Computing · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Online Privacy and Data Collection

Active learning makes online privacy concrete for Year 6 students because abstract data points become visible when they simulate how companies collect and combine information. When learners step into the roles of data collectors and data subjects, they directly experience the hidden mechanics behind apps and websites they already use. This embodied understanding helps students grasp why their digital choices matter and how small actions create large trails.

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

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

Activity 01

• Town Hall Meeting
• 30 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Data Collectors Challenge

Assign roles as 'companies' and 'users' in small groups. Companies ask for data like email or hobbies; users respond or refuse with reasons, then switch. Debrief on patterns in shared data and potential uses.

Critique the idea that 'free' online services come without a cost.

Facilitation Tip

During the Role-Play: Data Collectors Challenge, assign clear roles (e.g., app developer, marketer, user) and provide simple props like printed data cards so learners can physically trade information.

What to look for

Give students a card with a scenario, e.g., 'A new game asks for your exact location and access to your contacts.' Ask them to write: 1. What type of data is being requested? 2. Is this data safe to share? Why or why not? 3. What action should the user take?

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

Activity 02

• Town Hall Meeting
• 25 min · Pairs

Privacy Audit: App Settings Check

Provide printed screenshots of common apps. In pairs, students locate and adjust privacy options, noting changes. Pairs present one key finding to the class.

Differentiate between personal data that is safe to share and data that is not.

Facilitation Tip

In the Privacy Audit: App Settings Check, give each student a sample app with pre-filled permissions so they can see the gap between what the app requests and what is truly necessary.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If a website offers a service for free, what is the real cost to the user?' Facilitate a class discussion, guiding students to identify personal data as the 'payment' and discuss its value and risks.

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

Activity 03

• Town Hall Meeting
• 40 min · Small Groups

Strategy Workshop: Design Privacy Plans

Small groups list five personal data protection strategies, such as two-factor authentication. Create posters with steps and examples. Share via gallery walk.

Design strategies individuals can use to regain control of their personal data online.

Facilitation Tip

During the Strategy Workshop: Design Privacy Plans, supply template privacy checklists with age-appropriate language and examples to guide independent planning.

What to look for

Present students with a list of data points (e.g., favorite color, home address, school name, date of birth, IP address). Ask them to sort these into two categories: 'Generally Safe to Share' and 'Risky to Share,' explaining their reasoning for at least two items in each category.

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

Activity 04

• Formal Debate
• 35 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: Free Services Debate

Whole class splits into teams to argue for or against using 'free' apps despite data collection. Use evidence from prior activities. Vote and reflect on key points.

Critique the idea that 'free' online services come without a cost.

Facilitation Tip

In the Debate: Free Services Debate, provide a structured format with sentence stems so all students can participate, regardless of confidence.

What to look for

Give students a card with a scenario, e.g., 'A new game asks for your exact location and access to your contacts.' Ask them to write: 1. What type of data is being requested? 2. Is this data safe to share? Why or why not? 3. What action should the user take?

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach online privacy by turning abstract policies into personal experiences. They avoid long lectures about terms of service and instead let students feel the tension between convenience and control. Research shows that when learners simulate data collection and observe its results, they build stronger mental models than when they only listen. Teachers also emphasize concrete actions—like toggling settings or removing permissions—so students leave with skills they can use immediately.

By the end of the sequence, students will confidently identify the types of personal data collected, explain why free services trade data for access, and design practical privacy plans they can apply at home. They will articulate the difference between hiding history and preventing tracking, and justify their decisions with evidence from their privacy audits.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Role-Play: Data Collectors Challenge, watch for students who believe free services do not collect or share any personal data.

  Use the role-play to show how small data points (likes, searches, location pings) accumulate into detailed profiles. After the activity, ask groups to tally the total data shared in one session and discuss what a company could infer from that profile.

• During Privacy Audit: App Settings Check, watch for students who think incognito or private browsing fully protects their identity.

  Have students test a fake profile in incognito mode and use browser tools to inspect persistent cookies and trackers. After the test, run a whole-class review of the findings to correct the misconception.

• During Strategy Workshop: Design Privacy Plans, watch for students who believe data shared only with friends stays private.

  Use the workshop to model how friend devices or apps can leak data further. Provide a flowchart template where students map potential leaks and revise their plans to include safer sharing boundaries.

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Methods used in this brief

• Town Hall Meeting
• Formal Debate