Level Up Digital Literacy Program for grades 5-8

Welcome to the Level Up Digital Literacy program! Before you begin, watch the training video on the main program page.

We define Digital Literacy as the essential skills students need to participate in digital spaces. Topics covered by the program include evaluating internet sources, composing documents, protecting personal data, and respectfully participating in online conversations.

Our students need digital literacy skills to succeed in school and in life. Research shows that our kids are not likely to get digital literacy education in school or have access to the internet or the devices they need to learn key technology skills.

The lessons in our program can be incorporated into your regular tutoring sessions and do not have to be done in order. Each lesson consists of a pre-session assessment, introductory discussion topic, a main activity, a post-assessment, and an optional bonus activity.

Review each lesson the day before your session. Download, review, and print handouts ahead of time. If you’re tutoring remotely, ask your site staff contact person or your student’s parent to print the handouts. Use the “Upload a Presentation” feature in Big Blue Button, or the screen share feature in Zoom, to display the handouts. When using websites or online programs, use screen-sharing to follow along with your student.

Start each lesson with the pre-lesson question in the assessment. The assessment form is the same for every lesson.

Ask your student which lessons they are interested in, and start with those. Don’t forget to have fun!

If you have any questions, please contact digitallearning [at] schoolonwheels.org.

Summary: Understand how to behave respectfully online.

Preparation

  1. Watch the Is it Cyberbullying? Video
  2. Download the Cyberbullying handout
  3. Open the 5-8 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Ask: “Is there a difference between joking, being mean, and bullying? What is it?”
  3. Ask: “Have you ever seen someone be mean to someone else online? How did it make you feel? How would you feel if someone was mean to you online?”
  4. Say: “Today, we’re going to watch a video that talks about these different behaviors, as well as another behavior called cyberbullying”

Main Activity (10 minutes)

  1. Watch the Is it Cyberbullying? video with your student.* Ask them: “Based on this video, what do you think the term cyberbullying means?”
  2. Ask:
    “Have you seen or experienced a situation involving bullying? What happened?”
    “Why do you think cyberbullying occurs?”
    “What are some ways you can respond to cyberbullying?”
    “What are some ways to be an upstander and not a bystander?”
  3. Have your student read and complete the Cyberbullying handout**

Bonus Activity (10 minutes)

  1. Say: Now we’re going to create an upstander card. 
  2. Say: Imagine you see a cyberbullying situation. You’re going to create a card to help stop it. 
    • The card can be for the target, the bully, or someone seeing the cyberbullying. 
    • It can give them advice, give them action steps, or just say something nice that will make them feel better.
    • It should be colorful and creative!
  3. Tell your student to use the whiteboard (on Big Blue Button or Zoom), or a piece of paper, to create the digital card.

Assessment/Closing (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the post-lesson questions on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and record their answers. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Save or screenshot any completed documents.

*To share videos while remote tutoring using Big Blue Button, use the “Share External Video” feature. If using Zoom, share your screen and select “Share Sound.”
**To share worksheets while remote tutoring using Big Blue Button, use the “Upload a Presentation” feature and the whiteboard tools. If using Zoom, use the Zoom whiteboard or screen sharing.

Adapted from Common Sense

Standards 
ISTE: 2b, 2a
Common Core ELA 5th grade: L4, L4c, L5c, L6, RF4, RF4a, RI4, RI7, RI10, SL1a, SL1b, SL1c, SL1d, SL4, SL5, SL6, W4, W10

Preparation

  1. Download the graph paper programming activity sheet
  2. Review these videos and decide which one to show your student:
    Asimo by Honda (3:58)
    Egg Drawing Robot (3:15)
    Dancing Lego Robot (1:35)
  3. Open and review the graph paper programming lesson video.
  4. Review these Scratch tutorial videos from Know How
  5. Open the 5-8 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (10 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Explain: “‘Coding’ means giving a computer a set of instructions needed to complete a task. Coding is what makes robots, computers, phones, and other machines work.”
  3. Show one of these videos to show what coding a robot can do*:
    Asimo by Honda (3:58)
    Egg Drawing Robot (3:15)
    Dancing Lego Robot (1:35)
  4. Show your student this video introduction to the lesson.
  5. Ask your student: “What are some ways that coding impacts your life? What are some things you could use coding to do?” Offer your own examples of ways you see coding in your own life, such as playing video games or using a computer at work/school.

Main Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Display the graph paper programming activity sheet.**
  2. Ask your student to pick an image on the activity sheet, without telling you what image they picked. Say: “Pretend that I am a robot.  I only understand the instructions ‘Move right,’ ‘move left,’ ‘move up, move down,’ and ‘color in square. Starting at the upper left-hand corner, you’re going to guide me, so I draw the image you picked.”
  3. Say: “The algorithm symbols will represent the directions – move right, move left, go up, go down, and color in square.”
  4. Tell your student to use the algorithm symbols to direct you to draw the image. If the image you draw is not the one they picked, ask them to find the problems in the code.
  5. When the activity is complete, Say “You just gave me a list of steps to finish a task. In programming, they call that an algorithm. Algorithms are great, because they are easy for you to understand as the programmer.”
  6. Direct student to complete one level on Code.org.*** Pick an activity according to your student’s grade and have them complete it. Remind your student to read the instructions and move slowly.

Bonus Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Tell your student that they will now create their own project on Scratch,*** using the skills they’ve learned through Code.org and the Scratch tutorial. 
  2. Click on “Ideas” and complete a tutorial on Scratch. Allow student to choose the tutorial.
    Optional: Watch some of these tutorial videos from Know How with your student for more help using Scratch.
  3. Then have your student create their own project. Ask your student what they want to create – a game, an animation, etc – and what their vision is for the project
  4. Allow your student to tinker with Scratch to create their project. Highlight moments where there are errors in the code they must correct. Note that you must create an account with an email address for your student to save their work.

Assessment/Closing (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the post-lesson questions on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and record their answers. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Save or screenshot any completed documents.

    *To share videos while remote tutoring using Big Blue Button, use the “Share External Video” feature. If using Zoom, share your screen and select “Share Sound.”
    **To share worksheets while remote tutoring using Big Blue Button, use the “Upload a Presentation” feature and the whiteboard tools. If using Zoom, use the Zoom whiteboard or screen sharing.
    ***To use online programs while remote tutoring, either share your screen with your student or have them share their screen with you.

Standards 

ISTE: 4d. 4c. 5a. 5d. 5c.

Summary: Understand rights and responsibilities of creators and consumers.

Preparation

  1. Download What’s Copyright handout.
  2. Download the  the Ask and Attribute slides
  3. Open the 5-8 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page.

Introduction (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Ask: What is a creator? Think about a time you created something.
  3. Ask: What about a time when you’ve used someone else’s creation online, like an image or a quote from an article?  
  4. Ask: How would it make you feel if someone posted your work online and said that they made it?
  5. Say: Just as you would like to get credit for the work that you do, it’s important that you give credit to others for the work they do. 

Main Activity (15 minutes)

  1. Ask: What is copyright? Brainstorm ideas on a Word or Google Doc. 
  2. Define copyright is a type of law that protects the things you create from being copied and used by others. Explain that when we create something, it’s automatically ours. We have protections in place to make sure others don’t use our work and say it’s theirs. This protection is called copyright.  
  3. Display and guide your student to complete the What’s Copyright handout.*
  4. Ask: Do you think copyright is important? Why does it matter who gets credit for something? 
  5. Emphasize that in addition to concrete benefits like money or fame, there is also fairness: If someone puts in the effort and time to create something, that person deserves to get the credit and have a say in how it gets used.

Bonus Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Ask: Let’s say you’re doing a report on the history of the World Cup. You search Google for images and find the perfect image of a crazily screaming fan you want to use in your report. How will you decide whether you can use it or not?
  2. Emphasize that before using any images, or anyone’s creative work of any kind, students should follow the practice “Ask and Attribute.”
  3. Display the Ask and Attribute slides (there are 2!)*
  4. Explain that to figure out what type of license an image has, they should Do a reverse image search to try to find the original creator of the image. If the photo has a regular copyright, email the creator to ask permission.
  5. Have your student visit PhotosforClass** to find a Creative Commons photo on a keyword of their choice. Have them download the photo and look at the attribution URL for the photo. Have them look up that attribution link to investigate what kind of copyright license the photo has. Have your student write up a short paragraph explaining their findings.

Assessment/Closing (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the post-lesson questions on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and record their answers. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Save or screenshot any completed documents.

    *To share documents while remote tutoring using Big Blue Button, use the “Upload a Presentation” feature and the whiteboard tools. If using Zoom, use the Zoom whiteboard or screen sharing.
    **To use websites while remote tutoring, either share your screen with your student or have them share their screen with you.

Adapted from Common Sense

Standards
ISTE: 2c, 6b
Common Core ELA 4th Grade: L4, L5, L6, RF4, RF4a, RI4, RI7, RI10, SL1a, SL1b, SL1c, SL1d, SL4, SL6, W4, W7, W8, W10

Summary: Understand that everything that you post on the internet is permanent.

Preparation

  1. Watch the Oversharing and your Digital Footprint video
  2. Prepare the Camila’s Footprint handout
  3. Check out the “Shaping Your Digital Footprint” module in Social Media Test Drive
  4. Check out the Digital Compass game
  5. Open the 5-8 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (10 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Ask your student: “Do you have social media? How do you use social media?”
  3. Ask: “How would you describe your experiences with social media, either for yourself or for people you know? Good, bad, or in the middle? Why?”
  4. Ask: “How do you know what to share online and what to keep private?”
  5. Explain to your student that everything they share online is permanent, and it’s important to be careful about what we share online and let people see. The things we share can affect us in the future – in school or in our jobs.

Main Activity (15 minutes)

  1. Watch the Oversharing and your Digital Footprint video with your student.* Ask for their thoughts.
  2. Display and have your student complete the Camila’s Footprint handout**
  3. Say: Camilla’s digital footprint tells us a lot about her, and it involves things that are both in and out of her control. Even if she tries to delete the activity, it will still be stored somewhere and be accessible to someone.

Bonus Activities (20-30 minutes)

  1. Have your student play the Digital Compass game***
  2. Play the Digital Footprint module in Social Media Test Drive***

Assessment/Closing (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the post-lesson questions on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and record their answers. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Save or screenshot any completed documents.

*To share videos while remote tutoring using Big Blue Button, use the “Share External Video” feature.If using Zoom, share your screen and select “Share Sound.”

**To share worksheets while remote tutoring using Big Blue Button, use the “Upload a Presentation” feature and the whiteboard tools. If using Zoom, use the Zoom whiteboard or screen sharing.

***To use online programs while remote tutoring, either share your screen with your student or have them share their screen with you.

Adapted from Common Sense

Standards
ISTE: 2b., 2a.
Common Core ELA 4th grade L4, L5, L6, RF4, RF.4a, RI4, RI7, RI10, SL1a, SL1b, SL1c, SL1d, SL4, SL6, W4, W10

Summary: Identify and avoid fake news, and know how to find reliable sources

Preparation

  1. Download the Mix and Match Parts of a News Site handout
  2. Download the example news article
  3. Open the 5-8 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Ask: “When you want to get the latest news, where do you look?” Students may say they get news from their parents, teachers, television, newspapers, etc. Define news as new information about recent or important events.
  3. Ask your student: “Have you ever seen something on the internet that turned out to be fake/not true? How did it make you feel when you found out it was fake?”
  4. Explain: It’s important to look closely at the information we see on the internet and make sure it’s credible or trustworthy, especially if we’re using that information for school or work.

Main Activity (25 minutes)

  1. Display the Mix and Match Parts of a News Site handout.* Define each term, and explain its purpose.
  2. Display the example news article* – ask your student to identify the different parts of the article (Headline, author, body text, etc). Point to the headline and ask: “What do you think the purpose of a headline in a news article is?”
  3. Explain that it’s important to know the difference between a news article and ads on a news site. Explain that the article gives us information, but ads are selling things and trying to make money.
  4. Have your student share their screen with you and visit allaboutexplorers.com (a website specifically designed with fake facts!)** and pick an explorer to research. Have your student read the entry on the explorer.
  5. Have your student look up the same explorer on kids.britannica.com.** Direct your student to find three differences in the facts on each site.
  6. Explain that when evaluating a website’s credibility, it’s important to look for other sources to back up the information. Explain that Kids Britannica is an example of a reliable website, and All About Explorers is an example of an unreliable website.
  7. Ask your student to write a reflection on how they will determine if information online is reliable or not. 

Bonus Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Have your student play the Digital Compass game***

Assessment/Closing (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the post-lesson questions on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and record their answers. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Save or screenshot any completed documents.

*To share videos while remote tutoring using Big Blue Button, use the “Share External Video” feature.If using Zoom, share your screen and select “Share Sound.”

**To share worksheets while remote tutoring using Big Blue Button, use the “Upload a Presentation” feature and the whiteboard tools. If using Zoom, use the Zoom whiteboard or screen sharing.

***To use online programs while remote tutoring, either share your screen with your student or have them share their screen with you.

Adapted from Common Sense & MediaSmarts

Standards
ISTE: 3b. 3c. 3d.
Common Core Grades 5-8: RI 5, RI 7

Summary: Use spreadsheet software to plan an imaginary event.

Preparation

  1. Brush up on:
  2. Open the 5-8 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Explain that a spreadsheet is a tool to organize and sort information, specifically in lists. Explain that you can also use a spreadsheet to add up numbers and do other types of math. Screen share and show your student an example of a spreadsheet.
  3. Ask your student to come up with three ways they could use a spreadsheet. Offer your own examples of ways they could use a spreadsheet: For a school project, to organize a to-do list, to create a budget.
  4. Explain to your student that they’ll be using Google Sheets to create a plan for their dream event.

Main Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Have your student create a document in Microsoft Word or Google Docs* and title it “Event Brainstorm.” Direct your student to write down ideas for an event or party. Make sure they come up with these details: Audience, Date, Time, Location, Cost.
  2. Use Comments feature to add 3 comments to brainstorm document using the – e.g. which ideas to use or not use, which to amend, etc.
  3. Show your student how to use spell check to check for errors in the document.
  4. Have your student create a spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets. Direct them to add columns for Tasks and Date. Then, have them list tasks that need to be done for the imaginary event in the Tasks column, with the date they need to be done in the Date column. Make sure they add at least 5 tasks with dates. 
  5. Show your student how to sort the tasks by date.
  6. Have your student finish by drawing a picture of their event on the online classroom whiteboard or a piece of paper, or writing a summary of the event.

Bonus Activity (10 minutes, multiple sessions)

  1. Brainstorm a multiple-choice question (i.e. do you prefer cats or dogs?). Tell your student to poll their classmates, family members, or others.
  2. Next session, put in the results to a spreadsheet
  3. Create a graph to represent the data.

Assessment/Closing (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the post-lesson questions on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and record their answers. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Save or screenshot any completed documents.

    *To use online programs while remote tutoring, either share your screen with your student or have them share their screen with you.

Standards
ISTE: 1c. 1d. 5b
Common Core grades 5-8: RI7

Summary: Use presentation software to present information.

Preparation

  1. Review the Google Slides tutorial video from Know How
  2. Brush up on:
  3. Open the 5-8 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (10 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Ask your student if they’ve made a powerpoint or Google Slides presentation before. Ask them to define what a presentation is.
  3. Explain that a presentation can be used to share information or make a point in an interesting way.
  4. Ask your student to come up with three ways they could use a digital presentation. Offer your own examples of ways they could use a presentation: For a school project, to present a business idea, etc.
  5. Explain to your student that they’ll be using Google Slides to create a digital presentation about their favorite things.
  6. Watch the Google Slides tutorial video with your student*
  7. Ask your student to pick a category for the presentation to be about: Their favorite food, favorite books, favorite TV shows, favorite places, favorite subjects, or another category!

Main Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Direct your student to create a new Google Slides presentation** with at least three slides. Show your student how to create different types of slides
  2. Direct your student to use the website photosforclass.com* to find copyright-free images of their favorite things.
  3. Direct your student to insert images of their favorite things. Have your student use the captions to describe the image, and explain why they like it.
  4. Have your student insert transitions between slides

Bonus Activity (1 hour)

  1. Complete the If-Then Adventure Story activity from Google Applied Digital Skills*

Assessment/Closing (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the post-lesson questions on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and record their answers. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Save or screenshot any completed documents.

    *To share videos while remote tutoring, use the “Share External Video” feature on Big Blue Button, or the screen share feature on Zoom.
    **To use online programs while remote tutoring, either share your screen with your student or have them share their screen with you.

Standards:
ISTE 1c. 1d.
Common Core Grades 5-8: W6, SL5, RL7

Summary: Understand how to keep private information secure, how to navigate privacy settings, and protect your data from websites.

Preparation

  1. Download the Strong Passwords Guidelines handout.
  2. Check out the Interland Tower of Treasure game.
  3. Open the 5-8 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Ask: Have you ever made a password for a website? How did you decide what the password would be? What do you use that website for?
  3. Explain: Hackers and scammers can steal our information and use it to damage our devices, our relationships, and our reputations. Protecting ourselves, our information, and our devices means doing simple, smart things like using screen locks on phones, being careful about putting personal info on unlocked devices that can be lost or stolen, and, above all, building strong passwords.
  4. Explain what makes a password strong. For example, use of numbers, capital letters, and special characters; and uncommon phrases.

Main Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Have your student create a few different strong passwords on the whiteboard. Display the Strong Passwords Guidelines handout,* or just discuss the main points of it with your student.
  2. Have your student screen share with you and then log into a website they use often (or demonstrate on one of your own – e.g. a temporary email account). Walk them through how to change privacy settings – changing a password, getting alerts if someone logs into your account from an unknown device, enabling two-factor authentication, and any other available privacy settings.
  3. Have your student share their screen with you and play the Interland Tower of Treasure game.**

Bonus Activity (15 minutes)

  1. Explain to your student that companies collect information about them based on their internet searches and social media habits in order to target ads to them.
  2. Review the Data Mining worksheet* with your student and have them complete Part 1. For Part 2, they can draw a picture of their product, use Google Drawings, or use another tool like Canva to create an image.

Assessment/Closing (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the post-lesson questions on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and record their answers. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Save or screenshot any completed documents.

    *To share worksheets while remote tutoring using Big Blue Button, use the “Upload a Presentation” feature and the whiteboard tools. If using Zoom, use the Zoom whiteboard or screen sharing.
    **To use online programs while remote tutoring, either share your screen with your student or have them share their screen with you.

Adapted from Common Sense and Google’s Be Internet Awesome

Standards: ISTE 2a. 2d.

Summary: Use word processing software to create a story

Preparation 

  1. Click here to make a copy of the “Story Brainstorm” document
  2. Brush up on:
  3. Open the 5-8 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Ask your student to define what they think word processing means. Explain that word processing is a way that we can write down, or type, things digitally.
  3. Ask your student: “What are some things you could use word processing for?” Come up with three things. Offer your own ideas – e.g. school paper, story, notes, etc.

Main Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Share the Story Brainstorm document with your student. Have your student fill it in with ideas for their adventure story. Then have your student write a short summary of what the story will be about in the summary box.
  2. Use formatting tools to change color and size, and bold, underline, and italicize the text.
  3. Use Comments feature to add 3 comments to brainstorm document – e.g. which ideas to use or not use, which to amend, etc.
  4. Have your student use spell check to check for errors.
  5. Encourage your student to write up the story on their own.

Bonus Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Have your student create a new document in either Google Docs (or Microsoft Word) and title it “Story Outline.” Use headings, bullet points, and/or numbered lists to create an outline of the story. There should be three parts to the story (Beginning, Middle, and End – not necessarily titled as such).

Assessment/Closing (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the post-lesson questions on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and record their answers. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Save or screenshot any completed documents.

Standards
ISTE: 1c. 1d.
Common Core ELA Grades 5-8: W5, W6, W10, L4

Summary: Break down what the internet is and learn how to use it.

Preparation

  1. Watch The Internet Explained and How The Internet Works videos. Decide which video to watch with your student.
  2. Download the Introducing search skills handout
  3. Download the Treasure Map Assignment
  4. Review the Safe Browsing video from Know How
  5. Open the 5-8 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (10 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Ask your student: “What is the internet? What kinds of things do you do on the internet? Or could you do?” Offer your own examples of how to use the internet: Watching funny videos, playing games, doing research for school, etc.
  3. Ask your student to draw a picture of the internet and explain it to you, or write a description of the internet on a Word Document, Google Doc, or piece of paper. 
  4. Ask your student to create a list of ways they use the internet most on a Word Document, Google Doc, or piece of paper.
  5. Ask your student to go to one of their favorite websites and share their screen with you. Ask them: “What is the purpose of the website? What do you like about it? What don’t you like? What’s useful about it?”
  6. Watch either or both of these videos with your student: The Internet Explained, How The Internet Works.* Discuss what you’ve learned and add write down notes.
  7. Watch the Safe Browsing video* from Know How. Discuss what you learned and write down notes.

Main Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Have your student share their screen with you and use Google (with Safe Search on) to search for a broad term, such as “cats.” Have your student make a list of all the unwanted or unrelated things they find (for example, you might come up with the musical instead of the animal) on a Google Doc or piece of paper. Point out if the search engine suggests additional terms.
  2. Have your student try the search again with different keywords. Write down the differences they come up with using different keywords. Use the Introducing search skills handout as a guide.**
  3. Using the directions on the Treasure Map Assignment,** direct your student to map out the steps they need to take to find the answer using the clues provided. (The answer is Sable Island).

Bonus Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Have your student pick a topic that interests them, use search skills to research the topic, use piktochart.com/*** to create an infographic on the topic.

Assessment/Closing (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the post-lesson questions on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and record their answers. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Save or screenshot any completed documents.

    *To share videos while remote tutoring using Big Blue Button, use the “Share External Video” feature. If using Zoom, share your screen and select “Share Sound.”
    **To share worksheets while remote tutoring using Big Blue Button, use the “Upload a Presentation” feature and the whiteboard tools. If using Zoom, use the Zoom whiteboard or screen sharing.
    ***To use online programs while remote tutoring, either share your screen with your student or have them share their screen with you.

Standards
ISTE: 1d., 3a., 3c., 4b., 4c., 4d., 5a., 3c., 3d.
Common Core Grades 5-8: RI 5, RI 7

Preparation

  1. Download the Printed Email Handout
  2. Download the You’ve Got Mail Handout
  3. Review the Writing a Good Email video from Know-How
  4. Open the 5-8 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Ask your student: “Have you ever sent an email? What do you use email for?”
  3. Explain to your student that an email is like a letter, except sent over the internet. 
  4. Ask your student: “What might you use email for?” Give your own examples, such as communicating with teachers or keeping in touch with friends.

Main Activity (15 minutes)

  1. Display the Printed Email Handout to identify the parts of an email.*
  2. Help your student create a Venn diagram with “Email” on one side and “Letter” on the other. Brainstorm similarities and differences.
  3. Use page 1 the You’ve Got Mail Handout* to identify key differences between Emails and Letters. Have your student circle the key parts of each.
  4. Watch the Writing a Good Email video** with your student
  5. Have you student complete page 2 of the You’ve Got Mail Handout to look for errors in the email. Have the student look for: a clear and specific subject line; a greeting, closing, and signature; proper capitalization; proper punctuation; and correct spelling.

Bonus Activity (10 minutes)

  1. Have your student send an email to a family member or teacher, using the best practices they’ve learned.***

Assessment/Closing (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the post-lesson questions on the Digital Literacy Assessment form and record their answers. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Save or screenshot any completed documents.

    *To share worksheets while remote tutoring using Big Blue Button, use the “Upload a Presentation” feature and the whiteboard tools. If using Zoom, use the Zoom whiteboard or screen sharing.
    ** To share videos while remote tutoring, use the “Share External Video” feature on Big Blue Button, or the screen share feature on Zoom.
    ***To use online programs while remote tutoring, either share your screen with your student or have them share their screen with you.

Adapted from Common Sense

Standards
ISTE: 6a 

Common Core Grades K-2: RL1, RL4, RI1, RI4, RI10, RF4, W2, W5, W7, W8, L6