Digital Citizenship

Grades 3, 4 & 5Is Seeing Believing?

As a digital learning specialist, one of my favorite roles is helping students peel back the layers of what they see online. In today’s world, images and videos flood their feeds daily—and often, those visuals aren’t quite what they seem.
Recently, I worked with 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes to explore the big idea behind the lesson "Is Seeing Believing?" from Common Sense Media. The goal? To help students think critically about how and why photos and videos are sometimes altered—and how those changes can affect the way we see ourselves, others, and the world around us.
What We ExploredWe kicked off with a simple but powerful question: Can you always trust what you see online? Students viewed real-world examples of digitally altered images—some subtle, like adjusted lighting and filters, and others more extreme, like edited body shapes or misleading video clips.
We discussed:Why people and companies might alter media (e.g., advertising, social media likes, entertainment)How altered images can shape our perceptions of beauty, success, or realityHow to develop a critical eye and ask questions before believing or sharing visual content
One moment that really stood out was when a student said, “Wait, so they don’t actually look like that in real life?”—a perfect reminder of why this lesson is so necessary, especially at an age when kids are just beginning to build their digital identities.
Final ThoughtsTeaching media literacy isn't about making students cynical—it's about empowering them with curiosity, awareness, and critical thinking skills. After this lesson, students left with a new set of “digital glasses”—ready to look twice at the images they scroll past and think deeply about what’s real, what’s not, and why it matters.
It’s a skill they'll carry with them long after they log off. 


Technology Essential QuestionsCan you always trust what you see in photos and videos online?Why do people or companies change the way things look in media?How can I recognize when a photo or video might not show the full truth?

MA Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) Standards:Use digital tools (e.g., graphic design, image editing) to explore the use of media and recognize when media has been changed or manipulated.Describe how media messages are constructed for specific purposes and target audiences, and how those messages can influence thoughts and feelings.Understand how digital content can be altered and shared, and how that impacts communication, perception, and credibility.

Breakout EDU

🌱“We’re on a Mission Unplantable!”🌱

Third Graders Crack the Code in Seed Sabotage 

What do you get when you mix third-grade curiosity, critical thinking, and a touch of sabotage? A classroom full of detectives determined to save the future of farming!

Ms. Sitak's third graders recently completed a Breakout EDU challenge called Seed Sabotage — an immersive, puzzle-based activity that put their problem-solving skills to the test. In this challenge, students were told that seeds vital to future farming had been mysteriously tampered with. Their mission? Work in teams to uncover clues, solve puzzles, and unlock all the locks before time ran out. Spoiler alert: they planted the seeds of success!

🌟 What Students Did

Working collaboratively, students tackled a series of puzzles that required them to:

Read and analyze informational texts for clues
Decode secret messages using logic and pattern recognition
Use basic map skills and number operations to crack lock combinations
Stay focused under time pressure and manage tasks as a team

Laughter and excitement filled the classroom as each group edged closer to unlocking their final box. And while the thrill of breaking out was a huge motivator, the real magic was in the skills they grew along the way.

🧠 Skills in Bloom

Seed Sabotage fostered a garden of growth in these areas:

Collaboration & Communication: Students shared ideas, delegated tasks, and supported one another
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Puzzles required logic, sequencing, and strategy
Reading Comprehension & Inference: Clues were embedded in short texts and required close reading
Perseverance & Growth Mindset: Students encountered frustration—but stuck with it!

🌱 Final Thoughts

Seed Sabotage wasn’t just an engaging experience—it was an opportunity to nurture essential academic and life skills. The challenge encouraged our third graders to think critically, work cooperatively, and persist with purpose. Who knew growing minds could be this much fun?

Next up? A Breakout challenge that will really leaf them guessing...

Technology Essential Questions
Why is exploration an important part of learning?
How can an "escape room" experience motivate students and inspire active participation?How can an "escape room" experience inspire critical thinking, collaboration, communication & creativity?

Standards This Challenge Supports

Massachusetts Digital Literacy & Computer Science (DLCS) Standards:

K-2.CAS.b: Collaborate with others using technology to create content and solve problems

3-5.CAS.a.4: Demonstrate perseverance when working with technology challenges

3-5.DTC.a.3: Use digital tools to organize, display, and share information

ELA Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1: Engage effectively in collaborative discussions

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4: Determine meaning of unknown words and phrases

Digital Citizenship

Digital Detectives and Online Peacekeepers:Teaching Digital Citizenship in Grade 6

As a digital learning specialist, I’m always looking for ways to make digital citizenship lessons meaningful, age-appropriate, and (let’s be honest) a little fun. Recently, I had the opportunity to work with a group of sixth graders on two essential topics in their digital lives: website credibility and digital drama.

Our sessions were built around two interactive experiences:🔍 “Fact Files: The Case of the Untrustworthy Website” and💬 “Digital Drama: STRATEGIES for Dealing with It.”
🔍Fact Files: The Case of the Untrustworthy WebsiteIn this activity, students became digital detectives, exploring suspicious-looking websites and identifying red flags. We zoomed in on things like unusual domain names, unreliable authorship, lack of citations, and strange or exaggerated content. Students collaborated in small teams to analyze sample websites and fill out a "Fact File" report to determine if the site was credible, partially credible, or totally untrustworthy.
One of the biggest “aha!” moments? Realizing that just because something looks polished doesn't mean it's true—and that even fake websites can have ads, clickable links, and slick design.
💬 Digital Drama: STRATEGIES for Dealing with ItMiddle school is no stranger to conflict, and online spaces can sometimes amplify that. In our digital drama session, students explored different scenarios that might unfold via texting, gaming chats, or social media—everything from exclusion in group messages to “sub-tweeting” and rumors.
Using the acronym STRATEGIES (S: Stop and breathe, T: Talk to a trusted adult, R: Reflect, etc.), students practiced how to respond to drama in thoughtful, emotionally intelligent ways. We used real-world examples and even role-played a few scenarios, which opened up honest conversations about empathy, boundaries, and when to log off.
Teaching digital citizenship isn’t a one-time lesson—it’s a mindset we build over time. With sixth grade, these two lessons helped lay a strong foundation for critical thinking, emotional awareness, and healthy digital habits. And the best part? Watching students begin to own their role as responsible digital citizens.
Standards Covered (MA Digital Literacy and Computer Science)Digital Tools: Demonstrate ability to navigate a virtual environment, including evaluating websites for credibility and identifying advertising and bias.
Safety and Security: Demonstrate an understanding of how to protect personal information and recognize digital red flags.  Explain the consequences of inappropriate online behavior and strategies to handle cyberbullying or online conflict.
Computing and Society: Evaluate the positive and negative impact of technology on relationships, including how to manage online interactions.  Describe appropriate and ethical behavior online and explain how to act respectfully in a variety of digital settings.
Technology Essential QuestionsHow can I tell if the information I find online is trustworthy?What are healthy and respectful ways to respond to digital drama?How do my actions online affect others—and myself—in the real world?