Digital Citizenship: Privacy, Safety, and Ethics Online
Making safe, responsible choices in digital spaces
Digital Citizenship: Privacy, Safety, and Ethics Online
Making safe, responsible choices in digital spaces
CS - Grade 6-8
- 1
A student is creating a profile for a gaming website. List three pieces of information they should not share publicly.
Think about information that could help someone find you in real life.
They should not share private information such as their home address, phone number, school name, full birth date, or passwords. Sharing this information can make it easier for strangers to identify or contact them. - 2
Choose the stronger password: soccer123 or T7!mQ2#vL9. Explain why it is stronger.
A strong password is hard to guess and hard for a computer to crack.
T7!mQ2#vL9 is stronger because it is longer, uses a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, and does not include an easy-to-guess word. - 3
You receive a message that says you won a free phone and must click a link right away to claim it. Describe two warning signs that this message could be a scam.
Scammers often use urgency, prizes, or fear to make people click quickly.
Two warning signs are that the message creates pressure to act right away and offers a prize that seems too good to be true. It may also include a suspicious link or ask for personal information. - 4
A classmate posts an embarrassing photo of another student without permission. Explain why this is a problem and what a responsible digital citizen should do.
This is a problem because it violates the student's privacy and could embarrass or harm them. A responsible digital citizen should not share the photo, should encourage the classmate to remove it, and should tell a trusted adult if the situation continues. - 5
Define digital footprint in your own words and give one example of something that can become part of it.
Think about what someone could learn about you from your online activity.
A digital footprint is the trail of information a person leaves behind when using the internet. Examples include posts, comments, photos, search activity, likes, and account profiles. - 6
An app asks for access to your location, camera, microphone, and contacts, but it is only a simple calculator app. What should you do before allowing these permissions?
Permissions should match what the app actually needs to do.
You should stop and think about whether the app really needs those permissions to work. A calculator app does not usually need access to location, camera, microphone, or contacts, so it is safer to deny unnecessary permissions or choose a different trusted app. - 7
A student copies an entire article from a website and turns it in as their own work. Identify the ethical issue and describe a better choice.
The ethical issue is plagiarism because the student used someone else's work without giving credit. A better choice is to write the ideas in their own words and cite the source properly. - 8
Read this privacy setting: Public means anyone can see your post. Friends means only approved friends can see your post. Private means only you can see it. Which setting is safest for a journal entry about your feelings, and why?
The safest setting is the one with the smallest audience.
Private is the safest setting for a journal entry about personal feelings because it limits the audience to only the writer. Personal information should be shared carefully and only with people the writer trusts. - 9
A stranger in an online game asks for your real name, school, and a photo. Write a safe response and explain your next step.
A safe response is to not provide the information and to stop communicating with the stranger. The next step is to report or block the user and tell a trusted adult. - 10
Explain the difference between a public Wi-Fi network and a private home Wi-Fi network. Why should you be careful when using public Wi-Fi?
Public networks are shared with people you do not know.
A public Wi-Fi network is open to many people, such as in a cafe or airport, while a private home Wi-Fi network is usually protected by a password and controlled by the household. Public Wi-Fi can be risky because others on the network may try to view or steal information. - 11
You want to use a photo you found online in a school presentation. Describe two steps you should take before using it.
Online does not automatically mean free to copy.
You should check whether the photo is allowed to be reused and give credit to the creator or source. You can also look for images with a Creative Commons license or use photos you created yourself. - 12
A friend sends a rude comment about someone in a group chat and asks you to share it. What is a respectful and safe choice?
A respectful and safe choice is not to share the rude comment. You can tell your friend that spreading hurtful messages is not okay, support the person being targeted, and ask a trusted adult for help if needed. - 13
A website address looks almost like your school's website, but one letter is changed and it asks for your login. What should you do?
Fake websites often copy real websites but use slightly different addresses.
You should not enter your login information. You should close the page, check the web address carefully, and go to the official school website using a trusted link or by typing the correct address yourself. - 14
Explain why it is important to log out of your account when using a shared computer at school or a library.
It is important to log out because the next person could access your account, read private information, change settings, send messages, or delete work. Logging out helps protect your privacy and security. - 15
Create a short checklist with four rules for being a safe and ethical digital citizen.
Include both safety rules and respect rules.
A strong checklist should include rules such as keeping private information private, using strong passwords, checking links before clicking, treating others respectfully, giving credit for others' work, and asking a trusted adult for help when something feels unsafe.