ALEX Classroom Resource

  

Internet Censorship: For Your own Good?

  Classroom Resource Information  

Title:

Internet Censorship: For Your own Good?

URL:

https://www.esldebates.com/internet-censorship-for-your-own-good/

Content Source:

Other
ESL Debates
Type: Lesson/Unit Plan

Overview:

In days gone by people would say "We built this civilization on the internet." It would be hard to criticize them for making such a remark, without it we would be largely handicapped by the sheer volume of data we need to wade through and edit. There are currently 4 billion users with the bulk now coming from Asia and growing! Without having the internet it becomes a lot harder to stay informed. We literally have access to the entire archive of the Natural History Museum, British Museum, the finest collection of manuscripts, and just about anything else you can possibly imagine. With these tools, we are able to make better decisions simply because we know more about the world we are presently living in. Barriers between people, culture, language, and concepts are being broken down and a new global civilization is emerging. The hope that people can forever be united and peacefully co-operate can happen.

Then why are more and more countries trying to censor, snoop on and in some cases block, delete and rewrite articles on the internet? It sounds counter-intuitive but many governments have decided that this is the best thing to do. But there is a huge consequence for these actions.

Students will read about internet censorship, review a video about internet censorship, review vocabulary surrounding internet censorship, and explore arguments for and against internet censorship. 

Content Standard(s):
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: 6
14) Discuss digital globalization and Internet censorship.

Examples: Software that scans a website for posts about potential threats; a person's ability to order a product directly from a manufacturer in another part of the world; a student in Africa can take an online math course created in the United States; web-hosting company prevents posting of content.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students will:
  • discuss digital globalization.
  • discuss internet censorship.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • digital globalization
  • internet censorship
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • most information posted on the internet can be viewed by most of the world.
  • some countries and companies limit access to information.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • identify positives and negatives of digital globalization.
  • identify positives and negatives of internet censorship.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • most information posted on the internet can be viewed by most of the world.
  • some countries and companies limit access to information.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: 6
18) Define censorship.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students will:
  • define censorship.
  • identify occasions, both positive and negative, in which censorship was applied.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • censorship
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • that censorship is the suppression or prohibition of data for any reason.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • identify censorship in practice.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • censorship can be used for safety measures and as a control tactic.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: 7
19) Discuss the benefits and limitations of censorship.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students will:
  • identify benefits to and limitations caused by censorship of data and information.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • censorship
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • institutions and businesses sometimes choose to limit data available to users.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • share benefits and limitations caused by censorship of information.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • information is altered when data is censored.
Tags: browser, censor, censorship, cookies, privacy
License Type: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives
For full descriptions of license types and a guide to usage, visit :
https://creativecommons.org/licenses
AccessibilityText Resources: Content is organized under headings and subheadings
Comments
  This resource provided by:  
Author: Aimee Bates
Alabama State Department of Education