HASS · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Mobile Technology and Social Media

Active learning works for this topic because students need to confront the emotional and social reality of technology use, not just memorize facts. Moving beyond discussion encourages them to analyze real patterns in their own and others’ digital lives, making abstract effects of social media concrete and personal.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9H10K09

• 30–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Platform Impacts

Divide class into expert groups on social interactions, political engagement, or influencer culture. Each group researches one area using provided articles, then reforms into mixed groups to share findings and create a class summary chart. Conclude with whole-class synthesis.

Analyze how mobile technology has reshaped daily life and social interactions.

Facilitation Tip

In Jigsaw Expert Groups, assign distinct platform roles (e.g., TikTok analyst, Instagram researcher) so each student brings unique data to the final discussion.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How has the way you communicate with friends and family changed since you first started using mobile phones and social media?' Facilitate a class discussion, asking students to provide specific examples of replaced activities and new forms of interaction.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Four Corners
• 40 min · Pairs

Debate Carousel: Regulation Pros and Cons

Set up stations with statements on social media regulation. Pairs rotate, debating for or against each in 5-minute rounds, recording key points. Switch roles midway to build balanced views.

Explain the role of social media in contemporary political movements.

Facilitation Tip

For the Debate Carousel, set a strict 2-minute timer per station so students practice concise argumentation under authentic pressure.

What to look for

Provide students with a short news article or social media post about a recent political event. Ask them to identify one way social media may have influenced the event's visibility or public reaction, and one potential piece of misinformation or bias present.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Four Corners
• 60 min · Small Groups

Case Study Simulation: Viral Campaign

In small groups, students design a mock social media campaign for a political cause, including posts, hashtags, and predicted reach. Present to class, then critique effectiveness and risks like misinformation.

Critique the impact of 'influencer culture' on youth identity.

Facilitation Tip

During the Case Study Simulation, provide a blank viral post template so students focus on message craft, not design aesthetics.

What to look for

On an index card, ask students to write down one social media influencer they follow and one way that influencer has impacted their own perceptions or purchasing decisions. Then, ask them to write one sentence about a potential downside of this influence.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Four Corners
• 30 min · Individual

Personal Audit Timeline: Tech Evolution

Individuals create timelines of their mobile tech use from childhood to now, noting social and identity shifts. Share in small groups, identifying patterns and discussing broader implications.

Analyze how mobile technology has reshaped daily life and social interactions.

Facilitation Tip

In the Personal Audit Timeline, require students to include at least one screenshot or digital artifact from each year to ground abstract trends in tangible examples.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How has the way you communicate with friends and family changed since you first started using mobile phones and social media?' Facilitate a class discussion, asking students to provide specific examples of replaced activities and new forms of interaction.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should approach this topic through structured inquiry that balances critique with empathy. Avoid lectures that frame technology as inherently good or bad; instead, use students’ lived experiences as the starting point. Research shows that role-play and simulation build empathy and critical thinking simultaneously, helping students move beyond binary judgments about influencers or algorithms.

Successful learning looks like students shifting from passive users to critical analysts of their digital environments. They should articulate both the conveniences and costs of mobile technology and social media in multiple settings, using evidence from their own experiences and the activities they complete.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Jigsaw Expert Groups, watch for students assuming all social media interactions are positive.

  Have students map connection types on a continuum from supportive to harmful, using their own feed examples as evidence during group sharing.

• During Debate Carousel, watch for students dismissing regulation as unnecessary or overreach.

  Prompt groups to collect real platform policy examples (e.g., Instagram’s 2022 nudity policy debates) to ground abstract arguments in current controversies.

• During Case Study Simulation, watch for students assuming viral campaigns are purely organic.

  Require student teams to annotate their simulated post with planned hashtags or bot amplification tactics to expose the constructed nature of virality.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Four Corners