Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

5 minutes

Part A: Who are you?

15 minutes

Part B: Catfishing

20 minutes

Part C: Seeking help

10 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions:

Students will:

understand that it is easy to fabricate identities and information when communicating online
understand the term 'catfishing'
understand the importance of being cautious when interacting with unknown people online
know where to go for help.

Success criteria:

Students can:

create a list of possible responses when interacting with someone who makes them uncomfortable
respond assertively to uncomfortable situations
support others to respond safely.

Part A: Who are you?

Safety first: Remind students of the Handling Sensitive Topics and Issues Factsheet. Review this document together and take time to clarify anything.

Step 1

Display this picture:

Step 2

This is a picture of the well-known 'ostrich with its head in the sand'. Invite students to share why they think this concept is popular in Australian culture.

Explain that this lesson will talk about some things that might feel uncomfortable or embarrassing, but it’s important to not go through life thinking ‘it won’t happen to me!’ We mustn't bury our heads in the sand!

Step 3

Complete a brief poll with the class, asking students to raise their hand if they communicate with anyone online who they have never met in person. Prompt them to consider social media, any online forums they participate in, or games.

To reduce discomfort, you may want to run this as a ‘blind poll’ with students closing their eyes and putting their heads down before you begin. Record this on the board. Make a note of the number of girls and the number of boys.

Step 4

Ask students to consider the information you’ve recorded.

Share that, even though we don’t usually separate things into ‘girl’ and ‘boy’ categories, it’s important to know that when it comes to tricky people online, girls are more likely to be targeted, although boys can be too. Knowing this is a good reason to help each other out, especially friends or family who might not have the same knowledge that we’re gaining in this activity.

Step 5

Play a few rounds of "Good morning (or afternoon), Your Majesty" after explaining the rules:

Students sit in a circle on the floor.
One student is blindfolded on a chair. They will be the King or Queen for this round.
Select a student from the circle to silently approach the King or Queen and say "Good morning (or afternoon), Your Majesty". They should try to disguise their voice and avoid giggling.
They then sit back in their spot.
The King or Queen removes their blindfold and has three chances to guess who was speaking.
Swap roles so other students get a chance to try.

Note: Although this is usually a game for younger students, it is an opportunity for students to consider how difficult it can be to pretend to be someone else or to try to work out who someone is with limited information.

Step 6

Invite students to discuss their experiences of playing the game and how it relates to meeting strangers online.

You might like to play this a few times during the week to deepen their grasp on anonymity and give more students a chance to participate.

Part B: Catfishing

Step 1

Share reading the story The Strange Story of the Singing Clownfish.

In this story, a young clownfish is befriended on a music-sharing app by someone claiming to be another clownfish. They build a friendship based on shared interests, eventually agreeing to meet up. When the clownfish’s Mum hears about the plan, she helps the daughter find out more about this new friend, including realising that, in fact, they’re not who they say they are.

Step 2

Place the class in pairs to answer the questions below (provided on the Student Worksheet) through a Think Pair Share routine.

How did @FunnyFishGal begin a friendship with Callie?
What made Callie’s mum suspicious?
How would you respond safely if someone makes contact with you online?
What should Callie do now she knows who @FunnyFishGal really is?

Step 3

Prompt students to share with the class what they discussed with their partner and what in the text led them to think that.

Part C: Seeking help

Step 1

Let students know there are heaps of things they can do if something feels fishy online.

Note: Sometimes kids won't notice anything fishy. Emphasise to them that anyone you speak to online that you don't know in real life could be catfishing you without you realising. Even if there are no warning signs, it's best to be careful about what you share with people you don't know and to avoid meeting up with them without a trusted adult present.

Take them through the following:

How to reverse image search using Google

Explain that this can be useful to check any pictures that someone you don’t know sends you, especially if they say they’re pictures of themselves. @FunnyFishGal seemed trustworthy because of her profile picture - but it’s very easy to find images online and pretend they’re your own! Read the Reverse Image Search Factsheet to learn how to track an image online.

How to block people to prevent them from communicating with you again

Depending on the app you are using, you will need to access your privacy settings to block someone. There will usually be an option to 'Block User'. You can use the Carly Ryan Foundation App Factsheets in the Cleaning Up lesson, or refer to The eSafety Guide from the eSafety Commissioner for information on how to access privacy settings for the relevant app.

How to report tricky people

The first thing you should do is talk to a trusted adult. A teacher or parent/caregiver is usually a good place to start if you're dealing with tricky people online. They can help you collect screenshots and evidence of the communication between you and the tricky person before blocking them or deleting anything. In Australia, you can report online abuse through the eSafety Commissioner website. You could also go to the police station to file a report, but either way, you'll need evidence! So don't delete anything until the report has been made.

Step 2

Play this video from the BBC:

What is catfishing? And how do you avoid it? - BBC What's New (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPuaOCiVAh0)

This video shows students how easy it can be to make a fake profile, and how you can check if something doesn’t feel right.

Step 3

Tell students that the video shared some ways you could double-check someone’s identity online if something feels fishy, and that might be easier if it’s someone you know. If it’s not, there are still things you can do. Complete the below activity on the Student Worksheet. This can be a ‘go-to’ help sheet for when they’re feeling uneasy about any online interactions, whether their own or someone else they know.

Reflection

Students can answer the reflection question on the Student Worksheet:

How might what I've learned in this lesson help me when I’m online?

Take It Home

Make sure parents/caregivers have access to the story, The Strange Story of the Singing Clownfish so they can discuss it with students at home. They might like to ask these questions:

Have you connected with anyone online who you don't know in real life?
Do you have any plans to meet with anyone you've met online?
What concerns do you think I should have about you meeting with people in real life that you've met online?
Would you feel comfortable telling me if you were planning to do this in the future? Why/why not? Who else could you tell?
Where would you plan to meet?
Who would you invite to come with you? Parents and caregivers should emphasise that under no circumstances should they be alone with someone they haven't met in real life yet and that they should always have a trusted adult with them.

Encourage students to take home their help sheet and put it up in a prominent place at home, or you could send it directly to their parents/caregivers via Seesaw or your school portal. Parents and caregivers can read through the help sheet and ask their child any questions they might have. Some of this information will be new for them too.

Differentiated learning

Extension - Students can create a procedural text or an instructional video showing how to reverse image search or block people, to share with other students.

Provisions for learning support

Allow verbal sharing rather than written
Select pairs of students so stronger writers are partnered with those needing support.

eSafety For Kids - Feeling Fishy Online

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Summary

Learning intentions:

Students will:

Success criteria:

Students can:

Lesson guides and printables

Lesson Details

Skills

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

Additional Info

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