Sharing Information Safely
Understanding what personal information is and why it's important to keep it private online.
About This Topic
Sharing Information Safely introduces Year 2 pupils to personal information, such as full names, addresses, phone numbers, and school details, and explains why keeping it private online protects them from risks. Pupils learn to differentiate safe information, like favourite colours or hobbies, from private details through clear examples and discussions. This topic meets KS1 Computing standards for online safety and digital literacy by addressing key questions: distinguishing safe from private information, justifying limits on sharing names or addresses, and constructing simple rules for online interactions.
Within the Digital Citizenship unit, this content builds foundational digital literacy skills alongside PSHE elements of personal safety. Pupils practise justifying choices, such as 'I do not share my address because strangers might visit my home,' which develops reasoning and empathy for others' safety. Connecting online rules to real-world stranger awareness reinforces consistent behaviour across contexts.
Active learning benefits this topic greatly because interactive scenarios make abstract privacy concepts concrete and relevant. Sorting activities, role-plays, and peer rule-making encourage pupils to apply rules in simulated online situations, boosting retention and confident decision-making over passive instruction.
Key Questions
- Differentiate between information that is safe to share and information that is private.
- Justify why we should not share our full name or address online.
- Construct a rule for deciding what information to share with online friends.
Learning Objectives
- Classify given pieces of information as either safe to share online or private.
- Justify why sharing specific personal details, such as a full name or home address, is unsafe.
- Construct a personal rule for deciding what information is appropriate to share with online acquaintances.
- Compare and contrast safe online sharing practices with unsafe ones, providing reasons for the differences.
Before You Start
Why: Students need to understand what constitutes a name and an address to recognize them as personal information.
Why: Students need to be able to express simple ideas and reasons to participate in discussions and create personal rules.
Key Vocabulary
| Personal Information | Details about you or your family that identify you, like your full name, address, or phone number. This information should be kept private. |
| Private Information | Information that should not be shared with people you do not know well, especially online, because it could put you at risk. |
| Safe to Share | Information that is generally okay to tell others, even people you meet online, because it does not identify you specifically or put you in danger. Examples include favorite colors or hobbies. |
| Online Acquaintance | Someone you interact with online, perhaps through games or educational platforms, but do not know personally in real life. |
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionAll true information is safe to share online.
What to Teach Instead
Pupils often think honesty means sharing everything, but privacy protects them regardless. Active sorting tasks help by letting them categorise and debate examples, revealing that some truths, like addresses, invite danger. Peer discussions clarify boundaries through shared reasoning.
Common MisconceptionOnline friends need the same information as real friends.
What to Teach Instead
Children blur lines between online and offline friendships. Role-plays simulate chats, allowing pupils to practise refusing requests and see consequences, which builds discernment. Group debriefs reinforce that online anonymity changes trust levels.
Common MisconceptionStrangers online cannot find me in real life.
What to Teach Instead
Pupils underestimate connections between digital and physical worlds. Mapping activities link shared details to real risks, like locating a school. Collaborative rule creation helps internalise caution through collective insight.
Active Learning Ideas
See all activitiesSorting Activity: Safe or Private Cards
Prepare cards with examples like 'my full name,' 'favourite game,' 'home address,' and 'pet's name.' In small groups, pupils sort cards into 'safe to share' and 'keep private' piles, then discuss and justify choices with the group. Conclude with a class share-out of one rule per group.
Role-Play: Online Chat Scenarios
Provide scripted scenarios on cards, such as a new online friend asking for your address. Pairs act out responses, practising saying 'That's private' or changing the subject. Debrief as a class on effective strategies.
Rule-Making Circle: My Online Rules
In a whole class circle, pupils suggest one rule each for sharing information online, such as 'Never tell my address.' Teacher charts them, and pupils vote on top three to display as a class poster.
Digital Detective: Spot the Risk
Show printed screenshots of safe and risky chats. Individually, pupils circle private information requests and write a safe reply. Pairs then compare and refine responses.
Real-World Connections
- Children's librarians at public libraries often teach online safety workshops, explaining to families how to protect personal details when using library computers or online resources.
- Parents might use parental control software, like Net Nanny or Qustodio, which helps filter content and monitor online activity to keep children safe, including managing what information can be shared.
Assessment Ideas
Provide students with a worksheet showing pictures or short descriptions of different types of information (e.g., a picture of a house with an address, a drawing of a favorite toy, a child's full name, a favorite animal). Ask them to circle the information that is safe to share and put an X on the information that is private.
Pose the scenario: 'Imagine you are playing an online game and someone asks for your school's name. What would you say, and why?' Facilitate a class discussion, prompting students to explain their reasoning using terms like 'private' and 'safe to share'.
Hold up cards with different pieces of information (e.g., 'My favorite color is blue', 'My address is 12 Oak Street', 'My dog's name is Sparky'). Ask students to give a thumbs up if it's safe to share and a thumbs down if it's private. Ask a few students to explain their choice.