Mission Library

Cyber Defense Force
Digital Citizenship
Grades 4-12

The Mission
32 min

Storyline

Students learn to identify phishing scams to protect a planetary defense system from hacker infiltration.

The crew is briefed on a critical planetary firewall update that temporarily exposes the system to hacker attacks. To prepare, they’ll undergo a crash course on phishing tactics, learning to identify fraudulent emails, suspicious links, and fake websites. Working as a team, they’ll analyze incoming messages to determine which are safe and which are threats, using the S.T.O.P. method to make their decisions. Their ability to detect phishing scams will determine whether they successfully defend the system or leave it vulnerable to infiltration.

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ISTE 1.2 Digital Citizen: Students manage their personal data to maintain digital privacy and security and are aware of data-collection technology used to track their navigation online.

CSTA 1B-NI-05: Discuss real-world cybersecurity problems and how personal information can be protected.

3-Dimensional Science

Science and Engineering Practices

Asking questions or defining problems

  • Identify scientific (testable) and non-scientific (nontestable) questions.

Constructing explanations and designing solutions

  • Use evidence (e.g., measurements, observations, patterns) to construct or support an explanation or design a solution to a problem.

  • Identify the evidence that supports particular points in an explanation.

Engaging in argument from evidence

  • Compare and refine arguments based on an evaluation of the evidence presented.

  • Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgement based on research findings, and speculation in an explanation.

  • Construct and/or support an argument with evidence, data, and/or a model.

Resources
Timeline
Skills in Action