A. Literacy Connections and Applications / C. Comprehension: Understanding and Responding to Texts · Understanding and Responding to Texts

Finding Information and Being Smart and Safe Online

A2.1 A2.2 A2.3 A2.6 A2.7 A1.1About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can find information in more than one place and check if it is true.
I can tell who made a website or video and why.
I can keep my private information private and ask permission online.
I can be kind and respectful when I write or share online.
I can use a plan (the design process) to make something that solves a problem.

Words to know

source
Where information comes from: a book, a website, a video, an expert.

research
Looking for information to answer a question.

reliable
Can be trusted to be true.

private information
Information about you that strangers should not know: your full name, address, phone number, school, passwords, and photos of you.

permission
When a trusted grown-up says yes.

digital footprint
Everything you post, share or search online. It can stay there for a long time, like footprints in snow that don't melt.

design process
Steps to solve a problem: think, plan, make, test, improve.

Becoming a researcher

When you have a question, you can research it: look for information. You can use books, websites, videos and people who know (like a librarian, a park ranger or an Elder).

But not everything you read is true! Good researchers check their sources.

Read-aloud: Kai's Frog Question

Kai wondered, "What do frogs do in winter?"

Source 1: Kai and his dad borrowed a library book called Frogs of Canada. It said: Some frogs, like the wood frog, can freeze in winter. In spring, they thaw out and hop away!

Source 2: Kai's dad helped him find a website made by a nature centre. It also said that wood frogs freeze in winter and thaw out and wake up in spring.

Source 3: Kai saw a short video with a comment from someone called FrogKing99: "Frogs fly south to Florida for the winter!!!"

Kai thought hard. Which sources should he trust?

A brown wood frog with a dark mask across its eyes sits on wet fallen leaves next to melting snow. — A wood frog in early spring, with snow still melting nearby. Two trusted sources agreed: wood frogs freeze in winter and thaw in spring. AI-generated image

Worked example

Let's check the sources

Help Kai decide which sources are reliable.

Ask: Who made it? Source 1: a library book about frogs. Source 2: a nature centre, where people study nature. Source 3: a stranger called FrogKing99. We don't know who they are.
Ask: Do the sources agree? Sources 1 and 2 agree: wood frogs freeze and thaw. Source 3 says something different.
Ask: Does it make sense? I know that birds fly south, but frogs can't fly! Source 3 doesn't make sense.
Ask: Why was it made? A nature centre wants to teach. A comment might be a joke or just wrong.

Sources 1 and 2 are reliable: they are made by people who know about nature and they agree. Source 3 is not reliable. Wood frogs freeze in winter and thaw in spring.

Kai uses the 3 checks. Sources 1 and 2 are reliable. Source 3 does not make sense, so he doesn't use it.

The 3 checks for information

Who made it, and why?
Do two or more sources agree?
Does it make sense with what I know?

Also think about perspectives: who is telling this, and is anyone's view missing?

Staying safe online

The internet is like a giant city. There are great places, but you need rules to stay safe.

Keep private information private. Never share your full name, address, phone number, school, passwords or photos without a trusted grown-up's permission.
Ask first before you click a link, download a game, buy something, or post a picture.
Ask permission before you take or share a photo of someone else.
If something online makes you feel scared, sad, confused or uncomfortable, stop, close the screen and tell a trusted grown-up. You will not be in trouble.
Take screen breaks. Move your body, play outside!

Being kind and respectful online

Behind every screen is a real person with real feelings. Before you post or send something, THINK:

T: Is it true?
H: Is it helpful?
I: Is it inspiring (does it make someone feel good)?
N: Is it necessary?
K: Is it kind?

People online come from many places, cultures and languages. Be respectful of differences. Remember your digital footprint: what you post can stay online for a long time.

Worked example

Let's decide what is safe

Kai's class has a class blog that the teacher checks. Kai wants to post: "Hi! I'm Kai Morrison from Pine Street, and I learned that wood frogs freeze in winter!" Is it safe and kind? How could he fix it?

Is it kind and true? Yes. It shares a cool, true fact.
Is there private information? Yes! His full name and his street.
Fix it: take out the private details. "I learned that wood frogs freeze in winter and thaw in spring! I read it in a library book."
He could also ask his teacher before posting, since the blog is checked by a grown-up.

Kai should share the fact but leave out his full name and street, and ask his teacher before posting.

Just for fun

Frogs fly south to Florida? Only if they can buy a plane ticket! Real wood frogs stay put, freeze in winter, and thaw out in spring.

The design process: solving real problems

Researchers and inventors use a plan to solve problems:

Think: What is the problem? Who does it affect?
Plan: Brainstorm ideas. Pick one.
Make: Build it. You can use paper, or a digital tool like a drawing app or a camera, with a grown-up.
Test: Try it. Does it work?
Improve: Make it better.

Example: Kai's family keeps forgetting to turn off the lights. Kai thinks (lights left on waste electricity), plans (a reminder sign), makes a sign with a drawing app and a light-bulb icon, tests it for a week, and improves it by making the words bigger.

The design process goes around in a loop. After you test and improve, you can test again!

Hands-on activity

Mini research project

You need: a question you wonder about, a library book or a website your grown-up chooses, paper.

Write your question (for example, What do owls eat?).
Find the answer in two sources (a book and a reliable website, or a book and an expert you know).
Do the sources agree? Write the answer in your own words.
Make a small poster to share what you learned. You can draw it on paper or, with a grown-up, use a drawing or slide app.
Make sure your poster has no private information on it.
Share it with your family and ask for one idea to improve it.

Your turn

What was Kai's research question?

Which two of Kai's sources agreed?

Why is Source 3 not reliable?

Name three kinds of private information.

A pop-up says "Click here to win a free tablet!" What should you do?

What does the K in THINK stand for?

Name the five steps of the design process.

More practice: warm-up

What is a source?

What does reliable mean?

What do wood frogs do in winter?

Who should you tell if something online makes you feel uncomfortable?

Should you share your password with a friend?

More practice: on your own

Why is it a good idea to check two sources?

Your friend wants to post a funny photo of you online. What should happen first?

Someone in an online game is saying mean things to other players. What could you do?

What is a digital footprint? Why should you think about it?

Kai's light sign didn't work at first because the words were too small. Which step of the design process was he doing when he made them bigger?

Challenge

A website about a toy says "This is the best toy ever made! Everyone loves it!" It was made by the toy company. Is it a reliable source for finding out if the toy is good? Explain.

A pen pal in another country writes to your class blog in a different language. How can you be respectful?

Use the design process to plan a solution: your family keeps losing the TV remote.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which source is most reliable for facts about frogs?

What should you do if two sources disagree?

Which is private information?

A game asks you to download something new. What should you do first?

Which message passes the THINK test?

What is the last step of the design process?

Which is a true fact from Kai's reliable sources?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: This lesson covers Strand A digital and media literacy: gathering and evaluating information from more than one source and considering perspectives (A2.3); rights and responsibilities online, permission and digital footprint (A2.1); online safety, privacy and well-being (A2.2); using digital and media tools in a design process to solve real problems (A2.6); and communicating respectfully online with cultural awareness (A2.7). These all use transferable skills such as critical thinking, communication and collaboration (A1.1).

How to help at home:

Research together: when your child asks a question, look in two sources and compare.
Make family online rules together, and keep devices in shared spaces.
Model asking permission: "May I post this photo of you?"
Remind your child often: telling a grown-up about something scary online will never get them in trouble.

Common difficulties:

Believing anything on a screen. Use the 3 checks: who made it, do sources agree, does it make sense?
Not seeing a first name, school or photo as private. Go through examples together.
Thinking online words don't hurt. Remind them that a real person reads every message.

Fact note: wood frogs, found across Canada, can survive being partly frozen in winter and thaw out in spring.