Level: Grades 7 to 8

Author: Matthew Johnson, Director of Education, MediaSmarts

This lesson was made possible with financial support from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

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

Overview

This lesson makes students aware of online privacy issues, primarily those relating to giving out personal information on social networking sites such as Facebook. Students will learn to assess the various types of information they provide in Facebook profiles, along with the different levels of access. They will examine the potential risks and consequences of posting personal information on the Internet, and become more aware of how to protect their privacy.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

• learn the risks associated with giving out personal information
• understand the possible consequences of posting photos, personal information and messages
• learn who can view their Facebook profiles
• understand the different levels of access
• learn how to use Facebook security to control who sees their profiles
• create a media product

Home and School Connection

• Protecting your privacy on commercial website
• Building Your Brand: Establishing a Positive Presence Online
• Think Before You Share

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