3. What can I trust online?

Activity: What can I trust online? Let's watch a video.

Resources Needed:

• Computer connected to the projector/whiteboard
• Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available

Duration: 10 minutes

Step 1: Introduce topic of this activity to pupils, telling them that they are going to look at how can you tell if a website is trustworthy and safe to use.

Step 2: Play the ‘What can I trust online?’ video for pupils. Ask pupils to listen for the first time hearing it. Then play again for pupils asking them to really listen to advice given. Before playing the video a second time, ask pupils prompt questions to help them listen directly for the safety tips, such as:

• What should you keep in mind before filling out a form?
• Where can you look on a website if you get a little stuck?
• How can you know if something is fake or true online?
• How can you tell if a website is safe to use?

Step 3: Continue to activity 2 to check your pupils understanding after viewing this video.

NOTE: Subtitles are available for each video - simply click the cc button on the right corner of the video. Lyrics sheets can be accessed by clicking the Print sheets button above.

Activity: Matching activity

Match up the correct lyrics in the spaces provided and learn more about staying safe online.

Resources Needed:

• Computer connected to the projector/whiteboard
• Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available

Duration: 10 minutes

Step 1: Instruct pupils to complete the Check Your Understanding matching activity based on the What can I trust online? song.

Activity: Information Online - Did You Know? Quiz

Resources Needed:

• Computer connected to the projector/whiteboard
• Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available

Duration: 10 minutes

Step 1: Instruct pupils to complete the ‘Did you know?’ quiz to recap on the main points of the What can I trust online? lesson activity and check their understanding.

Activity: Homework: Top Sites Activity Sheet

Answer the questions on the Top Sites Activity Sheet to discover if a website is trustworthy or not - Click below to get started.

Resources Needed:

• Computer connected to the projector/whiteboard
• Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available Homework Top Sites Activity Sheet

Duration: 5 minutes

Step 1: Print off and distribute the Top Sites Activity Sheet handout for homework with pupils to complete with their parents/guardians. Note: This activity sheet will recap on the basic points of this activity, focusing on the strategic questions that a child will need to ask to ascertain if a website is trustworthy.

Activity: Make a Stand

This activity is designed to give the pupils an opportunity to move around and talk with their peers about the topics raised. If there is a lack of open space, or if you are concerned about disturbing other classes, you can achieve the same objectives using the Make a Stand Activity Sheet.

This activity is intended to act as an information sheet for pupils, and a starting point for a classroom discussion. The aim is to encourage pupils to question what they see on the internet.

Key Questions:

• Which resource would you use the most often? Book, newspaper, app or website?
• Which resource would you use to find out about the world? Why?
• Which resource, do you think, costs the most money to make?
• Which resource is the easiest to share with other people?
• Which option do you trust the most? Why do you trust this one the most?

Key Vocabulary:

• Resource
• Reliable
• Consent
• Data

Resources Needed:

• Computer connected to the projector/whiteboard
• Make A Stand Activity Sheet
• Three signs: Book, Website, Newspaper.
• Some sticky tape or blu tack.

Duration: 20 minutes

Step 1: Clear the room as much as you can. On one wall post a sheet with the word ‘Book’ written on it, write 'Website' on another sheet, and 'Newspaper' on the final sheet. Ask pupils to stand near the sign representing the resource that they use most often. Choose one or two pupils from each group to elaborate on their choice. The teacher can provide feedback at all stages during this activity, while emphasising that there isn’t always one correct answer.

Step 2: Next, ask pupils to stand nearest the sign representing the resource that they would use to find out about what is happening in the world. Again, choose some pupils to justify
their choice.

Step 3: Ask pupils to choose which option costs the most money to produce. Again, stimulate discussion and provide feedback.

Step 4: Ask pupils to choose which option is easiest to share with other people. Again, stimulate discussion and provide feedback.

Step 5: Ask pupils to choose which option they trust most? Again, stimulate discussion and
provide feedback. After you have given pupils a opportunity to talk about their choices, give them the opportunity to change their minds by moving to a different sign.

KEY TAKE-AWAY:
The internet is a great source of information but it is not always reliable. You must do something to check that it can be trusted.

Activity: Online Advertising

This activity is designed to enable pupils to see past the obvious spaces where advertising is normally found like at the sides of web pages. It will introduce a discussion about other types of advertising such as social media influencer blogs/posts, sponsored articles, social media posts and YouTube videos such as ‘unboxing videos’. A ‘How to spot fake news’ checklist for pupils is available from webwise.ie here

Embedding Digital Technologies

Schools with access to digital devices (e.g. tablets, laptops, phone) can capture pupils responses on relevant discussion activities using a variety of web-based tools e.g Padlet, Mentimeter, etc. It would also be worthwhile asking pupils to take a screenshot of relevant tasks completed and save this in a shared folder so that you, the teacher can check if they are able to do it.

Key Questions:

• What is advertising?
• Why do companies advertise their goods and services?
• Where can we see advertisements?
• Where we can see products advertised to us on the internet?

Key Vocabulary:

• Advertising
• Adverts
• Influence
• Social Media Influencer - refers to someone who carries influence over others through social media. They will create original, engaging content that promotes their own interests and image. Companies decide to work with them and pay them to promote their products/services because of the influence they have over their followers on a specific area e.g. beauty, travel, video games, etc.
• Sponsored Post - this can be identified in the post description and also by the inclusion of hashtags such as #ad #sponsored #sp #spon in the post. These posts can include reviews, unboxing videos, announcements of a sale, roundup/list posts, pictures.
• Unboxing describes the capturing on video and uploading to the internet of the unpacking of products, typically sent to social media influencers, games, YouTubers as part of paid sponsorship.
• Clickbait - refers to the headlines used in article and video titles you see on the internet. These headlines are designed to get you, the reader, to click on the link and visit the website or watch and subscribe to the video channel.
• In-app purchases - also known as pay to play: Many online games are free to download. However, these games can offer additional functions, once the game is live, which users can purchase. Users typically make an in-app purchase in order to access special content or features in an app such as restricted levels, virtual money, special characters, boosts, etc. They are typically a hidden cost found in "free" apps. It can be very easy for players to inadvertently run up bills on these games. To avoid this, parents should ensure that they have a password set on their phone/device for in-app purchases or that they switch off this option on the phone/device; this can normally be done within the app/mobile settings.
• Fake News - is news, stories or hoaxes created to deliberately misinform or deceive readers.

Pre-teaching of key vocabulary is recommended as some pupils may not understand these words fully.

Resources Needed:

• Computer connected to internet and a projector
• Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available

Duration: 10 mins

Step 1. Go through the following questions with your students on the whiteboard: ‘What is advertising?’ and ‘Why do companies advertise their goods and services?’ In pairs, ask the pupils to brainstorm this question and write down their answers. Take some examples from the class and write them on the board. Explain to the pupils that the main reason for advertising are:
to persuade the public to buy a certain product.
to produce an effective advert you have to have a hook to gain the customers interest. Carefully selected vocabulary is very effective for this.

Step 2. ‘Where can we see advertisements?’ You can write this up on the board or simply use as an oral discussion. Now that pupils are aware of what an advertisement is and why companies advertise their products move onto a discussion on where can we see these companies advertising their products to us. Encourage pupils to consider first traditional forms of advertisements here.

Step 3. Write the following question on the board: ‘Where we can see products advertised to us on the internet?’ In pairs, ask the pupils to list the different places on the internet where we can see products advertised to us. Ask pupils to feedback to you when they have finished brainstorming. Encourage pupils to also consider less obvious forms of advertising on the internet such as:

• clickbait headlines
• social media influencers - their blog posts/ pictures/ videos that are sponsored or paid partnerships with companies e.g. unboxing videos.

Additional Resources

The Safefood MediaWise programme, Topic 1: What is the Media? is a good pre activity on advertising for pupils before activity 6 on online advertising.

Topic 1: What is the Media? aims to help pupils recognise that media and advertising are everywhere and understand that advertisers pay to communicate their message as they are trying to ‘sell’ something. Lesson 2 also identifies different points of view presented in advertising.

The Safefood MediaWise programme, What is the Media? is available at: safefood.eu/Education/Primary/MediaWise/What_is_the_media_3_4.aspx

Activity: Online Advertising: Let's watch a video

Resources Needed:

• Computer connected to the projector/whiteboard

Duration: 5 minutes

Step 1: Recap with pupils main points of previous activity on what is advertising.

Step 2: Play the 'Online Advertising' video for pupils.

Step 3: Ask pupils the following questions to recap on the main points of the video:

• What are the different types of online advertisements mentioned in the video?
• How can you avoid being tricked by online advertisements?

Step 4: Continue to the next activity to recap on the mains points raised in this video about online advertising.

NOTE: Subtitles are available for each video - simply click the cc button on the right corner of the video. Lyrics sheets can be accessed by clicking the Print sheets button above.

Activity: Fill in the gaps with the missing words to complete the rap and check your understanding of online advertising.

Embedding Digital Technologies

Schools with access to digital devices (e.g. tablets, laptops, phone) can capture pupils responses on relevant discussion activities using a variety of web-based tools e.g Padlet, Mentimeter, etc. It would also be worthwhile asking pupils to take a screenshot of relevant tasks completed and save this in a shared folder so that you, the teacher can check if they are able to do it.

Resources Needed:

Computer connected to internet and a projector
Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available

Duration: 10 mins

Step 1: Instruct pupils to complete the Check Your Understanding - Fill in the gaps activity based on the 'Online Advertising' video.

Activity: Check Your Understanding

Create your own Clickbait Headline using the drag and drop activity.

1. The headline or title tells you nothing at all about the content of the article.
   Example, “Man Tries to Hug Wild Lion During a Safari, You Won’t Believe What Happens Next!!.” Notice that the headline really doesn’t tell you much about the story. What it does do is put a question into your brain: What happened to the teacher? They are counting on you wanting to know enough to click the link. Don’t!
2. The headline is too good to be true e.g. getting rich quick.
   Example, “How to Make a Million Euro in 2 Minutes”. If it sounds too good to be true then it is too good to be true and isn’t worth your time.
3. The headline is too amazing, too positive, too shocking, too terrifying, or too anything else.
   Headlines should simply tell what the story is about, the facts. Examples include: “9 Things to Watch Out For When Starting a New School”and “10 Hilarious Tweets of Stupid People That’ll Make You Think ‘Do these people even exist?’”.
4. The headline follows a standard formula.
   
   • [?] tries to [?]. The reason why will make you [?]
   • [?] tries to [?]. You won’t BELIEVE what happened next!
   • This video will prove that [?]
   • 10 [?] you should never [?] to [?]
   • X was Y. First you’ll be shocked, then you’ll be inspired
   • 10 [?] that look like [?]
   • 10 [?] that you won’t believe [?]

Activity: How to spot a Clickbait Headline - Click below to get started.

Resources Needed:

• Computer connected to internet and a projector
• Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available

Duration: 10 mins

Step 1: Continue to look at online advertising with the ‘How to spot a clickbait headline’ activity. Distribute and go through the statements on the ‘How to spot a clickbait headline’ activity sheet with the pupils. Have a discussion with them about the inaccuracies and dangers of clickbait.

Step 2 (Homework task): Instruct pupils to take the story of The Three Little Pigs and create a clickbait headline for the story, the stranger the better! Make sure all pupils are familiar with this story.

The Safefood MediaWise programme, Topic 3: Who is the Target? and Topic 4: Media Influence on Us, are a recommended follow on from completing the HTML Heroes Lesson 3 activity 10 on clickbait, for exploring the concepts of media targeting advertising and influence with their pupils.

Topic 3 Who is the Target? Recognise different media target different groups of people (audiences) and find hidden messages and advertising in the media. While Topic 4: Media Influence on Us provides an opportunity for pupils to design an information media campaign and help pupils explore how media can be a source of information and make the world a smaller place.

The Safefood MediaWise programme, Topic 3: Who is the Target?, is available here at: safefood.eu/Education/Primary-(ROI)/MediaWise/Who_is_the_Target

The Safefood MediaWise programme, Topic 4: Media Influence on Us, is available here at: safefood.eu/Education/Primary/MediaWise/Medias_influence