HTML Heroes 3rd & 4th Class Programme Additional Lessons
About
Webwise have created two new additional lessons to the 3rd & 4th Class edition of the HTML Heroes Online Safety Education Programme; Lesson 9. Chatting Online and Lesson 10. Playing Online. These additional lessons are designed to complement the original lessons of the programme where the online safety themes and topics covered could be used as a follow on from the original lessons.
The centrepiece for each of the additional lessons is a short story featuring the HTML Heroes, Ruby and Archie, as they navigate the online environment and various internet safety themes and topics that arise as they do. These stories contain much of the exposition and key learning points of the lesson. Corresponding lessons from the original programme will be outlined in the Teacher Notes section of each new lesson.
Lessons
This lesson aims to promote being kind and respectful when communicating online, especially with friends and classmates. It will also examine what friendship online looks like and explore different forms of online communication including messaging, video and pictures.
This lesson will explore gaming online and introduce pupils to the topic of privacy and security. Pupils will develop strategies for profile privacy, information sharing and how to stay safe while playing online. Pupils will also gain an understanding of the importance of asking permission before purchasing or accessing games online.
HTML Heroes Additional Lessons
Lesson 9 Chatting Online
Supporting Materials
Lesson 10 Playing Online
This lesson will explore gaming online and introduce pupils to the topic of privacy and security. Pupils will develop strategies for profile privacy, information sharing and how to stay safe while playing online. Pupils will also gain an understanding of the importance of asking permission before purchasing or accessing games online.
– Understand the importance of keeping personal information private online.
– Identify situations where their safety may be put at risk while playing games online e.g. contact from strangers, playing inappropriate games, in-app purchases.
– Discuss how to stay safe while playing online games including the importance of telling a trusted adult, even when you feel you may have done something wrong.
SPHE 3rd & 4th Class Curriculum
Strand: Myself
Strand Unit: Safety and protection
– begin to realise that as independence increases, responsibility for personal safety increases, and that a strategy for keeping safe with people has to be developed and adhered to by each individual
– adopt responsible behaviour at play and know the appropriate safety measures to take while playing
Strand Unit: Media Education
– discuss and explore television, radio, videos, computer games, the internet (world wide web and email) and other media
3rd & 4th Class Stay Safe Programme
The Stay Safe Programme is a personal safety skills programme for primary schools. Stay Safe is a mandatory resource and must be used within the context of the SPHE curriculum to cover relevant content objectives. This HTML Heroes Programme can be used as an additional support when teaching the prescribed Stay Safe Programme content.
– Topic 1. Feeling Safe and Unsafe
– Computer connected to projector/whiteboard
– Soft ball
– Activity Sheet 1: Ruby & Archie’s Top Tips for Playing Online Games
– Plenary Activity Sheet: Emoji Exit Ticket
– HTML Heroes Short Story: ‘Archie plays Robo Warrior’
Privacy is a difficult concept to understand. Even amongst adults there is rarely agreement on an exact definition. The activities in this lesson aim to get the pupils to discuss the importance of keeping personal information private online. After completing this lesson they should have an awareness of the nature of privacy and be able to apply this knowledge to their own lives.
In-app purchases – also known as pay to play: Many online games are free to download. However, these games can offer additional functions, once the game is live, which users can purchase. Users typically make an in-app purchase in order to access special content or features in an app such as restricted levels, virtual money, special characters, boosts, etc. They are typically a hidden cost found in “free” apps. It can be very easy for players to inadvertently run up bills on these games. To avoid this, parents/guardians should ensure that they have a password set on their phone/device for in-app purchases or that they switch off this option on the phone/device; this can normally be done within the app/mobile settings.
Online gaming – playing video games on the internet. This includes web games or apps that can be downloaded on smartphones or consoles like PlayStation or Xbox.
Personal Information – this means information that could be used to identify you, for example your name, address, telephone number, your age, what you look like, your interests. Our personal information is what makes us unique. As this information is so special we should be careful about who we share it with when we meet people online and offline. Pupils should be advised to never share it without asking a parent or guardian first.
Rating – a way of ranking/putting things in order on a scale, in this case, referring to apps and games. Most online services, apps, music, films and games require an age rating to be clearly stated on the cover. This is a useful way to identify what audience and age group the product or service is safe and appropriate for. The PEGI rating is primarily used in Europe for game apps. The PEGI rating considers the age suitability of a game, not the level of difficulty. More information about these ratings can be found here: https://pegi.info/what-do-the-labels-mean
Report – this is a report button or feature that allows you to report directly to the game moderator if you see rules being broken or bad content. When reporting abuse, be sure to report the specific chat, private message, game or other content that violates the rules.
Step 1. Introduce today’s lesson on online gaming and explain to pupils that we are going to look at the benefits of playing online games and how we can have fun and stay safe while playing games online. Invite pupils to stand or sit in a circle. Explain to pupils that you are going to throw or roll the ball to a pupil and then ask a question. The pupil with the ball must then give one answer to the question and then pass the ball to another pupil. The recipient must catch the ball and respond to the same question. If a pupil is uncomfortable answering, he or she may pass the ball, knowing that it will eventually come back. The question for this round will be; name a game you like to play and one thing you like about playing that game? Explain that you may intercept the soft ball at any time to ask a new question and start a new round.
Step 2. Start a final round with the question; name one benefit or good thing about playing games. After the game has concluded and pupils are sitting at their seats, emphasise that playing games can be fun and entertaining; they let you use your imagination to create worlds and characters and tell stories; they encourage you to think creatively and to solve problems; they give you a chance to play with other people and learn to work together as a team. In this lesson we are going to look at this and how we can stay safe and choose the right games for us to enjoy playing games online.
Step 1. Display the HTML Heroes short story: ‘Archie plays Robo Warriors’ on the whiteboard while you read through the story.
Step 2. Once you have finished reading the story, go through the discussion questions to help pupils reflect on the internet safety scenario and safety messages discussed in the story.
Archie plays Robo Warriors – Discussion Questions:
Why did Archie not have permission to play Magician of Doom?
How did Archie feel when the stranger was asking him so many personal questions?
(a) Why do you think Archie had a funny sensation in his tummy?
(b) Do you ever feel worried or anxious? What happens to you? What kind of things can you do if you are feeling worried or anxious?
4. How did Archie’s mum react when he explained what had happened?
5. What big lesson did Archie learn in the story?
Step 1. Explain to pupils that we will now conduct a hot seat interview of Archie’s character in the story Archie plays Robo Warriors to further explore the situation he found himself in, consider how he was feeling and look at the positive and potentially risky and unsafe situation he found himself online. Arrange pupils in a circle and place a single hot seat in the middle of the circle. Pick one pupil to assume the character of Archie to sit in the hot seat. *To avoid putting vulnerable pupils in the decision-making position, consider you as the teacher taking the role of Archie in the hot seat.
Step 2. The rest of the class will think up challenging questions for the character Archie in the hot seat. Ask pupils to consider both the positive and potential risky and unsafe consequences in writing their questions, using prompt questions such as:
– What made Archie start to feel that something wasn’t right while chatting to ‘Jack’?
– Did talking to his mum help Archie?
– Should Archie ever play Robo Warriors again?
– What has Archie learned from this about playing online?
Alternatively, the above questions could be pre-printed and ready out by pupils. The pupil or teacher playing Archie is put in the hot seat and questioned by the other pupils. This can help pupils to feel empathy for Archie in his scenario.
Step 3. A debrief afterwards could involve asking pupils what they learned, what they found interesting and if they would challenge anything which the person in the hot seat said. Remind pupils that:
– Personal information means information that could be used to identify you, for example; your name, address, telephone number, your age, what you look like, your interests.
– Our personal information is what makes us unique.
– As this information is so special we should be careful about who we share it with when we meet people online and offline.
– Pupils should be advised to never share it without asking a parent or guardian first.
Step 1. Distribute Activity Sheet 1 for pupils to complete. Read through first with pupils and then allow 5 minutes for them to complete. Suggest for pupils who may not be able to write the words to draw a line to the correct matching word.
Step 2. Once pupils have matched the correct missing words on the Activity Sheet go through the answers and top tips with pupils to check their understanding of new vocabulary introduced in this lesson.
Use the Plenary Activity Sheet (Emoji Exit Ticket) provided and ask pupils to write down one thing they learned about playing online today. Invite pupils to share their responses and recap with the following points:
– Playing games online is fun and can build important skills like team building and problem solving.
– There are a lot of options of games to play and people you could meet so it’s important to stay safe while playing games online.
– Here are some tips to help:
– Always check the age rating of the game before you play.
– Keep your profile private and don’t use real photos or your full name.
– Don’t give out personal information to people you only know online.
– Your password holds the key to your personal information online – Keep it private and only share it with your parents/guardian.
– If you see any bad stuff or rules being broken, report it.
– Never buy a game or pay for anything in the game without getting permission from your parents/guardians first.
– Talk to your pupils about the importance of asking permission before downloading a game. Encourage them to always tell a parent/guardian or trusted adult if something has happened online, even when they feel they may have done something wrong.
– Be aware that ‘free’ online games can offer additional functions, once the game is live, which users can purchase. Users typically make an in-app purchase in order to access special content or features in an app such as restricted levels, virtual money, special characters, boosts, etc. These hidden costs can lead to players inadvertently running up high bills on these games.
Supporting Materials
HTML Heroes
The HTML Heroes Programme has been designed for teachers of 1st and 2nd class to introduce pupils to the first steps of accessing and using the internet in a safe and responsible manner. The resource contains five lessons that can be explored separately or delivered as a whole unit.
The lessons explore using the internet safely, communicating online, playing and learning online, getting help and support. Each lesson is supported by a short illustrated story, lesson activities, and take-home information for parents/guardians. The programme concludes with an animated online safety code song. Get started using the materials below.
The HTML Heroes Programme is for primary school teachers who wish to introduce internet safety into SPHE for 3rd and 4th classes. Topics explored include respectful online communication, privacy, searching for information online, online well-being and screen time.
The programme is supported by interactive activities and 4 short animations featuring Ruby and Archie; the HTML Heroes who come to life when the classroom empties out.
