Digital Citizenship Lessons for Advisory and SEL Time
If your advisory or SEL block needs lessons on how students treat each other online, this bundle gives grades 7–10 groups four discussion-based units: cyberbullying and hate speech, influencers and social media, AI and responsibility, and consumer ethics. The lesson plans walk an advisor through each session, so a teacher from any department can lead the conversation with confidence.
See the lessons for advisory →Digital Citizenship Activities ($69.99, grades 7–10) works well in advisory and SEL time because its 12 lessons across 4 units are built on discussion. Topics are cyberbullying and hate speech, influencers and social media, artificial intelligence and responsibility, and consumer ethics. Each lesson has a lesson plan and printable worksheets, so advisors from any subject can lead it. It is a digital download available right after purchase.
The resources
Digital Citizenship Bundle, Grades 7–10
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Digital Citizenship Activities | Cyberbullying, AI, Social Media & Media Literacy Lessons | Grades 7–10
Computer Science Activities Bundle | Artificial Intelligence, Python Programming, Cybersecurity & Digital Literacy | Middle School Grades 7–10
Cyberbullying and Hate Speech – Ethics Unit (Grades 6–9)
Influencers and Social Media – Ethics Unit (Grades 6–9)
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
Why online life is tricky territory for advisory
Advisory and SEL time exist to talk about relationships, choices and belonging, and for most teenagers a large part of that now happens on their phones. Group chats decide who is in and who is out. A comment under a post can follow a student into school the next morning. Advisors see the fallout but rarely have material that addresses it head-on. Generic SEL lessons on empathy or conflict resolution stay abstract, and students do not connect them to what happened in last night's chat. On the other hand, a lesson that names cyberbullying directly can go wrong fast if there is no structure: students name names, someone shuts down, or the advisor is left managing a conflict they did not see coming. Advisors also tend to be stretched thin. They teach their own subjects all day and need advisory lessons they can read in a few minutes. The goal is a conversation that builds self-awareness and responsible decision-making, while keeping every student safe in the room.
Why it fits
How the units support SEL goals
Each unit links an online situation to the self-awareness and decision-making advisory aims to build.
- Cyberbullying and hate speech lessons build empathy and help students decide when and how to step in.
- Influencers and social media lessons prompt reflection on comparison, self-image and what students follow.
- AI and responsibility asks students to think about fairness and who answers for automated decisions.
- Consumer ethics links personal choices to their effect on others, a core responsible decision-making skill.
- Lesson plans give advisors a clear structure, which keeps sensitive discussions calm and focused.
- Discussion activities let quieter students contribute without being put on the spot.
Getting started
Running it across an advisory program
Suggestions for advisory coordinators planning the material across several groups.
- Clear team use firstIf several advisors will teach the lessons, send Teach Lessons a short message about team use before you print. Then give every advisor the same files and lesson plans.
- Brief advisors before sensitive unitsBefore the cyberbullying unit, remind advisors of the school's reporting steps and invite the counselor to a short planning meeting so everyone handles disclosures the same way.
- Open with influencersBegin with influencers and social media, where students talk easily. It builds trust within the group before the heavier conversations. Students share examples without naming anyone.
- One lesson per advisory sessionTreat each of the 12 lessons as one session where possible. If your periods are short, use the discussion activity and skip a worksheet rather than rushing.
- Reflect at the end of each unitClose each unit by asking students to write one thing they will do differently online. Keep these in advisory folders and revisit them at the end of the term.
What to buy
The right purchase for advisory
Most advisory programs should buy Digital Citizenship Activities at $69.99, since the four units give you a full term of discussion material. If your program only has room for one topic, Cyberbullying and Hate Speech or Influencers and Social Media are available as single ethics units at $24.99 each, written for grades 6–9. The Computer Science Activities Bundle ($119.99) is aimed at a technology course and is more than advisory needs. Advisors carrying heavy workloads can also look at Teach-Life-Balance at $89.90.
Honest limits
Where the bundle stops
This is classroom material, not a clinical or counseling program. It does not assess students' wellbeing and does not replace your school's anti-bullying procedures or the work of counselors. It has no SEL scope and sequence beyond the four units, so your coordinator decides where it fits in the year. No software or devices are included. Check the content against your school's SEL framework. Use by a team of advisors needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. If it is not a fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned to an SEL framework or approved by any SEL organization?
No. Teach Lessons does not claim alignment with any SEL framework, state standard or district program, and no organization has endorsed the bundle. It is written for grades 7–10. Your SEL coordinator can compare the four units with your own framework and decide which competencies they support.
Can a teacher with no counseling training lead these lessons?
Yes, the lessons are designed for classroom teachers and come with lesson plans. For the cyberbullying unit in particular, advisors should know the school's reporting steps and when to bring in a counselor. Reading the lesson plan the day before is usually enough preparation for an advisor with no counseling training, since each step is laid out clearly.
What if a student discloses something during a lesson?
Follow your school's procedures and involve the counselor. The bundle does not provide a disclosure protocol, so agree on one with your team before teaching the sensitive units. Agree as a team on what advisors say in the moment, so every student gets the same calm response.
Our advisory meets only once a week. Is that enough?
With 12 lessons, one per week gives you roughly a term of material. You choose the pacing, and you can spread discussions over two sessions if a topic needs more time. Some topics, especially cyberbullying, may deserve two sessions so the conversation does not end abruptly when the bell rings.
Will students need their phones?
No. The lessons rely on printable worksheets and discussion. Avoid asking students to open their own social media accounts in class; work from the material instead. Printed scenarios keep the conversation on shared material and protect students' privacy, since nobody has to show their own feed or messages.
Does it cover self-esteem and social media?
The influencers and social media unit is the closest fit, since it looks at how online personalities shape what students see and value. It is not a mental health program, so pair it with your school's wider support. Watch for students who seem affected by the topic and follow up privately or through your counselor.
Bring online life into advisory, safely
See the four units and lesson materials on the product page before you plan your term.
See the lessons for advisory →