Description
Unit Overview
This Sock Puppet Nation themed unit is comprised of five lessons. The coordinating PowerPoints and student handouts are separated to enable use in an online learning environment. Each lesson builds towards a culminating project: students create a plan for a safe, Sock Puppet Nation-themed online community for people under age 13.
Students learn about the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the design of their Sock Puppet Nation Virtual World. A Reference Page on COPPA is provided for teachers and parents.
Unit Objectives
Upon successful completion of this unit, students in grade 5 will be able to:
- list types of personal identifying information
- choose a safe screen name
- create a strong password
- discuss the role of trustworthy adults in protecting the safety of young people
- explain the purpose of age requirements for online services
- recognize tactics of unsafe online contacts
- compose a set of online safety guidelines
- design a safe online community in Sock Puppet Nation
Set-Up & Preparation
- Set up a method of displaying coordinating PowerPoint slideshows for each lesson.
- Print the correlated Student Handouts for each lesson.
ISAFE authorizes the distribution of instructional materials in online learning environments (i.e. virtual classrooms) within the same subscribing school or school district.
Set up student access to the PowerPoint presentation based on the technology arrangement in your classroom (e.g. computer-based delivery, projector, or online classroom environment).
Note: Migitate legal liability and demonstrate best practice with regard to student data privacy. Follow your district AUP and obtain Verified Parental Consent (VPC) prior to integrating websites and other online services, including mobile apps, into the learning experience.
Go to isafedirect.com/AUPservices and isafedirect.com/VPCservices.
Lesson Plan 1 - Introduction to Online Personal Safety
Students engage in dialogue about their experience in various online communities and discuss the role of parental supervision. They compare online communities with public places in the real world; give an example of a site, game, or app used to communicate with other people; describe the activities that take place in an online community, and discuss the importance of adult supervision.
Lesson Plan 2 - Choosing a Safe Screen Name
Students recognize the importance of protecting online identity by engaging in class discussion about personal information. They list types of information that reveals personal identity, evaluate screen names for safety, and practice creating safe screen names.
Lesson Plan 3 - Creating a Strong Password
Students recognize the risks of having a weak password. Class discussion and practice activities enable students to create strong passwords to protect themselves from cyber bullying, identity theft and online predators. Student will be able to state the attributes of a strong password, explain the importance of protecting online accounts, and create strong and secure passwords.
Lesson Plan 4 - Online Safety Rights & Responsibilities
Students relate online privacy to personal safety in a class discussion about age-appropriate sites and apps. Through exploration of online registration forms and profiles, students discover the importance of following age requirements (COPPA) and protecting online identity. Students create a mock-up of a safe and secure online profile as part of their Empowerment Project: the designe of a virtual world called Sock Puppet Nation.
Lesson Plan 5 - Safe Communication Skills
Students learn how to safeguard their identities, protect their personal safety, and take action when contacted by an inappropriate and unsafe person online. Students complete their plan for their Sock Puppet Nation virtual world.