Subject: ELA (English Language Arts)

Lesson Length: 45 mins - 1 hour

Topic: Sharing Content Online

Grade Level: 10, 11, 12, 9

Standards / Framework:

  • CC.7.W.4 
  • CC.11-12.W.4

Brief Description: Students will be able to identify the benefits and drawbacks of publishing and/or sharing content online.

Know Before You Start: Students should be familiar with how to navigate the Internet, as well as have some experience using online platforms, blogs, or social media sites.

Hook:

  • Ask students:
    • “Have you ever read something online that had a significant impact on you? What was it, and why did it affect you the way it did?”
    • “Have you ever shared your writing online? If so, where?”
    • “What do you think are the benefits and drawbacks of sharing your writing with a wider online audience?”

Activity:

  • Have students utilize the T-Chart and individually brainstorm the benefits and drawbacks related to sharing writing online. 
  • Have students discuss and compare their individual brainstorming lists, in small groups or pairs, highlighting common themes and prioritizing the most important benefits and drawbacks.
  • Have students share the top three benefits and drawbacks that their group agreed upon with the whole class by adding them to a T-Chart displayed at the front of the room (digitally or drawn on a board). 
    • Potential Benefits:
      • Increased exposure and potential for a larger audience
      • Receiving feedback from a diverse group of readers
      • Opportunities for collaboration with other writers
    • Potential Drawbacks:
      • Privacy and security concerns
      • Potential for negative or hurtful comments
      • Copyright and plagiarism risks
  • Have students explore an online writing platform of their choice, e.g., a blog, social media, or a dedicated writing website and create a brief, fictional post or story, to share online (you can use a sandbox environment if privacy is a concern). 
  • Using the sample comic as a guide, have students create a comic displaying the online sharing scenario, making sure to emphasize the potential consequences.

Closure:

  • Have students share their comics with the class or in small groups.
  • Have students explain the platform used in the comic to publish personal content including the consequences considered. 
  • Emphasize the experiences and challenges students could encounter while using online writing platforms. Encourage them to reflect on how the benefits and drawbacks discussed earlier played a role in their experience. Reinforce the idea that sharing writing online can be a powerful tool for writers when used thoughtfully.

Differentiation:

  • Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
  • Allow students to work in pairs or groups as needed.
  • Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
  • Pre-teach popular online sharing platforms, as well as directions on how to share.

Resources:

Suggested Story Starters: