Teaching Internet Safety Is The LAW!
Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois General Assembly have mandated that all public schools set aside instructional time each year (Grades 3-12) to teach students how to use the Internet safely. The resources linked at the top of this page can be used by teachers to satisfy this state requirement. District #205 teachers are not limited to using only these resources;others may be substituted to fit your curriculum. The selection of content used is left to the classroom teacher(s).
For more information about this requirement, please visit the Illinois State Board of Education's Internet Safety Curriculum page.
Visit the Illinois Attorney General's Stop Cyberbullying Website.
- Illinois Attorney General's Internet Safety Quiz for Parents "How Aware RU?"
- Illinois Attorney General's Online Safety Tips for Parents
- Illinois Attorney General's Online Safety Tips for Students
High Tech Crimes Bureau/Illinois Child Exploitation Task Force
Google and iKeepSafe have partnered to develop Be Internet Awesome, which has earned the Seal of Alignment , by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
- Play Interland
- Download the full Be Internet Awesome Digital Citizenship & Safety Curriculum Guide (PDF)
- View online resources & guidance
Google's Applied Digital Skills team has developed an Online Safety and Digital Well Being curriculum to help students learn how to stay safe online and use digital environments in healthier ways.
Middle School/Junior High Activities
Safe and responsible use of social networking, websites, chat rooms, electronic mail, bulletin boards, instant messaging, etc.
- Build Healthy Digital Habits, from Google's Applied Digital Skills Online Safety and Digital Well Being Curriculum
- Download and teach the "Safe Online Talk" lesson plan and activity worksheets.
- Download and teach the lesson plan (register at nsteens.org/Educators to download) for the NetSmartz video Attitude Overdrive. Read and discuss the list of "Stuff to Know".
- Download and learn more from NetSmartzwith the Student Project Kit
Recognizing, avoiding and reporting online solicitations by sexual predators
- Access Safe Online Talk, watch the videos and teach the accompanying lesson.
- Watch the NetSmartz video: Julie’s Journey (Watch Julie's Journey video). Download and teach the lesson activitiy pland for this video. (Register at nsteens.org/Educators to download)
- Watch the NetSmartz video: Amy’s Choice (Watch Amy's Choice video). Download and teach the lesson activitiy pland for this video. (Register at nsteens.org/Educators to download)
- Show students how to navigate the Cyber Tip Line website to report solicitation from a sexual predator (Do not actually submit! Explain to students that they take this information very, very seriously, like a 9-1-1 call.)
- Download the"Gender Stereotypes Online" lesson plan and activity worksheets.
Risks of transmitting personal information on the Internet
- Download the Manage Your Digital Reputation teacher handbook. Teach the three 45-minute lessons in the guide and watch the accompanying videos: Playing and Staying Safe Online and Staying Safe on YouTube.
- Download and teach the lesson plan (Register at nsteens.org/Educators to download) that accompanies the NetSmartz video "Profile Penalty". (embedded below)
- Download and teach the Private and Personal Information lesson plan and activity worksheets.
- Watch "6 Degrees of Information" (embedded below) and discuss with students.
Recognizing and avoiding unsolicited or deceptive online communication
- Teach Avoid Online Scams, from Google's Applied Digital Skills Online Safety and Digital Well-Being Curriculum
- Have the class take the SonicWall Phishing IQ test online to see if they know how to tell real email messages from phishing messages.
- Watch "Steering Clear of Cyber Tricks" and discuss.
Recognizing and reporting online harassment and cyberbullying
- Cyberbullying: Crossing the Line, from Common Sense Media. Download and teach the lesson lesson plan, which includes watching a brief video entitled Stacey's Story.
- What's Cyberbullying? from Common Sense Media. Download and teach the lesson plan.
- Download (Register at nsteens.org/Educators to download) and teach the lesson plan that accompanies the NetSmartz video Terrible tEXt.
- Read and discuss the list of "What to Report."
- Introduce the term "Cyberbullying" by watching and discussing the NetSmartz video: Cyberbullying
- Watch and discuss the NetSmartz video: You Can't Take It Back. Download and teach the activity plan for this video. (Register at nsteens.org/Educators to download)
- Watch and discuss the NetSmarz Video: Broken Friendship. Download and teach the activity plan for this video. (Register at nsteens.org/Educators to download)
- Download and teach the "Cyberbullying: Be Upstanding" lesson plan and activity worksheets.
- Take the quiz, "To Send of Not To Send" and discuss.
- Read Developing a Positive School Climate: Top Ten Tips to Prevent Bullying and Cyberbullying.
- Read & discuss, "Sexting: Advice for Teens"
- Download & discuss What to Report and Cyberbullying Unplugged from NS Kids.
Reporting illegal online activities and communications
- Read and discuss the list of What to Report
- View and discuss the CyberTip Hotline site. Explain/demonstrate how to submit a report. HOWEVER: Do not submit the report. Emphasize that this is taken very seriously, like a call to 9-1-1.
Understanding copyright laws on written materials, photographs, music and video
- Download and teach the "Rework, Reuse, Remix" lesson plan and activity worksheets.
- Download and teach the "How to Cite a Site" lesson plan and activity worksheets.