Subscribe

9th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 6 of 12

Digital Smarts

Trust, privacy and credible sources

What your child practices

Telling misinformation from disinformation, checking sources before trusting them, managing passwords and privacy, spotting phishing, and citing and using other people's work respectfully.

Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 9-10.W.6; 9-10.W.8 · credible sources, technology-made content and privacy

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Misinformation is false information shared by mistake. Disinformation is spread on purpose to mislead.
  2. A padlock means the connection is encrypted, not that the content is true. Check facts, including chatbot answers, with reliable sources.
  3. Use strong passwords, watch for phishing and ask permission before posting about others.

Example: A chatbot gives you a statistic for your report. What is the best next step? Chatbots can make mistakes or invent numbers. Confirm before using it. Answer: Check it against a reliable source before using it

Digital Smarts in Arizona

In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 6 of 12 in 9th grade English Language Arts, after Literary Devices and before Forms & Features.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Arizona Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    What is an algorithm in a social media app?

    • A set of rules that decides what content you see
    • A photo filter only
    • The name of a website
    • A kind of password

  2. Question 2

    A headline reads “SHOCKING!” and the article has no author, date or sources. What does this suggest?

    • It must be true because it is exciting
    • It is the newest information
    • It may not be credible and should be checked
    • It is written by an expert

  3. Question 3

    Which source is most reliable for facts about vaccine safety?

    • A friend's short video
    • A company's advertisement
    • A public health agency page that lists its studies
    • An anonymous forum post

  4. Question 4

    What is the best response if you see someone being bullied online?

    • Share the post
    • Do not join in, support the person and tell a trusted adult or report it
    • Add a comment to join the joke
    • Ignore it forever

  5. Question 5

    Which detail helps you decide whether a web page is current?

    • The color of its menu
    • The date it was published or last updated
    • The number of ads on it
    • The length of its web address

  6. Question 6

    Disinformation is…

    • a mistake someone made by accident
    • a true story told with humor
    • advertising for a product
    • false information spread on purpose to mislead

More 9th grade