Students will weigh the advantages of cybersecurity in protecting individuals and systems against potential disadvantages of the over-restriction of content and delivery.Students will communicate, verbally and in writing, the advantages or disadvantages of cybersecurity.

Scientists get some of their best ideas from biology. Whether that be using bacteria to help make food or gene editing to cure disease, biotechnology uses the tools in biology to make amazing technology. This resource is part of the Agricultural Cyberbiosecurity Education Resource Collection that contains resources for formal and non-formal agricultural educators working with middle school aged youth. Published as Open Educational Resources, all resources are provided in durable (pdf) and customizable (MS Word) formats. They are hosted on  GoOpenVA in a unique resource collection, Ag Cybersecurity Virginia Tech, at https://goopenva.org/curated-collections/143 and on on Virginia Tech’s stable repository, VTechWorks at https://doi.org/10.21061/cyberbiosecurity

With digitization, we see biosecurity, cybersecurity, and physical security begin to overlap. This overlap started a new discipline, cyberbiosecurity. This resource is part of the Agricultural Cyberbiosecurity Education Resource Collection that contains resources for formal and non-formal agricultural educators working with middle school aged youth. Published as Open Educational Resources, all resources are provided in durable (pdf) and customizable (MS Word) formats. They are hosted on  GoOpenVA in a unique resource collection, Ag Cybersecurity Virginia Tech, at https://goopenva.org/curated-collections/143 and on on Virginia Tech’s stable repository, VTechWorks at https://doi.org/10.21061/cyberbiosecurity

Data makes the world go around! As we use more technology, more data is being created, recorded, and used. The next task is understanding what it all means!This resource is part of the Agricultural Cyberbiosecurity Education Resource Collection that contains resources for formal and non-formal agricultural educators working with middle school aged youth. Published as Open Educational Resources, all resources are provided in durable (pdf) and customizable (MS Word) formats. They are hosted on  GoOpenVA in a unique resource collection, Ag Cybersecurity Virginia Tech, at https://goopenva.org/curated-collections/143 and on on Virginia Tech’s stable repository, VTechWorks at https://doi.org/10.21061/cyberbiosecurity

Farming is not just a farmer driving a tractor anymore. Sometimes the tractor drives itself! Agriculture is very technological and part of that effort is precision agriculture. Learn about how farmers are using technology to optimize their farms. This resource is part of the Agricultural Cyberbiosecurity Education Resource Collection that contains resources for formal and non-formal agricultural educators working with middle school aged youth. Published as Open Educational Resources, all resources are provided in durable (pdf) and customizable (MS Word) formats. They are hosted on  GoOpenVA in a unique resource collection, Ag Cybersecurity Virginia Tech, at https://goopenva.org/curated-collections/143 and on on Virginia Tech’s stable repository, VTechWorks at https://doi.org/10.21061/cyberbiosecurity

As the world gets more digital, the world will need more sensors. A sensor is something that records the environment around it. Sensors can measure temperature, light, or sound among other things. Where can you find a sensor?  This resource is part of the Agricultural Cyberbiosecurity Education Resource Collection that contains resources for formal and non-formal agricultural educators working with middle school aged youth. Published as Open Educational Resources, all resources are provided in durable (pdf) and customizable (MS Word) formats. They are hosted on  GoOpenVA in a unique resource collection, Ag Cybersecurity Virginia Tech, at https://goopenva.org/curated-collections/143 and on on Virginia Tech’s stable repository, VTechWorks at https://doi.org/10.21061/cyberbiosecurity

The lessons provided are presented by Scholastic and sponsored by Norton Lifelock.
All rights reserved by Scholastic.
Below is an overview of the three lessons provided.
The lessons do not coincide with one another.
The teacher can choose to use all three or select the best option for the classroom needs.

The PDF Links includes:
Lesson 1: Understanding Online Safety (45 minutes)
- Students will analyze text, citing evidence and summarizing central ideas. They will make inferences to create their own cybersecurity protection plan.
- Students will use the provided copy of #Cybersmarts student magazine to create their personalized online protection plan.

Lesson 2: Identifying Preventive Technologies (45 minutes + presentation time)
- Students will conduct research on preventive technologies built and used by professionals in the cybersecurity field (e.g., firewalls, ad blocker apps, antivirus software, voice recognition software, virtual private network (VPN), etc.).
- Students will then prepare a presentation - the given choices are a skit or interview. Presentation options can be easily adapted to best fit your classroom needs.
- Research planning/ gathering page is provided.

Lesson 3: Making Online Profiles More Secure (2 part lesson - 90 minutes total)
- Students will use analytical and reasoning skills to identify areas of vulnerability in an online profile and come up with strategies for how to make them more secure by applying information from a text.
- First, students will analyze their own personal profiles (if applicable). Then, they will analyze a provided “profile” to identify security holes. Last, discuss the answers and reasonings as a class.
*This lesson can be shortened to fit into one class period.
*(Optional) An extension idea is provided. It includes information from all lessons. Students will use what they have learned to create their own cybersecurity device.

Cybersecurity is a very important portion of computer science today.  This activity has students complete a web search to find the ten things they feel you should know about some aspect of cybersecurity.  This activity can be completed by a group of students or by an individual student.

Students will use predetermined materials to create prototypes of badge covers to try to block RFID signals from being read.

This activity introduces cybersecurity concerns with technologies commonly used in the livestock industry  in the context of a "clue" style activity in which students act as private investigators looking for a lost racehorse. It can be facilitated in 90 minutes, either in a single session or 4-5 shorter sessions. This activity is part of the Agricultural Cyberbiosecurity Education Resource Collection that contains resources for formal and non-formal agricultural educators working with middle school aged youth. Published as Open Educational Resources, all resources are provided in durable (pdf) and customizable (MS Word) formats. They are hosted on  GoOpenVA in a unique resource collection, Ag Cybersecurity Virginia Tech, at https://goopenva.org/curated-collections/143 and on on Virginia Tech’s stable repository, VTechWorks at https://doi.org/10.21061/cyberbiosecurity

In this second part of a three part series, students will explore the ideas around Decrease, or Divide, and Conquer algorithm/programs to further understand the importance of password development, use, safety, and safekeeping by completing several unplugged activities over the course of three class periods (approximately 30-45 minutes each).  These activites can be completed seperately (stand-alone) with a few adjustments as well. Part 1 introduces Brute Force using a playing cards demonstration to sort as desired.  Part 2 introduces Decrease (or Divide) and Conquer to sort Quadrilaterals from Non-Quadrilateral shapes.  Part 3 uses the methods of both Brute Force and Divide and Conquer algorithms to decrypt (unscramble) passwords using commonly recognizable number patterns and words (completed on paper, or unplugged).  These activitess are intended for upper middle school students, but could also be adjusted for lower level highschool or simplified/adjusted for other ages as well with the editable copies provided.

In this final part of a three part series, students will practice Brute Force and Decrease (or Divide) and Conquer methods to try to crack a password puzzle to further understand the importance of password development, use, safety, and safekeeping by completing several unplugged sorting activities over the course of three class periods (approximately 30-45 minutes each).  These activites can be completed seperately with a few minor adjustments as well. Part 1 introduces Brute Force using a playing cards demonstration to sort as desired.  Part 2 introduces Decrease (or Divide) and Conquer to sort Quadrilaterals from Non-Quadrilateral shapes.  Part 3 uses the methods of both Brute Force and Divide and Conquer algorithms to decrypt (unscramble) passwords using commonly recognizable number patterns and words (completed on paper, or unplugged).  These activitess are intended for upper middle school students, but could also be adjusted for lower level highschool or simplified/adjusted for other ages as well with the editable copies provided.

Passwords are essential to protecting our private information from others. Use this lesson to explore some basic probabilty behind password options and how easily they can be guessed! This lesson provides an intro into cybersecurity and its vocabulary, as well as incorporates low prep activities you can modifiy to fit your needs.

This activity introduces puts participants in the role of agricultural workers in a fresh produce operation that grows crops in a hydroponic system to sell at grocery stores. As they grow their crops over the course of several weeks, they are responsible for ensuring that the products are safe, delicious, and ready to sell to customers. This activity is part of the Agricultural Cyberbiosecurity Education Resource Collection that contains resources for formal and non-formal agricultural educators working with middle school aged youth. Published as Open Educational Resources, all resources are provided in durable (pdf) and customizable (MS Word) formats. They are hosted on  GoOpenVA in a unique resource collection, Ag Cybersecurity Virginia Tech, at https://goopenva.org/curated-collections/143 and on on Virginia Tech’s stable repository, VTechWorks at https://doi.org/10.21061/cyberbiosecurity

This activity introduces the idea of cyberbiosecurity in the context of a "clue" style activity focused on vulnerabilities in the U.S. food system. It can be facilitated in 60 minutes, either in a single session or 3-4 shorter sessions.  This activity is part of the Agricultural Cyberbiosecurity Education Resource Collection that contains resources for formal and non-formal agricultural educators working with middle school aged youth. Published as Open Educational Resources, all resources are provided in durable (pdf) and customizable (MS Word) formats. They are hosted on  GoOpenVA in a unique resource collection, Ag Cybersecurity Virginia Tech, at https://goopenva.org/curated-collections/143 and on on Virginia Tech’s stable repository, VTechWorks at https://doi.org/10.21061/cyberbiosecurity