Activity: Chatting Online - Discussion Time

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.

Duration: 30 minutes

Resources Needed:

• Computer connected to projector/whiteboard

Step 1. Ask pupils to complete the following questions about online friendships on their own first. Remind the pupils to give reasons for the responses.

• In what ways are online friendships different from face-to-face friendships?
• If we have a lot of online friendships, does that mean we are well-liked or popular?
• Is it possible to have too many online friends? Why could that be a problem?
• Why do people sometimes behave differently online?
• Is it necessary for online friendships to be built on respect? Why do you think this?
• What might happen if we choose to treat our online friendships disrespectfully?
• Is there ever a time when it is appropriate to act disrespectfully online?
• Are there risks in having friendships with people whom you only come in contact with online?

Responses will vary depending on prior access and experience. Focus discussion on the following:

• Online places for socialising include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, SnapChat
• Online and internet mean the same thing and both terms may be used in the lesson

Step 2. Once complete ask the pupils to get in pairs and discuss their answers. Allow 5 minutes for this.

Step 3. Once pupils have had a chance to discuss their answers with their partners take feedback from the class and write main points for each question on the board.

Homework Activity: Review Ruby and Archie's Online Safety Advice

Duration: 5 minutes

Resources Needed:
Computer connected to projector/whiteboard with the Webwise Primary Programme open
Ruby and Archie's Online Safety Advice Activity Sheet.

Step 1: Distribute the USB KEY CHARACTER’s Advice sheet for homework. Tell pupils they are to rank the following safety hints in the order they consider the most important.

KEY TAKE-AWAY: The class should be clear on the crucial safety point that they never arrange to meet up with a person they ‘met’ online.

Activity: Social Media Profile Review

Resources Needed:

• Computer connected to projector/whiteboard
• InstaFace Activity Sheet

Duration: 15 minutes

Step 1: Introduce the first activity looking to explore chatting online. This fake social media account has been created to stimulate discussion about safe and potentially unsafe behaviours on social networking platforms. Some questions to ask pupils to consider while reviewing Aisling's profile:

• What types of personal information is it important to keep safe/private online?
• What type of information is okay to share publicly?
• How long can your personal information stay online?
• How can you protect your personal information and privacy online?

Step 2: Display the fake profile on the whiteboard and distribute the InstaFace profile activity sheet to the pupils and go through the instructions with the pupils. Pupils are to highlight safe and unsafe features of this profile (using different coloured pens or pencils). A think, pair share methodology can be applied here.

Step 3: Take feedback from pupils on the safe and unsafe features of they identified from this profile. Note sample responses below:

Safe and responsible social network use:

• Use of a emoji head as profile picture
• Some personal information has been limited (e.g. no year given in birthday)
• Aisling questions how she knows someone who has messaged her (“Erm, do I know you?”)
• Evidence of Aisling helping a friend to report online (Rebecca Hanrahan)
• Aisling uses the site to post positive things that make her happy, such as pictures with her friends.
• Aisling does report and block Thomas Mac after requesting to video chat.

Potentially unsafe or inappropriate features:

• Aisling uses her full name
• She reveals her general location in her bio and where she goes to school (Mayo Girl)
• She reveals the full name of her best friends in her bio (“that means you Síofra Duffy and Kate Casey”)
• She reveals another social media profile name and encourages people to add her in her bio (Add me on Snapchat: Aislinggbyrne06)
• It is unlikely Aisling knows all the friends she has added (834 friends)
• She has lots of other photos (3457)
• She has added someone she doesn’t know (Thomas Mac)
• Aisling reveals her location with those who can access her profile (potentially lots of people who she doesn’t know as previously suggested) by checking in to her home location.
• She has all her settings on public view - her posts, (pictures and location can be viewed by everyone).

Activity: Real Friends and Online 'Friends' - Pretend Online Identity Activity Sheet

Teachers' Notes: The pupils will each fill in a True/False Friend Activity Sheet, half of which will be true, half false. They will be collected and read out to the full class and the class will try to determine real information from false. The aim of the exercise is for them to understand that it is very difficult to know if a person is whom they say they are online.

TAKE HOME ACTIVITY:
Discussion with parents/guardians — the pupils bring home their Top Safety Advice Sheet to discuss and rank with parents and brothers and sisters. Additional ‘Online Safety Tips’ could be gathered and discussed in class the following day. Strategic questions that a child will need to ask to ascertain if a website is trustworthy.

Duration: 30 minutes

Resources Needed: 
Computer connected to projector/whiteboard with the Webwise Primary Programme open

Pretend Online Activity Sheet

Step 1: Explain how it is easy to pretend you are someone you are not on the internet. It can even be fun to try out different personalities online at times. Unfortunately, bad people who pretend they are pupils can also do so. Sometimes they do this to trick pupils into becoming their ‘friend’ online. Explain how in this lesson the pupils are going to see how easy it is to pretend online to be what you are not and how they can keep those people from becoming their ‘friends’ online.

Step 2: Distribute the True/False Friend Activity Sheet, having circled at the top of the page either the ‘T’ for True for half of the class and circled the ‘F’ for False for the other half of the class. Explain that even you will have an activity sheet and that the pupils will have to guess who is being a true or false friend.

Step 3: Collect the completed activity sheets and read a number of the selected identities to the class, a mixture of true and false identities including your own where you have chosen to be the pupils’ age, with similar interests to the pupils. Allow the class to try to judge if the identity is true or false, made up in an attempt to trick the others. The aim of the exercise is for the pupils to understand that it is very difficult to know if a person is whom they say they are online.

Step 4: Place discussion points on the board about how difficult it is to really know who you might be chatting or talking to online. Ask the pupils to recall the Chatwise Golden Rules they have previously learned, stressing the importance of always having a parent or adult with them when they are online. The pupils could draw up an ‘Our Class Top 3 Safety Rules’ to be posted to the classroom noticeboard.

Activity: Emoji Visual Arts Celebration

Resources Needed:

• Paper/ Paper Plates
• various mixed media materials like paint, brushes, drawing implements like pencils, crayons, pastels, etc

Duration: 30 minutes

Stimulus
Using the theme of ‘anonymity’, talk to the class about being anonymous online. What is the advantage of being anonymous? What are the disadvantages of being anonymous?

Ask the children to pick a friend or partner from the class but don’t tell them! Now, ask them to think about 3 of their best qualities. What emojis would best represent these traits? Tell them not to just think of physical traits; think of personality traits that are unique to this person as well for example what do they like doing or what do you like about them.

If your friend is kind, what emoji would you use to represent this? What art materials would you use? Paper plates for emoji heads, pencil, paint, crayon, felt-tip, pastels or maybe a mixed-media collage. When you have planned your project, begin to make your celebration.

After they are all completed, can the pupils guess which traits are being expressed and who is being represented?

Reveal the anonymous art by holding a celebration of the class. Each child can show their artwork to the class and tell them who it is and the traits they have that they admire.

This activity is trying to reinforce the idea that first glance is not all what it seems; people can make themselves and others seem any way they want.

Activity: Listen to the Song 'Rules of the Internet'

Resources Needed:

• Computer connected to projector
• Poster making materials

Duration: 30 mins

Step 1: Recap on previous activity on cyberbullying and golden rules of chatting online and dealing with cyberbullies. Explain that this activity continues to explore cyberbullying and key advice for dealing with cyberbullies through a rap.

Step 2: Play ‘Rules of the Internet’ song for pupils. Ask pupils to listen for the first time hearing it. Then play again for pupils asking them to list each of the rules mentioned in the song.

Step 3: Once pupils have written down each of the rules, ask them to create a poster containing each of the rules mentioned in the song. Encourage the pupils to include a symbol or emoji(s) to represent each rule.

There are 6 rules of the internet listed in the song:

• Keep your password safe
• Know what you can share - don’t overshare personal information
• Be careful of what you post
• Keep it online for friends you don’t know
• Don’t stay in chats you don’t like
• Don’t download junk

Rules of the internet lyrics:

I'm here to tell you about a great big place
Where you can talk play in cyberspace
You'll have fun and laugh but before you do
Have a listen and follow these rules

Keep your password safe
There's no point using your own name
Get creative with made up words
So no one can guess "papie Josie”, “Hatytolie", is your password

Know what you can share
Personal info should not be bared
Even if a cute Panda is saying please
We know better because it's none of their "buzz, buzz" business

Rules of the internet, keeping us safe on the World Wide Web
Rules of the internet

Be careful of what you post
Think twice before you boast
If it’s something you don’t want your neighbours to know
Well don’t put it up, or you might get a roast

Keep it online with friends you don’t know
Always bring a guardian along for the show
'A guardian of the galaxy', 'maybe Starlord?'
No! I'm sure a parent will go

Don't stay in chats you don't like
Click X and they'll take a hike
If you keep getting bothered tell someone
We’re here to help and keep the internet fun

Don't be downloading junk
Check with a parent before it goes in the trunk
Otherwise you might get Trojan horse
And not one you can keep as a pet, no it's much, much, worse

So keep these in mind
The next time your online
Because it's fun and it's great but you've got to keep safe
So follow, just follow these rules of the internet

Rules of the internet, keeping us safe on the World Wide Web
Rules of the internet

Words and music by Kees Hendrickx ©

Safer Internet Day Activity

Can you create your own rap or song about internet safety? Why not work on the lyrics together and perform your rap or song. This is a great example of an activity to promote better, safer use of the internet for Safer Internet Day. Webwise would love to hear it! Send it in to us via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and your school could win prizes! Visit https://heroes.webwise.ie/saferinternetday to find out more!