Computing · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Keeping Information Private

Active learning works well for this topic because young children learn best by doing, especially with sensitive subjects like privacy. Sorting, creating, and role-playing help students practice safe choices in contexts that feel real to them.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Computing - Digital Literacy
• KS1: Computing - Online Safety

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 25 min · Small Groups

Sorting Activity: Safe or Share Cards

Prepare cards with examples of information like 'my favourite colour' or 'home address.' In small groups, students sort them into 'safe to share' and 'keep private' piles, then justify choices to the group. End with a class share-out to agree on rules.

Justify why certain personal details should not be shared online.

Facilitation Tip

During the Sorting Activity, circulate and listen for student reasoning to identify where misconceptions about trust and information sharing emerge.

What to look for

Give students three cards: 'My Full Name', 'My Favorite Color', 'My Home Address'. Ask them to write on the back of each card 'Safe to Share' or 'Keep Private' and explain why for one of the 'Keep Private' cards.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 30 min · Pairs

Role-Play: Online Chat Scenarios

Pairs act out online chats using scripted cards; one asks for personal details, the other responds safely. Switch roles and discuss what worked. Teacher facilitates debrief on risks and good responses.

Analyze the potential risks of sharing too much information.

Facilitation Tip

In Role-Play scenarios, step in immediately if students reveal personal details aloud to model safe language and behavior.

What to look for

Present a scenario: 'A new friend online asks for your school name so they can send you a birthday card.' Ask students: 'What is the risk here? What is a safe way to respond?' Facilitate a brief class discussion on their answers.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 35 min · Whole Class

Poster Creation: Our Privacy Rules

Whole class brainstorms rules for safe sharing, then small groups illustrate one rule each on a shared poster. Display and refer to it during device time.

Construct rules for deciding what information is safe to share.

Facilitation Tip

For Poster Creation, provide sentence starters like 'We do not share... because...' to scaffold explanations of privacy rules.

What to look for

Show images of common online activities (e.g., playing a game, watching a video, posting a picture). Ask students to give a thumbs up if they think it's generally safe to share their name while doing it, and a thumbs down if it's not. Discuss why.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 20 min · Individual

Digital Detective Game

Individuals use printed 'screens' to spot unsafe sharing in mock social media posts, circling private info and suggesting fixes. Share findings in pairs.

Justify why certain personal details should not be shared online.

Facilitation Tip

During the Digital Detective Game, allow students to replay scenarios until they identify the privacy risk correctly, reinforcing the learning through immediate feedback.

What to look for

Give students three cards: 'My Full Name', 'My Favorite Color', 'My Home Address'. Ask them to write on the back of each card 'Safe to Share' or 'Keep Private' and explain why for one of the 'Keep Private' cards.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic through guided practice that mirrors real online interactions. Avoid abstract lectures; instead, use concrete examples and peer-led discussions to build understanding. Research shows that children this age grasp safety concepts best when they experience consequences through role-play, so design activities where mistakes lead to discussions rather than punishments.

Students will confidently categorize personal information, justify their choices, and apply privacy rules in simulated online situations. They will create clear, child-friendly guidelines they can explain and defend to others.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Sorting Activity, watch for students who categorize 'My Best Friend's Name' as safe to share because they trust them personally.

  Use the Sorting Activity to prompt students to consider how information could be misused even by people they know. Ask, 'If your best friend shared your friend's name with someone else, would you still want that name shared? Why or why not?'

• During Role-Play, watch for students who assume online friends are always trustworthy based on their profile picture or friendly messages.

  During Role-Play, pause after each scenario and ask, 'How do you know this person is who they say they are? What could happen if they shared your school name with someone else?'

• During Poster Creation, watch for students who treat photos and drawings as completely harmless to share online.

  Use the Poster Creation activity to have students examine sample photos for clues that reveal location or identity. Ask, 'What can someone learn about you just from this picture?'

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Methods used in this brief

• Outdoor Investigation Session