eSafety: Lesson Plan Exemplar
University Assessment Detailed. You would not provide this to a Relief/Supply teacher.
This Year 4 eSafety lesson plan teaches students to protect their personal information online, create safe digital personas, and become responsible digital citizens.
Read Time: 25 minutes
This lesson plan exemplar focuses on eSafety and digital citizenship for Year 4 students. A relief teacher paired down version can be found here. It helps students distinguish between personal and private information and teaches them strategies to stay safe online. Below is the complete breakdown of the lesson plan, including learning objectives, resources, and differentiated activities.
Unit Title and Lesson Details
The lesson, titled The Two ‘Cybers’: Cybersafety and Cyberbullying, is designed for a 45-minute session with a class size of 22 students. The focus is on helping students become strong digital citizens by promoting online safety.
Unit Title | The Two ‘Cybers’: Cybersafety and Cyberbullying
Duration | 45 minutes
Class Size | 22 students
Lesson Topic | Cybersafety: Being a strong digital citizen (Lesson 2 from Appendix A)
Year Level | 4
Learning Objectives
This section outlines the key goals for students in the lesson. They will learn to:
- Identify strategies to promote personal safety online.
- Distinguish between private and personal information (ACPPS036).
- Create a mock online persona to practice digital safety.
Key Vocabulary
Students will engage with essential terms related to cybersafety:
“confidential”, “cybersmart”, “digital citizen”, “digital privacy”, “disclosure”, “private information”, “personal information”, “protect”, “parent permission” and “publish”.
Teaching these terms ensures students have the language needed to discuss online safety effectively.
Australian Curriculum and General Capabilities
This lesson aligns with the following Australian Curriculum standards:
- Strand |Personal, Social and Community Health
- Sub-Strand | Being healthy, safe and active
- Content Description | Identify and practise strategies to promote health, safety, and wellbeing (ACPPS036)
The lesson also incorporates Literacy, ICT, and Critical and Creative Thinking capabilities to enhance student learning.
- Literacy | Specific terminology. Comprehend texts through listening, reading and viewing.
- ICT | Safely access online information.
- Critical and Creative Thinking | Pose questions and seek solutions.
Resources Needed
Chalk/paper tape, internet access, whiteboard, teacher computer or device to play videos, butcher’s paper, markers, observation checklist and 22 copies of a Metacognitive Traffic Light Exit Ticket.
Assessment Notes
By way of summary, formative assessment is embedded throughout the lesson using:
- Bloom’s Taxonomy for differentiated questioning
- Observation checklists to track peer interactions
- Metacognitive Traffic Light Exit Tickets for student reflection
Formative assessment is conducted throughout the lesson using Bloom’s Taxonomy by differentiating with low order and high order questioning to engage thinking. Observation of peer-to-peer interactions and responses to the teacher’s individualised questions are documented by the teacher through a prepopulated checkbox observation sheet. Based on the critical and creative thinking learning continuum, during phase 2 the teacher poses personalised questions to expand knowledge and link to real world experiences.
As students watch the eSafety Commissioners’ Details Details video, they organise and process information by collecting and categorising facts to be used in the consolidation activity. These ideas are then utilised to create a mock persona where students needing support can “build on what they know to create ideas”, while those requiring extension can “expand on known ideas to create new and imaginative combinations”. These mock personas are reviewed by the teacher after the lesson as part of formative assessment.
In addition, the plenary contains a metacognitive exit ticket for students to reflect, explain and evaluate their learning. Students document something they don’t understand yet in the red section; something they need more work on in the yellow section; and something they totally understand in the green section.
Throughout the lesson the TA scribes for students needing support. Once completed, these exit tickets are cut into three and placed in the corresponding box that is kept below the learning wall of tiered success criteria. Teacher reviews exit tickets post the lesson for student understanding. If students meet the success criteria, then their exit ticket is pinned to that section of the tiered learning wall. This style of review highlights any misconceptions students have about their level of understanding and can support confidence building. The tiered learning wall is reviewed at the beginning of the next lesson to focus learning for that subsequent lesson. The lowest tier on the learning wall is something all students can achieve.
In addition, evidence of student learning is collected throughout the unit when students finalise their cybersafety/cyberbullying poster.
Lesson Details
Phase 1: 10 mins
Learner Action /Tasks
Students enter the classroom and stand on the chalk or tape line at the front of the classroom.
Based on past experiences and knowledge, students answer tiered questions about what information they would provide to register for their favourite game – example Minecraft.
Students move along the line depending on their answers to the teacher’s questions. Some answers may be polarising.
Differentiated Learning Considerations
- Write questions on to the whiteboard for visual learners.
- Read questions allowed for auditory learners.
- Give students processing (thinking) time.
- Initial activity allows for body movement as a way of demonstrating prior knowledge.
Teacher Actions:
Set up classroom so that there is a line drawn in chalk (or use paper tape) on the floor. Line should be long enough for all students to stand along.
This can be done in front of the whiteboard so that the words “Provide” and “Don’t provide” are written on the board, one at either end of the line.
Ask students to find a space on the line. Explain that they are going to register for their favourite online game and must decide whether to provide the information. They need to move along the line to the spot that represents their answer. Use intentional teaching and ask questions like:
“First name” [Yes].
“Nickname” [Yes].
“Last name” [No. Discuss. ‘Teacher talk’ first example, if needed, to generate student participation].
“Year at school/class” [No. Discuss]. “Age” [Maybe. Parent permission. Discuss].
“Birthday” [No. Discuss].
“School name” [No. Discuss].
“Upload a photo of themselves?” [Maybe. Discuss. Suggest creating avatar].
“What if they were in their school uniform in the photo?” [No. Discuss].
[Students return to desks.]
Revise that the previous lesson looked at the accuracy of different sources of information and balancing time online.
Summarise today’s lesson:
- the structure of the lesson and learning objectives,
- by the end of the lesson students should be able to make responsible decisions and choices about what they can do to keep themselves safe online,
- present a mock persona to ensure online safety.
Phase 2: 10 mins
Learner Action /Tasks
At their desks, students actively engage in discussions identifying websites and apps they use. Students discuss how these services collect their data.
Students participate in vocabulary discussions and offer opinions/justify what data should be kept private.
Students understand the difference between private and personal information.
Differentiated Learning Considerations
Write instructions onto the board for those needing visual reminders.
Word wall of key vocabulary terms.
Teacher Action:
Intentional teaching:
- Explain that in real life that parents need to share private information with certain organisations that have a legal responsibility to keep the information safe: Doctor/Dentist/School/Sporting teams.
- Other online organisations (like community forums/gaming sites) do not have the same legal responsibility. It is the student’s responsibility to be a strong digital citizen and protect their private information.
Teach key vocabulary: “confidential”, “digital citizen”, “digital privacy”, “disclosure”, “private information”, “personal information”, “protect”, “parent permission” and “publish”.
Discuss what sort of information they would share with a stranger. Link to strangers being online.
Explicitly teach private versus personal information with examples. Teach that personal information can become identifiable if disclosed simultaneously (example name, grade and school).
Ask students to identify parent’s identification that contains private information (example: driver’s licence/passport/bank statements). Assist student to make cognitive link that parents keep this information safe – as they would their online data.
Phase 3: 8 - 10 mins
Learner Action /Tasks
Students watch the eSafety Commissioners “Details, details…” video.
Students make notes about the facts they have learnt about private and personal information when watching the video.
Differentiated Learning Considerations
- Have subtitles/closed captions switched on.
- Write instructions onto the board for those needing visual reminders.
- Provide a summarised version of video for those who needing support.
Teacher Action:
Explain to students that they will watch a cartoon about keeping private information safe. Ask the students to pay close attention to which information is considered private or personal as they will make notes after the video.
Play “Details, details…” video from eSafety Commissioner’s website. https://www.esafety.gov.au/educators/classroom-resources/hectors-world/your-personal-information-online
Teach that to join online communities, you need personal information to complete forms. Discuss how Hector was being “Cybersmart” [add to word wall] when he suggested using a nickname.
Consolidation Activity: 10 - 12 mins
Learner Action /Tasks
Students work in predetermined groups to create a mock persona (documented on butcher’s paper) to use when registering for community based online groups. Students should demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of private versus personal information in their mock persona. Persona may include sketched avatar. Students ensure names on the tops of butcher paper sheets and hand into teacher.
Differentiated Learning Considerations
- TA works in like-ability group to provide scaffolded support. TA scribes, refocuses and assist with vocabulary. TA can prompt and assist creating mock identity.
- Extend students through mixed-ability grounds and differentiation of roles.
- Extend fast finishers by having them sketch-up a form asking for a mix of private/personal information (note which is which) for friends to sign up on their webpage.
Teacher Action:
Butcher’s paper and markers are placed on group tables.
Teacher asks low- and high-order questions based on group, observes and marks off checklist.
Ensure that students have covered: Photo, First and Surname. Age. Birthday. Address. Phone number. Passwords. Emails. School. Banking details. Discuss why it is important to keep this information private.
Phase 4: 3-5 mins
Learner Action /Tasks
Students use the metacognitive traffic light exit ticket to critically think about their personal and private information and comment on what they do not understand yet, what questions they have and what they completely understand. Metacognitive tickets are placed in the corresponding box under the tiered learning wall.
Differentiated Learning Considerations
- Write instructions onto the board for those needing visual reminders.
- Teacher/TA scribe metacognitive exit ticket for students who need support.
Teacher Action:
Explain, today we learnt about:
- what information is personal/private information.
- it is the student’s responsibility to keep private information safe.
This can be done by creating an online persona.
Hand out Metacognitive Traffic Light Exit Ticket. Review after school.
Lesson closure
Lesson review and clean up: 1-2 mins
Tables tidied.
Ensure all butcher’s paper mock personas are collected for formative assessment and the observation checklist is completed.
