CyberSmart! : Lesson Plans : Safety with Cyberpals

Safety with Cyberpals

Download Student Activity Sheet(s) for printout in PDF Format

Overview
Students learn that they can develop rewarding online relationships, but should never reveal private identity information to a person they know only in cyberspace.

Objectives

		Compare cyberpals and face-to-face friends, explaining that a cyberpal is still a stranger
		Recall that private information should not be given to anyone in cyberspace without permission of a parent or teacher

ISTE^® National Technology Standards

Performance Indicator # 3

Site Preview

No Internet site is used in this lesson.

Online Resources

Visit sites providing background information on Cyberpals.

Materials

Activity sheets (2)

Introduce

		Ask students to share their experiences chatting online.
		Discuss some differences between chatting (or instant messaging) with friends they know from school and people they have never met face to face.

Teach 1

		Distribute Activity Sheet 1.
		Have students complete the sheet and then share their responses. NOTE: Postpone discussion until students have read and applied the information on Activity Sheet 2.

Teach 2

		Distribute Activity Sheet 2.
		After students read "It's Okay to Chat," ask: Why might it be easier to share school problems with a cyberpal than a face-to-face friend? (It may be easier to share because cyberpals are not face to face and they don't have to worry about what the other kids in school will think.)
		After students read "Choose Chat Rooms Just for Kids," point out that monitors may also be called "hosts," or "moderators."
		After students read "A Cyberpal Is a Stranger," ask them if they have ever pretended to be someone they are not. Point out that cyberpals might pretend sometimes, too.

Teach 3

		Have students return to their responses on Activity Sheet 1 and make changes or additions.
		Discuss possible answers with students. (Safe responses for Sita: "I can't tell you. It wouldn't be safe," or "That's private. Let's not go there.") Students should also explain that a good response follows safety rules.

		Ask: How are cyberpals and face-to-face friends different? (Even when you share personal thoughts with a cyberpal, this person is still a stranger. You know face-to-face friends much better. Just seeing them in school or around your neighborhood gives you a lot of information about them.)
		Ask: What should you do when a cyberpal asks for private information? (Never give private information without first asking permission of a parent or guardian.)

Extend
The following activity can be added for students who completed this lesson in a previous grade.

Have students review the lesson and then form role-playing pairs. In each pair, one cyberpal asks for private information and the other cyberpal answers with creative, but safe, replies.