Playing With Privacy Lesson Plan

Level: Grades 7-8

About the Author: Matthew Johnson, Director of Education, MediaSmarts

Duration: 75 minutes

This lesson is part of USE, UNDERSTAND & CREATE: A Digital Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools.

Overview

In this lesson, students are introduced to the idea that their gaming experiences may compromise their personal information. Students consider the ways in which games may gather or solicit information about them and learn about tools which they can use to control their personal privacy, and then discuss the trade-offs between protecting their privacy and enjoying a full game experience. As a class, the students explore short scenarios designed to highlight the complexity of these trade-offs. Finally, in an optional evaluation task students assess a game on the basis of how much it compromises players' personal information and how well it permits them to take control of their personal privacy.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

• Identify the ways in which playing video games can compromise personal privacy
• Identify tools, habits and best practices that allow them to take greater control of their personal privacy
• Consider the tension between protecting personal privacy and enjoying a full gaming experience, and come to reasoned decisions on the topic
• Evaluate a game on the basis of how much it compromises players' personal privacy and how well it allows them to take control of their personal privacy

Home and School Connection

• Protecting your privacy on commercial websites
• Managing Video Game Playing in the Home
• Video Games and Your Family
• Cyber Security Consumer Tipsheet

Click here to download the Personal Information Avatar PowerPoint.

This lesson and all associated documents (handouts, overheads, backgrounders) are available in an easy-print, pdf kit version.