The Librarian's Internet-Armed Against Danger

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Impressing Web safety on kids through online games

Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 04/01/2000

Teaching Internet safety to kids is a challenge, not only because the subject is considered an adult topic, but mostly because Netiquette lectures in the classroom tend to be plain boring. It's far easier to introduce the subject through interactive games and online quizzes that are tailor-made for kids. Some of the following sites should help spice up your next lesson on cybersafety:

Gr K-4--Three animated adventures on Internet safety with learner quizzes. Sponsor: Disney. Don't Miss: Episode 1: "Who's Afraid of Little Sweet Sheep?" in which the Three Little Pigs learn the downside of chatting with strangers online. Episode 2: "The Bad Apple," in which Mickey, Goofy, and Snow White learn about the dangers of downloading games and attachments sent by strangers. Episode 3: "Web Mania," in which Mr. Toad learns about good Netiquette the hard way. Note: This site contains animated graphics and sounds.

Gr K-4--A multiple-choice Web safety quiz for new readers, with sound. Sponsor: Circle 1 Network, Milwaukee, WI. Don't Miss: Quiz questions feature a graphic clue to help kids select the correct answer. Click on the round graphic, which changes to an ear, to hear the question. Good for new readers and the visually impaired. Detour: A more challenging interactive quiz for grades 5-8 is the "Keybo" (older kids) version at www.kidscom.com/orakc/Games/newSafe/teens/q1.html. Kids have to answer questions and unscramble clues and words to get the correct answers.

Rocko's Byte Size Online Safety Guide
www.nick.com/inits/safety/index.html

Gr 5-8--Nine mini-lessons on Internet safety from the characters of Nickelodeon's Rocko's Modern World. Covers downloading, Web addresses, viruses, flaming, personal information, passwords, being polite online, and cookies. Sponsor: Nickelodeon. Detour: Test your Internet safety skills with the "Safe Surfin' Trivia Challenge" at www.nick.com/docs/rocko_trivia/explanation.tin. Note: Each page contains a banner ad for a Nickelodeon show.

Safe Surfin' Driver's Challenge
www.safesurfin.com/drive_ed.htm

Gr 5-8--A 10-question Web safety quiz on e-mail and chat, complete with a printable "Internet Driver's License" for those who pass the test. Sponsor: America Online. Don't Miss: Questions are illustrated with a sample e-mail or chat screen. Detour: "Safe Surfin' Kids and Teens" at www.safesurfin.com/kids.htm to see what celebrities like gymnast Kerri Strug have to say about Internet safety.

Doug's Test Your Internet Smarts
apps.disney.go.com/global/quiz/quiz.cgi?def=doug1

Gr 4-6--Doug's mom, Mrs. Funnie, also known as Cybermom, tests kids' knowledge of e-mail and chat with a challenging 10-question quiz. Sponsor: Disney. Don't Miss: The printable "Safety Tips from Doug's Adventures Online."

Safety Quiz
www.cyberangels.org/quiz/quiz.html

Gr 5-8--A 12-question interactive quiz on e-mail and chat with great explanations for both correct and incorrect answers. If kids answer incorrectly, the quiz takes them back to previous answers and explanations in order to help them understand the correct answer. Sponsor: Cyberangels.org. Don't Miss: Printable copy of the "Safe Surfing Permit" after the kids answer the whole quiz correctly.

Internet Safety Quiz for Kids
www.missingkids.com/quiz/internetquiz.html

Gr 5-8--A six-question quiz on child safety with good, short explanations for both correct and incorrect answers. Sponsor: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Detour: Adults should visit the Center's "Cybertip Line" at www.missingkids.com/cybertip, where they can submit e-mail addresses of those who contact kids inappropriately, as well as Web site addresses and chatroom/newsgroup names containing child pornography or inappropriate content. The tipline is co-sponsored by the FBI, the U.S. Post Office, and the U.S. Customs Service.