Digital Citizenship
Topic area
Digital citizenship
Target age group
Lesson duration
Upper Secondary
Lesson Overview
In today’s rapidly evolving digital environment, students often find themselves becoming digital citizens
the moment they begin using digital technologies, such as signing up for an email address, using the
internet and mobile phones. In acknowledging themselves to be digital citizens, students should come to
recognise the value of taking responsibility for themselves and their actions, and of treating others with an
appropriate standard of behaviour online.
This lesson includes four short activities. Teachers can select a single activity or multiple activities to
make up the recommended 45 minutes, depending on what they feel is appropriate to their class.
Lesson outcomes

Describe and assess the impact of a person’s ‘digital footprint’ online

Assess the negative impacts of unethical behaviours such as bullying, harassment and abuses
online

Take steps toward minimising security and privacy risks online

Identify ways to act with resilience, consideration and self-awareness online
Activity 1
Page
Subject focus
Debate/
Discussion
4
Rights,
responsibilities and
benefits of digital
citizenship
Activity 2
Page
Subject focus
Writing Activity
6
Making safe,
responsible,
informed choices
online
Activity 3
Page
Subject focus
Digital Footprint
Audit
7
Auditing time and
places spent online
contributing to a
digital footprint
Duration
Resources required
Worksheet 1
Duration
Resources required
Paper, pen
Duration
Resources required
Worksheet 2 and 3, pen
enquiries@esafety.gov.au
Digital Citizenship
2
Activity 4
Page
Subject focus
Visual Activity/
Writing Activity
8
Measuring potential
harm caused by
actions online
Duration
Resources required
Internet access to the Office of the
Children’s eSafety Commissioner’s
videos:
Photo Fail
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6
_FqFn27JJQ
Baby Ya Ya
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
mTX2CniVKFo&list=UUdv8domEz
eDFPchhXk56V4w
Pen and paper or word processing
software to create a graph
External links included in lesson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_FqFn27JJQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTX2CniVKFo&list=UUdv8domEzeDFPchhXk56V4w
Technology and Terminology referred to in this lesson
Internet, post, apps, sites, social networking, PayPal, virus checker, blogs, blogging, SMS, MMS, video,
forum, thread, upload, Skype, Kik, Snapchat, Facebook, pics.
This work is based on materials that constitute copyright of the Commonwealth of Australia and is
licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 2.5 Australia Licence.
See https://esafety.gov.au/about-the-office/privacy-and-legal for more information.
3
Digital Citizenship
Background
The Digital Citizenship lesson plans focus on positive engagement with digital technology. The
concept of digital citizenship is crucial to students’ learning about technology - understanding the
opportunities presented by the online world, learning how to minimise associated risks, and
developing awareness of the impact of individual footprints online.
Engaged digital citizens recognise that unethical behaviours such as harassment, bullying and
online abuses can contribute to negative online experiences and longer term consequences.
Acting with consideration, resilience and self-awareness in digital landscapes helps to build
robust online communities. This includes respecting other participants, and recognising the value
of freedom of expression and of personal privacy.
It is important to empower younger internet users with the knowledge of how their reputations can
be affected by their interactions online, what language and actions are considered appropriate
online, and to give them practical strategies to avoid participating in negative online behaviours.
The digital citizenship principles outline how to become a better digital citizen:
1. Know your online world: be curious, learn new things and but be aware of risks and how to
protect yourself.
2. Choose consciously: think before you act - the choices you make online can last forever.
3. Engage positively: what you say and do online can affect everyone! Avoid bullying,
harassment and online abuse and learn how to take positive steps if others don’t.
For more information about the digital citizenship principles see the Office of the Children’s
eSafety Commissioner’s website: https://www.esafety.gov.au/education-resources/classroomresources/digital-citizenship.
Digital Citizenship
4
Activity 1: Debating digital citizenship
Activity 1
Page
Subject focus
Debate/
Discussion
4
Rights,
responsibilities and
benefits of digital
citizenship
Duration
Resources required
Worksheet 1
In this activity, students are asked to discuss and debate the rights, responsibilities and benefits
of digital citizenship. The debates can be more or less formal, depending on the group size and
other classroom factors.
Instructions
Print out Worksheet 1, cut out the debate topics and distribute them to groups in your class.
If there are specific issues which affect your students, focus on those topics, or feel free to write
your own topics and talking points.
The debates are designed to be rapid, multi-directional, with more than two groups debating the
topics as they appear on the debating cards (with each team advocating the view expressed on
one of the cards), rather than simple affirmative/negative debates. This allows more points to be
raised and discussed in a shorter period of time.
Teams should discuss their topic and key points before beginning and you may choose to allow
teams some time to research facts and figures to support their case where time permits.
Teacher’s Tip: Remind students that they may not necessarily agree with the statements,
but should try to make the best argument to support their allocated perspective.
Teacher’s Tip: Students may have insight and opinions on these points and topics without
conducting extensive research. In expressing this personal knowledge, students will
naturally direct the discussion and debate towards issues and perspectives which are
relevant to them.
Discussion Points
These points are provided on Worksheet 1 for easy distribution to class groups.
What are the rights and responsibilities of digital citizenship?
The concept of digital citizenship is the same as being a citizen of any country – if you are a
citizen you must follow the rules and conventions of that country.
When it comes to online interactions, the right to say whatever you feel is important should be
protected over the responsibility to avoid hurting people or groups.
Everyone is responsible for themselves online. If I take care of myself and my actions, others
should do the same without my help.
Citizenship is about broader social responsibility – each citizen is part of a wider group and is
responsible for the care of individuals in that group as well as themselves.
Digital Citizenship
What are the benefits of digital citizenship?
The most important benefit of digital citizenship is a safer online experience.
The most important benefit of digital citizenship is to encourage much older and younger users of
the internet to interact with confidence online.
The most important benefit of digital citizenship is a more aware and informed online community.
What are the remedies for a lack of good digital citizenship?
Adults should moderate the internet and technology use of those under 18.
People who use abusive language and bully others online should be banned from online
communities.
Technology should be designed in a way that blocks abusive and illegal use, and Internet service
providers should support this with limitations on internet access.
Harsh penalties do not work; educating people about the consequences of their actions is the
only way to promote good digital citizenship.
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Digital Citizenship
6
Activity 2: Crafting guidelines for use and behaviour
Activity 2
Page
Subject focus
Writing Activity
6
Making safe,
responsible,
informed choices
online
Duration
Resources required
Paper, pen
This activity requires students to consider, discuss and design guidelines for use and behaviour
of a new online site with a variety of potential challenges.
Instructions
Band Express is a new site for music fans to meet, talk about bands and artists, post gig photos,
network with other bands, sell and exchange gear, use and create classified ads, upload videos,
submit works in progress for feedback, upload lyrics, audition tapes and new music for comment.
1. Working in small groups, have students identify ways in which this new site may be open to
abuse.
Teacher’s Tip: Model answers should include trolling, privacy concerns, copyright
concerns, scams related to sales, and safety issues including possible grooming or
unwanted contact from personal ads.
2. Next, have students identify the types of people they feel are the most potentially vulnerable
users of this new site.
Teacher’s Tip: Model answers should include people who post personal contact
information, who post photos of themselves, people who make and respond to personal
comments, people who buy and sell through the site, people who upload sensitive
material etc.
3. Ask each group of students to choose the top three issues or potential vulnerabilities that are
obvious to them and to draft a brief policy statement to guide safer online interaction between
parties.
Teacher’s Tip: Ask what safeguards should be put in place – age limits? Behaviour
guidelines? A report function? Encourage whole-of-class discussion of the final individual
group policies.
Digital Citizenship
7
Activity 3: Digital footprint audit
Activity 3
Page
Subject focus
Digital Footprint
Audit
7
Auditing time and
places spent online
contributing to a
digital footprint
Duration
Resources required
Worksheet 2 and 3, pen
Instructions
Distribute Worksheets 2 and 3 and allow students sufficient time (5 to 10 minutes) to fill them out.
Discuss the results with the class.
Discussion Questions
What did your audit reveal? Were you surprised at how much of your life is spent online?
Teacher’s Tip: Encourage students to agree that a great deal of their time is spent
interacting online – this is not a negative result, just a fact of living in an increasingly
digital era.
Do you feel you use language or behaviour online that you might not use in face-to-face
communication?
Is peer pressure a factor in this change? Or something else, like anonymity on some sites?
Does it concern you how quickly things can get ‘out of hand’ in online interactions? Why do you
think this is?
Teacher’s Tip: Explore the fact that it’s often much easier to say and do things online than
it is in face-to-face situations. Unfortunately, this ease is coupled with the lasting nature of
the technology to create a situation where your statements are recorded and very hard to
delete or take back.
Who might look for information about you online? Would that change what you said or did there?
How would you feel if someone assumed your identity online, even briefly? What could they do to
your reputation?
How do you feel about some of your friends, thoughts or opinions from a few years ago? Are they
the same? Do they represent who you are now?
Teacher’s Tip: Encourage the class to share strategies for managing and moderating
language and behaviours online, including when to save sensitive information for face-toface discussions and to protect their passwords.
Optional Extension
You may wish to ask your students to spend some time focussing on the way they would like to
have themselves presented online. Individually or as a class using the board, creating a wish-list
of an ‘ideal’ digital footprint to leave behind may help some students to move in a more positive
direction and make choices based on a best-case scenario rather than fear.
Digital Citizenship
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Activity 4: Measuring harm
Activity 4
Page
Subject focus
Visual Activity/
Writing Activity
8
Measuring potential
harm caused by
actions online
Duration
Resources required
Internet access to Office of the
Children’s eSafety Commissioner’s
videos:
Photo Fail
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6
_FqFn27JJQ
Baby Ya Ya
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
mTX2CniVKFo&list=UUdv8domEz
eDFPchhXk56V4w
Pen and paper or word processing
software to create a graph
What is considered wrong or right in society and online is often a question of what is harmful – to
ourselves, to others, and to the wider community.
In considering the following clips, have students use a graph to plot out the degree of harm a
situation might cause.
Instructions
Teacher’s Tip: Have students discuss what is meant by harm – is harm pain? The loss of
something? Distress? Are some things harmful psychologically and some harmful
physically? Can a group be harmed? Can we cause harm to ourselves?
1. Screen the short clips Photo Fail and Baby Ya Ya.
2. Distribute paper or use word processing equipment so students can plot a graph to visually
represent the degrees of harm caused by the scenarios in the clips.
3. Review the results of the graphs as a class.
Teacher’s Tip: Work through the balance of harm caused, acknowledging that all actions
and statements online have risks as well as benefits, and that causing harm is important
to consider with every online interaction. Asking friends before you post pictures of them
online can save you and your friends harm – help keep their digital reputation positive.
Teacher’s Tip: Some actions, such as creating and sharing naked images, plagiarising or
illegally downloading works online, may have wider implications of harm to society that
are not obvious to younger students.
Optional Extension
You may wish to create a scenario or two that might be topical or of special interest to your
school or community, and work out a graph for a whole class discussion.
WORKSHEET 1: DEBATING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP
What are the rights and responsibilities of digital citizenship?
The concept of digital citizenship is the
same as being a citizen of any country – if
you are a citizen you must follow the rules
and conventions of that country.
Everyone is responsible for themselves
online. If I take care of myself and my
actions, others should do the same without
my help.
When it comes to online interactions, the
right to say whatever you feel is important
should be protected over the responsibility
to avoid hurting people or groups.
Citizenship is about broader social
responsibility – each citizen is part of a
wider group and is responsible for the care
of individuals in that group as well as
themselves.
What are the benefits of digital citizenship?
The most important benefit of digital
citizenship is a safer online experience.
The most important benefit of digital
citizenship is to encourage much older and
younger users of the internet to interact
with confidence online.
The most important benefit of digital
citizenship is a more aware and informed
online community.
The most important benefit of digital
citizenship is to protect our online
reputations from damage.
What are the remedies for a lack of good digital citizenship?
Adults should moderate the internet and
technology use of those under 18.
People who use abusive language and
bully others online should be banned from
online communities.
Technology should be designed in a way
that blocks abusive and illegal use, and
Internet service providers should support
this with limitations on internet access.
Harsh penalties do not work; educating
people about the consequences of their
actions is the only way to promote good
digital citizenship.
WORKSHEET 2: DIGITAL FOOTPRINT AUDIT
Name: ____________________________________________________
Each of the activities listed below provides ways in which you can interact online, and have your
actions and comments online linked to your identity.
Estimate how much time you spend on the following activities each week. There are some blank
boxes for you to add any activities not listed.
Activity
Sending emails
Using apps such as Kik and Snapchat
Webcam chatting such as Skype
Social networking such as Facebook
Watching and commenting on video content such
as YouTube
Commenting or posting on online forums
Playing online interactive games
Sending texts
Sending pics
Downloading and sharing music
Taking, editing and sharing photos or video
Purchasing products
Blogging or commenting on blogs
Total Hours
Time spent on
computer
Time spent on
mobile device
WORKSHEET 3: DIGITAL FOOTPRINT SELF REFLECTION
Name: ____________________________________________________
1. How much time am I spending on these activities? Is a significant part of my life online?
2. Do I use language or statements on some of these sites that I wouldn’t use face-to-face?
3. Does my behaviour change on various forums and threads?
4. Am I aware that my downloads and comments can be linked to my identity and searched for?
Would that change how I behave online?
5. Who might look for information about me online?
6. What images, statements or information about me would I not want to be available to new
friends, authority figures, employers, teachers, or my parents?
7. What could happen if my identity was assumed by a friend or stranger and they posted pics,
comments or made downloads using my name?