Technologies · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Asking for Help: When Things Go Wrong Online

Active learning works for this topic because young children learn best when they practice asking for help in realistic situations. Role-plays and sorting games let them experience discomfort without real risk, so they build confidence in seeking adult support.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDI2S01

• 20–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 30 min · Small Groups

Scenario Sorting: Safe or Needs Help?

Present students with various online scenarios on cards (e.g., seeing a funny video, receiving an odd message, a game asking for personal details). Students work in small groups to sort these into 'Safe to Continue' and 'Needs Adult Help' categories, discussing their reasoning for each.

Explain when it is important to tell an adult about something seen online.

Facilitation Tip

During Role-Play: Online Scenarios, give students specific phrases to use when explaining what they saw to an adult, such as 'I saw a picture that made me feel scared.'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 20 min · Pairs

Trusted Adult Role-Play

Students practice approaching a designated 'trusted adult' (teacher or aide) to report a simulated online issue. They focus on using clear language to explain what happened and what made them uncomfortable, receiving constructive feedback on their communication.

Assess different scenarios to determine if adult help is needed.

Facilitation Tip

During Sort It: Help or Not?, circulate and listen for students’ reasoning behind their sorts to catch misconceptions early.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 25 min · Whole Class

Digital Safety Pledge Creation

As a whole class, brainstorm key safety rules for online interactions. Students then individually illustrate or write one rule they will commit to, creating a class display of their digital safety pledges.

Design a plan for what to do if a stranger tries to talk to you online.

Facilitation Tip

During Design: My Safety Plan, remind students to include both what they would do and who they would tell, not just a single action.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teaching this topic requires balancing openness with safety. Avoid graphic examples, but do not shy away from naming uncomfortable feelings like fear or confusion. Research shows that children as young as six can recognize risky situations but hesitate to report them because they fear losing screen time or upsetting adults. Use neutral language to normalize asking for help and reduce shame around reporting problems.

Successful learning looks like students immediately identifying when to tell an adult and explaining why. They should use clear language to describe worrying content or messages, showing they understand the importance of adult help.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Role-Play: Online Scenarios, watch for students who assume all online interactions are safe if they involve friends. Redirect by having them note that strangers can pretend to be friends and that group discussions help identify these risks.

  After the role-play, pause and ask: 'How did you know the person was really your friend? What clues did you use?' Guide the group to recognize that strangers can pretend, and remind them that adults should always be told about unknown messages.

• During Sort It: Help or Not?, watch for students who dismiss confusing or mildly uncomfortable content as 'not big enough' to tell an adult. Redirect by clarifying that any uneasy feeling is a reason to ask for help.

  During the sorting activity, hold up an example of mildly confusing content and ask: 'Is this something you would tell an adult? Why or why not?' Guide students to see that even small worries matter.

• During Design: My Safety Plan, watch for students who believe they can fix online problems alone. Redirect by having them include a trusted adult’s role in their plan, not just their own actions.

  While students design their safety plans, ask: 'Who else is part of your plan besides you? How will they help?' This reinforces that adults are helpers, not just the child’s responsibility.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play