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Digital Literacy & Well-Being Curriculum

Free K–8 lessons to prepare students for life, online and off

Common Sense Education's Digital Literacy & Well-Being curriculum gives teachers a free, research-backed framework for building students' digital literacy skills and helping them thrive — online and off. From AI literacy and social media to cyberbullying, screen time, and digital footprint, the curriculum covers the digital challenges students face every day as well as the offline skills they need to manage them.

The curriculum is designed for grades K–8, with more than 140 updated lessons that reflect what students are actually encountering today. Whether you're introducing digital literacy and well-being concepts for the first time or updating what you've been teaching for years, this is a good place to start.

Lessons Implementation
Grade
Topic
Order by
A blue, animated character named Head with a blue hat, glasses, and reading a book.
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
K
1 of 13
What Is Media?
What is media?
Activities:
Drawing,
Media Creation
How Media Makes Me Feel
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
K
7 of 13
How Media Makes Me Feel
How does the media we experience make us feel?
Activities:
Dilemma Discussion,
Poetry,
Video
Fact or Fiction?
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
K
12 of 13
Fact or Fiction?
How do we separate fact from fiction?
Activities:
AI Literacy,
Game,
Media Analysis,
Video
A blue animated character with a hat and glasses (named Head) is holding a device, scratching side of head.
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
1
8 of 13
Media: What's the Purpose?
Who creates the media we see, and why do they make it?
Activities:
Drawing,
Media Creation
A social media app on a phone screen with an obnoxious ad with text that says, "Annoying Ad. Click here."
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
1
9 of 13
Understanding Ads
What are ads, and what do they want us to do?
Activities:
Media Analysis,
Video
A blue background with a vase artifact with pieces of four papers with text that say, "Source Discovery. Agree or Disagree.
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
1
12 of 13
Fact vs. Opinion
What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?
Activities:
Drawing,
Game,
Personal Reflection
A blue animated character with a hat and glasses in hand (named Head) is using a robot with a telescope.
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
2
5 of 13
Using Tech to Learn New Things
How does technology help us learn?
Activities:
Storybook
An orange background with a set of footprints in the background with a device in the foreground with a search engine with
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
2
6 of 13
How to Search Online
How do we search for information online?
Activities:
Storybook
A computer laptop opened to a search engine with text that says, "Can penguins Fly?"
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
2
7 of 13
Exploring Search Results
Where does online information come from?
Activities:
Storybook
Finding the Source
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
3
10 of 18
Finding the Source
Where does online information come from?
Activities:
Researching Skill
Perfectly Altered
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
3
11 of 18
Perfectly Altered
Why do people alter digital photos and videos?
Activities:
AI Literacy,
Media Analysis
Trending Now!
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
3
12 of 18
Trending Now!
How do trends influence our choices, and how can we think critically about them?
Activities:
Drawing,
Personal Reflection
Media & Our Emotions
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
4
2 of 18
Media & Our Emotions
How does media make us feel, and why?
Activities:
Media Analysis,
Video
SIFT for Sources
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
4
6 of 18
S.I.F.T. for Sources
How can we tell if the information we see online is credible?
Activities:
Media Analysis,
Video
A student sits at a desk with a desktop computer open to a website.
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
4
13 of 18
Slicing Up Media with P.I.E.
What are content creators trying to get us to do, learn, or feel?
Activities:
Media Analysis,
Video
An excited influencer or content creator in a warehouse with fire emojis surrounding them.
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
5
10 of 18
Spotting Media Influence
How can we be critical thinkers about media influence?
Activities:
Media Analysis,
Video
A depiction of desk with three monitors with various depictions of the word "original" displayed on the screen.
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
5
11 of 18
Remix Responsibly
How can we be creative while respecting the creative rights of others?
Activities:
AI Literacy,
Media Analysis,
Media Creation,
Video
On a desk, an open laptop with a blue screen featuring a depiction of a person in lab quote with a quotation icon, implying
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
5
12 of 18
Media Frames: Looking Beyond Headlines
How does media framing influence our understanding of events and the world around us?
Activities:
Media Analysis,
Researching Skill
A student with a laptop sitting cross-legged with headphones while icons of folder swirl around.
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
6
4 of 18
S.E.E.K.ing Information
What's the best way to seek information online?
Activities:
Researching Skill,
Video
A picture of a cat social media post with text that says, "Created by Zoey" and "Music by DJ Sense."
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
6
13 of 18
Giving Credit
Why and when do we give credit for the work of others?
Activities:
AI Literacy,
Dilemma Discussion,
Researching Skill
Is It Fair Use? AI Edition
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
6
14 of 18
Is It Fair Use? AI Edition
What rights to fair use do you have as a creator?
Activities:
AI Literacy,
Dilemma Discussion,
Media Analysis,
Researching Skill,
Video
A blue screen with a magnifying glass hovering over various devices and icons, including a laptop, a YouTube player,
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
7
2 of 18
Choosing Sources
How do we match our information needs with the best online sources?
Activities:
AI Literacy,
Media Analysis,
Researching Skill
A person sitting at a desk with a laptop open to a search bar with the text "Questions"
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
7
13 of 18
Evaluating Information Online
How do I practice lateral reading to evaluate information online?
Activities:
Media Analysis,
Researching Skill
Five bubbles with silhouettes of people in each are floating against a black background with a thumbs up and thumbs down
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
7
14 of 18
Bursting the Filter Bubble
How does our experience online shape what we see, believe, and share?
Activities:
Dilemma Discussion,
Media Analysis,
Researching Skill
What Is Critical Ignoring?
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
8
13 of 18
What Is Critical Ignoring?
How can we focus our attention in an information-filled world?
Activities:
Personal Reflection,
Researching Skill,
Video
AI Algorithms: How Well Do They Know You?
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
8
14 of 18
AI Algorithms: How Well Do They Know You?
How does artificial intelligence influence what we see online?
Activities:
AI Literacy,
Video
A group of three shadowy figures are looking at a laptop in a green tinted room.
Information & Media Literacy
Grade:
8
15 of 18
Telephone Trouble: Mis- & Disinformation
How does information change as it spreads, and what should I do when I come across misinformation or disinformation?
Activities:
Card Activity,
Game