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Healthy Online Relationships

Ninth graders build relationship skills for the online world — setting boundaries, spotting red flags, and responding safely to pressure or harm. They match tricky online situations to healthy responses, then make a personal online-safety plan.

Grade 9Healthy Online Relationships45 minutes1 class periodCASELExplicit teaching4 StandardsCASEL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Spot online red flags.
  • ✓Set boundaries.
  • ✓Respond safely.
  • ✓Make a safety plan.
Essential Question

How do you stay safe and treat others well in online relationships?

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

Match the Situation to a Healthy Response

Project this and match each online situation to a healthy response — tap the situation, then tap the response.

📱 Match each online situation to a healthy responseTry it
Online situation
A healthy response
Now tap the response!
The Lesson · SEL Flow (Check-In · Learn · Practice · Apply · Reflect)

45 minutes, five moves

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

1

Check-In — Red Flags

5 min

What is a sign an online relationship has turned unhealthy?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a red flag.
  • Invite a few.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Online Relationships

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Match the Situation.
  • Match each one.
  • Note boundaries & trusted adults.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Choose a healthy response.
  • Say a boundary out loud.
  • Name who you would tell.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Choose.
  • Say.
  • Name.
4

Apply — Apply

11 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Write your online-safety rules.
  • List trusted adults.
  • Plan a response to pressure.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Write.
  • List.
  • Plan.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a red flag.
  • Give a healthy response.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Give one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CASEL Framework for Social and Emotional Learning across its five core competencies.

CASEL
Relationship Skills

Build and maintain healthy relationships online.

CASEL
Relationship Skills

Set and respect boundaries.

CASEL
Responsible Decision-Making

Respond safely to online risks.

CASEL
Self-Management

Resist pressure and protect yourself.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Situation/response cards.
  • Frame: “a healthy response is ___.”
  • Role-play a boundary.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Match one pair at a time.
  • Use 3 situations.
  • Use a response bank.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add more scenarios.
  • Write a safety contract.
  • Help a peer respond.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 📱Situation cards
  • 💻Match the Situation to a Response
  • 🛡️Safety-plan sheet
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

boundarya limit you set with othersred flaga warning sign of troublepressurebeing pushed to do somethingblockstop someone from contacting youreportflag harmful behavior to the platformtrusted adulta safe person to tellprivacycontrol over your personal inforespecttreating others with care 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 should you do if a stranger asks to meet in person?
Do not go — tell a trusted adult.
QUESTION 2
How do you handle someone who keeps messaging after you say stop?
Block and report them.
QUESTION 3
Name a red flag in an online relationship.
Pressure to share photos, or someone who only takes, never gives.

Reflect: healthy online relationships.

Have students write 3 personal online-safety rules. A printable safety-plan sheet is in the SEL 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.

🃏 Relationship Skills: Healthy Online RelationshipsFlip
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.

📝 Relationship Skills: Healthy Online RelationshipsQuiz
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.

🖨️ Relationship Skills: Healthy Online RelationshipsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: block, boundary, pressure, privacy, red flag, report, respect, trusted adult
  1. a limit you set with others
  2. treating others with care online
  3. a safe person to tell
  4. a warning sign of trouble
  5. control over your personal info
  6. stop someone from contacting you
  7. being pushed to do something
  8. flag harmful behavior to the platform

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What should you do if a stranger asks to meet in person?
  2. How do you handle someone who keeps messaging after you say stop?
  3. Name a red flag in an online relationship.
Answer key — Part A: 1) boundary · 2) respect · 3) trusted adult · 4) red flag · 5) privacy · 6) block · 7) pressure · 8) report
Part B: 1) Do not go — tell a trusted adult. 2) Block and report them. 3) Pressure to share photos, or someone who only takes, never gives.