Grades 9 to 12 • Personal Health Series

Online Safety
It seems like teens are always connected via their phones and computers. It’s
KidsHealth.org/classroom
important that they understand that these technologies pose risks and require
responsibilities. These activities will encourage students to think critically
Teacher’s Guide about what it means to be safe online.

This guide includes: Related KidsHealth Links

• Standards
• Related Links Articles for Teens:
• Discussion Questions Online Safety
• Activities for Students TeensHealth.org/en/teens/internet-safety.html
• Reproducible Materials Protecting Your Online Identity and Reputation
TeensHealth.org/en/teens/online-id.html

Cyberbullying
TeensHealth.org/en/teens/cyberbullying.html
Standards
This guide correlates with Sexual Harassment and Sexual Bullying
the following National Health TeensHealth.org/en/teens/harassment.html
Education Standards: Should I Send My Boyfriend Naked Pictures?
TeensHealth.org/en/teens/sexting.html
Students will:
• Comprehend concepts related Technology: 5 Ways to Reboot Yourself
to health promotion and TeensHealth.org/en/teens/reboot.html
disease prevention to enhance
health. Texting on the Move
• Analyze the influence of TeensHealth.org/en/teens/texting.html
family, peers, culture, media,
technology, and other factors 5 Ways to Get Drivers to Stop Texting
on health behaviors. TeensHealth.org/en/teens/no-texting.html
• Demonstrate the ability to
access valid information and Repetitive Stress Injuries
products and services to TeensHealth.org/en/teens/rsi.html
enhance health.
• Demonstrate the ability to use
interpersonal communication Discussion Questions
skills to enhance health and
avoid or reduce health risks. Note: The following questions are written in language appropriate for sharing with
• Demonstrate the ability to your students.
use decision-making skills to
enhance health. 1. Going online and using the Internet can provide hours of entertainment and
• Demonstrate the ability to use a wealth of information ― as well as lots of potential problems with hackers,
goal-setting skills to enhance scammers, and predators. How can you enjoy being online while staying safe?
health.
What online problems and threats do you take most seriously?
• Demonstrate the ability to
practice health-enhancing
behaviors and avoid or reduce 2. What’s your “digital footprint”? What does it tell others about you?
health risks. Have you ever checked yours?
• Demonstrate the ability to
advocate for personal, family, 3. Think about the phrase “gone viral.” What does it say about the way things
and community health. spread online? What kind of news or information tends to spread the fastest?
National Health Education Why?
Standards:
http://www.cdc.gov/ 4. Would you say access to online chatting, the Internet, and texting are a right or
healthyschools/sher/standards/ a responsibility for teens (or both)? Why?
index.htm

© 2017 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. Reproduction permitted for individual classroom use.
 Grades 9 to 12 • Personal Health Series
Online Safety
Activities for Students
Note: The following activities are written in language appropriate for sharing with your students.

Digital Footprints

Objectives:
Students will:
• Think critically about their digital footprints
• Examine the power of words and context as they relate to online profiles

Materials:
• Teen magazines and scissors
• Word processing program, or pen or pencil and paper

Class Time:
• 45 minutes

Activity:
Matt applied for a job as a camp counselor. The interview seemed to go well, and he was confident he’d get the job.
But they never called back. Matt’s friend later told him that the camp director had searched Matt’s name and found
pictures of Matt at a wild party. The director said he didn’t feel comfortable hiring Matt. The irony is Matt was only
at that party for 15 minutes. He went there to pick up his friend who’d had too much to drink.

Angry posts, embarrassing photos, things a friend said about you as a joke — these are all part of your online
presence, also known as your digital footprint. Unfortunately, people (especially future employers) can use this
information to make decisions about you. Once this happens, you don’t get a chance to take things back or explain
the situation. To illustrate how one snapshot in time can be taken out of context, cut out a picture of people from
a teen magazine. Then make up two stories for the picture: one that paints the subjects in a positive light and one
that paints them in a negative light. If you came across that picture online, discuss how your opinion of these people
would be instantly influenced by what you read.

Extensions:
1. You’re a member of a new band called “Digital Footprints.” Write a song reminding people why they need
to be careful about what they put online.

2. Take stock of your own digital footprint. Remember this advice: If there’s anything online that you wouldn’t
want a parent to see, take it down.

© 2017 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. Reproduction permitted for individual classroom use.
 Grades 9 to 12 • Personal Health Series
Online Safety
Interview and Review

Objectives:
Students will:
• Think critically about online safety
• Interview peers about their online behavior

Materials:
• Word processing program
• Pen or pencil and paper

Class Time:
• 45 to 90 minutes

Activity:
In groups of three or four, students will take a turn posing one particular question about online safety to the other
students in the group; for example:
• “Have you ever done something online that you later regretted?”
• “What’s one rule about online safety that you always follow?”
• “What would you do if someone posted a terrible picture of you online?”
• “Would what you do if someone started sending you annoying text messages and wouldn’t stop?”
• “How have you adjusted the privacy settings on your Facebook page?”
• “How would you react if someone did something to make you feel uncomfortable online?”

Each student writes his or her question and the group’s responses, without names, on a sheet of paper. Then the
teacher collects the sheets and reads the most interesting questions and answers aloud to the class.

Extensions:
1. As a class, brainstorm a “do” list of online safety behaviors that you learned from this lesson.

2. As a class, brainstorm an anonymous “don’t do” list of regrettable online behaviors that classmates reported
during this lesson.

Reproducible Materials
Quiz: Online Safety
TeensHealth.org/classroom/9to12/personal/safety/online_safety_quiz.pdf

Answer Key: Online Safety

TeensHealth.org/classroom/9to12/personal/safety/online_safety_quiz_answers.pdf

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© 2017 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. Reproduction permitted for individual classroom use.
 Personal Health Series
Online Safety
Name: Date:

Quiz
Instructions: Answer each question.

1. Information you post about yourself online or via text messaging is your .

2. When you post a photo online, it stays there:

a) 6 months
b) 1 year
c) until you take it down
d) possibly forever — other people could have copied it

3. List three ways to protect your computer from viruses:

4. True or false: When you’re on social networking sites, using the site’s default privacy settings is OK ― you don’t need to
make them more private.

5. Name five things about yourself that you should not share online:

6. Identify and describe the type of repetitive stress injury you can get from typing or playing videogames.

7. If you're being cyberbullied and ignoring it doesn't make it stop, it might be a good idea to:
a) press the red button, launching a full-scale nuclear war against the cyberbully
b) throw away all smartphones, iPads, and computers
c) get help from a parent, school counselor, or other trusted adult

8. True or false: Virus protection software is a must for every computer.

9. True or false: It's OK to share your password with your BFF.

10.True or false: If you'd feel weird if your parent saw it, it's not a good thing to post.

© 2017 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. Reproduction permitted for individual classroom use.
 Personal Health Series
Online Safety

Quiz Answer Key

1. Information you post about yourself online or via text messaging is your digital footprint .

2. When you post a photo online, it stays there:

a) 6 months
b) 1 year
c) until you take it down
d) possibly forever — other people could have copied it

3. List three ways to protect your computer from viruses:

Install and frequently update anti-virus software; delete without opening emails with suspicious subject lines like “Funny
Video!!” or “See these pics!!”; delete without opening email attachments from anyone you don’t know

4. True or false: When you’re on social networking sites, using the site’s default privacy settings is OK ― you don’t need to
make them more private.

5. Name five things about yourself that you should not share online:
Any five of the following: full name, address, phone number, school name, age, birthday, location, email address, Social
Security number

6. Identify and describe the type of repetitive stress injury you can get from typing or playing videogames.
Carpal tunnel syndrome, in which swelling occurs inside a narrow “tunnel” formed by bone and ligament in the wrist. This
can cause pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the hand and wrist.

7. If you're being cyberbullied and ignoring it doesn't make it stop, it might be a good idea to:
a) press the red button, launching a full-scale nuclear war against the cyberbully
b) throw away all smartphones, iPads, and computers
c) get help from a parent, school counselor, or other trusted adult

8. True or false: Virus protection software is a must for every computer.

9. True or false: It's OK to share your password with your BFF.

10. True or false: If you'd feel weird if your parent saw it, it's not a good thing to post.

© 2017 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. Reproduction permitted for individual classroom use.