Technologies · Year 1 · Our Connected Community · Term 3

Sharing Information Safely

Students learn about appropriate ways to share digital content with friends and family.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDE2P05

About This Topic

In Year 1 Technologies, students explore safe ways to share digital content with friends and family. They compare sending a photo privately to one friend against posting it online for all to see, noting how public sharing invites unknown viewers. Students design rules, such as gaining permission before sharing a classmate's drawing, and explain why consent protects feelings and privacy. This content meets AC9TDE2P05, emphasizing responsible digital practices in everyday interactions.

Set in the 'Our Connected Community' unit, the topic builds foundational digital citizenship. Children learn that online actions have wider reach than face-to-face sharing, fostering habits that prevent oversharing or hurt feelings. These skills connect to social-emotional learning, as justifying rules encourages empathy for others' boundaries.

Active learning excels with this topic through practice in realistic scenarios. Role-plays let students test decisions without real risks, while group rule creation draws on collective wisdom. Sorting activities and poster making make abstract ideas visual and personal, helping students internalize safety as their own choices.

Key Questions

1. Compare sharing a photo with a friend versus sharing it with everyone online.
2. Design a rule for sharing your favorite game with a classmate.
3. Justify why it's important to ask permission before sharing someone else's work.

Learning Objectives

• Compare the implications of sharing a digital photo privately with a friend versus sharing it publicly online.
• Design a clear, simple rule for sharing a digital game with a classmate that respects ownership and access.
• Justify why obtaining permission is necessary before sharing digital content created by another person.
• Identify potential risks associated with sharing personal information online with an audience larger than intended.

Before You Start

Identifying Digital Devices

Why: Students need to be familiar with common digital devices to understand the context of sharing information.

Basic Online Communication

Why: Students should have a foundational understanding of sending simple messages or sharing simple files to grasp the concepts of private versus public sharing.

Key Vocabulary

Digital Content	Information, images, videos, or sounds that are stored and shared using computers or other electronic devices.
Private Sharing	Sharing digital content with only one or a few specific people, like sending a photo directly to a friend's message.
Public Sharing	Sharing digital content with a large, unknown audience, such as posting a photo on a public social media page.
Permission	Giving someone approval or consent to do something, like sharing their drawing or game.
Digital Footprint	The trail of data you leave behind when you use the internet, including websites visited, emails sent, and information shared.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Sharing online is the same as sharing with one friend.

What to Teach Instead

Online posts reach strangers worldwide, unlike private messages. Sorting activities help students see the difference by grouping examples, while role-plays let them act out wider audiences and adjust their thinking through peer feedback.

Common Misconception

No permission needed for a friend's photo or work.

What to Teach Instead

Friends deserve privacy too, and consent builds trust. Permission games provide repeated practice in asking and responding, with discussions revealing how violations feel, correcting views through empathy.

Common Misconception

Once something is online, anyone can reshare freely.

What to Teach Instead

Original owners control their content initially. Group poster creation reinforces 'ask first' rules visually, and sharing sessions show chain reactions, helping students grasp ongoing respect needs.

Active Learning Ideas

Role-Play: Sharing Scenarios

Prepare cards with scenarios like sharing a pet photo or game score. In pairs, students read a card, decide if it is private or public sharing, and act it out. Follow with a class discussion on outcomes and better choices.

35 min·Pairs

Sorting: Private vs Public

Provide picture cards of sharing examples, such as texting a friend or posting online. Students in small groups sort cards into 'safe with friend' or 'risky for everyone' piles, then justify each sort to the group.

30 min·Small Groups

Rule Posters: Design Our Rules

In small groups, brainstorm three sharing rules like 'ask first.' Students draw and label posters, present to class, and vote on shared class rules to display.

45 min·Small Groups

Permission Practice Game

Use toy devices or drawings passed around the circle. Each student asks permission to 'share' the item, receiver responds and explains why. Whole class reflects on patterns in responses.

25 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• Social media managers for companies like LEGO often decide which user-generated content to reshare publicly, always seeking permission from the original creator to avoid copyright issues and maintain good relationships.
• Librarians in public libraries teach children and adults about online safety, explaining how to share information responsibly and protect their personal data when using library computers or public Wi-Fi.
• Game developers, such as those at Nintendo, create terms of service that outline how players can share game content, often restricting sharing of copyrighted material without authorization.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Give students two scenarios on separate slips of paper: 1) 'You want to show your friend a funny picture you drew.' 2) 'You want to show your funny picture to everyone in your class online.' Ask students to write one sentence for each scenario explaining how they would share it and why.

Discussion Prompt

Present a scenario: 'Your friend made a cool drawing in art class and wants you to share it on the class blog. What should you do first, and why is that important?' Facilitate a class discussion, guiding students to articulate the need for permission and the concept of respecting others' work.

Quick Check

Show students three images: a private message icon, a public social media icon, and a 'no sharing' icon. Ask students to point to the correct icon when you describe a sharing situation, such as 'Sharing a secret joke with your best friend' or 'Posting your holiday photos for anyone to see'.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does AC9TDE2P05 apply to Year 1 sharing lessons?

AC9TDE2P05 requires students to follow guidelines for safe digital sharing. Lessons use comparisons like private texts versus public posts, rule design, and permission justification. These build skills for responsible participation in connected communities, aligning with early digital ethics.

What activities teach Year 1 safe digital sharing?

Role-plays, sorting cards into private/public, designing rule posters, and permission games work well. Each provides practice: pairs decide scenarios, groups justify sorts, and class reflections build consensus. Keep sessions short with visuals to match attention spans and reinforce habits.

How can active learning help students understand sharing information safely?

Active methods like role-playing scenarios and group sorting make safety tangible. Students practice choices in pairs or small groups, discuss real feelings during permission games, and create personal posters. This hands-on repetition shifts rules from abstract to owned behaviors, with peer input correcting misconceptions faster than lectures.

Why focus on permission in Year 1 digital safety?

Permission teaches consent early, preventing oversharing that hurts relationships. Students justify needs through discussions, linking to empathy. Activities like toy device passes show immediate impacts, building lifelong habits for respectful online interactions in Australia's digital landscape.