Lesson Plan for Ages 11-12

Practicing Digital Citizenship - Duration: 45-60 minutes

^{CIRA (Canadian Internet Registration Authority) offers a free cybersecurity tool called Canadian Shield, designed to help keep students, educators, and families safe online. The Shield is made for Canadians, by Canadians and aims to provide free cybersecurity protection for families and we think it's worth knowing about. CIRA created fun puzzles and games for students of all ages to encourage people to use this tool, and our team at Digital Moment created complete lesson plans around them.}

Learning Objectives

• Understand how malware, phishing, and data theft work

• Recognize the importance of privacy settings, personal data protection, and digital footprints

• Create an application icon and writing piece that promote online safety

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Materials Needed

• Teacher Laptop

• Projector/screen for demonstrations

• Presentation slides

• App Design & Persuasive Text Outline

• CIRA’s supporting material

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Lesson Activities

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

Quick Poll: Use online polling platform or simply have students raise hands and share

• How many hours per day do you spend online?

• Have you ever encountered something online that made you uncomfortable?

• Have you ever clicked on a suspicious link?

Discussion Opener:

• "You've grown up with technology - you're digital natives!"

• "But being online a lot doesn't automatically make us cyber smart"

• "Today we're going to level up your cyber skills and learn how to protect yourselves in the digital world"

Real-World Connection: Share a recent, age-appropriate news story about:

• A data breach affecting young people

• A successful phishing scam

• Cyberbullying consequences (Keep it informative, not fear-based)

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2. Understanding Online Threats Presentation (20 minutes)

Present to the class as a whole group, or have partners review the slide content together and discuss afterward.

Interactive Presentation

See Teacher's Notes Here: LINK