Understanding Your Digital Footprint: Home

6th-8th

Missouri School Library Standards

6-8: Media Literacy: Explain Responsible Interactions with Media

AASL National Standards

ENGAGE - Demonstrate safe, legal and ethical creating and sharing of knowledge products independently while engaging in a community of practice and interconnected world.

one class period

This lesson was created by Katie Berger, Discovery Middle School, Liberty 53 School District. 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

In this lesson, students will learn what a digital footprint is—the trace of information they leave behind when using the internet. Through discussion, they will explore how their online behaviors, such as social media posts, search history, and comments, can be tracked and impact their privacy and future prospects. Students will reflect on their own internet usage and consider the long-term effects of their digital footprint on their personal and academic lives. They will also learn practical strategies for managing their online presence responsibly and safely.

• A projector for presenting
• The attached presentation

Students will discuss the concept of digital footprints and how their online actions can impact their personal lives, reputation, and future opportunities.

• Librarians will use this presentation to introduce the concept of a digital footprint and how Internet content can have a positive or negative effect on one's life. Quick check assessment questions are built in to allow for formative assessment and discussion.
• After the presentation and discussion, each student will use the social media template form to create their own positive social media post. (Variation: Depending on the technology available, the librarian may want to create a digital template for students to use.)

• For formative assessment, instructors can use the quick check questions built in to the presentation.
• For summative assessment, instructors can use the social media posts students create.

• Students could work in small groups to discuss the quick check questions or work in independently.
• Instructor could provide sample social media posts to students who need extra support.
• Students could share their social media posts with a partner to get feedback.