Warm-Up: Online Snapshot

Instructions: Think about your experiences online. In one word or a short phrase, complete one of the following sentences:

1. One thing I love doing online is...
   
   
   
2. One challenge I've faced online is...
   
   
   

Be ready to share your response with the class!

Activity: Choose Your Own Online Adventure

Instructions: In your groups, read the scenario assigned to you. Discuss the choices and their potential outcomes. Decide on the best course of action and be ready to explain why you chose it.

Scenario 1: The Misleading Share

The Dilemma: Your friend, Alex, posts a really funny meme on social media. You laugh, but then you notice it uses a screenshot from another student, Taylor, in a slightly embarrassing moment. Taylor probably wouldn't want this widely shared. Alex has a lot of followers, and the meme is already getting a lot of likes and comments.

Your Choices:

• A) Share it anyway! It's just a joke, and everyone else is sharing it. Taylor will probably laugh it off.
• B) Ignore it. It's not your post, so it's not your problem. You don't want to get involved.
• C) Privately message Alex. Let Alex know you think the post might embarrass Taylor and suggest taking it down or blurring Taylor's face.
• D) Publicly comment on the post. Tell Alex to take it down immediately because it's not cool.

Which choice will your group make and why? What are the potential consequences of each choice?

Scenario 2: The Online Gaming Drama

The Dilemma: You're playing your favorite online game with a group of people, some of whom you know from school and some you don't. One player, who you don't know well, starts using really aggressive and offensive language towards another player in the game chat. It's making the game uncomfortable for everyone, and you know this kind of behavior can ruin the fun.

Your Choices:

• A) Join in on the trash talk. You don't want to be seen as soft, and maybe the other player deserves it.
• B) Leave the game immediately. It's not worth the drama, and you can find another server.
• C) Report the player through the game's reporting system. This is what the system is for, and you don't have to confront them directly.
• D) Privately message the aggressive player. Ask them to calm down and remember it's just a game.

Which choice will your group make and why? What are the potential consequences of each choice?

Scenario 3: The Fake News Share

The Dilemma: You see a dramatic headline on your social media feed about a celebrity, claiming something shocking and unbelievable. It's from a news source you haven't heard of before, but it's being shared by a lot of people you follow. You feel tempted to share it because it's so interesting.

Your Choices:

• A) Share it immediately! It's so juicy, and everyone needs to know. You can always delete it later if it turns out to be false.
• B) Read the article and share it if it sounds believable. Trust your gut feeling after reading a bit.
• C) Do a quick fact-check. Look up the celebrity on reputable news sites or fact-checking websites to see if the story is confirmed.
• D) Publicly comment asking if anyone knows if this is true. Let others do the work of verifying for you.

Which choice will your group make and why? What are the potential consequences of each choice?

Scenario 4: The Pressure to Share Personal Info

The Dilemma: You've been chatting with someone new you met in an online forum for a hobby you both enjoy. They seem really cool and you have a lot in common. After a few days of chatting, they start asking for more personal information like your full name, your school, and even your address so they can

Discussion: Reflect and Share

Instructions: Let's discuss the scenarios and choices your groups made. Be ready to share your group's scenario, your chosen action, and your reasoning.

Group Presentations & Discussion Prompts:

1. Group Sharing:

   • Which scenario did your group work on?
   • What was the dilemma presented?
   • What choice did your group make, and why? What did you consider when making that decision?
   • What were some of the potential consequences (positive or negative) of your chosen action and the other options?

2. Class-wide Reflection:

   • Were there any scenarios where different groups chose different paths? What were the arguments for each?
   • What common themes did you notice across the different dilemmas? (e.g., privacy, respect, safety, truthfulness)
   • How can we use what we discussed today to make better decisions in our own online lives?
   • What does it mean to be a

Cool-Down: Digital Wisdom

Instructions: Take a moment to reflect on today's lesson and discussions. Complete the following sentence with one important takeaway or piece of advice you have for navigating the online world.

My one piece of Digital Wisdom for a safe and responsible online experience is...

Script: Digital Dilemmas - Navigating Online

Warm-Up: Online Snapshot (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning/afternoon, everyone! To kick things off today, let's do a quick 'Online Snapshot.' I want you to think about your experiences in the digital world. On a piece of paper, or in your notebooks, I want you to complete one of these two sentences in a word or short phrase. You can find these prompts on the screen or in your Warm-Up: Online Snapshot handout.

1. One thing I love doing online is...
   
2. One challenge I've faced online is...
   

I'll give you about two minutes to jot down your thought, then we'll quickly share a few." (Give students 2 minutes. Circulate and observe.)

Teacher: "Alright, who would like to share their 'online snapshot' with the class?" (Call on a few students. Listen for themes related to enjoyment and challenges.) "Thanks for sharing! It sounds like the internet offers a lot of cool opportunities, but also some tricky situations. That's exactly what we're going to talk about today."

Introduction & Setting the Stage (3 minutes)

Teacher: "Today, our mission is to become master navigators of the online world. We're going to explore what I call 'Digital Dilemmas.' These are those moments online where you're not quite sure what the right thing to do is, or where your choices could have bigger consequences than you think." (Advance to Digital Dilemmas: Navigating Online Slide Deck - Slide 1-2.)

Teacher: "By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to identify these dilemmas, analyze the consequences of different choices, and develop strategies for making really responsible and safe decisions online. We'll be doing a fun activity in groups, followed by a class discussion, and a quick reflection at the end."

Activity: Choose Your Own Online Adventure (15 minutes)

Teacher: "Now for the main event: 'Choose Your Own Online Adventure!' I'm going to divide you into small groups of 3-4 students. Each group will receive a scenario card from the Activity: Choose Your Own Online Adventure handout. This card describes a common, but tricky, online situation."

Teacher: "Your task in your group is to:

• Read the scenario carefully.
• Discuss the different choices presented.
• Think about the potential consequences of each choice – both good and bad, for yourselves and for others.
• Decide as a group which action is the best to take.
• Be prepared to justify your reasoning to the class. Why did you choose that path? What makes it the most responsible or safest option?" (Advance to Digital Dilemmas: Navigating Online Slide Deck - Slide 3.)

Teacher: "I'll give you about 10-12 minutes for this group discussion. Choose a note-taker to jot down your group's decision and reasoning. Any questions before we start?" (Address questions. Divide students into groups and distribute scenario cards. Circulate, listen, and offer guidance as needed.)

Discussion: Reflect and Share (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Alright, everyone, bring your attention back to the front. Great discussions happening out there! Now it's time to 'Reflect and Share.'" (Advance to Digital Dilemmas: Navigating Online Slide Deck - Slide 4.)

Teacher: "I'd like each group to briefly share their scenario and the decision they made. Tell us what your dilemma was, what choice you picked, and most importantly, why your group felt that was the best option. What were some of the potential consequences you considered?" *(Facilitate sharing. After each group, open it up for brief comments or alternative perspectives from other groups. Guide the discussion using the prompts from Discussion: Reflect and Share.)

Teacher: "That was fantastic. It's clear that online decisions aren't always black and white, and thinking through the consequences is key. What were some common themes you noticed across these dilemmas? (e.g., privacy, respect, safety, truthfulness)? How can we apply these lessons to our own daily online lives?"

Cool-Down: Digital Wisdom (2 minutes)

Teacher: "We're almost out of time, but before you go, I want to capture your learning. For our 'Digital Wisdom' cool-down, please take out your Cool-Down: Digital Wisdom handout or a small piece of paper."

Teacher: "On it, I want you to complete this sentence: My one piece of Digital Wisdom for a safe and responsible online experience is..." (Advance to Digital Dilemmas: Navigating Online Slide Deck - Slide 5.)

Teacher: "Think about everything we discussed today. What's the most important takeaway for you? You have about a minute to write this down. When you're done, you can use it as an exit ticket, or if you'd like, you can share it quickly with a partner." (Collect responses as an exit ticket or have a few volunteers share if time permits.)

Teacher: "Thank you all for an insightful discussion today. Remember to carry your digital wisdom with you as you navigate the online world!"