Lesson

1 of 5 in Unit 1: Digital Literacy Basics

Healthy Digital Choices

3-5th Grades

30 min

Summary

Bedtime scrolling isn't harmless — it quietly drains kids' mental battery and steals restful sleep. Explore how screens affect the brain, spot the difference between posed and real content online, and swap one screen habit for a healthier one.

Activities

Warm-Up: Attention Challenge!

Split class into "taskers" solving math problems and "interruptors" trying to distract them
Debrief with taskers on how hard it was to focus while interrupted

3 min

Instruction

Your brain is like a battery, and it can get drained by screens
Introduce the "Highlight Reel Effect" and prompt students to notice how screens affect their feelings
Cover habit-building tips for healthier screen use

10 min

Share: Screen Rules at Home

Ask students to share any existing household rules about screens
Have them discuss in pairs first, then share out with the class

5 min

Activity: Screen-Free Activity Menu

Small groups brainstorm screen-free activities good for brains and emotions
Each student builds their own illustrated "menu" of options by time of day

10 min

Wrap-Up & Assessment

Put a thumbs up if you think screens can impact how we feel about ourselves and the people around us.
On the count of three, shout out one fun screen-free activity you can do next time you're bored.

2 min

Est. Time	Activity	Description
3 min	Warm-Up: Attention Challenge!	Split class into "taskers" solving math problems and "interruptors" trying to distract them Debrief with taskers on how hard it was to focus while interrupted
10 min	Instruction	Your brain is like a battery, and it can get drained by screens Introduce the "Highlight Reel Effect" and prompt students to notice how screens affect their feelings Cover habit-building tips for healthier screen use
5 min	Share: Screen Rules at Home	Ask students to share any existing household rules about screens Have them discuss in pairs first, then share out with the class
10 min	Activity: Screen-Free Activity Menu	Small groups brainstorm screen-free activities good for brains and emotions Each student builds their own illustrated "menu" of options by time of day
2 min	Wrap-Up & Assessment	Put a thumbs up if you think screens can impact how we feel about ourselves and the people around us. On the count of three, shout out one fun screen-free activity you can do next time you're bored.

Class Presentation

Includes a 17-slide deck with teacher notes. Present from Banzai, download a PDF, or copy it to Google Slides.

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Unit 1: Digital Literacy Basics

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