A Guide for: Digital Citizens

The Digital Citizenship LibGuide serves students, parents, and teachers from Kindergarten through 6th grade providing resources on digital citizenship.  This guide helps teachers and parents explain how students' use technology and prepare them to be responsible digital citizens.   

• What is Digital Citizenship?
• Stay Safe Online
• Balance Time Online
• Be aware of Cyberbullying
• Respect Copyright and Intellectual Property
• Managing Your Digital Footprint

A user-friendly guide:  <click on pictures> to directly go to the website, a new page will open for each link.  To access other website links <copy and paste URL> into a new tab.

A Smart Girls Guide: Digital World: How to Connect, Share, Play and Keep Yourself Safe (A Smart Girl’s Guides) by Carrie Anton.  The digital world is exciting but you need to keep safe and navigate the new world safely.  Test safety smarts, deal with cyberbullying and connect with family and friends. 

Age Range 9-12 years

ISBN-10: 1683370430, ISBN-13: 978-1683370437

Once Upon a Time…Online: Happily Ever After is Only a Click Away! By David Bedford.  See what happens when a laptop arrives in Fairyland and the fairy tale characters experience online for the first time. 

Age 4-8 years

ISBN-10: 1472392353, ISBN-13: 978-1472392350



Digital Me (A Squirrel Hill High Novel) by J.M. Varner.  Megan is becoming popular on a new social network called Digital Me, however, Megan’s popularity is causing her to lose her best friend.

Ages Range: 9-12

ISBN-10: 1494445417, ISBN-13: 978-1494445416

How Can I Be a Good Digital Citizen? by Christine Zuchora-Walske.  Going on the internet can be a new adventure, however, it is important to use it safely.  How can you be a good digital citizen? 

Ages 6- 9 years old

 ISBN-10: 1467783110, ISBN-13: 978-1467783118

Digital Citizens

1. Protect private information for others and themselves.
2. Stay safe online.
3. Maintain a healthy balance between online and offline use.
4. Respect themselves and others while online.
5. Stand up to cyberbullying and report unacceptable behavior.
6. Respect copyright rules and don't plagiarize.
7. Carefully manages their digital footprint.

 Interland: Online game highlighting the lessons of digital citizenship and safety for 3rd - 6th grade. <Click on the picture to activate game>.

FBI Safe Online Surfing: Interactive game to guide students through safe surfing, personal information, and computer health.  Ages:  3^rd grade & up. <Click on the image to activate the game>.

Cybersense and Nonsense – Three cyber pigs learn about how to be safe online.  Students knowledge is tested when presented with various situations. Grades 4th - 6th grade. < Click on image to activate game>. 

Digital Technologies Hub – find lesson plans, resources, lesson ideas, curriculum links, application, and games. <click on the picture to access>

Google Safety Centre:  Google compiled information for educators and families providing basic information to keeping data secure.  The website gives advice how to prevent cyber crimes and provide the top 5 online safety features to keep users safe online.  The Safety Tools tab gives the advice to manage privacy and security. In addition, there are videos, web safety games in the Resources Tab. <click on the picture to access>

Educating Digital Citizens by Thomas Tan: This article defines digital citizenship and discusses appropriate, responsible behavior using technology and to successfully navigate through the internet.  <click on the picture for access>

Additional resources:

 use keywords to search for more information:  Online Safety AND students.  <click on picture to access>

 Online dictionary access 

Definitions of technology terms   

Google Scholar Articles:

Digital Citizenship:  Addressing Appropriate Technology Behavior, Learning & Leading with Technology, v32 n1 p6-9, 11 Sep 2004. A journal article defines digital citizenship, gives examples and strategies, talks about responsibilities and communication.  Download PDF at https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ695788

Digital Citizenship in K-12: It Takes a Village by Randy Hollandsworth, Lena Dowdy, and Judy Donovan, Techtrends, v55 n1 p37-47.  Students online behaviors affect friends but also those not within the friend circle.  The article provides readers with a number of suggestions to help students become better digital citizens. For a complete download of article visit http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/djeddry/mod%204/ittakesavillage.pdf

Additional resources:

 use keywords to search for more documents:  Online Safety AND students.  <click on picture to access database>

The Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship

1. Digital Access – full electronic participation in society
2. Digital Commerce – electronic buying and selling of goods
3. Digital Communication – electronic exchange of information
4. Digital Literacy – process of teaching and learning about technology
5. Digital Etiquette – electronic responsibility for conduct and procedure
6. Digital Law – electronic responsibility for actions and deeds
7. Digital Rights and Responsibilities – freedoms extended to everyone in a digital world
8. Digital Health and Wellness – physical well-being in a digital world
9. Digital Security – electronic precautions to guarantee safety

Detailed information can be found by <clicking image above>.

This brief video highlights being safe online in five easy to remember tips for grades 2nd – 6th.

These lovable characters from the Lion King show the importance of protecting personal information and being good digital citizens.  Viewable for grades 2nd to 4th

Phineas and Ferb give important tips on staying safe online, getting off devices and not believing everything online.  Great for grades 3rd – 6th.