Activity: eSafety For Kids – Express Yourself Safely – HPE & HASS – Years 5 & 6

Quick summary: Students will consider the legal ramifications of sharing explicit content – even with consent – and learn how to find support. They will think about fun alternatives for expressing themselves and create resources to encourage others to do the same.

Although this can be completed as a standalone lesson, it will be most effective if completed within the sequence of the unit, as follows:

1. Know The Internet
2. You Decide
3. Feeling Fishy Online
4. Express Yourself Safely
5. My Social Brain
6. Cleaning Up

The eSafety for Kids education package was developed in consultation with a team of experts, including a child and adolescent psychologist, education specialist, teachers, parents and in reference to the latest research and guidelines (at time of publication). It is designed to align with the recommendations in the Best Practice Framework for Online Safety Education (eSafety Commissioner).

The images for this eSafety for Kids package are sourced from The Tweeting Galah book series and used with permission from Kim Maslin.

Learning intentions:

• Students understand the laws around sexting for minors (under 18s)
• Students understand the legal support available
• Students understand the consequences of sharing intimate images, even with consent.

21st century skills: 

Australian Curriculum Mapping

Content descriptions: 

Years 5 & 6 Health and Physical Education:

• Plan and practise strategies to promote health, safety and wellbeing (ACPPS054)
• Examine the influence of emotional responses on behaviour and relationships (ACPPS056)

Year 5 Humanities and Social Science:

• Why regulations and laws are enforced and the personnel involved (ACHASSK117)

Year 6 Humanities and Social Science:

• Where ideas for new laws can come from and how they become law (ACHASSK146)

Year 5 English:

• Use comprehension strategies to analyse information, integrating and linking ideas from a variety of print and digital sources (ACELY1703)

Year 6 English:

• Use comprehension strategies to interpret and analyse information and ideas, comparing content from a variety of textual sources including media and digital texts (ACELY1713)

Syllabus outcomes: PHS3.12, SLS3.13, COS3.1, INS3.3, IRS3.11, EN3-3A

General capabilities: Literacy, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

Relevant parts of Years 5 & 6 HPE achievement standards: 

Students recognise the influence of emotions on behaviours and discuss factors that influence how people interact. They describe their own and others’ contributions to health, physical activity, safety and wellbeing.

Relevant parts of Year 5 Civics & Citizenship achievement standards: 

Students identify the importance of values and processes to Australia’s democracy and describe the roles of different people in Australia’s legal system. They identify various ways people can participate effectively in groups to achieve shared goals and describe different views on how to respond to a current issue or challenge.

Relevant parts of Year 6 Civics & Citizenship achievement standards: 

Students explain the role and importance of people, institutions, and processes to Australia’s democracy and legal system. They describe the rights and responsibilities of Australian citizens and the obligations they may have as global citizens.

Relevant parts of Year 5 English achievement standards: 

When reading, students encounter and decode unfamiliar words using phonic, grammatical, semantic and contextual knowledge. They analyse and explain literal and implied information from a variety of texts.

Relevant parts of Year 6 English achievement standards: 

Students compare and analyse information in different and complex texts, explaining literal and implied meaning. They select and use evidence from a text to explain their response to it.

Topic: Health & Wellbeing, Social Issues

This lesson is part of the wider unit of work eSafety For Kids.

Time required: 60 mins.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – support students to interpret factsheet and summarise.

Resources required:

• Art materials of your choice – coloured pencils, felt tip markers or paints
• Device to display videos and websites
• Glossary of Key Terms (optional)
• Handling Sensitive Topics and Issues Factsheet (digital copy)
• Sexting Factsheet
• Student Worksheets – one copy per student.

Connected resources: 

• eSafety For Kids – School Facilitation Guide
• eSafety For Kids – Take It Home Resource Pack

Keywords: laws, image-based abuse, sexting, consent, support, online laws, sharing 

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.