Lesson Plan
Stay Safe Blueprint
Students will learn key digital safety rules through a quick quiz, slide-based exploration, scenario game, and self-reflection, enabling them to identify safe vs. risky online behaviors and commit to responsible digital citizenship.
In today’s connected world, 6th graders must build digital wellness skills to protect privacy, recognize online risks, and communicate safely across chats, social media, and games.
Audience
6th Grade Students
Time
40 minutes
Approach
Interactive quiz, slides, group game, and personal reflection.
Prep
Review Materials and Setup
10 minutes
- Queue up the True or False Safety Quiz for projection or printing
- Load the Online Safety Rules Slide Deck on the classroom screen
- Organize scenario cards or prompts for the Safety Scenario Showdown Game
- Print or ready digital copies of the Safety Self-Assessment for each student
- Check that projector, speakers, and any devices are working properly
Step 1
Warm-Up: True or False Quiz
5 minutes
- Distribute or project the statements from the True or False Safety Quiz
- Students mark each as true or false based on their online safety instincts
- Quickly review answers as a class, clarifying misconceptions
Step 2
Explore Digital Safety Rules
10 minutes
- Present the Online Safety Rules Slide Deck
- Highlight 4–5 core rules: protecting personal info, verifying friends, managing privacy settings, respectful communication
- Engage students with questions about when they’ve seen these rules online
Step 3
Safety Scenario Showdown Game
15 minutes
- Divide students into small teams and give each a set of scenario cards from the Safety Scenario Showdown Game
- Teams discuss whether each scenario is safe or risky and propose safer alternatives
- Rotate cards so every team tackles multiple scenarios
- Reconvene and have teams share one scenario and their response
Step 4
Safety Self-Assessment
5 minutes
- Hand out the Safety Self-Assessment worksheet
- Students reflect on their current online habits and rate their own safety practices
- Encourage honesty and note one area for improvement
Step 5
Closing Discussion & Digital Pledge
5 minutes
- Invite volunteers to share a key takeaway or a personal safety pledge
- Summarize the lesson’s core rules on the board
- Challenge students to practice one rule this week and report back next class
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Stay Safe Online: Key Safety Rules
Digital Safety for 6th Graders
Let’s learn how to protect ourselves and others when we’re online.
Welcome students! Today we’ll explore five key safety rules for chatting, gaming, and posting online. Use this slide deck to guide our conversation and feel free to share your own experiences.
1. Protect Your Personal Information
• Never share your full name, address, phone number, or school name
• Keep passwords and login info to yourself
• Think twice before posting photos that reveal personal details
Explain that personal information is like a treasure. Ask: What details do you think are too private to share?
2. Verify Your Friends
• Only accept requests from people you actually know
• Check with a parent or trusted adult if you’re not sure
• Be cautious of fake profiles or bots
Discuss ‘stranger danger’ online. Prompt: What would you do if someone you don’t know sends you a friend request?
3. Manage Your Privacy Settings
• Control who sees your posts and profile
• Turn off location sharing in apps
• Review and update settings regularly
Show a screenshot of a privacy menu (optional). Encourage students to share if they’ve adjusted settings before.
4. Respectful Communication
• Think before you type—keep it kind and respectful
• Avoid sending hurtful messages or rumors
• Remember your digital footprint lasts forever
Emphasize the golden rule applies online. Ask: Have you ever seen cyberbullying? How could better communication help?
5. Spot Signs of Scams & Fake Content
• Be suspicious of messages saying “Click now!” or “You won!”
• Look for spelling mistakes or odd links
• When in doubt, ask a trusted adult and report the sender
Explain that scammers often use urgency. Share a brief example of a phishing message.
Recap & Discussion
• Protect personal info
• Verify friends
• Manage privacy settings
• Communicate respectfully
• Spot scams and fakes
Which rule matters most to you?
Summarize the five rules and open the floor for questions. Prompt: Which rule will you use most often?
Game
Safety Scenario Showdown Game
Divide students into small teams. Each team receives a set of scenario cards. For each scenario, they decide whether it’s safe or risky, explain why, and propose a safer alternative if needed. Then they discuss guided questions.
Scenario Cards
- Stranger Friend Request
• Scenario: You get a friend request on a social media app from someone you don’t recognize.
Is it safe? No
Explanation: Accepting unknown requests can expose personal information to strangers.
Safer Alternative: Ignore or decline the request and report if the profile seems fake.
Discussion Questions:- What clues might show the profile is fake?
- Who could you ask before making a decision?
- Location-Tagged Photo
• Scenario: You just took a photo at your favorite park and want to post it with an automatic location tag turned on.
Is it safe? No
Explanation: Location tags share your real-time whereabouts with everyone who sees the post.
Safer Alternative: Turn off location tagging or post the photo later without the location.
Discussion Questions:- What could happen if someone knows exactly where you are?
- How can privacy settings help?
- Password Share
• Scenario: A friend asks you to share your gaming account password so they can borrow it for a tournament.
Is it safe? No
Explanation: Sharing passwords risks account theft and misuse of personal data.
Safer Alternative: Offer to play together on your device or set up a guest profile.
Discussion Questions:- Why is it important to keep passwords private?
- What could happen if someone changes your settings?
- Phishing Link
• Scenario: You receive a message claiming you won a gift card and it includes a link to claim it.
Is it safe? No
Explanation: Phishing links can install malware or steal personal information.
Safer Alternative: Don’t click the link; delete the message and ask a trusted adult.
Discussion Questions:- What signs tip you off that it’s a scam?
- How would you verify a message’s legitimacy?
- Privacy Settings Update
• Scenario: You adjust your social media privacy settings so only friends can see your posts.
Is it safe? Yes
Explanation: Limiting your audience helps protect personal info from strangers.
Next Step: Review these settings regularly, especially after app updates.
Discussion Questions:- Which settings did you change first?
- How often should you check these settings?
- Cyberbullying Chat
• Scenario: You see classmates making fun of another student in a group chat.
Is it safe? No
Explanation: Participating in or ignoring cyberbullying can harm peers and get you in trouble.
Safer Alternative: Speak up kindly, defend the student, or report the behavior to an adult.
Discussion Questions:- How does cyberbullying affect people differently than face-to-face bullying?
- What are good ways to support someone being bullied?
- Birthday Quiz
• Scenario: An online quiz asks for your full birthday to see which character you are.
Is it safe? No
Explanation: Birthdays are often used in security questions for accounts.
Safer Alternative: Skip personal questions or give fake answers that aren’t your real data.
Discussion Questions:- What other personal facts should you guard carefully?
- When might it be okay to share certain personal details?
Warm Up
True or False Safety Quiz
Read each statement below. Mark T for True or F for False next to each.
- It’s safe to share your full birthday in an online quiz to see which character you are. ______
- You should accept social media friend requests only from people you know in real life. ______
- Turning off location sharing before posting a photo helps protect your privacy. ______
- Sharing your gaming account password with a friend is an okay way to let them join your game. ______
- If you receive a message claiming you won a gift card, it’s fine to click the link to claim it immediately. ______
- Thinking before you type and using respectful language online is important because your digital footprint lasts forever. ______
Cool Down
Safety Self-Assessment
Rate Your Online Safety Habits
For each statement below, circle the number that best describes you:
| Statement | 1 (Not at All) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (Always) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I protect my personal information (name, address, etc.) online | O | O | O | O | O |
| I only accept friend requests from people I know | O | O | O | O | O |
| I regularly review and update my privacy settings | O | O | O | O | O |
| I communicate respectfully and kindly in chats and posts | O | O | O | O | O |
| I can spot and avoid suspicious messages or scams | O | O | O | O | O |
Reflection
Which one habit will you focus on improving this week?
My Digital Safety Pledge
I pledge to:
Teacher: Collect these at the end of class and revisit pledges next session to celebrate progress!