Teacher notes and student tasks focused around the subject of the power of words in digital citizenship.

3-5: The Words We Choose

Ruled paper

This lesson is based on <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vYck_Ccn45eJXEegXMwqJBLmbq32yz7ubfSeScsQsTc/edit?usp=sharing">The Words We Choose</a> lesson from Common Sense Education's Grades 3-5: SEL in Digital Life. Digital Citizenship Week is being celebrated October 18-22, 2021. See all of <a href="https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship-week">Common Sense Education's activities for the week</a> that help students reflect on how their digital lives impact their social and emotional well-being.

Take your class through this book as a group, adding in responses on the first few pages. Teacher instructions from the lesson plan can be found in the margins. The primary task is for students to create a new rhyme to replace 'Sticks &amp; Stones may Break my Bones...'. They will write text and perform the rhyme. Put a copy of the 2 page template in the library that you share with your students. Each student will then make a copy and create their own rhyme, or you can choose to have students work in pairs or small groups.

Read the story to the right and then work with the class to answer the questions that follow.

Ben loves a website where you can play in a virtual world and chat with other players. Lately, Ben has been playing in a new area. He started receiving some mean messages from the other players.

Ask the students the question on the page. &#160;Change the numbers on the characters' sweatshirts to reflect the number of yes and no answers.

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Who has heard the saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"?

Follow up by asking students if they think the saying is true. If necessary, explain that the saying is a rhyme that is often used to respond to name-calling. Many of these students may never have heard this phrase as it's not as widely used today as it was 20-30 years ago.

Say: We're going to watch a video called The Power of Words. As we watch, continue to think about whether that statement is true. Watch the video. Invite students to share what the video says about whether or not the statement is true. Students' answers may vary, but emphasize the idea that sometimes it's hard to ignore what someone is saying when it's a mean name. Names can make you feel sad or hurt.

Sometimes we might say something to be funny or without thinking about how our words can impact someone else. When we do this, we can hurt someone's feelings. This can happen in person, and it can also happen online. It may even happen more online because the words are just text -- we're not actually face-to-face with other people, and we can't see their full reactions. Whether you're online or face-to-face, it's important to show empathy toward others. Showing empathy is imagining the feelings that someone else is experiencing. In the video, Guts talked to someone he trusted who was able to empathize and give Guts some good advice.

Use the + button &gt; Media &gt; Audio to record your feelings. Place the audio in the circles.&nbsp;

You can talk through these questions, having students share their answers.&#160; You may like to have a different student record their answer to each question in this class book.

How would you feel if you were reading those messages?

What advice would you give Feet to respond to&#160; this situation? Remember to use S-T-O-P.&#160;

Why do people send messages like this to people&#160; they don't know?&#160;

Record yourself performing your new rhyme

Students will create a new rhyme to replace the old sticks and stones rhyme.&#160; They will make a copy of the Student Template book, in which they will write and perform their new rhyme.&#160; You can choose for students to do this individually or in small groups.&#160; When students are finished, you will combine all rhymes into one large book so that we can help others respond to mean behaviors online.

Click the link below to open the student template book

Create a Rhyme

Write your own rhyme to replace "Sticks &amp; Stones"

Understand that it's important to think about the words we use because everyone interprets things differently. Identify ways to respond to mean words online, using the acronym S-T-O-P. Recognize ways to be an upstander and show empathy and supporting others online.

Discuss the four rules for responding to mean words online, using STOP as the acronynm. Have students brainstorm images that can be put into the panels to represent the four rules. Have them get creative and use images that aren't typical representations.&#160; Try emojis (+, pen).&#160; If you have Book Creator premium, try out the noun project icons (+, shapes, type in words).

Name

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