Introduction to Online Community Engagement

Students often feel detached from the political arena, and this lesson plan we have designed is to help inspire curiosity and action with your secondary students due to the very real connection between early civic engagement and citizens that are active and engaged with politics for their lifetime.

Students are introduced to civic education through a series of activities which will ask them to work together to engage with their larger communities through curiosity, conversation and creation. Current events happening at the neighbourhood, municipal or federal level will act as starting points for each activity.

Data Defenders: Understanding data collection online

In this lesson, students explore the concepts relating to data collection that are introduced in the educational game Data Defenders. The lesson will underscore for students the idea that their data is valuable and worthy of careful management by analyzing the platforms, applications and websites they use through the lens of the five privacy tools (which address the five principal ways data is collected online) introduced in Data Defenders. Finally, students consider how to apply these tools to their own online activities.

Outcome Chart - Alberta - Social Studies 30-2 - Grade 12

This outcome chart contains Media literacy learning expectations from the Alberta social studies curriculum, with links to supporting resources on the MediaSmarts site.

Dimensions of Thinking

S.1 develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking:

Outcome Chart - Manitoba - Visual Arts 5-8

Outcome Chart - Manitoba - Visual Arts 5-8

Manitoba - Introduction to Broadcast Media Technology 10

Goal 3: Demonstrate an understanding of broadcasting theory and media literacy

GLO 3.1: Demonstrate an understanding of broadcasting theory.

10.3.1.1 Demonstrate use of the terminology associated with broadcast media technology.

10.3.1.2 Demonstrate an understanding of the theory related to video production, including composition, focus procedures, and white balancing.

Junior Kindergarten / Kindergarten

The Northwest Territories has a single curriculum for kindergarten that is based on play-based learning as outlined in the document NWT Right from the Start: Early Childhood Development Framework and Action Plan.

Digital Skills for Democracy: Assessing online information to make civic choices

In this activity, students :

• think about the importance of making sure they have trustworthy information before they make a decision on a political or electoral issue
• explore a series of scenarios designed to teach five strategies for verifying information: find the original, verify the source, check other information, read factchecking articles, and turn to places you trust 
• reflect on the impact of false and misleading information in politics

Outcome Chart - Ontario - Introduction to Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology 11 HSP 3U

Outcome Chart - Ontario - Introduction to Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology 11 HSP 3U

The Invisible Machine: Big Data and You

In this lesson, students examine a fictional social network profile to learn how online platforms collect data about their users. They then read an article that explains how platforms use this data and explores some of the issues this raises. Finally, they create a mind map of their own online data profile and reflect on how the data they post may be collected and used by others.