Youth and Media: Activities and Guides

Social Media TestDrive

Social Media TestDrive lets young people practice digital citizenship skills in a simulated, realistic social media environment. This interactive educational platform was created by the Cornell University Social Media Lab in collaboration with Common Sense Education.

Getting Kids to Take Online Safety Seriously

When internet safety is contextualized and personalized and provides students with an opportunity to create, apply, or synthesize higher-level ideas, the learning is far more profound than when the information is delivered by lecture. Edutopia.

Connect Safely

ConnectSafely.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating users of connected technology about safety, privacy, and security. This website provides research-based safety tips, parents' guidebooks, advice, news, and commentary on all aspects of tech use and policy.

Common Sense Media

The extensive resources offered on this website are designed to provide information, advice, and tools to help parents, educators, and policymakers "harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids' lives."

CyberWise

This comprehensive site offers digital literacy and online safety resources for both parents and educators.

StopBullying.gov: Cyberbullying

This section of a U.S. government website on bullying describes cyberbullying tactics and provides tips.

Digital Citizenship

This K-12 curriculum includes lesson plans, student digital interactives, and assessments, as well as professional development for teachers and materials for family education. Common Sense Education.

Be Internet Awesome

This curriculum gives educators the tools they need to teach digital safety and citizenship fundamentals. Google and iKeepSafe.

Google Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum

This middle school classroom curriculum can be used to teach what it means to be a responsible digital citizen. Google and iKeepSafe.

Digital Literacy Library

Find lesson plans to help young people develop skills needed to navigate the digital world, critically consume information, and responsibly produce and share content. Facebook and Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

PBS Lesson Plans: Media Literacy

PBS Newshour offers a library of lesson plans to help youth navigate the internet, spot misinformation, and do fact checking. Many of the lesson plans are accompanied by useful videos hosted by teen reporters.

Use, Understand, and Engage: A Digital Literacy Framework

What exactly is digital literacy, and how can we ensure that students are learning the digital skills they need? The Digital Literacy Framework offered here classifies competencies for digital literacy according to three principles: use, understand, and create. Media Smarts.

Center for Media Literacy

This website contains abundant resources for promoting media literacy education.

Project Look Sharp

Project Look Sharp is a media literacy initiative of Ithaca College that develops lesson plans, media materials, training, and support for the integration of media literacy with critical thinking into curricula.

Afterschool and STEM Learning

Afterschool programs play a major role in providing meaningful science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning experiences to youth. This collection of resources includes curriculum and activities, program profiles, funding ideas, publications, and webinars. Afterschool Alliance.

MIT App Inventor

MIT App Inventor is a beginner's introduction to programming and app creation that transforms coding language into visual, drag-and-drop building blocks. The project seeks to democratize software development by empowering all people, especially young people, to transition from being consumers of technology to becoming creators of it.

Scratch for Educators

Scratch is a programming language and online community where youth can program and share interactive media such as stories, games, and animation. Educators use Scratch in a variety of school and community settings for a range of grade levels. The Creative Computing Curriculum Guide provides plans and activities. MIT Media Lab.