Lesson Plan
Ripple Effect Lesson Plan
In this 30-minute lesson, students analyze an online scenario to map at least three short- and long-term consequences and understand how digital choices impact trustworthiness.
Helping students recognize the real-world impact of their digital footprint promotes responsible decision-making and integrity online, crucial for digital citizenship.
Audience
9th Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Case study, collaborative mapping, and personal reflection.
Materials
Prep
Prepare Materials
5 minutes
- Print or upload copies of the Consequence Map
- Review the Ripple Effect Scenario Guide
- Familiarize yourself with the Scenario Narration Script
- Open the Choices & Consequences Slides and queue slide 1
Step 1
Hook: Viral Tweet Case Study
5 minutes
- Project the first slide of the Choices & Consequences Slides showing the viral tweet scenario
- Read aloud the context from the Scenario Narration Script
- Ask: “What short-term reactions might this post provoke? What long-term impacts could arise?”
- Assessment: Note students’ initial predictions
- Differentiation: Provide visual aids for ELLs
Step 2
Teach: Integrity & Trust
7 minutes
- Define “integrity” and “trustworthiness” with slide definitions
- Discuss examples of digital decisions that build or erode trust
- Pair students to generate one example each
- Assessment: Listen for accurate use of key terms
- Differentiation: Offer sentence stems (e.g., “When I post…, I show integrity by…”)
Step 3
Group Work: Consequence Mapping
8 minutes
- Divide students into groups of 3–4 and distribute the Consequence Map
- Instruct groups to map at least three short-term and three long-term consequences of the viral tweet choice
- Circulate to guide thinking and prompt deeper connections
- Assessment: Review maps for completeness and logic
- Differentiation: Assign roles (scribe, reporter, timekeeper) to support structure
Step 4
Share-Out: Gallery Walk
5 minutes
- Post each group’s map around the room
- Students walk gallery-style adding one sticky-note comment to two maps
- Groups review feedback and highlight the most insightful connection
- Assessment: Observe quality of peer feedback
- Differentiation: Allow written or verbal feedback options
Step 5
Commit: Personal Digital Pledge
5 minutes
- Invite students to write a one-sentence pledge on how they will uphold integrity online
- Prompt: “I pledge to… to build trust in digital spaces.”
- Collect pledges as a formative assessment
- Differentiation: Permit drawings or voice recordings for students needing alternative expression
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Slide Deck
Choices & Consequences
The Ripple Effect of Digital Decisions
9th Grade • 30 minutes
Welcome students. Introduce today’s focus: how our online choices can trigger ripple effects that impact trust and integrity. Preview the lesson steps: scenario analysis, defining terms, mapping consequences, sharing insights, and crafting a personal pledge.
Viral Tweet Scenario
“I can’t believe how lazy Jordan is. 🙄”
– Screenshot of a private DM, shared publicly
– 500+ retweets in 3 hours
What short-term reactions might this post provoke? What long-term impacts could arise?
Display the tweet scenario. Read aloud: “Yesterday, a private message calling a classmate ‘lazy’ was screenshot and shared publicly. Within hours it was retweeted 500 times.” Ask students to imagine they’re the sender. What happened? Prompt initial reactions.
Key Terms: Integrity & Trustworthiness
Integrity: Doing the right thing online—even when no one is watching.
Trustworthiness: Being reliable, honest, and respectful in digital interactions.
Define the two key terms on screen. Emphasize integrity as acting consistently with values, and trustworthiness as being reliable and honest online. Invite volunteers to restate each definition in their own words.
Building vs. Eroding Trust Online
Building Trust:
• Citing sources when sharing facts
• Apologizing publicly for a mistaken post
Eroding Trust:
• Spreading rumors without verification
• Editing photos to mislead peers
Review examples aloud. Ask pairs to think of one additional example of a digital action that builds trust and one that erodes trust. Invite a few pairs to share out.
Group Activity: Consequence Mapping
• In groups of 3–4, use your Consequence Map worksheet
• Map ≥3 short-term consequences (days–weeks)
• Map ≥3 long-term consequences (months–years)
• Consider effects on trust, reputation, relationships
Explain group work: each group uses the Consequence Map worksheet to list at least three short-term and three long-term consequences of the viral tweet scenario. Encourage specificity (emotional, social, academic). Circulate to support.
Share-Out: Gallery Walk
- Post maps around the room
- Add one sticky-note comment to two maps
- Groups review feedback and highlight the most insightful connection
Organize the Gallery Walk: post each group’s map. Students add one sticky note comment to two maps—positive insight or suggestion. After 2 minutes, groups review feedback and identify their strongest observation.
Commit: Your Digital Pledge
“I pledge to ____________________
so that I build trust and show integrity in digital spaces.”
Invite students to write a one-sentence pledge on index cards or sticky notes. Collect pledges as formative assessment. Offer drawing or voice-recording options if students need alternative expression.
Script
Scenario Narration Script
Segment 1: Project & Context
Teacher: “Alright, everyone—please turn your attention to the screen. We’re going to start with a real-life scenario that shows how a private choice can quickly become a public ripple. Take a moment to read the tweet in front of you.”
Segment 2: Read the Scenario Aloud
Teacher (slow, clear): “Imagine you and a classmate named Jordan have been working on a big project together. Late last night, another student, Sam, sent Jordan a private direct message. In that message Sam said, ‘I can’t believe how lazy Jordan is. 🙄 This is all falling on me.’ Sam thought Jordan would never see it, since it was private. But early this morning, someone screenshotted Sam’s message and posted it to Twitter, quoting exactly: ‘I can’t believe how lazy Jordan is. 🙄’ Within three hours, it was retweeted more than 500 times.”
Segment 3: Pause & Think
Teacher (hands raised to signal think time): “I want everyone to close their eyes for a second and imagine you are Jordan. What might you feel in that first hour after seeing this post? What might your friends say or do?”
Wait 10–15 seconds.
Segment 4: Turn & Talk—Short-Term Impacts
Teacher: “Turn to a partner and share one short-term reaction Jordan might have. Use a sentence starter: ‘In the next few hours, Jordan might feel…’ You have 45 seconds.”
Segment 5: Whole-Class Share—Short-Term
Teacher: “Who would like to share one thing their partner said? What short-term consequence did you discuss?”
- Possible student answers: feeling embarrassed, anxiety, classmates teasing.
Teacher (follow-up): “Tell me more about why that would matter in the first day or two.”
Segment 6: Turn & Talk—Long-Term Impacts
Teacher: “Now, let’s think bigger. Turn back to your partner and finish this prompt: ‘In the weeks or months ahead, Jordan could experience…’ Talk for 30 seconds.”
Segment 7: Whole-Class Share—Long-Term
Teacher: “Share one long-term impact you discussed. Remember: long-term could mean weeks, months, or even years.”
- Possible answers: damaged reputation, lost trust from classmates, college admissions concerns.
Teacher (follow-up): “Good—how might that affect Jordan’s ability to work with others in the future?”
Segment 8: Transition to Definitions
Teacher: “Thanks for these thoughtful answers. Notice how our short-term reactions connect to feelings and immediate gossip, while long-term effects tie into reputation and trust. That brings us to two key ideas: integrity and trustworthiness. In the next section, we’ll define those terms and see how our digital actions either build or erode them.”
Worksheet
Consequence Map
Scenario
“I can’t believe how lazy Jordan is. 🙄”
• A private DM was screenshotted and shared publicly
• Retweeted 500+ times in 3 hours
Short-Term Consequences (Days – Weeks)
Consider emotional, social, and academic impacts.
Long-Term Consequences (Months – Years)
Think about reputation, relationships, and future opportunities.
Reflection
How might these consequences affect Jordan’s trustworthiness and reputation in digital spaces?