Education Standards
Be Internet Awesome Website Guidance
Overview
This guide walks you through the "Be Internet Awesome" Digital Citizenship games and curriculum created by Google for grades 2-6 (although older students might also enjoy the games). The games are extremely engaging and can be played on their own--or accompanied by their corresponding lessons. The lesson plans provide everything educators need to begin teaching this content in their classrooms
Be Internet Awesome | Google
Link to website
Purpose of Website
Their stated mission: “To make the most of the Internet, kids need to be prepared to make smart decisions. Be Internet Awesome teaches kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety so they can explore the online world with confidence.”
Google created four Digital Citizenship games and accompanying curriculum for grades 2-6. They worked with expert organizations The Internet Keep Safe Coalition, ConnectSafely, and the Family Online Safety Institute.
Site Navigation Strategy
The real draw on this website are the four Interland Games:
Each game teaches a specific set of skills and concludes with a check-for-understanding activity.
You could just have your students play the games, but if time permits it’s helpful to do the accompanying lessons before playing them.
The curriculum is organized around five themes:
- Be Smart: Share with Care: Digital footprint & responsible communication (aligns with the Mindful Mountain game)
- Be Alert: Don’t Fall for Fake: Phishing, scams & credible sources (aligns with the Reality River game)
- Be Strong: Secure Your Secrets: Online security & passwords (aligns with the Tower of Treasure game)
- Be Kind: It’s Cool to Be Kind: Combating negative online behavior (aligns with the Kind Kingdom game)
- Be Brave: When in Doubt, Talk It Out: Questionable content & scenarios (no game)
The units are sequenced in order, but it’s also possible to just do the lessons or units that are most relevant to your students.
Each lesson has: goals, an introduction that can be read out loud to students, an activity, and a takeaway, plus a teacher’s outline with notes for how to best guide discussions.
Lessons are marked with a symbol indicating the target grade-level and whether it’s also a Media Literacy or Social-Emotional Learning lesson.
Additional Resources
- Vocabulary activities for introducing new vocabulary
- Handouts available as slide decks for projecting
- Template of a letter to send home to families
Comments
There are no logins, passwords, or emails—just go to the game URL and play!
The curriculum is aligned with ISTE and AASL standards.
Attribution and License
Attribution
Image and Mission by Google. Used pursuant to fair use.
License
Except where otherwise noted, this website guidance document by Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All logos and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Sections used under fair use doctrine (17 U.S.C. § 107) are marked.
This resource contains links to websites operated by third parties. These links are provided for your convenience only and do not constitute or imply any endorsement or monitoring by OSPI. Please confirm the license status of any third-party resources and understand their terms before use.