The cyber-safety lesson — ready for class
For every topic: a 45-minute plan with timed phases, discussion questions, a group activity, homework and a printable worksheet with an answer key. Adaptable for ages 6–10 and 11–16.
🔐 Strong passwords 45 min
🎯 Goal: Pupils understand what makes a password strong, create a long passphrase that's easy to remember, and know why passwords shouldn't be shared or reused.
🧰 Materials: Projector and computer with internet access · Board or flipchart · Small slips of paper with random words (12 per group) · Dice (optional) · Printed worksheet
| Time | Phase |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: the house key Ask the class: “Who would you give your house key to?” Link the answer to the password as the key to your digital home. Write some typical passwords on the board (123456, qwerty, name + year of birth) and ask why they're weak. |
| 10 min | Explanation: length wins Explain the three rules: long (at least 12–15 characters), different for every account, and secret. Open the “Password checker” (/fjalekalimi.html) on the projector and test a few made-up passwords together — never real ones — to see how the cracking time grows with every word you add. Introduce the passphrase made of 3–4 random words and, for the older pupils in the class, the password manager. |
| 15 min | Group work: The passphrase factory Groups create practice passphrases and a story to help remember them (see the activity below). The teacher moves around the room and reminds pupils that practice passphrases must not be used for real accounts. |
| 10 min | Game: memory revision In pairs, pupils play the “Memory game” (/kujtesa.html) to revise security terms; or the class answers a few questions from the “Quiz” (/kuizi.html) together on the projector, voting by show of hands. |
| 5 min | Plenary and adapting for age Everyone writes a small promise (e.g. “I'll change my game password to a passphrase, together with a parent”). For ages 6–10: focus on the rule “only I and my parent know my password” and on passphrases made of simple words. For ages 11–16: add password managers, data breaches and why a reused password puts every account at risk. |
👥 The passphrase factory
Split the class into groups of 4 pupils. Each group gets 12 slips of paper with random words (or rolls dice and picks words from a numbered list on the board).
- The group creates two passphrases of 3–4 unrelated words and adds a number or symbol.
- They invent a funny story to help remember them (e.g. “The penguin ate the bicycle on the Moon”).
- The teacher tests the passphrases on the classroom computer, and the groups compare the results with the short passwords from the starter.
- Each group reads out only the story to the class, not the passphrase, and the class votes for the most memorable story.
Note: these are practice passphrases; pupils should not use them for their real accounts. Adapting: with ages 6–10, use pictures (animals, colours, food) instead of words and do the activity together as a class; with ages 11–16, add the challenge “how many characters does your passphrase have, and how long would it take to crack?”.
💬 Discussion questions
- Why isn't the password “Prishtina2012” secure, even though it has letters and numbers?
- What happens if you use the same password for a game, your email and Instagram, and one of those sites gets hacked?
- Is it OK to tell your best friend your password? What about a parent?
- How can you remember lots of different passwords without writing them in a notebook in your desk?
- How can you tell that your password might have been leaked, and what do you do then?
🏠 Homework: Together with a parent, choose a family account (email or a game) and replace a short password with a long passphrase. Don't write the password in your exercise book — just write “Done!” and the name of the account.
🛡️ Two-step verification (2FA) 45 min
🎯 Goal: Pupils understand how two-step verification (2FA) works, know its different types and know why a verification code must never be given to anyone.
🧰 Materials: Projector and computer with internet access · Scenario cards for the role-play (6 cards) · Board · Printed worksheet
| Time | Phase |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: the door with two locks Draw a door with two locks on the board: one opens with a key (the password), the other with a code that arrives on your phone or with your fingerprint. Ask: “If a burglar finds the key, can they get in?” That's the idea behind 2FA. |
| 10 min | Explanation: something you know, something you have, something you are Explain the three types of factor: something you know (password, PIN), something you have (phone, authenticator app, security key) and something you are (fingerprint, face). Show on the projector where 2FA is turned on in a typical account, and compare SMS codes, authenticator apps and passkeys. Stress how important backup codes are. |
| 15 min | Role-play: “Send me the code” In pairs, pupils practise refusing requests for a verification code using scenario cards (see the activity below). A few pairs act out the scene in front of the class. |
| 10 min | Think – pair – share Everyone thinks for 1 minute: “Which of my accounts most need protecting?” Then they discuss it with the person sitting next to them, and the pairs share with the class. Build a shared list on the board — email comes first, because it's used to recover all the other accounts. If there's time left, play the 2FA puzzle in the “Cyber escape room” (/escape.html) on the projector. |
| 5 min | Plenary and adapting for age Rule of the day: “I never give away a code I receive.” For ages 6–10: the idea of “two keys” and the code rule are enough; parents turn on 2FA for them. For ages 11–16: ask them to find out for themselves where 2FA is turned on in the apps they use, and to talk to their parents about keeping backup codes safe. |
👥 Role-play: “Send me the code”
Prepare 6 scenario cards, e.g.: “Your friend messages you on Instagram: send me the code you got, I sent it to you by mistake”, “Someone says you've won a prize and they need the code to send it to you”, “You get an SMS with a WhatsApp code, but you're not signing in anywhere”.
- In pairs, one pupil plays the “scammer” trying to persuade the other; the other practises saying no and what to do next.
- After 2 minutes they swap roles and take a new card.
- 2–3 pairs act out the scene in front of the class; the class spots the warning signs and the best response.
The right answer every time: don't give away the code, check by calling the real person, and tell an adult. Adapting: for ages 6–10, the teacher plays the “scammer” and the whole class answers together: “NO, I'm not giving you the code!”; for ages 11–16, add more convincing scenarios, e.g. a message from a friend's real but stolen account.
💬 Discussion questions
- Why is a strong password sometimes not enough?
- Why do scammers ask for the 6-digit code you get by SMS?
- What does it mean if you get a verification code you didn't ask for? What do you do?
- Which account is the most important one to protect with 2FA, and why?
- What happens if you lose your phone? How do backup codes help?
🏠 Homework: With a parent's help, turn on 2FA on a family account (especially email) and keep the backup codes somewhere safe. In your exercise book, write only the name of the account and the type of 2FA you chose.
🎣 Phishing and scams 45 min
🎯 Goal: Pupils learn to recognise scam messages, emails and websites (phishing) from their warning signs, and know what to do when they're suspicious.
🧰 Materials: Projector and computer with internet access · Printed examples of scam and genuine messages (3 per group) · Red markers · “SCAM” / “GENUINE” cards for each group · Printed worksheet
| Time | Phase |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: the fisherman and the bait Ask: “How does a fisherman catch a fish?” (with bait). Explain that “phishing” comes from the English word “fishing”: the scammer throws out some bait — a gift, a scare or a rush — and waits for someone to bite. |
| 10 min | Warning signs Look at 2–3 examples from the “Common scams” page (/mashtrimet.html) together on the projector. Build a list of signs on the board: urgency, a strange sender, a link that doesn't match the name, a request for a password, code or money, an offer that's too good to be true. Stress that, thanks to AI, fake messages often no longer contain spelling mistakes. |
| 15 min | Group work: Message detectives Groups analyse printed messages, find the warning signs and decide what they would do (see the activity below). |
| 10 min | Game: Spot the scam The class plays “Spot the scam” (/phishing.html) together on the projector: each group holds up its “SCAM” or “GENUINE” card before the answer is revealed. With older pupils, carry on with “URL detective” (/url.html) to practise reading website addresses. |
| 5 min | Plenary and adapting for age The rule: “Stop – Think – Check – Ask.” For ages 6–10: only use examples about gifts and games, and the rule “when you're not sure, ask an adult”. For ages 11–16: add reading web addresses (the real domain), QR code scams and messages written with AI. |
👥 Message detectives
Split the class into groups of 3–4 “detectives”. Each group gets 3 printed messages: two scams and one genuine message (e.g. an ordinary notice from the school).
- Using a red marker, the group circles every warning sign it finds.
- For each message, it decides: scam or genuine — and writes down one reason.
- It writes what it would do: delete it, report it, check it on the official website, ask an adult.
- Each group presents one message for 1 minute.
Adapting: with ages 6–10, use short messages with pictures (e.g. “You've won 1000 diamonds!”) and ask for just one sign per message; with ages 11–16, add links that look like the original (with one letter changed) for the pupils to compare.
💬 Discussion questions
- Why do scammers try to rush you or scare you?
- How can you check whether a message from the “bank” or the “post office” is genuine without clicking the link?
- Can a message from a friend's account be a scam too? How does that happen?
- Why does artificial intelligence make scam messages harder to spot?
- What should you do if you've already clicked a suspicious link?
🏠 Homework: With your family, find a suspicious message you've received (SMS, email or social media). Without clicking anything, write down three warning signs it has. Don't bring any personal details to class — just the description.
🕵️ Privacy and your digital footprint 45 min
🎯 Goal: Pupils tell apart information that can be shared from information that must be protected, understand their digital footprint and learn to check privacy settings, permissions and location.
🧰 Materials: Projector and computer with internet access · Cards with personal information (name, age, address, password, favourite colour, school, photo, phone number) · 4–5 printed made-up “posts” for each group · Stickers in three colours (green, orange, red) · Printed worksheet
| Time | Phase |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: what does the internet know about me? Ask: “If someone could only see your posts, what would they find out about you?” Explain the digital footprint as footprints in the snow that stay behind us — except that on the internet they don't melt. |
| 10 min | The information traffic light Hand out the information cards. The class sorts them into three columns on the board: green — I can share it freely; orange — only with people I know; red — never online. Discuss the unclear cases, e.g. a photo with the school's name in the background, or your birthday. |
| 15 min | Group work: Photo detective Groups analyse the posts of a made-up pupil and discover how much a stranger could find out (see the activity below). |
| 10 min | Game: Risk hunt On the projector, the class plays “Risk hunt” (/gjuetia.html) and looks for privacy-related risks in Leon's room — the uncovered camera, the password on a piece of paper, the written-down personal details. For every risk found, a pupil says how they would fix it. |
| 5 min | Plenary and adapting for age Everyone writes down one thing they'll change in their own settings. For ages 6–10: focus on the rule “I only share my full name, address, school and photos with my parents' permission”. For ages 11–16: app permissions, real-time location, hidden data in photos and how “free” apps make money from our data. |
👥 Photo detective
Show on the projector, or hand out, 4–5 made-up “posts” by an invented pupil (e.g. “Lea, 12”): a photo in front of the school with her name on the wall, a photo of the dog with the car's number plate in the background, a post saying “Off on holiday for two weeks tomorrow!” and a photo with location switched on.
- In groups, pupils list every piece of information a stranger could work out: the school, the neighbourhood, when the house is empty, etc.
- For each post, the group decides: delete it, change it (e.g. crop the photo) or share it only with close friends.
- Groups compare their solutions, and the class agrees on 3 shared rules for posting photos.
Adapting: with ages 6–10, use a large drawing of a street or a room and look for “things that show where you live”; with ages 11–16, add a discussion about location data in the camera, friend maps in apps and “live” posts.
💬 Discussion questions
- What could a stranger find out from a simple photo taken in front of the school?
- Why do “free” apps want so much data about us?
- Do you have the right to post a photo of a friend without asking them? And do they have the right to post one of you?
- When does it make sense to share your location, and with whom?
- How can you “clean up” your digital footprint?
🏠 Homework: With a parent, check which apps on the family phone have permission to use the location, camera and microphone. Turn off at least one permission that isn't needed and write down which one in your exercise book.
🤝 Cyberbullying 45 min
🎯 Goal: Pupils recognise online bullying (cyberbullying), understand its impact, know how to help a friend as a bystander and know where to get help.
🧰 Materials: Projector · Scenario cards (4) · Sticky notes · A large poster for the “Class agreement” · Printed worksheet
| Time | Phase |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: joke or bullying? Read out two made-up messages and ask: “Is this a joke or bullying?” Explain the difference: a joke is when everyone laughs; bullying is when someone gets hurt, especially when it's repeated and when one side is stronger. Remind pupils not to share personal cases in front of the class — they can talk to you privately after the lesson. |
| 10 min | Forms, consequences and the 4 steps List the forms together: insults, being left out of a group, rumours, photos shared without permission, fake profiles, threats. Explain why it's worse online: it happens 24 hours a day, spreads fast and is often anonymous. Introduce the 4 steps: don't reply – save the evidence – block and report – tell an adult. |
| 15 min | Role-play: The bystander who helps In groups, pupils act out a bullying scene twice — once with bystanders who stay silent, and once with bystanders who help (see the activity below). |
| 5 min | The class agreement Each pupil writes one rule for behaviour online on a sticky note (e.g. “I don't share other people's photos without permission”). Stick them on the poster and everyone signs it; the poster stays in the classroom. |
| 5 min | Quick quiz On the projector, choose 4–5 questions from the “Quiz” (/kuizi.html) and the class votes by show of hands. After each question, read out the explanation. |
| 5 min | Plenary and adapting for age Go over who they can turn to: a parent, a teacher, the school counsellor; and if there are threats, Kosovo Police on 192. For ages 6–10: focus on kindness and the rule “tell an adult”. For ages 11–16: also talk about the legal consequences, anonymous profiles and behaviour in class group chats. |
👥 Role-play: The bystander who helps
Prepare 4 short scenarios, e.g.: “In the class group chat, someone posts a funny photo of a classmate and everyone is laughing with emojis”, “A girl is left out of the gaming group every day”, “Someone has set up a fake profile using a pupil's name”.
- In groups of 4, pupils share out the roles: the person being bullied, the person doing the bullying and two bystanders.
- The scene is acted out twice: the first time the bystanders stay silent; the second time they help — they don't share it, they message the classmate privately, they report it and they tell an adult.
- After each version, the “person being bullied” says how they felt.
Note: don't use the names of pupils in the class, and don't ask for personal cases in front of everyone. Adapting: with ages 6–10, use puppets or pictures instead of role-play, and only one scenario, about an online game; with ages 11–16, add the fake profile scenario and discuss how to report it on the platform.
💬 Discussion questions
- Where's the line between a joke and bullying?
- Why do some people say things online that they would never say to someone's face?
- What can a bystander do if they see bullying in the class group chat?
- Why is it important to save evidence before you block someone?
- Who could you tell if you're afraid things will get worse?
🏠 Homework: Write a kind message to someone (a friend, a teacher or a family member) and send it to them or give it to them on paper. In your exercise book, write how they reacted and how you felt.
🎮 Safe online gaming 45 min
🎯 Goal: Pupils learn to play online safely: protecting their account, handling chats with strangers, recognising the tricks behind in-game purchases and keeping a healthy balance with their time.
🧰 Materials: Projector and computer with internet access · Cards with made-up in-game “offers” (6 per group) · Calculators · Printed worksheet
| Time | Phase |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: my favourite game Each pupil names their favourite game in one word and says why they like it. Stress that games are fun and can teach us a lot — today we'll learn how to play them safely. |
| 10 min | The four risks of gaming Explain with examples: (1) stolen accounts and “free Robux”; (2) strangers in chat who offer gifts or ask for secrets; (3) in-game purchases and surprise boxes; (4) time that slips away without you noticing. For each risk, the class comes up with a simple rule. |
| 15 min | Group work: The game shop Groups analyse made-up in-game offers, uncover the tricks and work out the real cost (see the activity below). |
| 10 min | Game: Escape room The class plays the “Cyber escape room” (/escape.html), in groups or together on the projector: for each puzzle, groups discuss for 1 minute before giving their answer. The first group to find the solution explains its strategy. |
| 5 min | Plenary and adapting for age Everyone writes down “my gaming rule”. For ages 6–10: focus on “only play with friends you know in real life” and “no purchases without your parents”. For ages 11–16: talk about surprise boxes as something similar to gambling, Discord chats and toxic behaviour in games. |
👥 The game shop
Each group gets 6 cards with made-up “offers” from a game: “Surprise box – 1 in 1000 chance of a legendary skin”, “Offer ends in 5 minutes!”, “Starter pack €0.99”, “Season pass”, “Free skin if you invite 5 friends”, “Free Robux – enter your password”.
- The group puts the cards in order from “most honest” to “most manipulative”.
- For each one, it writes which trick it uses: urgency, luck, peer pressure, a currency that hides the real price, or an outright scam.
- It works out: how many euros would a player spend in a month if they bought “just” one small €0.99 offer every day?
- The groups compare their rankings and explain the differences.
Adapting: with ages 6–10, use only 3 cards and focus on the rule “no purchases without your parents”; with ages 11–16, add a discussion of why some countries have restricted surprise boxes.
💬 Discussion questions
- How do “free” games make so much money?
- How can you tell whether a player who offers you gifts has good intentions?
- Is a surprise box (loot box) like gambling? Why or why not?
- What do you do if someone insults or bullies you during a game?
- How can you tell you've played too much? What helps you stop?
🏠 Homework: As a family, make a “gaming agreement”: when I play, for how long, who I can talk to and how purchases are made. Everyone signs it, and you put it up next to the computer or console.
🦠 Downloads and harmful software 45 min
🎯 Goal: Pupils understand what harmful programs are (viruses, ransomware, spyware, fake apps), how they spread and how devices are protected with updates, downloads from official sources and backups.
🧰 Materials: Projector and computer with internet access · A3 sheets and coloured pencils for the posters · A made-up “lock screen” prepared as a slide · Printed worksheet
| Time | Phase |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: the device that gets ill Compare malware to an illness: how it gets in (dodgy downloads, like germs), what the symptoms are (the device slows down, fills up with ads, the battery drains fast) and what “hygiene” looks like (updates, antivirus, care with downloads). |
| 10 min | The malware family Briefly introduce: the virus, the Trojan horse (an app that looks harmless), ransomware (locks your files and demands money), spyware (spies on you) and adware (fills the screen with ads). Show how they get in: game “cheats” and “mods”, apps from outside the official store, email attachments, unknown USB sticks. |
| 15 min | Group work: The “WANTED” poster Each group creates a poster for one type of malware, like a “wanted criminal” (see the activity below), and presents it for 1 minute. |
| 10 min | Scenario: the locked screen + Risk hunt Show a made-up screen: “Your files have been locked. Pay €300 to get them back.” Groups vote on what they would do. The answer: don't pay, disconnect the device from the internet, tell an adult and restore the files from the backup — anyone with a backup loses nothing. Then play a short round of “Risk hunt” (/gjuetia.html) and find the unknown USB stick, the postponed update and the switched-off antivirus. |
| 5 min | Plenary and adapting for age The three golden rules: update, only download from the official store, make backups. For ages 6–10: use the germs comparison and the rule “ask before you download”. For ages 11–16: talk about ransomware, real cases in hospitals and companies, and app permissions. |
👥 The “WANTED: Malware” poster
Split the class into 5 groups, and each group “tracks down” one type of harmful program: the virus, the Trojan horse, ransomware, spyware or adware.
- The group draws a “portrait” of the criminal as a cartoon character.
- It writes: how it gets onto the device, what damage it does, how to recognise it (the symptoms) and how we protect ourselves.
- Each group presents its poster for 1 minute as a TV “breaking news” report.
- The posters are put up in the classroom or in the school corridor.
Adapting: with ages 6–10, choose only two “criminals” (the virus and the fake app) and also draw the device's “shield”; with ages 11–16, ask them to find a real ransomware case in the news and sum it up in three sentences.
💬 Discussion questions
- Why are free game “cheats” and “mods” one of the most common ways to get malware?
- Why do updates matter, even when they seem boring?
- What would you lose if your phone or computer were wiped today?
- Should you pay when ransomware locks your files? Why?
- How can you tell whether an app is asking for permissions it doesn't need?
🏠 Homework: With a parent, check whether the family phone or computer has updates waiting and whether your photos are backed up. Write down the date of the last update and where the backups are kept.
📶 Wi-Fi and networks 45 min
🎯 Goal: Pupils understand the risks of public and fake Wi-Fi networks, learn to use the internet safely away from home and understand why the home network needs protecting.
🧰 Materials: Projector and computer with internet access · A postcard and an envelope (for a demonstration) · A printed list of made-up Wi-Fi network names · Printed worksheet
| Time | Phase |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: free Wi-Fi! Ask: “Where do you connect to free Wi-Fi?” (cafés, shopping centres, buses, airports). Explain that using an unprotected public Wi-Fi network is like talking loudly in a hall full of people. |
| 10 min | The postcard and the envelope Demonstrate: a message written on a postcard can be read by anyone who handles it on the way; a message in a sealed envelope can't. That's how encryption (HTTPS) works. Explain the padlock in the browser — which shows a protected connection, but not that the website is honest — fake “twin” networks with similar names, and why we don't do online banking on public Wi-Fi. |
| 15 min | Pair and group work: Find the fake network Pupils analyse a list of networks, find the suspicious ones and create a warning poster (see the activity below). |
| 10 min | The home network + game Discuss what keeps the home router protected: a long Wi-Fi password, an admin password (not the factory one), updates and a separate network for guests. Then, on the projector, play “URL detective” (/url.html) with older pupils, or find the Wi-Fi with no password in “Risk hunt” (/gjuetia.html) with younger ones. |
| 5 min | Plenary and adapting for age The rules: ask before you connect; no passwords or payments on public Wi-Fi; turn off automatic connection; use mobile data when you're doing something important. For ages 6–10: the rule “ask a parent before connecting to an unknown Wi-Fi network” is enough. For ages 11–16: explain HTTPS, VPNs (and why “free” VPNs can be a risk), Bluetooth and sharing files with strangers. |
👥 Find the fake network
Show on the projector, or hand out, a list of made-up networks as they would appear on a phone: Cafe_Dielli, Cafe_Dielli_FREE, Cafe-Dielli-Guest, FREE_WiFi_City, Arta's iPhone, School_Library.
- In pairs, pupils circle the networks that look suspicious and explain why (a similar name, the word “FREE”, no padlock, an unknown owner).
- They write how they would find out the real name of the network (ask the staff, look at the official sign on the wall).
- Pairs join up into groups of 4 and create a warning poster with 3 rules for public Wi-Fi to put up in the classroom.
Adapting: with ages 6–10, turn it into a card game with “safe / ask an adult”; with ages 11–16, add the scenario: “You're at the airport and need to pay for a ticket — what do you do?”
💬 Discussion questions
- Why can a Wi-Fi network without a password be dangerous?
- How can you tell a café's real network apart from a fake one with a similar name?
- What does the padlock in the address bar mean? Does it always mean the website is safe?
- Which things should you never do on public Wi-Fi?
- Why does the home router need a strong password and updates?
🏠 Homework: Together with your parents, check the home router: has the factory admin password been changed, and is the Wi-Fi password long? Don't write down any passwords — just write “We checked it” and what you changed.
🤖 Artificial intelligence and deepfakes 45 min
🎯 Goal: Pupils understand what generative artificial intelligence and deepfakes are, learn to check suspicious photos, videos and voices, and reflect on using AI responsibly and honestly.
🧰 Materials: Projector and computer with internet access · 4 photos (2 real, 2 created with AI) prepared by the teacher · “REAL” / “AI” cards for each pupil · Printed “cases” for the groups · Printed worksheet
| Time | Phase |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: real or AI? Show 4 photos (2 real, 2 created with AI) and pupils vote with their cards. Reveal the answers: usually lots of pupils get them wrong — and that's exactly the point of the lesson. |
| 10 min | How AI works and what a deepfake is Explain simply: AI learns from millions of examples and creates new text, photos, voices and videos. A deepfake is a fake video or voice recording of a real person. Show the good uses (help with learning, translation, creativity) and the bad ones (fake news, scams using cloned voices, fake photos to humiliate someone). |
| 15 min | Group work: The verification lab Groups check suspicious “cases” using a list of questions and decide whether they're trustworthy (see the activity below). |
| 10 min | Ethics: what's OK? Using think – pair – share, pupils judge situations: “Using AI to write your whole homework”, “Creating a funny AI photo of the teacher and posting it”, “Using AI to explain a maths exercise to you”, “Cloning a friend's voice as a joke”. Stress that creating humiliating or intimate fake images of someone is serious bullying and can be a crime. At the end, play 2–3 messages in “Spot the scam” (/phishing.html) and discuss: could AI have written this? |
| 5 min | Plenary and adapting for age The rule: “Source before looks” — check who published something before you believe it or share it. Suggest a family “secret word” for emergency calls. For ages 6–10: focus on the idea that “not everything we see on a screen is real”, using fun photos. For ages 11–16: political deepfakes, voice scams and honest use of AI in schoolwork. |
👥 The verification lab
Each group gets a printed “case”: a viral photo with a sensational headline, a post in which “a famous person” advertises an investment, a news story with no source, or a photo of an event that looks strange.
- The group fills in the checklist: Who published it? When? Are well-known sources reporting it too? Are there strange details (hands, blurry text, shadows, a voice that doesn't match the lips)? What feeling is it trying to stir up — fear, anger, surprise?
- It decides: trustworthy, suspicious or fake — and what it would do: not share it, report it, look for the source.
- Each group presents its case for 1 minute.
Stress that visual details are getting harder and harder to spot, so checking the source is the strongest tool. Adapting: with ages 6–10, use fun photos (e.g. a cat in an astronaut suit) and the question “Could this really have happened?”; with ages 11–16, add reverse image search.
💬 Discussion questions
- Why are photos and videos no longer reliable proof that something really happened?
- What would you do if someone phoned you with a family member's voice and urgently asked for money?
- When is it OK to use AI for schoolwork, and when isn't it?
- Why is it serious to create fake photos of a friend, even “as a joke”?
- How can you check whether a viral video is real?
🏠 Homework: Talk with your family about scams using AI-cloned voices and choose a family “secret word” together for emergencies. Don't write the word down — just write that you chose one and who knows it.
🛒 Shopping and money online 45 min
🎯 Goal: Pupils learn to tell trustworthy online shops from scam ones, understand the risks of payments and the tricks that push us to buy, and understand why children should only shop online with their parents.
🧰 Materials: Projector and computer with internet access · Printed screenshots of two made-up “shops” (one trustworthy, one a scam) · Calculators · Printed worksheet
| Time | Phase |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: the dream deal Show a made-up ad: “Original trainers €19.99 instead of €149!” Ask: “Who would buy them?” and “What could go wrong?” |
| 10 min | Signs of a fake shop Build the list together: a very low price, a new website, comments turned off, payment only in advance or by transfer to a personal account, no address or returns policy, time pressure. Show the fake shop example from the “Common scams” page (/mashtrimet.html). Explain why cash on delivery or paying by card is safer than a bank transfer. |
| 15 min | Group work: Shopping detectives Groups compare two shops against 6 criteria and decide which one they would buy from (see the activity below). |
| 10 min | The maths of small purchases + web addresses In pairs, pupils work out how much “small purchases” really cost: €0.99 in a game every day for a year, a €4.99 monthly subscription that gets forgotten, “free delivery” with a higher price. Discuss how notifications and time-limited offers push us to buy. Older pupils then play “URL detective” (/url.html) to spot fake shop addresses. |
| 5 min | Plenary and adapting for age The rule: “I only buy with my parents, and only on websites we've checked.” For ages 6–10: focus on purchases in games and apps, and on “always ask before you tap Buy”. For ages 11–16: add card payments, getting money back through the bank (chargeback), consumer rights and fake shops on Instagram and TikTok. |
👥 Shopping detectives
Each group gets screenshots of two made-up shops selling the same product (e.g. wireless headphones): “Shop A”, with a normal price, an address, a returns policy, varied reviews and cash on delivery; and “Shop B”, with 80% off, a three-week-old website, comments turned off and payment by bank transfer only.
- The group fills in a table with 6 criteria: price, age of the website, contact details and address, reviews, payment method, returns policy.
- It gives points for each criterion and decides which shop it would buy from.
- It writes 3 questions it would ask the shop before buying.
- The groups compare their conclusions, and the class creates a pre-purchase checklist.
Adapting: with ages 6–10, replace the shops with two “game shops” with pictures and look for just 3 differences; with ages 11–16, add working out the full cost including delivery and customs.
💬 Discussion questions
- Why should a very low price make us more careful, not more excited?
- How can you check whether a shop on Instagram or Facebook is genuine?
- Why is paying by transfer to a personal account risky?
- How do “today only” or “only 2 left” messages push us to buy without thinking?
- What should a family do if they've paid and the order doesn't arrive?
🏠 Homework: With a parent, look at the purchase or subscription history on a family phone or account. Are there any forgotten subscriptions? Write down how much the family would save in a year by cancelling them.
🌱 Digital wellbeing 45 min
🎯 Goal: Pupils reflect on how screens affect their sleep, mood and relationships, recognise design that keeps us hooked, and create a personal plan for digital balance.
🧰 Materials: Projector · A4 sheets with a day circle (24 segments) · Coloured pencils · A board with a “feelings thermometer” · Printed worksheet
| Time | Phase |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: the feelings thermometer Ask: “How do you feel after 10 minutes on social media or playing a game? And after 2 hours?” Pupils point to a “thermometer” drawn on the board (good – neutral – bad). There are no wrong answers. |
| 10 min | How screens keep us hooked Explain the design that keeps us hooked: infinite scroll, notifications, streaks and videos that start one after another. Talk about sleep: screens before bed delay it, while children aged 6–12 need about 9–12 hours of sleep and teenagers 8–10 hours. |
| 15 min | Individual and pair work: My day wheel Pupils draw how they spend their day and how they would like to spend it, then write 3 concrete steps (see the activity below). |
| 10 min | My boundaries Using think – pair – share, pupils think about how to respond to pressure: friends expecting an instant reply in the group chat, a streak that's about to be lost, a video they “have to” watch. They practise polite sentences such as “I'll message you tomorrow, I'm with my family now.” At the end, play 2–3 questions from the “Quiz” (/kuizi.html). |
| 5 min | Plenary and adapting for age Everyone chooses a “mini challenge” for the week (e.g. no phone at dinner, notifications off during homework). For ages 6–10: “screen time” versus “outdoor play time”, with drawings. For ages 11–16: comparing yourself with others on social media, filters and the fear of missing out (FOMO). Remind them that they can talk to the school counsellor if they've been feeling low for a long time. |
👥 My day wheel
Each pupil gets a circle divided into 24 segments (the hours of the day) and colours them in different colours: sleep, school, homework, screens, sport and outdoor play, family and friends.
- Compare in pairs: what surprised you? Where does most of your time go?
- Everyone draws a second circle: “my ideal day”, with the balance they'd like.
- They write 3 concrete steps to get closer to it (e.g. “my phone charges outside my room”, “I turn off game notifications”).
- Volunteers share one step with the class — without judging and without comparing.
Adapting: with ages 6–10, use pictures (bed, book, ball, screen) and a simple circle with 6 segments; with ages 11–16, pupils can look at the real “screen time” data on their phones, but only if they want to. Never turn it into a competition over who has the least or the most screen time.
💬 Discussion questions
- How do you feel when your phone isn't with you?
- Why do apps send so many notifications?
- Have you ever compared yourself with someone on social media? How did you feel?
- What helps you sleep well?
- How could you tell your friends that you won't reply in the group chat after 21:00?
- Which things online really make you happy?
🏠 Homework: Try an evening with no screens for the hour before bed, and write in a diary how you slept and how you felt the next day. You can do it together with your family.