Introduction - Media Balance is Important

Students consider the feelings of themselves and others when making decisions about when, where, and how much to use technology.

Introduce the Digital Citizens characters by either having students complete the Coloring Book. Each character represents one of the six digital citizenship topics.

Ask: Have you ever had the feeling that you've spent too much time using a device like a tablet? What were you doing?  (Slide 3)

Invite students to respond. Answers will vary, but emphasize that sometimes what we're doing online is so fun that it's easy to lose track of time. That's why it's important to stop and notice when people and other fun things are happening in real life around us. 

Project Slide 4 and define a device as an electronic piece of equipment like a phone, tablet, or laptop.

Say: When we're using devices, it's important to follow certain rules to make sure we're making healthy and responsible choices. Today, we're going to listen to a song called "Balance Is Important." This song is about some good times to put our tech away even when we don't want to. In this song, you're going to hear the word "balance" a lot.

Ask: What does it mean to be in balance? 

Invite students to share out. Project Slide 5 and define balance as having equal weight or importance of something. In this case, that means keeping online and offline activities equal or in the "right" amount for you.

Play the "Media Balance Is Important" music video on Slide 6.

As the video plays, model the dance moves in the chorus and encourage students to join in!

 

Chorus 1:

Balance is important [Hold arms out long like a balance scale and teeter, totter a bit]

For me and you and you  [Point to self and then point left and right]

Balance helps us stand up straight  [Bend knees and then stand up straight]

And keeps us in our shoes [Point to feet]

 

Chorus 2:

Balance is important [Hold arms out long like a balance scale and teeter, totter a bit]

For me and you and you [Point to self and then point left and right]

Your Heart, your Head, your Arms and your Legs [Point to each body part]

Need that balance, too [Hold arms out long like a balance scale and teeter, totter a bit]

 

Keep Your Balance

Say: The Digital Citizens showed us the ways they keep their tech use in balance. Now we're going to take a closer look at a few of the scenes from the song.

For slides 7-10, project each slide, read aloud the question, and have students pair-share. Then invite students to share with the class. This can also be done as a whole-group discussion instead.

Refer to the following suggested answers to guide the discussion:

• Why should you take a break from your device when a friends says "hi"? (Slide 7)
  It's important to always pause what you're doing on a device to acknowledge the people around you. The people in real life might want to tell you something important, ask a question, or want to play with you.
   
• Why should you invite your friend to play when they are all alone? (Slide 8)
  Just like in real life, it's important not to exclude anyone. If you're playing a game or doing something on a device, make sure that you're not ignoring anyone, especially if that person wants to join the fun too!
   
• Why is it a good idea to turn off your device before going to bed? (Slide 9)
  Doctors say that it is best to sleep with devices off so that we don't get distracted while we are sleeping. It's a good idea to charge devices away from where you sleep.
   
• Why should you ask permission before taking someone's phone? (Slide 10)
  A phone or tablet is someone's personal property. Just like you ask permission before using a friend's toy, you should ask permission before grabbing someone's phone -- including your parents' phone. Remember that a lot of grown-ups use their phones for work and have important information saved in them. Treat their devices with respect!

 

Reflect - Pause & Think Moment

Say: Today we watched the Digital Citizens show us how they keep their online and offline activities in balance. Now I'd like you to think about what media balance means for you.

Distribute the Pause & Think Moment Student Handout. Read the directions aloud and allow students to complete the reflection independently. (Slide 11) 

Invite students to share their reflections with the class. Collect handouts to assess student learning.

Send home the Family Activity.