CMLE understands the importance of learning good digital citizenship and literacy! One of our fantastic school library members shared that the FREE digital citizenship curriculum provided by Common Sense Education has been very well-received at her school. So we wanted to make sure you know about this resource in case it may be useful to you!

Today we’re looking at the curriculum for grades 6-8.
If you work with younger students, check out our previous posts about the available curriculum for grades 3-5 or K-2.

For grades 6-8, most lessons include slides or videos and tackle topics like online security, digital identity, relationships, and news literacy. Lessons also come with family activities and tips.

Sixth graders continue to learn about the importance of balancing online/offline time with a Digital Habits checkup and learning to recognize the “red flag feeling.” They also learn criteria to help them evaluate credible news information online, and learn some reasons why people want to spread false or misleading information online.

Seventh graders learn to be aware of all the information that companies collect from their online activities. They learn three strategies to limit this individual data collection. They also learn about the impact social media can have on real-life relationships and how to navigate these feelings, both positive and negative.

Eighth graders get to learn how online media is designed to be addictive and discover strategies for developing healthy habits. They also learn about the consequences of sexting and how to respond if someone is pressuring them. There’s also a lesson about reacting to breaking news and how to determine when information is incomplete or misleading.