Level Up Digital Literacy Program for grades K-4

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.

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 the K-4 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (10 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the K-4 Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Ask your student: Do you know what “coding” means?
  3. 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.”
  4. 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)
  5. Show your student this video introduction to the lesson*.
  6. 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 a shape, like a square or triangle. 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 your shape.
  3. If the image you draw is not the one they picked, ask them to find the problems in their instructions.
  4. When the activity is complete, Say “You just gave me a list of steps to finish a task. That’s a computer program!”

Bonus Activity (30 minutes)

  1. Tell your student that they will now create their own project on Scratch.***
  2. Click on “Ideas” and complete a tutorial on Scratch. Allow your student to choose the tutorial.
  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 their 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 that everything that you post on the internet is permanent.

Preparation

  1. Watch the Digital Trail video
  2. Download the Digital Trail handout
  3. Open the K-4 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the K-4 Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. 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 Digital Trail video with your student.*
  2. Ask: “What information does Head suggest NOT sharing online? What information does Head think is okay to share online?”
  3. Say: “It’s important to be careful about your digital footprint. It is okay to share personal information online, but you should never share private information online.”
  4. Have your student compare Mizzle the Mouse to Electra the Elephant on the Digital Trail handout. Then help them answer the questions on the handout.**

Bonus Activity (5 minutes)

  1. Have your student draw a picture of something that is OK to share about themselves on the internet. Use the Big Blue Button or Zoom whiteboard, or have your student use a piece of paper.

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.

Standards
ISTE: 1a, 1d, 2d, 3d, 4a-c
Common Core ELA Grades K-2: RL.1, RL. 3, RL.4, RL.10, RI.1, RI.4, RI.10, RF.4, W.2, W.5, W.7, W.8, W.10, SL.1a, SL.1b, SL.2, SL.3, SL.4, SL.6, L.6

Adapted from Common Sense

Summary: Understand rights and responsibilities of creators and consumers.

Preparation:

  1. Download the Credit Checklist & Practice graphic 
  2. Download the Digital Citizens Report
  3. Download the Give Credit Pause & Think moment handout
  4. Open the K-4 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (10 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the K-4 Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Ask: “Imagine you entered an artwork competition at school, and your drawing won first place! Your artwork was hung up at school for everyone to see, but someone else’s name was on the art instead of yours. How would that make you feel?”
  3. Define credit as giving recognition to a person who created something. 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 (20 minutes)

  1. Show the Credit Checklist & Practice graphic* and explain that to give credit for the information they find online and want to use in schoolwork, they must include the following:
    – Author: A site might not always list an individual author, especially if many people helped to create the piece of work. In that case, students should list the name of the organization or group where the information came from. 
    – Title (the video, article, picture): This can usually be found above the information.
    – Website: Students can simply write the website URL and stop after top-level domain, such as .com, .org, or .edu. You can also have students link directly to the page where they found the information.
  2. Say: “Now that you know what information to include when giving credit, let’s practice finding it online!”
  3. Advance to the next slides and allow your student time to identify the three components (author, title, website).  Alternatively, you can explore different websites and have your students identify the three components based on the examples you present. 
  4. Display and have your student complete the Digital Citizens Report*

Bonus Activity (10 minutes)

  1. Display and have your student complete the Give Credit Pause & Think moment handout*

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.

Standards

ISTE: 1d,2b,2c,3a,3b,3c,3d,5b,6a,6b,6c,6d,7c,7d

Common Core ELA: 2nd Grade L1, L6, SL1, SL2, SL3, SL4, SL5, SL6, W2, W4, W7, W8, W9, W10

Adapted from Common Sense

Summary: Understand how to behave respectfully online

Preparation:

  1. Watch the Rings of Responsibility video, have the link ready
  2. Download the Rings of Responsibility graphic
  3. Download the Rings of Responsibility handout
  4. Open the K-4 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (5 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the K-4 Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.

Main Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Watch the Rings of Responsibility video with your student.* 
  2. Ask: “According to the video, how could throwing a bottle out of your window be similar to something you do online?” Clarify that littering is similar to doing something online because they both show how your actions affect not only you, but also your community and your world.
  3. Ask: “According to the video, what are the Rings of Responsibility?” Clarify that each ring represents a person or group you are responsible to (yourself, your community, and your world) and that being responsible to someone means that you think about how your actions will impact them.
  4. Show your student the Rings of Responsibility graphic.** Define the three rings:
    – Self: The center ring represents responsibilities you have to yourself, such as keeping yourself safe and healthy.
    – Community: The middle ring stands for responsibilities you have to your community, including the people you know and interact with on a regular basis. This can include both friends and family. But it can also include people you don’t know well, but with whom you interact with (e.g., grocery store clerks, a friend in an online gaming community, etc.).
    – World: The outer ring stands for your responsibilities to the larger world. This would include people you don’t know but whom your actions might affect.
  5. Ask your student for examples of their responsibilities to themselves, their community, and the world.
  6. Display the Rings of Responsibility handout** and have your student complete it. Take a screenshot when you’re done.
  7. Ask: “Have you ever heard the term ‘digital citizen’? What comes to mind when you hear that term?” Clarify that a digital citizen is someone who uses technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate. 
  8. Say: “As digital citizens, we have responsibilities to ourselves, our communities, and our world as we learn, create, and participate on the internet.”

Bonus Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Have your student share their screen with you and play Interland Kind Kingdom***

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,2a,2b,2c,2d,7a,7b,7c,7d

Common Core ELA:

3rd grade L4, L4d, L6, RF4a, RI 4, RI 7, RI10, SL1a, SL1b, SL1c, SL1d, SL3, SL4, SL6, W4, W10

Adapted from Common Sense

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 fruit images handout
  3. Open the K-4 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (15 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the K-4 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? Do you ever go on the internet? What kinds of things do you do? Or could you do?” Offer your own examples of how to use the internet: Watching funny videos, playing games, looking up facts for school, etc.
  3. Ask your student to draw a picture of the internet and explain it to you (either on the online classroom whiteboard or a piece of paper), 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?”

Main Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Have your student navigate to kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/* and find a picture and one fact about three different animals. Have them write down what they find on a piece of paper, Word Document, or Google Doc. Reflect with your student on which animals were harder to find and why.
  2. Use screen share to show your student the kid-friendly search engine kiddle.co* and demonstrate how keywords and search engines work. Show your student the difference in results when you type in “bear” vs. “sun bear.” Then, have your student try searching.
  3. Show your student the fruit images handout.** Prompt your student to come up with keywords to search in the search engine to find the names of the obscure fruits.

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 websites while remote tutoring, either share your screen with your student or have them share their screen with you.
    **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.

Standards
ISTE: 1d, 3a, 3c, 4b, 4c, 4d, 5a, 3c, 3d
Common Core ELA Grade 3: RI 5; Grades K-5: RI 7

Summary: Understand what it means to be a Digital Citizen, and stay safe  online.

Preparation

  1. Watch the  Digital Citizens video 
  2. Download the Pause and Think Moment handout
  3. Open the K-4 Digital Literacy Assessment form and fill out the first page

Introduction (10 minutes)

  1. Ask your student the pre-lesson question on the K-4 Digital Literacy Assessment form and mark their answer. You do not need to show your student the assessment.
  2. Ask: “Do you ever go on the internet? What kinds of things do you do?” Or could you do? Offer your own examples of how to use the internet: Watching funny videos, playing games, looking up facts for school, etc.
  3. Say: “Wow! There are so many amazing things we can do online. When we go online, it’s important to follow certain rules to make sure we have a good time.”
  4. Say: Today we’re going to listen to a song about a group of characters who pledge to travel safely when they go online. They are called the Digital Citizens!
  5. Define digital citizen as someone who uses technology safely and responsibly.

Main Activity (10 minutes)

  1. Watch the Digital Citizens video with your student*
  2. Ask: “What was one thing you learned from the Digital Citizens?” 
  3. Ask: “Why is it important to ask for permission before going online?” 
    Hint: It’s important to get permission from an adult, like your teacher or parent, before you go online so that they can know what you are doing. There are a lot of places to visit on the internet, and it’s important to ask permission so that they can suggest places to visit that are just right for you!
  4. Ask: “Why is it a good idea to set a time limit when using technology?”
    Hint: It’s a good idea to set a time limit so that you don’t end up spending too much time online that you miss out on other important things, like spending time with your friends and family, finishing homework, or getting enough sleep!
  5. Ask: Why shouldn’t you share your username or password with other people?
    Hint: It is considered private information and something you want to keep safe. Others could log in to your account and pretend to be you. You should only share it with trusted adults, like your teacher or parents.
  6. Ask: Why should you only talk to people you know online? 
    Hint: It’s important not to talk to strangers online, since they can be pretending to be someone they are not and you could get yourself in an unsafe situation. Only talk to people you’ve met face-to-face.
  7. Display and have your student complete the Pause and Think Moment handout**

Bonus Activity (20 minutes)

  1. Have your student brainstorm a list of ways they will behave responsibly online. Create a “Digital Citizen Pledge” using the online whiteboard, a Google Doc, or a piece of paper.

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.

Standards: 

ISTE: 1d, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 3d, 7c
Common Core ELA 2nd grade: L1, L6, SL2, SL3, SL4, SL5, W2, W4, W10

Adapted from Common Sense