Digital Safety and Cybersecurity: Protecting Yourself Online

Digital Safety and Cybersecurity: Protecting Yourself Online

Grade 8 · CS & Digital Fluency · NYS 7-8.CY.1 · 50 Minutes

NYS-Aligned Standard

7-8.CY.1 — Recognize the threats and potential risks present in digital environments, and determine how to protect personal information and privacy. NYS Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards (2020)

Learning Objectives — “I Can” Statements

• I can identify at least four common cybersecurity threats (phishing, malware, weak passwords, social engineering).
• I can explain how personal information can be stolen online and what consequences this can have.
• I can describe concrete strategies to protect my personal information and privacy online.

Essential Question

How do you stay safe in a digital world where not everyone can be trusted?

Lesson Sequence

Hook / Warm-Up (8 min)

1. Present this fictional scenario: “Jordan receives an email from ‘school_admin@ny-school-district.net’ asking for their student ID and parent’s phone number to ‘update records.’ The email has the school logo and looks official.”
2. “Is this real or fake? How would you know? What should Jordan do?”
3. Reveal this is a phishing attempt. “How did you know? What were the red flags?”

Direct Instruction (12 min)

1. Common threats:
   • Phishing — fake emails/messages that trick you into giving personal info
   • Malware — malicious software that enters your device through downloads or links
   • Social engineering — tricking people (not computers) into revealing information
   • Weak passwords — easy to guess, or the same password used on multiple sites
2. What is “personal information”? Name, address, phone, passwords, SSN, financial info
3. What can happen: identity theft, account takeover, financial loss, privacy invasion

Case Study Analysis (15 min)

Students read two original scenario cards:

Scenario A: “Maya notices that one of her friends suddenly posts something weird on social media — asking everyone to send them money because they’re ‘stuck overseas.’ When Maya calls the friend, the friend says they posted nothing.” Questions: What happened? What should Maya do? How could this have been prevented?

Scenario B: “A website offers to tell Tyler what ‘everyone thinks about you’ if he logs in with his school Google account. The login page looks exactly like Google’s.” Questions: Is this safe? What is the risk? What should Tyler do?

Protection Strategies (10 min)

Create a “Cybersecurity Action Plan”: students write 3 things they will do differently online based on today’s lesson. Teacher facilitates brief share-out.

Closure (5 min)

Exit ticket: “Name ONE cybersecurity threat and describe ONE step someone can take to protect themselves from it.”

SDI & Differentiation Block

Supports for MLLs/ELLs

Entering/Emerging (NYSESLAT Levels 1–2):

• Provide a visual glossary: phishing (fishing hook + email icon), malware (bug icon), password (lock icon)
• Allow student to respond to scenario questions with a simple True/False: “Is this safe? Yes/No. Why? Circle one: tricky email / fake website / weak password”

Transitioning/Expanding (NYSESLAT Levels 3–4):

• Pre-teach: threat, personal information, identity theft, privacy
• Sentence frame for exit ticket: “One cybersecurity threat is ___ . To protect myself, I should ___.”

Supports for Students with IEPs

SDI Adaptation Dimensions: methodology, delivery

• Methodology: Use only Scenario A; provide a structured form with blanks for the case study analysis
• Delivery: Read scenarios aloud; allow verbal response to exit ticket; reduce Action Plan to 1 item

Suggested Placement: ICT

Answer Key / Model Responses

Scenario A: Friend’s account was hacked (account takeover). Maya should contact friend directly and report the post. Prevention: strong password, 2-factor authentication.

Scenario B: This is a fake login page (credential phishing). Tyler should NOT enter credentials. Close the tab and report. Red flag: URL not official Google domain.

Exit ticket model: “Phishing is when someone sends a fake email to steal your information. To protect myself, I should check the sender’s email address and never click links in emails from people I don’t recognize.”

Alignment Record