Lesson
What You Leave Behind
Summary
Nothing you post online is ever truly gone—not the group chat, not the "finsta" (fake Instagram), not the disappearing Snapchat. This lesson unpacks the concepts of public, private, and permanent content, and challenges students to think about the invisible audience watching everything they share.
Bellringer: The Mom Test
- Pose the scenario: a trusted adult gets full access to every post, comment, and DM you've ever made
- Ask a few volunteers to share (without specifics) how that would feel
Instruction
- Walk through public, private, and permanent content using the slide definitions
- Introduce the "invisible audience" concept and the Wayback Machine as a concrete example
- Debunk the Snapchat "it disappears" myth and show real-world consequences of old posts
Discussion: Should We Fire People Over Old Posts?
- Present the dream-job-offer-rescinded scenario
- Facilitate debate on when past posts are fair game and when "cancel culture" goes too far
Activity: Digital Footprint Pretest
- Have students complete the Digital Footprint pretest individually
- Collect results to gauge baseline understanding before the unit's game
Wrap-Up & Assessment
- Define the "invisible audience."
- Is your group chat truly private? Why or why not?
| Est. Time | Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5 min | Bellringer: The Mom Test |
|
| 15 min | Instruction |
|
| 10 min | Discussion: Should We Fire People Over Old Posts? |
|
| 10 min | Activity: Digital Footprint Pretest |
|
| 5 min | Wrap-Up & Assessment |
|
Lesson Prep
Digital Footprint Pretest
Assess student knowledge before the Digital Footprint unit.
Class Presentation
Includes a 20-slide deck with teacher notes. Present from Banzai, download a PDF, or copy it to Google Slides.
Presentations, Ready to Go
- Built-in PresentationPresent full screen, straight from Banzai
- Copy to Google SlidesMake an editable copy for your class
- Download or PrintSave as a PDF or print
- Teacher NotesSlide-by-slide guidance, printable as one handout
Unit 3: Digital Footprint
What You Leave Behind
Nothing you post online is ever truly gone—not the group chat, not the "finsta" (fake Instagram), not the disappearing Snapchat. This lesson unpacks the concepts of public, private, and permanent content, and challenges students to think about the invisible audience watching everything they share.
How You're Tracked
Every click, search, and scroll leaves a trail that companies are quietly following. Explore the tools websites use to track browsing habits and meet the data brokers who profit from that information.
You Are the Product
Free apps aren't actually free; you're the one paying, just not with money. This lesson unpacks how apps profit from user data and turn attention into advertising dollars.
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