Vermont Middle School Digital Citizenship: 6 Units on Online Life
Vermont Middle School Digital Citizenship: 6 Units on Online Life
A Vermont middle school teacher asked to cover digital citizenship in advisory, the library or a tech class can use the Digital Life Units Bundle: six units on cyberbullying, influencers, AI, data protection, phishing and recommendation algorithms, for $89.99. Vermont leaves most curriculum decisions to districts, so ask yours what it expects before you plan.
See the Digital Life unitsThe Digital Life Units Bundle ($89.99) is a practical choice for Vermont middle schools that need digital citizenship lessons without a set state course. It has six units: Cyberbullying and Hate Speech, Influencers and Social Media, AI and Responsibility, Data Protection and Cyber Safety, Cybersecurity: Phishing & Social Engineering, and Recommendation Algorithms and Filter Bubbles. It is not aligned to any Vermont standard.
The resources
Digital Life Units Bundle, Grades 6–9
6 resources in one download: $89.99 instead of $149.94 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Digital Life Units Bundle | Cyberbullying, Influencers, AI, Privacy, Phishing & Algorithms | 6 Units | Grades 6–9
AI & Cybersecurity Units Bundle | How AI Works, Prompting, Phishing, Encryption & Data Privacy | 6 Units | Grades 6–9
Digital Citizenship Activities | Cyberbullying, AI, Social Media & Media Literacy Lessons | Grades 7–10
Middle School Ethics Curriculum | Justice, Conscience, Freedom, Digital Life & Climate | 10 Units | Grades 6–9
The real problem
Who teaches digital citizenship in a Vermont middle school
In Vermont, the Education Quality Standards point districts to state-identified standards resources: Common Core for literacy and math, NGSS for science and the C3 Framework for social studies. None of those is a digital citizenship course, and whether any computer science or digital citizenship requirement applies to your middle school is something to confirm with your district or the Agency of Education rather than assume. In practice the topic lands wherever a school finds room: advisory, a library period, a technology rotation, health, or an English unit on media. That spreads it across adults who did not train for it. A math teacher running advisory may need to respond to a cyberbullying incident on Monday and field questions about AI chatbots on Thursday. Small schools feel this most. Vermont districts have used provisional and emergency licenses when no licensed candidate applied, so staff often cover areas outside their own preparation. What helps is a set of units that explain each issue in plain language, give students a case to discuss and have answers ready, so any staff member can lead the lesson without first becoming an expert on algorithms or phishing.
Why it fits
What the six units give Vermont advisory and tech teachers
The bundle mixes three ethics units with three computer science units, so it works in advisory and in a technology class.
- Cyberbullying and Hate Speech gives you a planned discussion when a real incident needs a classroom response.
- Influencers and Social Media asks students to look at who profits from what they watch.
- AI and Responsibility suits advisory conversations about chatbots, schoolwork and fairness.
- Data Protection and Cyber Safety has worksheets on four levels, a reading text and full answer keys.
- Phishing & Social Engineering trains students to recognize fake messages and manipulation tactics.
- Recommendation Algorithms and Filter Bubbles explains why each student's feed looks different.
Getting started
A suggested order for advisory or a tech rotation
A starting point only. With advisory once a week, one unit may stretch across several weeks.
- Start with influencersInfluencers and Social Media is a low-stakes opener. Students talk about accounts they already follow, which shows you their online habits before harder topics come up.
- Then cyberbullyingTeach Cyberbullying and Hate Speech once the group trusts each other. Coordinate with your counselor so students know where to go if the topic is personal.
- Protect data and accountsMove to Data Protection and Cyber Safety and the phishing unit. Students on the Plus or Project worksheet level can examine scam techniques in more depth.
- Explain the feedRecommendation Algorithms and Filter Bubbles shows how platforms choose what students see, which helps them question their own feeds, the videos they are shown and where their news comes from.
- End with AI and responsibilityClose with AI and Responsibility, linking earlier units to questions about fairness, honesty in schoolwork and who is accountable when software gets something wrong, so the series ends on a question students can keep discussing.
What to buy
Choosing the right digital life set
For a broad digital citizenship strand, the Digital Life Units Bundle at $89.99 is the best match; its six units are $149.94 bought separately. Technology or CS teachers who want more technical depth can take the AI & Cybersecurity Units Bundle ($89.99, parts $149.94) with how AI works, prompting, phishing, data protection and encryption. The Digital Citizenship Activities bundle ($69.99, Grades 7–10) offers 12 lessons in four units, including consumer ethics and fast fashion. Advisory programs that want a wider character strand can choose the Middle School Ethics Curriculum ($119.99, parts $249.90), ten units from justice and conscience to climate ethics.
Honest limits
What to check before buying
The bundle is not written for Vermont, contains no state or district standards codes and is not approved by the Agency of Education, so confirm with your district what digital citizenship content it expects and compare the units yourself. School-specific rules, such as your device or acceptable-use policy, and your reporting steps for bullying are yours to add. No software or accounts are included. The licence covers your own teaching; for an advisory team, message Teach Lessons first. If the units do not fit, you can exchange the purchase for store credit of equal value within 7 days; there is no cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this match Vermont's standards for digital citizenship?
It is not aligned to, approved by or endorsed by Vermont or any district. Vermont relies on Common Core, NGSS and the C3 Framework under its Education Quality Standards and leaves curriculum to districts. Ask your district or the Agency of Education which expectations apply to digital citizenship in your school and compare the units yourself.
Can a teacher without a tech background lead these lessons?
Yes. Three units are discussion-based ethics lessons, and the three computer science units include a reading text, slides and full answer keys with a marking guide. Read the reading text and answer key before each lesson, and you will be ready for most questions students raise.
Do students need laptops?
The units do not require a device, and none is included. They are worksheets, activities and slides for print or screen. If you want students to check privacy settings or look at their own feeds, use school devices under your school's rules and plan that part with your technology staff.
How do the units handle sensitive topics like hate speech?
Cyberbullying and Hate Speech is written for classroom discussion at middle school level. Read the materials ahead of time, decide which examples suit your group, and agree with your counselor how to respond if a student discloses something. Keep your school's reporting procedures at hand.
Is this different from the Digital Citizenship Activities bundle?
Yes. Digital Life mixes three ethics units with three computer science units on privacy, phishing and algorithms. Digital Citizenship Activities has four units with 12 lessons, including consumer ethics and fast fashion, and is listed for Grades 7–10. Cyberbullying, influencers and AI appear in both.
Can our whole advisory team use it?
A single purchase is for your own teaching. Advisory programs usually involve many staff, so send Teach Lessons a short message before buying to arrange team or school use. Please do not post the files on a shared drive others can open until that is agreed.
Give your advisory period a plan for online life
Open the product page to see the six units and what each contains.
See the Digital Life units