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Data Privacy

Eighth graders learn to protect their personal data. Strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and checking app permissions keep data safe; reusing passwords, oversharing, and clicking suspicious links put it at risk. They sort protective habits from risky ones, then write a personal privacy plan.

Grade 8Data Privacy50 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…

  • ✓Tell protective from risky habits.
  • ✓Explain passwords & 2FA.
  • ✓Review app permissions.
  • ✓Make a privacy plan.
Essential Question

How do you keep your personal data safe online?

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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

Protects or Risks Your Data?

Project this and sort each habit into Protects your data or Risks your data.

🔒 Sort each — does it protect your data or put it at risk?Try it
🔒 Protects your data
⚠️ Risks your data
Tap a habit, then tap a box.
The Lesson · Use → Modify → Create (a coding progression with Unplugged practice)

50 minutes, five moves

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

1

Hook — Who Can See This?

6 min

What personal data do apps and sites collect about you?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • List data a phone collects.
  • Ask who can see it.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Use — Data Privacy

12 min

Students use the idea.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Protects or Risks?
  • Sort each habit.
  • Note passwords, 2FA, permissions.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Modify — Lock It Down

13 min

Students modify.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Strengthen a weak password.
  • Review an app’s permissions.
  • Turn on 2FA (in theory).

🎒 Student Actions

  • Strengthen.
  • Review.
  • Enable.
4

Create — Make a Plan

13 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Write 4 privacy habits you will keep.
  • Pick one to start today.
  • Share with a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Write.
  • Pick.
  • Share.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a protective habit.
  • Name a risky one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • 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-05

Explain how security measures protect data.

CSTA
2-NI-06

Apply methods of encryption to secure data.

CSTA
2-IC-20

Compare tradeoffs of computing choices.

ISTE
2 Digital Citizen

Manage personal data and digital privacy.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Protect/risk habit cards.
  • Frame: “this keeps data ___.”
  • Pair talk first.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Sort protect vs risk only.
  • Use 4 habits.
  • Use pictures.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Design a strong-password rule.
  • Audit an app’s permissions.
  • Explain what 2FA adds.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🔒Habit cards
  • 💻Protects or Risks?
  • 📋Privacy-plan sheet
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

privacycontrol over your personal datapersonal datainformation that identifies youpassworda secret that protects an accounttwo-factor authenticationa second step to log in (2FA)permissionswhat an app is allowed to accessphishinga fake message that steals dataencryptionmaking data unreadable without a keydigital footprintthe data trail you leave 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
Name one habit that protects your data.
Use a strong, unique password (or turn on 2FA).
QUESTION 2
Name one habit that risks your data.
Reuse the same password, or overshare personal info.
QUESTION 3
What does two-factor authentication add?
A second step beyond the password to log in.

Reflect: data privacy.

Have students write four privacy habits they will keep. A printable privacy-plan worksheet is in the Computer Science 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.

🃏 CS Data Privacy (Grade 8)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 CS Data Privacy (Grade 8)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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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.

🖨️ CS Data Privacy (Grade 8)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: digital footprint, encryption, password, permissions, personal data, phishing, privacy, two-factor authentication
  1. the data trail you leave online
  2. what an app is allowed to access
  3. making data unreadable without a key
  4. information that identifies you
  5. control over your personal data
  6. a secret that protects an account
  7. a fake message that steals data
  8. a second step to log in (2FA)

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name one habit that protects your data.
  2. Name one habit that risks your data.
  3. What does two-factor authentication add?
Answer key — Part A: 1) digital footprint · 2) permissions · 3) encryption · 4) personal data · 5) privacy · 6) password · 7) phishing · 8) two-factor authentication
Part B: 1) Use a strong, unique password (or turn on 2FA). 2) Reuse the same password, or overshare personal info. 3) A second step beyond the password to log in.