Plumas Lake Elementary School District

About This Section:
In 2008, the Federal Government signed into law legislation requiring elementary and secondary school districts with Internet access to provide Internet safety education in order to receive federal funding through the E-Rate Program for Internet service. E-rate is a federal program designed to bring Internet connectivity and telecommunications into schools. 

Plumas Lake has selected Common Sense Media's E-rate and CIPA Toolkit for Teachers & Administrators. In addition to beingfree for educational use, Common Sense's selection of lessons are engaging, practical, and effective.

Below are the designated lessons arranged by grade level. Each lesson is approximately 45-60 minutes in duration. Complete lesson plans and materials are provided. Most are direct instruction with discussion. You may download and print material as needed however YOU MUST CREATE AN ACCOUNT with commonsensemedia.  We strongly suggest previewing the material prior to using it with your students.

All grade level icons and lesson descriptions are reproductions of the Common Sense Media materials.

Grades Kinder - 2

Unit Category Title Description
1
Going Places Safely Students learn that they can go to exciting places online, but they need to follow certain rules to remain safe.
A-B-C Searching Students search for pictures online by clicking on letters of the alphabet. They learn that directory sites with alphabetical listings offer one way to find things on the Internet.
Keep It Private Students learn that many websites ask for information that is private and discuss how to responsibly handle such requests.
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My Creative Work Students are introduced to the concept of having ownership over creative work. They practice putting their name and date on something they produce.
Sending Email Students explore how they can use email to communicate with real people within their schools, families, and communities.
UNIT 1 ASSESSMENT - Check out this student-facing, interactive, summative assessment.
2
Staying Safe Online Students understand that they should stay safe online by choosing websites that are good for them to visit, and avoid sites that are not appropriate for them.
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Follow the Digital Trail Students learn that the information they put online leaves a digital footprint or “trail.” This trail can be big or small, helpful or hurtful, depending on how they manage it.
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Screen Out the Mean Students learn that children sometimes can act like bullies when they are online. They explore what cyberbullying means and what they can do when they encounter it.
Using Keywords Students understand that keyword searching is an effective way to locate information on the Internet. They learn how to select keywords to produce the best search results.
Sites I Like Students discuss criteria for rating informational websites and apply them to an assigned site. Students learn that all websites are not equally good sources of information.
UNIT 2 ASSESSMENT - Check out this student-facing, interactive, summative assessment.
3
Powerful Passwords Students explore reasons why people use passwords, learn the benefits of using passwords, and discover strategies for creating and keeping strong, secure passwords.
My Online Community Students explore the concept that people can connect with one another through the Internet. They understand how the ability for people to communicate online can unite a community.
Things for Sale Students examine product websites and understand that the purpose of the site is to encourage buying the product. Students learn methods used to promote products on these sites.
Show Respect Online Students explore the similarities and differences between in-person and online communications, and then learn how to write clear and respectful messages.
Writing Good Emails Students learn how to communicate effectively by email, taking into account the purpose and audience of their message, and the tone they want to convey.
UNIT 3 ASSESSMENT - Check out this student-facing, interactive, summative assessment.

Grades 3 - 5
Unit Category Title Description
1
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Rings of Responsibility Students explore what it means to be responsible to and respectful of their offline and online communities as a way to learn how to be good digital citizens.
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Private and Personal Information How can you protect yourself from online identity theft? Students think critically about the information they share online.
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The Power of Words Students consider that they may get online messages from other kids that can make them feel angry, hurt, sad, or fearful. Students identify actions that will make them Upstanders in the face of cyberbullying.
The Key to Keywords Students learn strategies to increase the accuracy of their keyword searches and make inferences about the effectiveness of the strategies.
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Whose Is It, Anyway? Students learn that copying the work of others and presenting it as one’s own is called plagiarism. They also learn about when and how it's ok to use the work of others.
UNIT 1 ASSESSMENT - Check out this student-facing, interactive, summative assessment.
2
Strong Passwords Students learn how to create secure passwords in order to protect their private information and accounts online.
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Digital Citizenship Pledge Students work together to outline common expectations in order to build a strong digital citizenship community. Each member of the class signs a We the Digital Citizens Pledge.
You've Won a Prize! Students learn what spam is, the forms it takes, and then identify strategies for dealing with it.
How to Cite a Site Students reflect on the importance of citing all sources when they do research. They then learn how to write bibliographical citations for online sources.
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Picture Perfect Students learn how photos can be altered digitally. They will consider the creative upsides of photo alteration, as well as its power to distort our perceptions of beauty and health.
UNIT 2 ASSESSMENT - Check out this student-facing, interactive, summative assessment.
3
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Talking Safely Online Students learn that the Internet is a great place to develop rewarding relationships. But they also learn not to reveal private information to a person they know only online.
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Super Digital Citizen Students explore Spider-Man's motto, "with great power comes great responsibility" through the lens of digital citizenship. They create comic strips show a digital superhero who witnesses an act of poor digital citizenship, and then helps resolve it.
Privacy Rules Students learn that children’s websites must protect their private information. They learn to identify these secure sites by looking for their privacy policies and privacy seals of approval.
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What's Cyberbullying? Students explore how it feels to be cyberbullied, how cyberbullying is similar to or different than in-person bullying, and learn strategies for handling cyberbullying when it arises.
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Selling Stereotypes Students explore how the media can play a powerful role in shaping our ideas about girls and boys. They practice identifying messages about gender roles in two online activity zones for kids.
UNIT 3 ASSESSMENT - Check out this student-facing, interactive, summative assessment.

Grades 6 - 8
Unit Category Title Description
1
Digital Life 101 Students are introduced to the 24/7, social nature of digital media and technologies, and gain basic vocabulary and knowledge for discussing the media landscape.
Strategic Searching Students learn that to conduct effective and efficient online searches, they must use a variety of searching strategies.
Scams and Schemes Students learn strategies for guarding against identity theft and scams that try to access their private information online.
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Cyberbullying: Be Upstanding Students learn about the difference between being a passive bystander versus a brave upstander in cyberbullying situations.
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A Creator's Rights Students are introduced to copyright, fair use, and the rights they have as creators.
UNIT 1 ASSESSMENT - Check out this student-facing, interactive, summative assessment.
2
My Media Students review their media habits and the array of media they use on a weekly basis, and reflect on the role of digital media in their lives.
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A Creator's Responsibilities Students reflect on their responsibilities as creators and users of creative work.
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Safe Online Talk While acknowledging the benefits of online talk and messaging, students learn how to handle situations or online behavior which may make them feel uncomfortable.
Which Me Should I Be? Students learn that presenting themselves in different ways online carries both benefits and risks.
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Gender Stereotypes Online Students analyze a "Dress Up Your Avatar" feature of a virtual world for kids for evidence of stereotypes about boys and girls. style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
UNIT 2 ASSESSMENT - Check out this student-facing, interactive, summative assessment.
3
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Trillion Dollar Footprint Students learn that they have a digital footprint and that this information can be searched, copied and passed on, but that they can take some control based on what they post online.
Identifying High-Quality Sites Students learn that anyone can publish on the Web, so not all sites are equally trustworthy.
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The Reality of Digital Drama Students draw connections between young teens’ perceptions of digital drama and stereotypes of men and women on reality TV.
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Cyberbullying: Crossing the Line Students learn to distinguish good-natured teasing from cyberbullying.
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Rework, Reuse, Remix Students expand their understanding of fair use, apply it to case studies, and create an original work of fair use.
UNIT 3 ASSESSMENT - Check out this student-facing, interactive, summative assessment.