Middle & High School AI & Media Literacy Curriculum

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Media Literacy

Echo Chambers & Filter Bubbles: Breaking Out of Your Feed

This video explains how social media algorithms create filter bubbles by tracking user engagement and delivering similar content. Students learn how echo chambers form when exposure is limited to one perspective, and why this makes users vulnerable to misinformation.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Understand how algorithms create filter bubbles and echo chambers
• Recognize the importance of diversifying information sources
• Apply critical thinking by fact-checking content before sharing

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Media Literacy

Hidden Agendas: Ads, Clickbait, and Sponsored Content

This video teaches students to identify various forms of online advertising, including clickbait and sponsored content. Students learn how these tactics are designed to capture attention and influence behavior through psychological manipulation.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Identify clickbait by recognizing exaggerated headlines and thumbnails
• Distinguish sponsored content from editorial content by looking for disclosure labels
• Evaluate sources to determine credibility before engaging with content

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Media Literacy

Spotting Fake News & Misinformation

This video examines how fake news and misinformation are engineered to trigger emotional responses. Students learn to recognize manipulated content, including doctored images and deepfakes, and understand the security risks associated with clicking malicious links.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Recognize emotional manipulation tactics used in misinformation
• Apply the stop and analyze method before clicking or sharing content
• Verify information sources using reliable fact-checking practices

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Device/Account Security

Passwords & MFA for Social/Game Accounts

This video covers essential account security practices, including the risks of weak passwords and credential reuse. Students learn how hackers use brute force attacks to compromise accounts and the importance of implementing strong passphrases and multi-factor authentication.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Create strong passphrases using 16+ characters and unrelated words
• Implement password managers to maintain unique credentials for each account
• Enable multi-factor authentication using authenticator apps for enhanced security

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Healthy Tech Use

Why Apps Hook You: The Science of Digital Addiction

This video explores the psychology behind app engagement, explaining how features like notifications, streaks, and rewards are designed to trigger dopamine responses. Students learn to recognize these manipulation techniques and develop strategies for healthier technology use.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Understand how apps use psychological techniques to maximize engagement
• Implement notification management to reduce digital distractions
• Establish boundaries including screen time limits and device-free zones

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Device/Account Security

Mobile Phone Security 101

This video addresses fundamental mobile device security practices. Students learn about the risks of excessive app permissions, the importance of software updates as security patches, and how to prepare for device loss or theft.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Evaluate and manage app permissions to protect personal data
• Understand the importance of installing security updates promptly
• Configure device protection features including strong passcodes and Find My Device

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Cybersecurity Basics

The Dangers of Piracy & "Free" Streaming

This video explains the cybersecurity risks associated with piracy and illegal streaming sites. Students learn how these sites deliver malware including spyware, ransomware, and botnet software, and the importance of using legitimate content sources.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Understand the security risks of piracy and unauthorized streaming sites
• Recognize suspicious websites and respond appropriately by closing them
• Maintain updated software and antivirus protection as defensive measures

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Safe Online Behavior

Online Challenges and Risky Trends: What's the Real Cost?

This video addresses the real-world consequences of participating in viral challenges and dangerous internet trends. Students learn to evaluate risks including physical harm, legal consequences, and lasting digital reputation impacts.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Evaluate content before posting using the future audience test
• Recognize peer pressure tactics and understand that consequences outlast trends
• Identify safe alternatives for participating in online trends

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Data Privacy & Protection

Your Digital Footprint & Personal Security

This video explains how online activities create a permanent digital footprint that can be collected, sold, and exploited. Students learn how data brokers and scammers use personal information for targeted attacks and the importance of managing their online presence.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Understand how digital footprints are created and monetized
• Implement privacy settings including private profiles and disabled location services
• Apply the future rule by considering long-term implications before posting

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Safe Online Behavior

AI Friends: What's the Catch?

This video examines AI companion applications and the privacy and emotional risks they present. Students learn that AI chatbots are algorithms designed for engagement, that conversations are logged as data, and how these tools can affect real-world social development.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Understand that AI companions are algorithms, not genuine relationships
• Recognize data collection practices and avoid sharing sensitive information
• Prioritize human relationships over AI interactions for social development

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Data Privacy & Protection

Privacy on Social Media: Stop Oversharing

This video teaches students about the privacy risks of oversharing on social media. Students learn how location data, photos of valuable items, and personal documents can be exploited by stalkers, thieves, and identity thieves.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Understand the risks of sharing location data and valuable possessions online
• Configure privacy settings including disabling geolocation and setting profiles to private
• Practice selective sharing using close friends lists for sensitive content

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Data Privacy & Protection

What is Doxxing? How Your Info Is Used Against You

This video explains doxxing—the practice of collecting and exposing someone's personal information online. Students learn how seemingly innocuous details can be pieced together to reveal identities and how to protect themselves through better online practices.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Understand how doxxers compile personal information from online sources
• Implement privacy practices including avoiding real names in usernames
• Maintain separate online identities across platforms to limit exposure

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Cybersecurity Basics

Don't Get Hooked: Phishing & QR Code Traps

This video covers phishing attacks and the emerging threat of malicious QR codes. Students learn to recognize social engineering tactics that create urgency and fear, and how to verify links and QR codes before engaging with them.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Recognize phishing tactics including urgency, fear, and impersonation
• Verify links by hovering to check URLs before clicking
• Identify potentially malicious QR codes by checking for stickers or suspicious destinations

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Engaging AI Safely

AI Can Help, But Don't Copy/Paste

This video addresses the appropriate use of AI tools in academic settings. Students learn the difference between using AI as a learning aid versus academic dishonesty, and how to leverage AI for brainstorming while maintaining their own voice and following academic integrity policies.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Understand appropriate uses of AI including brainstorming and concept explanation
• Maintain academic integrity by expressing ideas in their own words
• Follow school policies regarding AI use and academic honesty

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Healthy Tech Use

Screen Time and Digital Balance: Taking Control

This video addresses digital wellness and the intentional design of apps to maximize user engagement. Students learn to recognize their usage patterns and implement strategies for achieving a healthier balance between screen time and offline activities.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Recognize personal digital habits and identify time-consuming applications
• Implement practical limits including notification management and app organization
• Establish device-free times and prioritize offline activities for mental health

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Safe Online Behavior

Cyberbullying & Harassment: A Security Risk

This video frames cyberbullying as both an emotional and security threat. Students learn that harassers may attempt to gain account access or expose private information during attacks, and how to respond with a structured protocol to protect themselves.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Document harassment by capturing screenshots with usernames and timestamps
• Implement the block-and-report protocol without engaging with attackers
• Strengthen account security by changing passwords and enabling MFA during incidents

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Cybersecurity Basics

Financial Scams on Venmo, Depop, and Cash App

This video examines common financial scams targeting young users on payment platforms and marketplaces. Students learn to identify advance fee scams, overpayment schemes, and fake investment opportunities, and understand that digital payments are irreversible.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Recognize advance fee scams and understand that legitimate jobs do not require payment
• Identify overpayment scams and never refund payments to strangers
• Verify transactions directly in applications rather than trusting screenshots

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Engaging AI Safely

AI Knows A Lot, But Not Everything

This video explains the limitations of AI systems, including how they generate responses through pattern prediction rather than understanding. Students learn that AI can produce confident but incorrect information and the importance of human verification.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Understand that AI predicts patterns rather than comprehending information
• Verify AI-generated information using reliable sources
• Take responsibility for final answers rather than relying solely on AI output

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Device/Account Security

Safe Online Gaming: Protect Your Account

This video covers security threats targeting gamers, including phishing scams disguised as free item offers and social engineering through voice chat. Students learn to protect their gaming accounts and recognize common attack vectors in gaming communities.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Enable multi-factor authentication as the primary defense against account takeover
• Use strong, unique passwords managed by a password manager for gaming accounts
• Recognize and avoid free item scams delivered through direct messages