CyberSmart! : Lesson Plans : Can You Hack It?

Can You Hack It?

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

Overview
Students learn that computers and electronic files are property and explore the reasons for, consequences, and ethics of teen hacking.

Objectives

		Identify computers and electronic files as property
		Recognize unauthorized entering of computer systems as unethical and illegal
		Describe the effects of hacking on all involved

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 Computer Ethics.

Materials

Activity sheets (2)

Introduce

		Have students imagine they have heard a rumor about "mischief night," in which young teens go out after dark to damage property.
		Ask: What is wrong about this? Why might kids do it?

Teach 1

		Distribute Activity Sheet 1.
		Have students read and complete the page individually or in small groups. NOTE: Postpone discussion until students have read and completed Activity Sheet 2.

Teach 2

		Distribute Activity Sheet 2 and have students read and discuss all except the activity.
		Then have students revisit Activity Sheet 1 and make changes or additions.

Teach 3

		Conduct the activity on Activity Sheet 2.
		Explain that "peer court" is a way of keeping first-time juvenile offenders out of the juvenile justice system. It focuses less on the law and how teens broke it and more on the rights and wrongs of a person's actions. (Make sure students understand that teens who take this alternative route must first acknowledge that they broke the law.) Peer court roles are taken by volunteer high school students, except for that of the judge, who is a real judge. Members of the jury are permitted to question the defendants and others. Sentences cannot include jail time or fines, but may include writing assignments (such as letters of apology or research), restitution, attendance at workshops or counseling sessions, home restrictions, and community service.
		Make sure each student has a role in the mock peer court and then conduct the role play. Remind students to focus on the ethical decisions made by the defendants.

		Ask: To whom do the computers you connect to on the Internet belong?
		Ask: Why is it wrong to enter a computer without permission?
		Ask: How does hacking affect the computer owner?

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

Have students use search engines to find cases of "hacktivism," in which activists seeking to further a cause (for example, political or environmental) use the methods of hackers to enter computer systems. Discuss the ethics of breaking the law to help bring about a good result.