Equip learners with the skills they need to analyze URLs and recognize signs of risky URLs
About This Module
This curriculum module is based on takeaways from series four of NYC Digital Safety training videos. You may use this module by:
- Including it in your pre-existing public workshops
- Combining it with other NYC Digital Safety modules to make a longer data-privacy focused workshop
- Sharing the handout with library users at various service points
Downloadable presentation slides, a facilitation guide, and a handout can be found below. The handout from this module has been translated into Chinese, Haitian-Creole, Russian, and Spanish.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, learners will be able to:
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- Describe different parts of a URL
- Use best practices for analyzing a URL
- Identify signs of unsafe URLs
Lesson Plan
This lesson plan is also included in the downloadable facilitation guide below. You are welcome to use any and all of this, or adapt it as you see fit.
This module will take approximately 45 to 50 minutes to complete.
Introduction and welcome
Greet learners and share the plan for today’s module
Risks of malicious URLs
Go through this list of potential risks and pause to see if anyone has anything else to add
Parts of a URL
Go through each highlighted portion of the URL and pause at the end to any questions
Signs of a risky URL
Go through this list of signs of a malicious URL and pause to see if anyone has anything to add or a question
Activity: Analyzing a URL
Put your learners into small groups or pairs. Show them the two different examples (take about 5 minutes for each). Encourage them to discuss their thoughts and write down observations. Bring everyone together to discuss what they have seen. If you have additional time and want to extend the module, you can have learners review the guided handout together to get additional practice with analyzing URLs
Activity wrap-up
Review the answers to the previous activity on this slide and make note of anything your learners didn’t cover or additional things they noticed
Tactics used by scammers
Go over the terms and examples on these two slides. Pause to see if anyone has anything else to add
Avoiding risky URLs
Review the suggestions listed on this slide and pause to see if anyone has any additional items to add to the list
Wrap up, final tips, and final questions
Review the final tips and resources listed here. If you have extra time, consider having learners visit some of the listed resources to explore them. Leave time for any final questions or concluding thoughts
Next Steps
Download the materials below for use in your workshop or at service points throughout your library.
If you plan to create a longer privacy-focused workshop using these materials, here is a link to Google slides. Feel free to make a copy if you’d like to add these slides to any other deck.
And please let us know how it went! Use this form to share your feedback on this module. We’d love to hear from you.