Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: The Reality of Digital Drama (6 8)
Students discuss their impressions of peer drama, both online and as depicted on reality TV. Students compare and contrast two videos - one featuring a candid discussion between middle school students about online drama and the other...
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Trillion Dollar Footprint: Grades 6 8
Students learn that they have a digital footprint, which can be searched, shared, and seen by a large, invisible audience. They then learn that they can take some control over their digital footprint based on what they post online. They...
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Using Keywords (K 2)
[Free Registration/Login Required] 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 to meet their goals. Then they...
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: What's Cyberbullying? Grades 3 5
Students discuss positive and negative aspects of interacting with others online. They learn the definition of cyberbullying and help the teacher fill in a Venn diagram that compares in-person bullying with cyberbullying. They then read...
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: You've Won a Prize!: Grades 3 5
Young scholars learn what spam is, the forms it takes, and then identify strategies for dealing with it. They compare junk mail to spam, learn tips for handling spam safely, and use those tips to answer questions on the student handout...
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson: Super Digital Citizen: Grades 3 5
Students explore what it means to be responsible and respectful to their offline and online communities as a step toward learning how to be good digital citizens. Students create digital superheroes who exhibit exemplary attributes and...
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Sites I Like: K 2
Learners explore and evaluate an informational website for children. They discover that people's opinions about the quality and usefulness of a site will vary. As a class, students view a website and identify features that they like and...
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson: A Creator's Responsibilities: Grades 6 8
Middle schoolers reflect on their responsibilities as creators and users of creative work. Requires Adobe Reader.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson: Digital Life 101: Grades 6 8
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. Requires free membership.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson: Feeling on Display
Are girls and guys judged differently when they post photos online? Students explore the pressures many teen girls and boys face to keep up appearances online. PDF (requires Adobe Reader).
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson Plan: Powerful Passwords
Students learn the benefits of using passwords and then play a board game to discover some strategies for creating and keeping secure passwords. Requires free membership.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson: Safe Online Talk: Grades 6 8
While acknowledging the benefits of online talk and messaging, middle schoolers consider scenarios in which they may feel uncomfortable, or may encounter inappropriate behavior on the Internet. Requires free membership.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson: Writing Good Emails: K 2
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students explore the components of a well-written email.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson: The Key to Keywords: Grades 3 5
Students learn strategies to increase the accuracy of their keyword searches. They compare the number and kinds of sites obtained and make inferences about the effectiveness of the strategies. Free membership required.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson: Follow the Digital Trail: K 2
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. Free membership required.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson: My Online Community: K 2
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. Free membership required.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson: Power Words: Grades 4 5
Students consider that they may encounter online messages from other kids that can make them feel angry, hurt, sad, or fearful. They explore ways to handle cyberbullying and how to respond in the face of upsetting language online. Free...
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson: Show Respect Online (K 2)
Students explore the similarities and differences between in-person and online communications, and then learn how to write clear and respectful emails. Requires free membership.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Lesson: Sending Email: K 2 Grade
Young scholars explore how they can use email to communicate with real people within their schools, families, and communities. Requires free membership.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson: Talking Safely Online (Grades 3 5)
During the course of this lesson students learn that while people can develop rewarding friendships online, they should be cautious with online-only friends and never reveal private information without asking a parent or trusted adult...
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Lesson Plan: Unit 2: My Media: Grades 6 8
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. Requires free membership.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Selling Stereotypes Grades 3 5
Students are introduced to the concept of a stereotype, and they explore the messages they receive regarding differences between boys and girls. They watch and discuss a video of a little girl questioning why companies market boys' and...
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Character Development and Relationships in Hamlet
A lesson plan relating to Hamlet whose objective is to able to "analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text". Lesson includes a hook, direct instruction, guided practice, and...
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media: Education: Story Elements Retelling
For this lesson, students will learn to retell a story using story elements to improve their comprehension of the story. The students will actively listen to a story and complete a graphic organizer to share and discuss with a partner.