Password detectives

Learning goal: Compare the book’s pretend examples without copying them for use.

Prepare: One worksheet per child, pencils or crayons, and the linked book pages. A closed book can stand in for a device. No student account or device is needed.

Book connection: Cyber Safety Coloring & Activity Book Featuring Officer Quackers, PDF pages 13, 15. Numbers are PDF positions, including blank backs.

Teach the lesson

1. 3 min · Connect

   Ask: Should everyone use the same key for their account?

2. 4 min · Model and say

   Read page 15 as a comparison exercise. Explain: These examples are printed for everyone to see. We never use a book example as our own password.

3. 8 min · Practice together

   Partners point to the short examples in the top row and the longer mixed examples below. Notice differences in length and characters. Adult help is the child’s next step; do not have children create real credentials. Read the worksheet aloud and let children respond by pointing, speaking, circling, or drawing. Use optional coloring only if time allows.

4. 3 min · Discuss

   Invite two different responses. Ask: What would you do? Why could that help? Use the answer guide on the next page.

5. 2 min · Check understanding

   Ask: What would you do if you needed help making an account? Look for trusted adult help.

Answers & follow-through

Worksheet guidance

1. Circle the longer pretend example. Do not use either.

   PRETEND-CLASSROOM-EXAMPLE is longer; this checks noticing length, not whether a password is secure.

2. Should you use a password printed in a book?

   No. Publicly printed examples must not be reused. Page 15 marks the bottom row but does not guarantee security.

3. Draw yourself asking an adult for account help.

   Accept caregiver or school account support. Do not collect passwords or assess real accounts.

Check, then respond

Ask: What would you do if you needed help making an account? Look for trusted adult help.

Mark your observation: □ Independent   □ With a prompt   □ Needs practice. If a child needs practice, demonstrate the same action again and offer a new example in the next class. This is a teaching check, not a safety certification.

Make it work for your learners

Support: Read aloud, point to two choices, model one response, and accept a gesture, spoken answer, drawing, or partner scribe. Do not require independent reading.

Extend: Ask the child to invent one new pretend situation for today’s goal and explain a safe response to a partner.

Family conversation

Have a conversation about account help. Do not ask your child to write or say passwords for homework.

No personal information or signed homework needs to be returned.

Teacher care note

Use fictional situations. Do not collect passwords, addresses, or private experiences. Offer an alternative to role-play. If a child shares a concern, listen calmly, avoid public questioning, and follow school procedures.