Computing · Year 3

Active learning ideas

Cyberbullying and Reporting Concerns

Active learning works for this topic because cyberbullying often feels abstract to children until they confront its emotional weight or practice responses. Role-plays, discussions, and poster creation turn invisible online harm into concrete, manageable situations that students can analyze and rehearse, building both empathy and skills.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: Computing - Online Safety and Responsibility
• KS2: Computing - Digital Literacy

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 35 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Cyberbullying Scenarios

Prepare 4-5 printed scenarios of online interactions. In small groups, students act out the bullying, victim response, and reporting steps. Debrief as a class: what worked, what to change. Rotate roles for everyone to practice.

Analyze the impact of unkind words or actions online.

Facilitation Tip

During Role-Play: Cyberbullying Scenarios, assign roles clearly so quiet students feel safe to participate and observers notice emotional cues they might otherwise miss.

What to look for

Give students a card with a scenario, e.g., 'Someone posted an unkind comment about you on a game.' Ask them to write down two actions they could take and name one trusted adult they would tell.

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

Activity 02

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 25 min · Pairs

Reporting Flowchart Activity

Provide blank flowcharts. Pairs draw steps for reporting cyberbullying: identify issue, tell adult, block sender, save evidence. Share and compare with class model. Display finished charts in classroom.

Evaluate different strategies for responding to cyberbullying.

Facilitation Tip

When creating the Reporting Flowchart Activity, provide sentence stems like 'First, I would...' to scaffold sequential thinking for students who need structure.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Why is it important to tell a trusted adult if you see or experience cyberbullying?' Encourage students to share their thoughts on the impact and the benefits of seeking help.

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

Activity 03

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 30 min · Whole Class

Class Discussion: Impact Circle

Sit in a circle. Share examples of kind vs unkind online words using prompt cards. Students pass a talking stick to discuss feelings and strategies. Teacher notes key points on board.

Explain the process for reporting online concerns to a trusted adult.

Facilitation Tip

In the Impact Circle discussion, use a talking object passed around the circle so students know when to listen and when to speak, reducing interruptions and encouraging reflection.

What to look for

Ask students to hold up fingers to indicate their agreement with statements like: 'Blocking someone is always the best first step' (expecting disagreement or nuance) or 'Telling a teacher is a good way to get help' (expecting agreement).

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

Activity 04

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 40 min · Individual

Poster Creation: Be Kind Online

Individuals design posters showing cyberbullying signs and reporting tips. Use drawings and simple text. Gallery walk: peers vote on clearest messages and explain choices.

Analyze the impact of unkind words or actions online.

Facilitation Tip

For the Poster Creation: Be Kind Online, supply pre-printed emotion faces or scenario cards so students with fine motor challenges can contribute meaningfully without feeling overwhelmed.

What to look for

Give students a card with a scenario, e.g., 'Someone posted an unkind comment about you on a game.' Ask them to write down two actions they could take and name one trusted adult they would tell.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should approach this topic with a balance of realism and safety, avoiding graphic details while validating feelings. Research shows that students learn best when they practice responses in low-stakes environments first, so scaffold from discussion to role-play to reporting creation. Avoid framing this as a one-time lesson; weave reminders about trusted adults into daily routines to normalize help-seeking behaviors.

Successful learning looks like students confidently identifying cyberbullying behaviors, explaining why ignoring alone may not help, and articulating clear steps to report concerns to trusted adults. They should demonstrate empathy during discussions and design clear, age-appropriate reporting methods in their flowchart and poster.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Class Discussion: Impact Circle, watch for students who normalize bullying by saying, 'Everyone gets teased sometimes.' Redirect by asking the group to identify patterns in the scenarios we role-played: 'Is teasing a one-time joke or repeated unkindness?' Use their examples to clarify the difference.

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Methods used in this brief

• Outdoor Investigation Session