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Your Digital Footprint

Seventh graders learn about their digital footprint — the trail they leave online. Thinking before posting, keeping info private, and using strong passwords protect it; risky habits can follow you for years. They sort smart habits from risky ones, then set online rules.

Grade 7Your Digital Footprint50 minutes1 class periodCSTA / ISTEExplicit teaching4 StandardsCSTA
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Define digital footprint.
  • ✓Tell smart from risky.
  • ✓Protect your privacy.
  • ✓Set online rules.
Essential Question

What trail do you leave online — and who can see it?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Smart Online, or Risky?

Project this and sort each habit into Smart online or Risky.

👣 Sort each — smart online habit, or risky?Try it
✅ Smart online
⚠️ Risky
Tap one, then tap a box.
The Lesson · Explicit teaching

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Online Trail

5 min

Could something you post today still be found in five years?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pose the question.
  • Share ideas.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Use — Digital Footprint

12 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Smart Online or Risky?
  • Sort each habit.
  • Note think before you post.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Modify — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a smart habit.
  • Name a risky one.
  • Check a privacy setting.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name.
  • Name.
  • Check.
4

Create — Create

15 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Write 3 online rules.
  • Make a strong password plan.
  • Name what to keep private.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Write.
  • Plan.
  • Name.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • What is a digital footprint?
  • Name a smart habit.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Name one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards and the ISTE Standards for Students.

CSTA
2-NI-06

Apply safe online practices.

CSTA
2-IC-23

Protect personal online information.

CSTA
2-NI-05

Explain privacy and security.

ISTE
2b

Act as a responsible digital citizen.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Smart/risky cards.
  • Frame: "a smart habit is ___."
  • Use clear examples.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Sort smart vs risky only.
  • Use 4 habits.
  • Use pictures.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Audit your own footprint.
  • Design a privacy checklist.
  • Teach a younger student.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 👣Habit cards
  • 💻Smart Online or Risky?
  • 📋Online-rules sheet
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

digital footprintthe trail you leave onlineprivacykeeping info to yourselfpersonal infoname, address, school, etc.passworda secret key to accountspermanenthard to eraseprivacy settingscontrols on who sees your postsreputationhow others see yousharepost or send online
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is a digital footprint?
The trail of information you leave online.
QUESTION 2
Name a smart online habit.
Think before posting, keep info private, use strong passwords.
QUESTION 3
Name a risky one.
Posting your address, sharing passwords, or posting when angry.

Reflect: your digital footprint.

Have students write three online rules for themselves. A printable online-rules sheet is in the CS library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Digital FootprintFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Digital FootprintQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Digital FootprintPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: digital footprint, password, permanent, personal info, privacy, privacy settings, reputation, share
  1. hard to erase
  2. a secret key to accounts
  3. name, address, school, etc.
  4. how others see you
  5. controls on who sees your posts
  6. keeping info to yourself
  7. post or send online
  8. the trail you leave online

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a digital footprint?
  2. Name a smart online habit.
  3. Name a risky one.
Answer key — Part A: 1) permanent · 2) password · 3) personal info · 4) reputation · 5) privacy settings · 6) privacy · 7) share · 8) digital footprint
Part B: 1) The trail of information you leave online. 2) Think before posting, keep info private, use strong passwords. 3) Posting your address, sharing passwords, or posting when angry.