The Power of Words
From Common Sense Education: Digital Citizenship · 2021
3 min3rdTechnologySocial-Emotional Learning
Summary
Words said online can hurt just as much as words said in person. This video (2:42) gives third graders the S-T-O-P strategy for responding when someone uses mean or hurtful language on the internet.
Viewer safety
All agesEmotional themes
Discusses mean and hurtful words online in an age-appropriate way — a good prompt for a calm follow-up discussion.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
“The Power of Words” helps children decide what to do when someone uses mean or hurtful language online.
- What does each letter in S-T-O-P stand for?
- Why do words sent online sometimes feel just as hurtful as words said in person?
- What's a kind way to respond if you see someone being mean online?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: S-T-O-P, hurtful, kind, respond.
Try it: Write what each letter of S-T-O-P stands for, then write one kind message you could send instead of a mean one.