Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) · 5th Year

Active learning ideas

Online Safety

This topic equips pupils with essential life skills for navigating their digital world safely and with confidence. We will explore how to be smart about sharing information and how to be a kind and responsible digital citizen.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• SPHE Curriculum: Myself - Safety and protection

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 30 min · Small Groups

Profile Detectives

In small groups, pupils examine a series of mock social media profiles printed on worksheets. Their task is to identify and circle any personal information or posts that could pose a safety risk, such as a school uniform in a photo, a home address, or a public phone number.

Explain the importance of keeping passwords private.

Facilitation Tip

Use a mix of obvious and subtle risks in the mock profiles to challenge their critical thinking.

What to look for

Use a 'Think-Pair-Share' activity where pupils discuss a scenario about an online dilemma and decide on the safest course of action.

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

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 20 min · Pairs

Password Power-Up

Pupils learn the criteria for a strong password (length, mix of characters, not personal). They then work in pairs to create three strong, memorable, but fake passwords for different scenarios, explaining why each one is secure.

Analyse a social media profile to identify potential safety risks.

Facilitation Tip

Remind pupils never to write down or share their real passwords during this activity.

What to look for

Pupils create a poster or a short comic strip illustrating one key rule for staying safe online, such as protecting passwords or dealing with cyberbullies.

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

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 15 min · Individual

Trusted Adult Network

Pupils individually draw or write a 'spider diagram' with themselves in the middle. On the connecting lines, they name at least five 'trusted adults' in their life (e.g., parent, teacher, auntie, coach) whom they could talk to if something online made them feel worried or unsafe.

Compare safe online communication with unsafe online communication.

Facilitation Tip

Emphasise that a trusted adult is someone who will listen and help them without judgement.

What to look for

Provide pupils with a simple checklist to review their own (or a mock) online profile, ticking boxes for safety features like 'My full name is not visible' or 'I have not shared my school name'.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Begin by establishing a safe and open classroom atmosphere where pupils feel comfortable sharing their online experiences without fear of judgement. Use relatable, age-appropriate scenarios and interactive activities to make abstract concepts like 'digital footprint' concrete. Consistently reinforce the core message: the most important safety rule is to always tell a trusted adult if anything online makes them feel uncomfortable, sad, or scared.

By the end of these activities, pupils will be able to identify common online risks and apply practical strategies to protect themselves and others. They will know the importance of seeking help from a trusted adult when they feel unsafe or worried online.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• If my social media account is set to 'private', no one else can ever see my posts.

  Even on private accounts, friends can screenshot your posts and share them with others. Information can spread in ways you don't expect, so it's best to only post things you would be comfortable with anyone seeing.

• It's not really bullying if you're just joking or being sarcastic online.

  Cyberbullying is about the impact on the other person, not just the intention. If a comment or post is hurtful or makes someone feel bad, it can be considered bullying, even if you thought it was a joke.

• Sharing my password with my best friend is okay because I trust them.

  Passwords are like the keys to your house, they should never be shared with anyone. Even if you trust your friend, they might lose it, or you might have a falling out, putting your private information at risk.

• Strangers online who are friendly are safe to talk to.

  It's very easy for people to pretend to be someone they are not online. You should never talk to or accept friend requests from people you don't know in real life, no matter how friendly they seem.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis