Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Data is people’s lived realities

20 minutes

Find Out: Exploring historical case studies

25 minutes

Take Action: Create ethical data collection protocols

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

understand that data represents real people and lived experiences and can cause harm or promote fairness depending on how it is collected and used
analyse case studies to identify impacts of exclusion or misuse and use these learnings to design an ethical data collection protocol that protects dignity, choice and safety.

Success criteria

Students can:

explain why trust and safety matter in data collection and the impacts of data misuse
use a Data Impact Map to analyse real-world examples
create a clear set of ethical rules for acting as an Upstander when collecting and working with data.

Tune In: People and data

Step 1

Explain that data is not just numbers; it represents real people and lived experiences. Every data point connects to someone’s identity and circumstances. That means how data is collected and used can either promote fairness and inclusion or cause harm. We share personal data every day, at school, with doctors, on apps and social media, often without thinking about it.

Step 2

Display or state the examples below and ask students to draw an emoji on a mini-whiteboard (using the key shown below) that represents how they feel about sharing each type of data. Remind students that they can choose not to share if they do not feel comfortable. Reiterate that they are not being asked to share their personal information. They’re only showing how they feel about sharing it to consider how trust, identity, power, choice, and safety factor into data.

Note: Consider running this as an eyes-closed activity using thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs to the side to ensure responses remain anonymous and students feel comfortable participating.

Would you feel comfortable if this data about you were shared with your school/social media platforms/government?

Name or nickname
Age
Gender
Cultural background
Language spoken at home
Religion
Family structure
Online behaviour or screen time
Personal wellbeing information

Emoji key:

😊 Happy to share
😐 Depends / unsure
🚫 Prefer not to share

Step 3

Prompt your students to think about the data points from a general perspective (not personal) by facilitating a discussion using the following prompts:

Which types of information felt easy to share? Which felt more private?
Why might people feel differently?
Why is it important to feel safe when sharing personal information?
What happens if people don’t feel safe sharing personal information?

As students respond, link their ideas to the key terms of discrimination, safety, identity, trust, choice and control. Conclude by stating that when people don’t feel safe or respected, they may choose not to share information. That means the data becomes incomplete. And when data is incomplete or unfair, the decisions made from it can also be unfair.

Find Out: Exploring historical case studies

Preparation

Provide some extra context around this lesson by introducing (or reintroducing) your students to Courage to Care Victoria and the Cool.org Hope Framework.

Step 1

Explain that examining past examples of data misuse helps us think critically about inclusion, exclusion and why dignity, choice and fairness must guide data collection. Provide pairs with one of the case studies from the Case Studies: The Impact of Data Factsheet, as well as the Data Impact Map.

Students will analyse real-world examples where data has either caused harm or promoted fairness and inclusion. Remind students of the Cool.org Hope Framework, encouraging them to look for positive change and the actions people took to improve outcomes.

Students should read their case study and complete the Data Impact Map, identifying how the data was collected and used, who benefited, who was harmed or excluded, and what changes followed. They may use sentences, keywords, symbols or arrows to organise their thinking.

Step 2

Group pairs who examined the same case study into groups of six and invite them to share and compare their Data Impact Maps.

Bring the class back together and ask groups to summarise their key findings. Facilitate discussion to draw out what the case reveals about data misuse or fairness, and how practices have changed or improved as a result.

Take Action: Create Ethical Data Collection Protocols

Step 1

Provide small groups with the Privacy Scenarios Factsheet and allow them 3 minutes to read each one. Discuss the following prompts for each scenario:

What risks could occur if this data is collected?
Is there a power imbalance (e.g. teacher vs student, adult vs child)?
Is consent missing, unclear, or obtained under pressure?
Who might feel unsafe, exposed, or excluded?
Whose voices or experiences might be ignored?

Ask students to record key ideas in the PDF as annotations using short notes, symbols, or highlighting.

Step 2

Explain to students that they will soon be collecting data about diversity within your class or school (in subsequent lessons). Remind students that because data represents real people and lived experiences, they have an ethical responsibility to design protocols (rules) that protect their participants' safety, dignity, and choice.

Emphasise that ethical data collection is a form of Upstander behaviour because it actively works to prevent harm rather than ignoring it. By prioritising consent, anonymity and fairness, students ensure people feel safe and respected, and that all voices can be included responsibly.

Step 3

In groups, students will design a Data Collection Protocol that would feel safe and fair for everyone in the room when they undertake their diversity survey.

Their protocol must include consideration of the following:

Informed consent (people know what data is being collected and why)
The right to opt out (no pressure, no consequences)
Anonymity where possible (names removed unless necessary)
Secure data storage (who can see it? Where is it kept?)
Clear purpose and limits (used only for this task, not shared elsewhere)
Respectful language (no assumptions, stereotypes, or labels)

Encourage groups to write their protocol as a short list of rules, a flowchart, a mindmap or even a do/don’t guide.

Step 4

After 10 minutes of students completing this activity, encourage groups to swap their protocols with another team for a quick feedback check using two stars and a wish. Pose this challenge to all groups: ‘If even one person feels unsafe, unseen, or pressured, the protocol is not ethical yet. How could you improve it?’

Encourage groups to revise their protocols after discussion and feedback.

Note: Collect group protocols for use in the next lesson, or ask them to keep them somewhere safe.

Learning support: provide the following sentence starters to support students in defining their protocols:

We will only collect data if…
Students can opt out by…
This data will be kept safe by…

Learning extension: Challenge groups to include how and when the protocol should be reviewed or improved over time, or ask students to compare their protocol to real examples (e.g. Australian Census, media data, school surveys).

Reflection

Encourage students to reflect on the lesson using the questions below to explore how their thinking about data and privacy has changed over the last few lessons.

I used to think…
Now I think…
You can be an Upstander when it comes to data because…

The Real World Impact of Data

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Summary

Learning intentions

Success criteria

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills Required

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Information

Related Professional Learning

In this lesson