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  1. Digital Citizenship Teacher Guide
  2. 3-5 Lesson Plans
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1. Curriculum standards

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2. Objectives

  • The student can identify websites suitable for information retrieval.
  • The student can communicate electronically with teachers and friends using methods such as email and video calls.
  • The student understands how to use email appropriately as a communication channel.
  • The student can use search engines effectively for information gathering.
  • The student can modify search criteria and use advanced search techniques to improve search results.

3. Key concepts

  • Reliable Information Sources
    • A reliable source of information is one that can be trusted because:
      • Experts have created or reviewed the information.
      • Facts can be verified from other reliable sources.
      • The information is unbiased, meaning it does not favor just one perspective or preconception.
      • The information is up-to-date, meaning it has been updated with the latest knowledge.
      • Publishers verify the information before publication.

  • Websites Suitable for Information Retrieval

    • There are many reliable websites for information retrieval, such as libraries, scientific publications, and learning platforms. A reliable information source always references original sources and uses accurate and verifiable information.

  • Email

    • Email is an important communication channel for tasks such as school assignments, instructions from teachers, and communication with classmates. It is important to use email professionally and to write messages clearly. Emails can also contain phishing messages, which can be identified by looking for spelling mistakes, untrustworthy content, and vague or suspicious links.

  • Search Engines

    • Search engines, such as Google, help us find information on the web. Effective searching requires using appropriate keywords and sometimes employing advanced search techniques, such as quotation marks or filters.

  • Video Calls

    • Video calls enable face-to-face conversations even over long distances. For example, video conferences can be used for group projects or discussions with teachers.

4. Discussion questions (5 - 10 minutes)

  1. How can we identify which websites are good for information retrieval? (Good sources for information are reliable and up-to-date websites, such as official organizations, universities, and scientific publications. Check the website's sources, authors, and publication date.)

  2. How can one’s own preconceptions affect how they react to a news article or a social media image/post? (We all have our own thoughts and opinions, known as preconceptions. These are thoughts we have before seeing a news article or post. Preconceptions can affect how we understand new information. For example, if someone really likes animals, they might immediately be happy when seeing a picture of an animal, even if others don’t feel the same way. Or if someone doesn’t like sports, they might think sports news is boring, even if the news is exciting to many. Our own thoughts and experiences can thus affect how we react to things—sometimes they might even prevent us from seeing another perspective.)

  3. How should email be used when sending messages to teachers or friends? (When emailing a teacher, it is important to be polite and professional. Use a clear subject line, greeting, and signature. Ensure your message is clear and understandable. When emailing friends, it is also important to be polite, but the message can be more informal.)

  4. What is the difference between email and other communication channels, like chat? (Email is generally more formal and used for longer-term messages, while chat is more real-time and casual, often used for quick discussions.)

  5. How can we use search engines to find the information we need quickly and accurately? (Use precise keywords and phrases, utilize search engine filters, and apply advanced search techniques such as quotation marks and minus signs.)

  6. Have you ever participated in a video call? How does it differ from a regular phone call or email? (A video call allows face-to-face communication over long distances, which differs from a regular phone call, which is only audio, and email, which is written communication without real-time interaction.)

  7. How can you recognize a phishing message?

    1. (Phishing messages may come from unknown or untrustworthy senders. Always check the sender’s email address or phone number.

    2. Phishing messages often ask for personal information, such as passwords or banking details, which legitimate organizations do not request via email.

    3. Phishing messages may include unexpected attachments or links that lead to harmful sites or downloadable malware.

    4. They often contain grammar mistakes, poorly written text, or unusual language, which can indicate a scam attempt.

    5. Messages that try to rush or scare the recipient (e.g., "act now or your account will be closed") are often scams.

    6. Phishing messages may also include unbelievable promises, such as large cash prizes or free gifts that seem too good to be true.)

5. Online learning (10 - 20 minutes)

The Blobbs receive a special email about a new amusement park and rush to buy tickets. Only one Blobb questions the authenticity of the email and the information. In the adventure, the Blobbs practice skills with Diginaut, where they learn to identify reliable sources of information, communicate electronically, and use search engines effectively. They explore how to use email and video calls and learn to refine search results using advanced search settings.

6. Offline assignments (10 - 15 minutes)

Reliable Websites symboli_ekatoka.png symboli_eskari.png

The teacher gives students topics related to the current environmental studies theme of the group. Students search for information using keywords and browse several different websites, evaluating whether they are good sources of information. The teacher guides them to pay attention to the site's appearance, the writing style and tone of the text, the citation of sources and reliability, the correctness of the language, and the currency of the information. Finally, they discuss why some sites are better than others for gathering information. Attached is a basic information search exercise on basic facts about different countries.

Advanced Search Settings in Search Engines for Information Retrieval

Choose an appropriate topic that fits the current theme of environmental studies. The teacher demonstrates how advanced search settings in a search engine work. Afterward, students try using these advanced settings, as shown by the teacher, to find more specific information on their own topics.

Let's experiment with some of these common search techniques:

  1. Quotation Marks (" ")
    Use quotation marks to search for exact phrases or word combinations. For example, searching for "effects of climate change" will give you results where these words appear in this specific order.
  2. Minus Sign (-)
    The minus sign is used to exclude certain words from search results. For instance, if you want information about lions but not football teams, you can search for "lions -football."
  3. Asterisk (*)
    The asterisk acts as a wildcard and replaces one or more words in a search phrase. This is useful if you can't remember the entire phrase. For example, searching for "Finland * in Europe" will return phrases related to Finland in Europe.
  4. Site Search
    You can limit search results to a specific website by using the "site:" term. For example, "climate change site:.fi" will show results only from websites with a ".fi" domain.
  5. Image Search (Reverse Image Search)
    Reverse image search means using an image as the search input. Users can upload an image, paste the image URL, or drag and drop an image into the search engine. The search engine analyzes the image and finds similar images or information related to the image. This can help you discover, for example:
    1. The original source of the image
    2. Content or details associated with the image
    3. Different versions of the image in varying sizes or edits

Image search is useful when you're looking for specific types of images or want to find more information about an image, such as its origin or where else it has been used.

Sending an Email

Students practice writing a formal email to the teacher. In the exercise, they learn the correct structure of a message (greeting, body of the message, closing) and how to edit the message to make it clear and friendly. The teacher can write a common response to all students.

Video Call: Information from an Expert

Let's brainstorm a topic related to the current theme in environmental studies. Think about who could be a reliable expert on the subject. An expert is someone who knows more about the topic than the students and has the ability to join a video call. The students will plan questions to ask the expert during the video call. Together, we will practice how to make a video call. At the same time, students will gain experience in utilizing expert knowledge through the use of video calls.

Exploring the News: Clickbait, Fake, or Real News?

  1. The teacher presents students with various current news headlines, some of which are "clickbait" and others more professional articles based on reliable sources. The students are asked to consider why clickbait is used and how it can be misleading.
  2. Next, students are asked to recall if they have seen clips on social media that resemble news. They brainstorm and list what factors might make a video posted on platforms like YouTube or TikTok an unreliable source of news (e.g., suspicious claims, lack of evidence, the creator’s personal biases and intentions). Especially on TikTok, many videos present opinions as news or fabricate news.
  3. If desired, the teacher can select a suitable example of fake news from the media for the group. Together, they analyze how the video’s message is presented. Is it biased? Does it push a specific agenda? Does it use emotional elements to influence the viewer? Discuss these observations as a group.
  4. If the teacher prefers, they can find an appropriate example of a video showcasing a deepfake. A deepfake is an artificially created or altered image or video where a person’s face or voice is replaced with another using AI. These are used for humorous videos but also for deception. Discuss the potential impact of deepfakes on the reliability of information in the future.
 
ATTACHMENTS
Research Exercise A symboli_ekatoka.png
Research Exercise B symboli_eskari.png
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