more comments like “idiot” and “fat nerd.” Every day, he goes to school and hears similar cruel comments from his classmates. Do not spread rumors; instead, tell the cyberbully to stop.

What would you say to Kevin or do for him to show your support for him? Kevin sends his friend José a short video he made at home, a reenactment of a famous fantasy movie scene. José, laughing at how Kevin looks, shows it to some other boys at school. The boys laugh at Kevin too, and then decide to post it on a video-sharing website. Millions of people then view Kevin’s video. Nasty comments are posted. Every day, Kevin goes online to check the site and sees more comments like “idiot” and “fat nerd.” Every day, he goes to school and hears similar cruel comments from his classmates. Do not spread rumors; instead, tell the cyberbully to stop. Step in to help in a cyberbullying situation by letting the target know you are there for them.

What could you say to the other kids at school who viewed the video and left cruel comments? Kevin sends his friend José a short video he made at home, a reenactment of a famous fantasy movie scene. José, laughing at how Kevin looks, shows it to some other boys at school. The boys laugh at Kevin too, and then decide to post it on a video-sharing website. Millions of people then view Kevin’s video. Nasty comments are posted. Every day, Kevin goes online to check the site and sees more comments like “idiot” and “fat nerd.” Every day, he goes to school and hears similar cruel comments from his classmates. Do not spread rumors; instead, tell the cyberbully to stop.

How could you have involved a trusted adult? Kevin sends his friend José a short video he made at home, a reenactment of a famous fantasy movie scene. José, laughing at how Kevin looks, shows it to some other boys at school. The boys laugh at Kevin too, and then decide to post it on a video-sharing website. Millions of people then view Kevin’s video. Nasty comments are posted. Every day, Kevin goes online to check the site and sees more comments like “idiot” and “fat nerd.” Every day, he goes to school and hears similar cruel comments from his classmates. 􀂇􀀃Report what is happening to a trusted adult or website administrator, or encourage the target to tell a trusted adult. A trusted adult is someone who you believe will listen and has the skills, desire, and authority to help you.

A Creator’s Responsibilities DAY 3 8th Grade A Creator’s Responsibilities DAY 3

piracy: the stealing copyrighted work by Can you remember when you last copied, downloaded, or shared some type of creative work? piracy: the stealing copyrighted work by downloading or copying it in order to keep, sell, or give it away without permission and without paying plagiarism: the copying, “lifting,” or making slight changes to some or all of someone else’s work and saying you wrote it Can you think of a time when you used someone else’s work in something you made? acknowledge: giving credit to someone’s work you use by clearly stating their name, title of the work, year it was made, and a hyperlink Introduce 􀀤􀀶􀀮􀀝 Can you remember when you last copied, downloaded, or shared some type of creative work? Guide students to think about their everyday sharing of copyrighted work. They might not even be aware that they are using copyrighted work every day. Sample responses: 􀂇􀀃Downloaded a video from YouTube 􀂇􀀃Bought a song on iTunes 􀂇􀀃Cut out a magazine photo and put it in my locker Can you think of a time when you used someone else’s work in something you made? Guide students to be specific about what work they used, and how they used it. You may also want to ask about whether they acknowledged the sources they used by citing them. 􀂇􀀃Used information from a website in a school report 􀂇􀀃Used photos I found in Google Image Search for PowerPoint slides 􀂇􀀃Used video clips I downloaded from YouTube in a remix video I made EMPHASIZE to students that they often use copyrighted work in their everyday lives: (1) they use and enjoy media as consumers, and (2) they incorporate media into their own creations (blogs, mash-ups, etc.). Whether they are just using material for enjoyment or using it to create a new work, highlight to students that they should be responsible and respectful of other people’s creative work by providing proper credit. Henry’s Story (10 minutes) DEFINE the Key Vocabulary terms piracy, plagarism, and acknowledge with students. Ask students to listen for these words in the video they are about to watch.

(Henry’s Story-Making Mashups) 3. Henry says that pirating material is stealing, no matter how it’s done. What are examples of pirating? Why should you avoid it? 4. Henry likes to make mash-ups and remixes and put them online. What does he need to do to make this “fair use”? 1. What are Henry’s rights as a creator? 2. What are Henry’s responsibilities in using other people’s creative work? EXPLAIN to students that are going to watch a video about a teen boy who likes to take clips of music and movies and make them into his own creations. SHOW students the “Henry’s Story – Making Mashups” video. DISCUSS the video with the whole group. 1. What are Henry’s rights as a creator? Guide students to think about their right to: (1) copyright their own work, (2) use copyrighted material with permission, and (3) apply fair use. Emphasize the importance of always acknowledging the work they use by citing it. 2. What are Henry’s responsibilities in using other people’s creative work? Guide students to consider how pirating, plagiarism, and illegal sharing on peer-to-peer sharing networks is disrespectful behavior that can have ethical and legal implications. Point out the Ask, Acknowledge, Add Value process at the end of the handout. 3. Henry says that pirating material is stealing, no matter how it’s done. What are examples of pirating? Why should you avoid it? Emphasize that it doesn’t matter whether the work pirated is in hard copy or digital form, whether it’s for personal use, shared with others, given to friends, or sold for a profit, it’s all piracy.) Sample responses: Examples of pirating: 􀂇􀀃 Illegally downloading copyrighted material like music, movie images, or software 􀂇􀀃 Downloading and sharing stuff on peer-to-peer sharing sites like BitTorrent or LimeWire 􀂇􀀃 Going out of your way to get things for free online illegally 􀂇􀀃 Taking something someone gave you that they downloaded illegally EMPHASIZE to students that there are right and wrong ways to use copyrighted work. People who pirate or plagiarize not only risk getting in trouble at school or with the law, but their behavior is also unethical and disrespectful to creators. Students should always show respect for the creative work they use by acknowledging — or giving credit to — the work they use. Provide an example of a citation (e.g., bibliography of a book). http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/lesson/creator%E2%80%99s-responsibilities-6-8

1. If you were Emilio, how would you feel? When he was at the park, Emilio took an amazing photo of a squirrel hanging with one paw from a tree branch. He uploaded this photo to his Flickr photo-sharing website. He also entered it in the school’s photography contest, and it won first prize! Soon people at school visited his Flickr site to download his funny photo. His friends posted the photo on their profiles, blogs, and webpages. Some people at school printed out the photo and posted it in their lockers. Someone in art class used the photo in a collage. Someone else from another school made T-shirts with the photo and sold them. Guide students to put themselves in Emilio’s shoes and reflect on why some people might be more strict about their copyrighted work than others.

2. Do people using Emilio’s photo have a responsibility to ask permission before they use his work? Should they give him credit for his work? When he was at the park, Emilio took an amazing photo of a squirrel hanging with one paw from a tree branch. He uploaded this photo to his Flickr photo-sharing website. He also entered it in the school’s photography contest, and it won first prize! Soon people at school visited his Flickr site to download his funny photo. His friends posted the photo on their profiles, blogs, and webpages. Some people at school printed out the photo and posted it in their lockers. Someone in art class used the photo in a collage. Someone else from another school made T-shirts with the photo and sold them. Guide students to reflect on their responsibilities when they download, cut and paste, share, or use other people’s work. The main thing they should do in all cases is look to see how the creator indicates he or she wants to share the work. If nothing is indicated, they must ask the creator for permission to use it, and then acknowledge the creator by giving credit. This not only obeys copyright law, but it also is a sign of responsibility and respect.

3. Is there a difference between a person selling Emilio’s photo, and a person using the photo just because he or she likes it? Is it different when the people using the photo are Emilio’s friends? When he was at the park, Emilio took an amazing photo of a squirrel hanging with one paw from a tree branch. He uploaded this photo to his Flickr photo-sharing website. He also entered it in the school’s photography contest, and it won first prize! Soon people at school visited his Flickr site to download his funny photo. His friends posted the photo on their profiles, blogs, and webpages. Some people at school printed out the photo and posted it in their lockers. Someone in art class used the photo in a collage. Someone else from another school made T-shirts with the photo and sold them. Guide students to consider the intent of the user. Are they out to make money? Are they showing their appreciation for the work? Emphasize that in all cases they should ask permission to use the work, even if they are friends of the creator.

1. Why should Paul care about his behavior? Paul spends a lot of time online illegally downloading (pirating) music, movies, and games. He then uploads the files and shares them with friends and even on peer-to-peer sharing websites. “I’m spreading the wealth,” he says. One day his older sister finds out what he is doing and tells him, “It’s illegal, it’s stealing!” Paul says, “I don’t care. Why should I have to pay for something when I can get it for free? Besides, these artists and the record companies make tons of money.” His sister then asks, “If you made a song or a movie, would you want people to just get it for free, and without giving you credit?” Guide students to consider the following implications of pirating: legal risks, disrespect to the creator, it’s just like stealing from a store, etc.

2. How does pirating affect creators? Paul spends a lot of time online illegally downloading (pirating) music, movies, and games. He then uploads the files and shares them with friends and even on peer-to-peer sharing websites. “I’m spreading the wealth,” he says. One day his older sister finds out what he is doing and tells him, “It’s illegal, it’s stealing!” Paul says, “I don’t care. Why should I have to pay for something when I can get it for free? Besides, these artists and the record companies make tons of money.” His sister then asks, “If you made a song or a movie, would you want people to just get it for free, and without giving you credit?” Guide students to consider the many ways that creators can be either rigid or flexible about sharing their work. Some artists release their work for free, while others hold tight to their copyright protection. Emphasize to students that it’s their obligation to respect the creator’s copyright license

3. What are honest ways Paul could obtain music and movies he wants? Paul spends a lot of time online illegally downloading (pirating) music, movies, and games. He then uploads the files and shares them with friends and even on peer-to-peer sharing websites. “I’m spreading the wealth,” he says. One day his older sister finds out what he is doing and tells him, “It’s illegal, it’s stealing!” Paul says, “I don’t care. Why should I have to pay for something when I can get it for free? Besides, these artists and the record companies make tons of money.” His sister then asks, “If you made a song or a movie, would you want people to just get it for free, and without giving you credit?” Guide students to discuss how they can legally purchase works or download them legally for free.) Sample responses: 􀂇􀀃 Go to a trusted online store like iTunes. 􀂇􀀃 Listen or watch online on streaming sites, like Pandora or Hulu. 􀂇􀀃 Take advantage of free (legal) downloads on sites like mp3.com, LastFM, or special freebies on artists’ websites.