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Grade 6

Don't Feed the Phish

How can you protect yourself from phishing?
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Lesson Slides

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Internet scams are part of being online today, but many kids might not be aware of them. How do we help our students avoid being tricked into clicking malicious links or giving out private information? Use this lesson to help kids avoid online identity theft and phishing schemes.

Students will be able to:
  • Compare and contrast identity theft with other kinds of theft.
  • Describe different ways that identity theft can occur online.
  • Use message clues to identify examples of phishing.
Key Vocabulary: identity theft  ·  internet scam  ·  phishing  ·  private information  ·  shortened URL
identity theft:
a type of crime in which your private information is stolen and used for criminal activity
internet scam:
an attempt to trick someone, usually with the intention of stealing money or private information
phishing:
when someone poses as an institution, like a bank or school, and sends you a personalized message asking you to provide private information
private information:
information about you that can be used to identify you because it is unique to you (e.g. your full name or your address)
shortened URL:
a web address that has been condensed and which could mislead an user into going into a risky website
Privacy & Security
This lesson meets standards for Common Core ELA, CASEL, AASL, and ISTE. See standards

Lesson Plan

45 mins.
Extension Activity:

Have students apply what they have learned by completing the “Scams and Phishing” Activity on TestDrive, a social media simulator. Students go through a self-guided activity to reinforce key concepts and practice protecting their private information. For more information, download the Social Media TestDrive Educator Guide.

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What You'll Need

Colored markers or highlighters ·  Pencils ·  Blank paper  
Select resources below, then open in English or Spanish. Unlock free resources

Classroom resources

  • Lesson Slides
  • Student Handout: Trick Questions! Practice Quiz (Google Form) Student Version
  • Student Handout: Trick Questions! Practice Quiz (Printable) Student Version
  • Student Handout: How to Catch A Phish Student Version Teacher Version
  • Lesson Quiz Google Classroom Answer Key

Take-home resources

© Common Sense Media. Lessons are shareable with attribution for noncommercial use only. No remixing permitted. View detailed license information at creativecommons.org.
Lesson last updated: March 2020
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