Share cybersecurity knowledge with your students
As an educator, you play a crucial role in teaching students about cybersecurity by imparting knowledge, fostering responsible online behavior, and equipping them with the skills to protect themselves in the digital world.
This unit focuses on what you learned throughout this module to help you plan and share the information with your students. Examine some of the ways you can begin to share this knowledge with your students.
- Make cybersecurity a point of emphasis in your classroom and school.
- Talk with colleagues about cyber issues affecting your school.
- Become aware of cybersecurity curricula for students.
- Increase your own understanding of cybersecurity by exploring other learning opportunities.
- Share tips and ways students can stay secure at home with families.
Choose one of the three options to access cybersecurity resources, curricula, and educator support materials designed for the grade level you teach: elementary, middle, or high school. Before exploring the grade-specific resources, review more information about what each resource from Minecraft Education and Common Sense Education has to offer.
| Minecraft Education | Common Sense Education |
|---|---|
| Each Minecraft Education world guides students on a thematic, story-based journey as they complete activities on digital citizenship, online safety, and data privacy. Each experience is aligned to CSTA and Code.org standards and includes additional files to help you support student learning. To help you integrate these collections Minecraft Education offers the Microsoft Learn module Teach cybersecurity concepts with Minecraft Education and a training catalog for educators who are new to teaching with the Minecraft platform. | Common Sense Education offers a wide offering of cybersecurity lessons to address timely topics and prepare students to take ownership of their digital lives. Resources include complete lesson plans to supplement any curriculum and grade-specific topics.Common Sense Education also offers implementation guides and professional learning opportunities for educators that choose to formally adopt their digital citizenship program. |
Teach elementary students about cybersecurity
Students in elementary school need basic, foundational skills and knowledge–like how to sign out of a device, enter a password, or even browse the internet. Explore curated resources and curriculum designed specifically for elementary students.
Next steps
Discover Minecraft Education resources: The Minecraft Education team has produced three worlds that teach cybersecurity topics to elementary students called the Minecraft Education: CyberSafe collection. Check out the video to learn more.
Explore Common Sense Education’s digital citizenship curriculum: Elementary resources include:
- Meet Guts of the Digital Citizens! How do you stay safe online? (Grades K-2)
- Media Balance Is Important: How do we find a happy balance between our online and offline activities? Introductory Song (Grade K)
- Safety in My Online Neighborhood: How do you go places safely online? (Grade K)
- Pause & Think Online: How can we be safe, responsible, and respectful online? Introductory Song (Grade 1)
- Internet Traffic Light: How do you stay safe when visiting a website or app? (Grade 1)
- We, the Digital Citizens: How can we be good digital citizens? Introductory Song (Grade 2)
- That's Private! What kinds of information should I keep to myself when I use the internet? (Grade 2)
- Password Power-Up: How can a strong password help protect your privacy? (Grade 3)
- Private and Personal Information: What information about you is OK to share online? (Grade 4)
- You Won't Believe This! What is clickbait and how can you avoid it? (Grade 5)
Teach middle school students about cybersecurity
Teaching middle school kids about cybersecurity and fostering the development of responsible online behaviors is crucial as they're frequently online at home and school, engaging in activities such as social media and online gaming. Explore curated resources and curriculum designed specifically for middle school students.
Next steps
Discover Minecraft Education resources: The Minecraft Education team produced three worlds that teach cybersecurity topics to middle school students called the Minecraft Education: Cyber Fundamentals collection. Check out the video to learn more.
Explore Common Sense Education’s digital citizenship curriculum: Middle school resources include:
- Don't Feed the Phish: How can you protect yourself from phishing? (Grade 6)
- Big, Big Data: How do companies collect and use data about you? (Grade 7)
- Being Aware of What You Share: How can you protect your privacy when you're online? (Grade 8)
Teach high school students about cybersecurity
High school students benefit from a more advanced, in-depth understanding of cybersecurity concepts. This empowers them to make informed decisions about their online activities as well as open up potential career paths in the ever-evolving field of cybersecurity. Explore curated resources and curriculum designed specifically for high school students.
Next steps
Discover Minecraft Education resources: The Minecraft Education team has produced three worlds that teach cybersecurity topics to high school students called the Minecraft Education: Cyber Expert collection.
Extend Minecraft Education experiences: Minecraft Education extended their cybersecurity worlds with Minecraft Education: Cyber Defender to support high school and adult learners as they explore cybersecurity careers and real-world threat strategies. Check out the video to learn more.
Explore Common Sense Education’s digital citizenship curriculum: High school resources include:
- The Big Data Dilemma: The benefits and drawbacks of online tracking. (Grade 9)
- Risk Check for New Tech: What privacy risks do new technologies present, and how do we decide if they're worth it? (Grade 10)
- How Young is Too Young for Social Media? Discussing the age at which people should be allowed to use social media. (Grade 11)
- Debating the Privacy Line: Discussing if the government should have access to all your social media and cellphone data. (Grade 12)