Computing · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Keeping Personal Information Private

Young children learn best through movement, play, and concrete examples. When they physically act out keeping information private, they move from abstract ideas to lived experience. Active tasks turn 'don’t share that' into 'I protect this because I can see why it matters'.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Computing - Online Safety
• KS1: Computing - Personal Information

• 15–20 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 20 min · Whole Class

Simulation Game: The Password Padlock

The teacher puts a 'prize' in a box with a 3-digit code. Students must 'guess' the code to see how hard it is. They then discuss why a 'strong' password (like a secret word) is better than a simple one like '123'.

What is a password and why is it important to keep it secret?

Facilitation Tip

For the Password Padlock, use real padlocks so children feel the physical weight of keeping something locked away.

What to look for

Show students picture cards of different items (e.g., a house, a toy, a key, a book, a name tag). Ask them to point to the items that represent private information. Then, ask them to explain why they chose those items.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 20 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Safe to Share?

Groups are given cards with info like 'My favorite color', 'My house number', 'My cat's name', and 'My password'. They sort them into 'Safe to tell a stranger' and 'Keep it secret' hoops.

What kinds of information are safe to share with others, and what should you keep private?

Facilitation Tip

During Safe to Share?, provide picture cards of everyday objects; ask pairs to sort them into ‘safe to share with everyone’ and ‘only for trusted adults’.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine your friend wants to share their password with you. What would you say to them and why?' Listen for students to explain that passwords are secret and should not be shared to keep accounts safe.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Secret Key

Students think of a 'secret word' that only they and their partner know. They discuss why they shouldn't tell anyone else that word if it was the 'key' to their tablet.

How would you explain to a younger child why we keep some things private online?

Facilitation Tip

In the Secret Key activity, give each child a paper key cut-out so they can literally hold and hide their own ‘secret’.

What to look for

Give each student a slip of paper. Ask them to draw a picture of something that is safe to share online and write one word about why it is safe. Then, ask them to write one word about something that is NOT safe to share online.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with objects children can see and touch—keys, name tags, toy houses—so the idea of private information becomes tangible. Use the phrase 'digital keys' to connect a familiar concrete object to an abstract concept. Avoid abstract rules like 'never share'; instead, ask children to weigh reasons why sharing a password might cause trouble, using their own examples.

By the end of the activities, students can name three types of private information and explain one reason passwords must stay secret. They use the language of safety—lock, key, secret, share—to describe their choices with confidence.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During The Secret Key activity, watch for children who hand their paper key to a partner.

  Pause the sharing and ask the class: 'If you give your key to a friend, who else might use it tomorrow?' Direct them to lock their key in their desk instead, modeling how passwords stay with one owner.

• During Safe to Share?, listen for children who say their house picture is safe to share because it’s outside.

  Hold up the house card and ask: 'If we put this picture on the internet, who could see it?' Use a world map to show how far a single post travels, then have them re-sort the card into the 'private' pile.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share