Activity: eSafety For Kids – Know The Internet – HPE & HASS – Years 5 & 6

Quick summary: In this activity, students will consider how they spend their time online, and who they communicate with. They will then explore how to reduce risks, such as sharing personal information and communicating with unknown people, when participating in digital activities.

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 will become aware of how risks encountered online can flow into everyday life
• Students understand that the internet is a useful tool, but must be used with care.

21st century skills: 

Australian Curriculum Mapping

Content descriptions: 

Year 5 & 6 Health and Physical Education:

• Plan and practise strategies to promote health, safety and wellbeing (ACPPS054)

Year 5 Humanities and Social Sciences:

• Interpret data and information displayed in a range of formats to identify, describe and compare distributions, patterns and trends, and to infer relationships (ACHASSI100)

Year 6 Humanities and Social Sciences:

• Interpret data and information displayed in a range of formats to identify, describe and compare distributions, patterns and trends, and to infer relationships (ACHASSI128)

Syllabus outcomes: PHS3.12, SLS3.13, GE3-4

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

Relevant parts of Years 5&6 HPE achievement standards: 

Students access and interpret health information and apply decision-making and problem-solving skills to enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing.

Relevant parts of Year 5 HASS achievement standards: 

Students locate and collect data and information from a range of sources to answer inquiry questions.

Relevant parts of Year 5 HASS achievement standards: 

Students locate and collect useful data and information from primary and secondary sources.

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 – set up video resources and facilitate challenging class discussions.

Resources required:

• Device capable of presenting a video to the class
• Glossary of Key Terms (optional)
• Handling Sensitive Topics and Issues Factsheet (digital or printed copies)
• Student Worksheet – one copy per student.

Connected resources: 

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

Keywords: safety, privacy, social media, cyber safety, digital literacy, online, sharing

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