Cyber Security Resources for Kids

It seems as though everyday is some sort of special day. What about those special months? I know there are plenty of those as well. October is no different. Cyber Security is very important in this online world, so why not take some time to learn how to better protect yourself and your kids from the various cyber threats out there in that digital world.

Next week I will be giving a presentation on Cyber Security to a bunch of educators. To prepare I spent some time compiling a list of resources that teachers can use to help their students learn all about cyber security. I figure why limit these resources to only teachers. Parents and other guardians may also benefit from these same resources. I have grouped the resources/activities below by grade level. So there is definitely something for everyone. Be sure to comment on which one was your favorite!

Use these activities in your home to help you and your children to know the risks of cyber attacks and why online security matters to them and their future. Got a great cyber security activity to share? Comment below and I will add it to the list!

HackerHighschool.org 9-12
Hacker Highschool (HHS) is an ever-growing collection of lessons written to the teen audience and covering specific subjects that are timely, interesting, and important for teens. The non-profit ISECOM researches and produces the Hacker Highschool Project as a series of lesson workbooks written and translated by the combined efforts of volunteers world wide. The result of this research are books based on how teens learn best and what they need to know to be better hackers, better students, and better people.

NICCS Formal Education 6-12
Promoting and expanding cybersecurity education is essential to protecting the Nation’s critical infrastructure. In order for the United States to best protect our interests in the 21st century, a new workforce needs to be educated and the current workforce needs additional skills. From elementary schools to postgraduate institutions, educators need to understand the critical knowledge, skills, and abilities that future cybersecurity professionals need to learn.

PBS Cyber Security Lab 6-12
The Cybersecurity Lab is a game designed to teach people how to keep their digital lives safe, spot cyber scams, learn the basics of coding, and defend against cyber attacks. Players assume the role of the chief technology officer of a start-up social network company that is the target of increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. In the game, players must complete challenges to strengthen their cyber defenses and thwart their attackers. The Lab also features stories of real-world cyber attacks, a glossary of cyber terms, and short animated videos that explain the need for cybersecurity, privacy versus security, cryptography (cyber codes), and what exactly hackers are.

New York Times Education World Lesson Plans 6-12
In this lesson, students will learn about the extent of cyberattacks just in the past year and the risks they pose for companies, goverments and individuals. They also will learn about the steps individuals and organizations can take to better protect their data online, and will reflect on their own digitial security practices.

BrainPop Junior K-5
Use the popular BrainPop activity website for those younger students so they can get a good understanding of Internet Safety.

EDUTOPIA K-5
With children spending time online at younger and younger ages, it is vital that we explicitly teach young children how to protect themselves online. Most young children get the “Stranger Danger” talk at school, so they know about how to handle strangers in their neighborhood and in face-to-face situations. In this lesson you can work with younger students using the “stranger danger” concept but applied to online.

SAFE-NET 1-3
This site contains twelve lessons in cyber security for students in grades 1-3. Provided with each lesson are teacher’s lesson plans and student handouts. Some lessons also include separate activity sheets.

SAFE-NET 4-6
This site contains twelve lessons in cyber security for students in grades 4-6. Provided with each lesson are teacher’s lesson plans and student handouts. Some lessons also include separate activity sheets.

SAFE-NET 7-12
This site contains eleven lessons in cyber security for students in grades 7-12. Provided with each lesson are teacher’s lesson plans and student handouts. Some lessons also include separate activity sheets.

Media Smarts 5-8
In this lesson students discuss their online experiences and learn how to minimize the potential risks that may be associated with them. Using the Cyber Security Tip Sheet, students explore the many tools and strategies that can be used to mitigate or prevent negative online experiences. Once they have reviewed these strategies and resources, students will extend and test their knowledge by playing a game in which they compete against other students to match a series of technological “Tools” to the “Risks” they can help to prevent.

Purdue Edu K-12
Information Security is a serious topic that needs to be included in the curriculum of every classroom that uses a computer. It is important for teachers, administrators, and technology coordinators to be fluent on this topic in order to protect the integrity of school records, student information, and institution credibility. But, it is EQUALLY important that the students understand the basics of information security in order to protect themselves, their work, and school environment.

EDUTOPIA K-12
Top 20 suggestions for keeping your classroom a safe, open, and inviting place to learn.

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