Haley Peters, Catherine Yang, and Paige Hurst

Internet Addiction for 5^th graders

 

When Charlie McButton Lost Power by Suzanne Collins, illustrated by Mike Lester

Published 2005 by Puffin Books

This is a great book for helping kids who have very strong attachments to their technology. In this story, Charlie McButton loves being on his computer all day playing adventurous games and having a blast. But when the power goes out he must figure out how he can cope with this sudden loss. He then discovers a world of meaning and adventure outside his computer with his sister, Isabelle Jane. This book is relatable, engaging, humorous, and written in verse, making it a great read-aloud book. I really appreciate how the author portrays technology as something that is really enjoyable and fun, instead of trying to tell kids the internet is bad. The fun and adventure in the outside world do not take away from the enriching experiences that can be found on technology.

 

Core Integration:

I would integrate this resource into the topic of technology usage. I might use it in an extension of a unit on internet safety and health by reading it aloud to the class and having them evaluate how they relate to Charlie McButton, leading into discussion and evaluation on their own technology usage and how they feel about it in light of this book.

I could even integrate this book into a writing unit, specifically poetry. Students can use this book as inspiration for their own poems, and we can analyze the various features of the text that make it poetry.

• If students had a technology related discussion following this book or if they wrote poetry about it, those lessons would follow these Common Core standards:
  • ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.6– Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation.
  • ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.1– Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

 

National Health Education Standards:  

• NHES Standard 5: “Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health.”
  • 5.4 Predict the potential outcomes of each option when making a health-related decision.
  • 5.5 Choose a healthy option when making a decision.
  • 5.6 Describe the outcomes of a health-related decision.
• NHES Standard 7: “Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.”
  • 2.1 Demonstrate healthy practices and behaviors to maintain or improve personal health.
  • 5.1 Identify responsible personal health behaviors.
  • 5.2 Demonstrate a variety of healthy practices and behaviors to maintain or improve personal health.
  • 5.3 Demonstrate a variety of behaviors to avoid or reduce health risks.

 

Link to YouTube read aloud

Link to buy it on Amazon

 

Glow Kids by Dr. Nicholas Kardaras

Published on August 9, 2016 by St. Martin’s Press

This book was written by Dr. Kardaras, an addictionologist, to discuss the dangers that screens and technology pose to the young children of society. “Glow kids” are multiplying minute by minute, and we need to help slow this down- not encourage it. Teachers often think that incorporating technology into the classroom is what’s best, but that may not always be the case. Excessive screen exposure can permanently damage a child’s brain and a lot of adults are unaware of that. This book is the best selection that we found for our topic, internet addiction, because it covers a lot of area within that realm. It discusses the correlation between screen time and disorders, screen time and addiction, and even how screen time can damage a young brain as much as cocaine can.

 

National Health Education Standards:

• NHES Standard 2: “Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors.”
  • 2.5.1: Describe how family influences personal health practices and behaviors.
  • 2.5.2: Identify the influence of culture on health practices and behaviors.
  • 2.5.3: Identify how peers can influence healthy and unhealthy behaviors
  • 2.5.4: Describe how the school and community can support personal health practices and behaviors.
  • 2.5.5: Explain how media influences thoughts, feelings, and health behaviors.
  • 2.5.6: Describe ways that technology can influence personal health.

• NHES Standard 5: “Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health.”
  • 5.5.1: Identify health-related situations that might require a thoughtful decision.
  • 5.5.2: Analyze when assistance is needed in making a health-related decision.
  • 5.5.3: List healthy options to health-related issues or problems.
  • 5.5.5: Choose a healthy option when making a decision.
  • 5.5.6: Describe the outcomes of a health-related decision.

• NHES Standard 7: “Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.”
  • 7.5.1: Identify responsible personal health behaviors.
  • 7.5.2: Demonstrate a variety of healthy practices and behaviors to maintain or improve personal health.
  • 7.5.3: Demonstrate a variety of behaviors to avoid or reduce health risks.

• NHES Standard 8: “Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.”

• • Express opinions and give accurate information about health issues.
  • Encourage others to make positive health choices.

Learning Objectives:

1. Students will be able to construct a small research projects regarding mental health and internet addiction.
2. Students will be able to make conscious decisions regarding their internet use, and be able to state what the recommended limit is for screen time at their age.
3. Students will be able to define internet addiction in their own words.

Core Integration:

In order to integrate this book into a 5th grade classroom effectively, we think it should be used for tech time or during language arts. There is designated time in schools called “tech time” where they learn how to properly use technology. During this time, teachers could inform students about the dangers of overusing technology by reading and citing this book. Kids could even do a presentation about how to effectively and efficiently use technology, without becoming addicted. This book could also be used for the basis of a language arts project because it talks a lot about the mental disorders that can occur from internet addiction. Students could research various dangers of internet addiction and what the effects of this addiction can be. After doing research, each student could do a 5 minute presentation in front of the class about their findings. At the end of the book, there is even a short survey for parents to do at home. That could be a great way to involve the students and their parents in the discussion about internet addiction.

This website has a bunch of lesson plans and assessments provided for teachers. It shows how many downloads each worksheet/lesson/test has and allows you to download any of them for free, as long as you contribute to the site a lesson or worksheet of your own. The worksheets range from beginners, elementary, intermediate, and advanced so the teacher can pick accordingly to meet the level of their students. The teacher could print out some of these lessons and incorporate that into the talk about internet addiction.

 

• If students were researching the dangers of internet addiction for a project using this book as a reference, it would follow these Common Core standards:
  • 5.7- Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
  • ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.1– Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4– Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
  • ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.5– Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
  • ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.6– Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation.

 

We used these links to examine this book, you can also buy them from these websites:

https://www.amazon.com/Glow-Kids-Addiction-Hijacking-Kids/dp/1250097991

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?pcampaignid=books_read_action&id=Ka5nCwAAQBAJ