Asking for Help: When Things Go Wrong OnlineActivities & Teaching Strategies
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.
Learning Objectives
- 1Identify at least three types of online content or situations that warrant seeking adult help.
- 2Explain to a trusted adult the reason for needing help after encountering uncomfortable online content.
- 3Classify given online scenarios based on whether they require immediate adult intervention.
- 4Design a simple, step-by-step plan for responding to an online stranger's message.
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Role-Play: Online Scenarios
Prepare cards with common online situations, such as a stranger asking for photos or seeing upsetting videos. In pairs, students draw a card, act it out, then decide together if they need adult help and what to say. Debrief as a class to share plans.
Prepare & details
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.'
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Sort It: Help or Not?
Create sorting cards with pictures of online events, like friendly games versus confusing ads. In small groups, students sort into 'Tell an Adult' or 'Okay Alone' piles, then justify choices on sticky notes. Discuss group sorts whole class.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Design: My Safety Plan
Students draw a three-step plan poster: 1) What I see that's wrong, 2) Close and tell adult, 3) Who to tell. Share in small groups for feedback, then display posters around the room.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Circle Share: Trusted Adults
In a whole class circle, students name one trusted adult and share a pretend online worry. Model responses first, then pass a talking stick for each child to practice saying, 'I need help with this.'
Prepare & details
Explain when it is important to tell an adult about something seen online.
Facilitation Tip: During Circle Share: Trusted Adults, model how to share personal examples to encourage reluctant students to participate.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Teaching This Topic
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.
What to Expect
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.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring 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.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring 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.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring 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.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Assessment Ideas
After Sort It: Help or Not?, present a new scenario such as 'A game asks for your birthday to unlock a prize.' Have students hold up green or red cards and explain their choice. Listen for reasoning that includes telling a trusted adult.
After Role-Play: Online Scenarios, ask: 'If someone you don’t know sends you a message asking your favorite color, what are the first two things you should do?' Listen for responses that include stopping the interaction and finding a trusted adult.
After Circle Share: Trusted Adults, give students a small paper to draw one thing they would tell a trusted adult if they saw something confusing online. Collect these to assess whether they can clearly communicate their concerns.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge students who finish early to create an additional scenario card for a peer to sort, including the correct response.
- Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide sentence starters like 'I saw ______, and it made me feel ______.' for them to fill in during discussions.
- Deeper exploration: Invite a school counselor or librarian to discuss how trusted adults help in different settings, linking classroom learning to real-world support systems.
Key Vocabulary
| Trusted Adult | A grown-up, like a parent, teacher, or older family member, whom you know will listen and help you stay safe. |
| Uncomfortable Content | Anything online that makes you feel scared, worried, confused, or sad, such as scary pictures or mean words. |
| Stranger Online | Someone you do not know in real life who tries to talk to you or ask for personal information on a device. |
| Report | To tell a trusted adult about something you saw or experienced online that made you feel unsafe or uncomfortable. |
Suggested Methodologies
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Screen Time Balance: Healthy Habits
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Reliable Sources: Trusting Information
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