Online safety activity book

TEACHER’S GUIDE
 OVERVIEW
Thank you for using these online safety classroom exercises!

This manual contains the instructions and resources for completing these online safety exercises
in a classroom setting with 9-12 year olds. The aim of the activities is to inspire students and
teachers to have conversations about online safety issues and how to handle them.

You should feel free to adapt these activities to meet the needs
of the children you are working with.

If you wish, we invite you to provide feedback on the exercises via the teacher’s feedback form
at the end of the manual.

We hope you enjoy using these materials!

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 CONTENTS
OVERVIEW......................................................................
2 BE NICE - SOLUTIONS ...............................................
16
• ........................................................
EXERCISES AT A GLANCE ...........................................
4 • ..........................................................

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - INSTRUCTIONS..................5 HELP! - INSTRUCTIONS ............................................

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• ..................................................... • ...............................................................
• ........................................................................ • .................................................................

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - SOLUTIONS .........................7 HELP! - SOLUTIONS....................................................

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• ............................................ • ........................................................
• .................................................................... • ...........................................................

PRIVATE EYE - INSTRUCTIONS...................................

9 DANGER? - INSTRUCTIONS......................................
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• ............................................................................. • ...........................................................................
• ................................................................... • ..............................................................
• .................................................................... • .........................................................

PRIVATE EYE - SOLUTIONS .......................................

11 DANGER? - SOLUTIONS ............................................
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• ........................................................... • ........................................................
• .............................................................. • ..................................................

TRUTH OR LIE? - INSTRUCTIONS.............................

12 ANTI-VIRUS - INSTRUCTIONS ..................................
25
• ........................................................................... • ...........................................................................
• ...................................................................... • ................................................................

TRUTH OR LIE? - SOLUTIONS...................................

13 ANTI-VIRUS - SOLUTIONS .........................................
26
• ................................................................. • ...........................................................

BE NICE - INSTRUCTIONS........................................
14 TEACHER’S FEEDBACK.............................................
27
• ........................................................................... • ACTIVITY NAME ......................................................................
• .............................................................. • OBSERVATIONS ......................................................................
• ................................................................

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 EXERCISES AT A GLANCE
MODULE EXERCISES THEME MATERIALS TIME
Know Your Rights vs Wants • Children’s rights and • Workbook print-out 1 hr
Rights digital technology
Top 3 • Child-friendly UNCRC (in workbook)
• Pens and pencils
Private Eye Sharing • Online privacy • Workbook print-out 1 hr 15 mins
Advice • Sharing personal • Pens and pencils
information
Truth or Lie? Trust • Identifying trustworthy • Workbook print-out 40 mins
sources online
• Website screenshots (in workbook)
• Pens and pencils
Be nice Messages • Good behaviours • Workbook print-out 1 hr 15 mins
online
Blocked • Pens and pencils
• Blocking
inappropriate
behaviour
Help! Response • Responding to • Workbook print-out 1 hr 15 mins
cyberbullying
Support • Pens and pencils
• Support for dealing
with risks online
Danger Warning • Risks and dangers • Workbook print-out 1 hr 30 mins
online
Protection • Pens and pencils, scissors, glue

Anti-virus Shields • Protecting • Workbook print-out 30 mins

computers/mobile
• Pens and pencils
devices from viruses

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 KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - INSTRUCTIONS
TOTAL TIME:1 HR
AIMS: By the end of this activity, children will be able to:
• Distinguish between rights and wants
• Think about their rights in relation to the digital environment
• Identify rights that are impacted by digital technology

Introduction
TIME:5 MINUTES
Introduce the Convention on the Rights of the Child to the group. Explain some of the history of the CRC, Agenda 2040, why rights are important,
and how digital technology can impact children’s rights.

Exercise 1: Rights vs Wants

TIME: 2O MINUTES WORKSHEET: RIGHTS VS WANTS
TYPE: INDIVIDUAL MATERIALS: PENS/PENCILS

Instructions (15 min) Discussion Questions (5 min)

Ask children to: After they have completed the worksheets, hold a discussion with the
group about their answers.
• Write their names at the top of their worksheets
You may wish to ask them the following questions:
• Look at the pictures and read the labels under each picture
• What’s the difference between a right and a want?
• Under each picture, write down whether they think each one is a
right or a want • Is using digital technology a right or a want?
• Can you think of at least two rights you have online?

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Exercise 2: Top 3
TIME: 35 MINUTES WORKSHEET: TOP 3
TYPE: INDIVIDUAL MATERIALS: CHILD-FRIENDLY CHILDREN’S RIGHTS CHARTER, PENS/PENCILS

Instructions (25 min) Discussion Questions (10 min)

Ask children to: After they have completed the worksheets, hold a discussion with the
group about their answers.
• Write their name at the top of their worksheets
You may wish to ask them the following questions:
• Read the list of rights in the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
Agenda 2040, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. • Which rights do you think are most important in a world with lots of
digital technology?
• Write down which three rights they think are most important in a
digital age • Which rights do digital technology have the most impact on?

• Assist them to locate those three rights in the Agenda 2040 • Is digital technology good or bad for our rights?
and the ACRWC.
• Explain why the African instruments and their responsibilities as
African children.

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 KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - SOLUTIONS
EXERCISE 1: RIGHTS VS WANTS
Rights:
• Protection from discrimination - Article 2: All children have the rights set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child,
no matter their race,gender, language, religion, ethnicity or disability.
• Education - Articles 28 & 29: Every child has the right to education, and it should help develop every child’s personality, talents and mental
and physical abilities.
• Play - Article 31: Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in cultural and artistic activities.
• A decent shelter - Article 27: Every child has the right to a decent standard ofliving to enable them to grow and develop.
• Freedom to practise your own culture, language and beliefs - Article 30: a childfrom a minority group has the right to enjoy their culture,
religion and language.
• Using a laptop computer to search for information** – Article 13: Every child has the right to find out information and express their ideas.
• Clean air – Article 24: Every child has the right to the best possible health and health care, including nutritious food, clean water and a clean
environment.
• Nutritious food – Article 24: Every child has the right to the best possible health and healthcare, including nutritious food, clean water and a clean
environment.
• Protection from abuse and neglect – Article 19: The state must do all it can toprotect children from violence, abuse, neglect, bad treatment or
exploitation.
• Watching television to relax** – Article 31: Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in cultural and artistic activities.
• Medical care when you need it - Article 24 & 25: Every child has the right to the best possible health and healthcare, and children living away from
home have the right to regular reviews of their treatment.
• The opportunity to express your opinion and be listened to – Article 12: Everychild has the right to express their views on matters that affect them,
and forthose views to be taken into consideration.

* You are encouraged to align the Agenda 2040 and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

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Wants:
• Your own bedroom – While all children have a right to an adequate standard of living, the UNCRC does not include a child having their own bedroom as
a right. Many children share bedrooms with their siblings, parents or other family members. As long as that bedroom is safe, clean and enables them to
grow and develop, it is considered adequate.
• Fast food – While many children enjoy fast food, it is often not considered nutritious and does not fall under the right to health (Article 24).
• Money to spend as you like – Children and families must have enough money to meet their basic needs, but having money to spend on whatever you
like is a want, not a right.
• Holiday trips – Although children have the right to relax and play (Article 31), holiday trips are not considered a basic need and therefore are not a right.
• The latest fashion – Children have the right to clothing under Article 27 (the right to an adequate standard of living). But despite this, fashionable clothes
are not considered a basic need and therefore are a want, rather than a right.

Right or Want:
• Sending messages on a mobile phone** - This depends on the purpose of sending messages. The person may be sending messages to exercise their
rights, such as accessing information or expressing their opinions. However, if they are sending messages for other purposes, such as bullying other
people, it is not considered a right.
**While owning or using digital technology itself is not considered a ‘right’, children and young people are increasingly using these devices to exercise their
rights. For example, they may use it to obtain an education, search for information, relax and play, or express their views. Digital technologies can therefore
be considered a way for children to access their rights.

EXERCISE 2: TOP 3
There are no correct answers to this activity. Children should consider what things they think they should be free to do online (for example, express
their opinions, or take part in educational activities) and what they feel they need to be protected from online (for example, invasions of privacy, abuse,
discrimination, etc.).

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 PRIVATE EYE - INSTRUCTIONS
TOTAL TIME:1 HR 15 MIN
AIMS: By the end of this activity, children will:
• Develop an awareness of online privacy issues
• Decide what personal information is safe to share, and with who
• Understand some of the consequences of sharing personal information online

Introduction
TIME: 5 MINUTES
Hold a brief discussion about what privacy means to the group, and explain some of the issues with privacy online.

Exercise 3: Sharing
TIME: 30 MINUTES WORKSHEET: SHARING
TYPE: INDIVIDUAL MATERIALS: PENS/PENCILS

Instructions (20 min) Discussion Questions (10 min)

Ask children to: After they have completed the worksheets, hold a discussion with the
group about their answers.
• Write their names at the top of their worksheets
You may wish to ask them the following questions:
• Circle who you think can see your information – social media posts,
personal information, location, search history – online. • Who can see what you say, do and post online? Just your friends or
strangers too?
• If there is anyone missing, write it in the space provided.
• Do you use privacy settings online to control who sees your
information?
• When you sign up to a website, do you know what sees the
information that you give?

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Exercise 4: Advice
TIME: 40 MINUTES WORKSHEET: ADVICE
TYPE: SMALL GROUPS MATERIALS: PENS/PENCILS

Instructions (30 min) Discussion Questions (10 min)

Ask children to: After they have completed the worksheets, hold a discussion with the
group about their answers.
• Write their names at the top of their worksheets
You may wish to ask them the following questions:
• Read the things other young people have said about their online
safety and privacy • Is it safe to share personal things about you online (like your full
name, address,phone number or photos)?
• In the boxes, write whether you agree with these statements, and
why or why not • Who would you check with about whether it’s safe to share these
things?
• Shade the stars to show how much you agree with this
statement. 1 stars is not much, and 4 stars is a lot.

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 PRIVATE EYE - SOLUTIONS
EXERCISE 3: SHARING
In this activity, children should think about whether each of the types of data could be considered sensitive and what this information potentially reveals
about us or our identity. Remind them that once information has been shared online, it can be difficult to change or remove.
For each of the people they can share their information with, encourage the children to think about how each person might use that information and what
they could do with it. In particular, children should think carefully about whether strangers, tech companies, governments and businesses should be able to
access the types of data listed here.

EXERCISE 4: ADVICE
“I have all my privacy and security settings on so I’m not really worried about my data”
Knowing how to set privacy and security settings is an important digital literacy skill. However, these settings are not always 100% effective in protecting
data, so children shouldn’t rely only on these things to keep them safe. Encourage children to think about whether it’s possible for data to be accessed in
other ways (e.g. by companies, or through websites they sign up to), and how that data might be used (e.g. for advertising).

“I’m really worried about hackers who can break into data storage systems and use my data”
Sometimes hackers access data storage systems and can expose personal information that is stored there. While the chances of it happening to you might
be relatively small, it is important to be aware that any information you share with websites or companies online may not always stay secure.

“I don’t mind sharing my real name and address when I sign up to a website. They can’t do anything with it, anyway”
Names and addresses are sensitive personal information. We don’t always know how websites will use our personal information or who it will be shared
with. It’s important to read the terms and conditions to find out that website’s data policies. There is also a chance that the website’s security could be
breached and your personal information exposed.

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 TRUTH OR LIE? - INSTRUCTIONS
TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN
AIMS: By the end of this activity, children will:
• Be aware that not all information online can be trusted
• Have an understanding of ways to check if information online is true or fake

Introduction
TIME: 5 MINUTES
Not everything that you read online can be trusted. In this activity, think about how we know if we can trust information from different websites. Are there
things that you can look for that tell you whether information or a website is trustworthy or not?

Exercise 5: Trust
TIME: 35 MINUTES WORKSHEET: TRUST
TYPE: SMALL GROUPS MATERIALS: WEBSITE HANDOUTS PENS/PENCILS

Instructions (25 min) Discussion Questions (10 min)

Ask children to: After they have completed the worksheet, hold a discussion with the
group about their answers.
• Write their names at the top of their worksheets
You may wish to ask them the following questions:
• Look at the screenshots of the four websites and talk in your group
about whether you think information from this site is trustworthy • If you thought information from some of these websites is
trustworthy, how did you know? What made you think this website
• In the table, write down what type of website is it (it might be a
could be trusted?
university or news website, or for entertainment)
• If you thought the information wasn’t trustworthy – how did you
• Next to it, write down if you think the website is trustworthy, and why
know that?
or why not
• How can you check if information you find online is true or not true?

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 TRUTH OR LIE? - SOLUTIONS
EXERCISE 5: TRUST
It is important here to encourage children to think critically about the websites that they see online, and understand that not all content on the internet is
what it says it is – even if it does include an official logo.

UNICEF: This is the website of a global organisation (UNICEF).

This website may appear trustworthy because it includes an official logo, and the organisation may be familiar to some children. The headings such as
‘Donate’, ‘Appeals’, ‘Our Work’, etc. are characteristic of a charity organisation.

Wikipedia: This is an online encyclopaedia website. Wikipedia is well known for being open source, and allowing internet users to edit entries.
Many people trust and rely on the information provided on Wikipedia. However, because it is open source and users can write and edit entries, it is
worthwhile being critical about the information you read on this website.

The Betoota Advocate: This is a satirical news website.

This website does not communicate trustworthy information, as its intention is to be entertaining. The headline “Man who collects soggy leaves finally gets
a pool” is intended to be humorous and suggests that this website is not a serious news site.

WebMD: This is a health information website.

This website may appear trustworthy as it is a popular health website. However, information from these websites are not always reliable and it is not
recommended that users use the information to diagnose their own health problems.

* We encourage you to use some well known sites in your country as well.

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 BE NICE - INSTRUCTIONS
TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 15 MIN
AIMS: By the end of this activity, children will:
• Develop an awareness of good behaviour online
• Understand when it can be appropriate to block bad behaviour online

Introduction
TIME: 5 MINUTES
Ask the group for some examples about how we should treat other people. Do people sometimes treat each other badly online? What do you do if
someone says or does something bad to you online?

Exercise 6: Messages
TIME: 30 MINUTES WORKSHEET: MESSAGES
TYPE: INDIVIDUAL MATERIALS: PENS/PENCILS

Instructions (25 min) Discussion Questions (5 min)

Ask children to: After they have completed the worksheet, hold a discussion with the
group about their answers.
• Write their names at the top of their worksheets
You may wish to ask them the following questions:
• In the space provided, write a text message to a friend telling them
how young people should treat each other online. • How should young people treat each other online?
• Think about some of the ways they should behave, and some of the • Should we treat people the same online as we do offline? Or are
things they should never do to each other there differences?
• Does being anonymous or not knowing the people we are
speaking to online, sometimes mean that we behave differently
towards others online?

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Exercise 7: Blocked
TIME: 40 MINUTES WORKSHEET: BLOCKED
TYPE: SMALL GROUPS MATERIALS: PENS/PENCILS

Instructions (30 min) Discussion Questions (10 min)

Ask children to: After they have completed the worksheet, hold a discussion with the
group about their answers.
Write their names at the top of their worksheets
You may wish to ask them the following questions:
• Read each of the stories about what these people did online. Would
you block these people? • Have you ever blocked someone online before? If so, why did you
block them?
• Circle the padlocks under the stories if you would block that person
• If you didn’t know whether you should block someone or not, who
• If you wouldn’t block that person, leave the circle blank
would you ask?
• Underneath, write down why you would choose to block them, or
• When is it a good idea to block someone? Can you think of other
why not
situations or things that would make you block someone?

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 BE NICE - SOLUTIONS
EXERCISE 6: MESSAGES
There are no correct answers to this activity. Encourage children to think about how we should treat each other offline, and whether those same rules apply
to the internet as well. Ask them to consider what kinds of behaviours are acceptable and how they would like to be treated themselves. Some examples
could include – respecting other people’s opinions, avoiding using discriminatory or abusive language, and not bullying other people.

EXERCISE 7: BLOCKED
Your classmate:
Blocking this person will stop them sending mean messages to you. You should also consider talking to a teacher or parent about what has been
happening as they might be able to help you resolve the issue offline, or reporting it to the social media website.

Your best friend:

Your best friend may not have been deliberately trying to hurt your feelings, especially if it’s the first time they have said something mean about you online.
Instead of blocking them, you could have a private chat with them online or talk to them in person about how it made you feel.

A stranger:
Accepting friend requests from strangers can be dangerous. Before accepting their request, you should check if you know them first. If you don’t, you
should block them.

Your mum:
Your mum wants the best for you. Rather than block her, try to have a conversation with her, express that you don’t feel comfortable having your baby
photos online and ask her to take them down.

Someone you’ve been chatting to:

Inappropriate photo requests should be treated with caution, particularly if the request comes from someone you don’t know very well or trust. If you don’t
know the person, you should block them. If you do know them, you could tell them that you feel uncomfortable and do not want to share those kinds of
photos. It is recommended that children seek the help of a trusted adult to help them handle the situation.

Someone from your school:

If the person is someone you know and trust, you can tell them that you don’t want them to send you violent videos. If they sent you the video to intimidate,
scare or bully you, you should block them.

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 HELP! - INSTRUCTIONS
TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 15 MIN
AIMS: By the end of this activity, children will:
Think about•how different people should respond to cyberbullying
Identify people
• and organisations who can offer support if something bad happens online

Introduction
TIME: 5 MINUTES
Sometimes we might see other people being bullied on the internet. Sometimes, bad things might even happen to us when we are online. How would we
respond to these situations? Are there people or places we could go to for help if something bad did happen? Before this lesson,please check to be sure
you know the contact number to the reporting channel in your country.

Exercise 8: Response
TIME: 40 MINUTES WORKSHEET: RESPONSE
TYPE: SMALL GROUPS MATERIALS: PENS/PENCILS

Instructions (30 min) Discussion Questions (10 min)

Ask children to: After they have completed the worksheet, hold a discussion with the
group about their answers.
• Write their names at the top of their worksheets
You may wish to ask them the following questions:
• Imagine someone is being bullied online. In your group, talk about
how you would react if you were being bullied online, or if you saw • Have you ever been bullied online? Or have you ever seen
someone else being bullied someone else being bullied online? What did you do about it?
• In each of the boxes, write down what those people should do to • Do different people have different responsibilities to stop the
deal with the situation bullying?

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Exercise 9: Support
TIME: 30 MINUTES WORKSHEET: SUPPORT
TYPE: INDIVIDUAL MATERIALS: PENS/PENCILS

Instructions (20 min) Discussion Questions (10 min)

Ask children to: After they have completed the worksheet, hold a discussion with the
group about their answers.
• Write their names at the top of their worksheets
You may wish to ask them the following questions:
• If something bad happens when you’re online, who could you go to
for help? • If something happens online that upsets or worries you, who could
you ask for help?
• On the left hand side, write down any people you know who you
can turn to ifsomething goes wrong online. Write down how that • If you see something rude or scary online, who could you talk to
person can help you as well. about it?
• On the right hand side, think about and write down any websites or
organisations youknow of that you can get help from. How can they
help you?
• It’s okay if you can’t think of any! Just write down that you don’t
know.

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 HELP! - SOLUTIONS
EXERCISE 8: RESPONSE
The person being bullied:
The person who is being bullied might do the following things to deal with the bully:
• Tell a trusted adult, such as a parent or teacher;
• Stop replying to messages;
• Block the person;
• Report the person using the social media platforms’ reporting mechanisms, or to other cybersafety organisations such as Commissions;
• Take screenshots of the messages so that they have evidence;
• Contact a helpline for support.

Friends:
Friends have a responsibility to support their friends. Some ways they can help include:
• Ask if their friend is okay and if they need help;
• Help them to block, delete or report the bully to the social media platform, or another reporting mechanism;
• Tell the bully to stop and let them know that it’s not okay;
• Help take screenshots of the messages;
• Get help from a trusted adult or give the friend the contact details of a helpline.

Other bystanders:
Bystanders have an important role to play in enabling – or preventing - bullying behaviour online. Some ways they can help include:
• Post words of support for the person being bullied;
• Tell the bully to stop and let them know that bullying is not okay;
• Report the bullying to the social media platform;
• Help them to take screenshots of the messages;

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EXERCISE 9: SUPPORT
Who do you know that you can ask for help if something goes wrong online? What can these people do to help you?
Children will have different people who they trust and feel comfortable asking for help if they need it. Some examples of people they could reach out to
include parents, teachers, school principals, friends and family friends.
Depending on the person, they might be able to help by listening to their problem, finding an appropriate place to report the issue, giving advice, assisting
in blocking or setting privacy/security settings, or intervening offline.

What websites or organisations can you go to for help? What can they do?
Many countries have websites and organisations where children can report a problem. Social media platforms and other websites usually have a function
that allow users to report offensive or abusive behaviour anonymously. They can help to remove content from their websites or block perpetrators.
Cybersafety commissions, local helplines, youth support services, or police may also be able to offer help, including providing online reporting
mechanisms, mental or emotional support, guidance and advice on managing the issue, or investigating a cybercrime.

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 DANGER? - INSTRUCTIONS
TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 30 MIN
AIMS: By the end of this activity, children will:
• Understand some of the risks of being online
• Identify who they can ask for help if something happens to them online
• Think about how they can protect themselves online

Introduction
TIME: 5 MINUTES
Some things we do online are safe – but sometimes something might happen, or we might do something, that is unsafe for us. Ask the group to give some
examples of things that are safe on the internet, and things that are unsafe on the internet.

Exercise 10: Warning

TIME: 35 MINUTES WORKSHEET: WARNING
TYPE: SMALL GROUPS MATERIALS: PENS/PENCILS, SCISSORS, GLUE
Instructions (25 min) Discussion Questions (10 min)
Ask children to: After they have completed the worksheet, hold a discussion with the
group about their answers.
• Write their names at the top of their worksheets
You may wish to ask them the following questions:
• Read and cut-out the sentences on the first worksheet and stick
them to the warning scale. Stick the things you think are very safe on • Are the things you think are safe online, the same things your
the left, and the things you think are very unsafe on the right. parents think are safe?
• You can add anything that’s missing from your discussion at the start • Do your parents, or other adults, think some things are unsafe that
of the activity or that you think should be there. Write these on to you think are safe?
the scale according to how safe or unsafe you think they are.
• Is it safe to meet someone face-to-face that you meet online?

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Exercise 11: Protection
TIME: 50 MINUTES WORKSHEET: PROTECTION
TYPE: SMALL GROUPS MATERIALS: PENS/PENCILS

Instructions (40 min) Discussion Questions (10 min)

Ask children to: After they have completed the worksheet, hold a discussion with the
group about their answers.
• Write their names at the top of their worksheets
You may wish to ask them the following questions:
• Read the stories about the children and what happens to them
online • If you decide to meet someone face-to-face that you met online,
what could you do to keep yourself safe?
• For each of the stories, write down your answers to the questions:
• If someone online wants to talk to you about rude things, or asks
What is happening to the young person in this story?
you to send photos of yourself, what should you do?
Who could they ask for help or talk to about it?
• Who can you talk to or ask for help if something happens to you
Do you feel like you could deal with this situation if it happened to online that make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe?
you?
How could you protect yourself from something like this happening
to you?

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 DANGER? - SOLUTIONS
EXERCISE 10: WARNING
This activity is designed to gather children’s perceptions about online risks in order to stimulate discussion. There are many possible answers, however
the below provides some suggestions:

SAFE:
• Chatting to friends and family
• Using Google to research for school work
• Sharing a post on social media (as long as it doesn’t contain any personalinformation or images that are inappropriate)
• Creating music, videos or other digital content

UNSAFE:
• Sharing sensitive personal information (including home address, school, etc.)
• Chatting with a stranger
• Accepting friend request from someone you don’t know
• Meeting up with someone you met online in real life

EXERCISE 11: PROTECTION

Suggested responses for each scenario include:

Jamila:
1.Jamila is being cyberbullied.
2.She should tell a trusted adult, friend, or contact a helpline.
3.n/a
4.Block or report the person; stop replying to messages; take screenshots of texts.

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Kwaku:
1. Kwaku is addicted to games.
2. He could talk to his parents, friends, another trusted adult, or contact a helpline.
3. n/a
4. Set daily time limits on game play; keep devices out of the bedroom; spend time doing other activities such as sports or spending time with friends.

Zahra:
1. Zahra is talking to a stranger online who wants to meet up with her in real life. This could lead to kidnapping or other violence.
2. She could talk to her parents, friends, or contact a helpline for support.
3. n/a
4. Don’t accept friend requests from strangers; talk to an adult before you decide to meet with someone in real life.

Max:
1. Max’s mother shared a photo of him without his consent which could be used by others to bully him, embarrassment or potentially impact his future.
2. Max should speak with his mother and ask her to take the photos down.
3. n/a
4. Make sure that you and others have sought consent before posting a photo online; don’t share personal information or sensitive images online.

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 ANTI-VIRUS - INSTRUCTIONS
TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN
AIMS: By the end of this activity, children will:
• Understand some of the things they can do to keep their computer
or device safe from viruses

Introduction
TIME: 5 MINUTES
Ask the group if they’ve ever had a virus on their computer or phone before. How did your computer get the virus? What happened to your computer when
it got the virus?

Exercise 12: Shields

TIME: 25 MINUTES WORKSHEET: SHIELDS
TYPE: SMALL GROUPS MATERIALS: PENS/PENCILS
Instructions (20 min) Discussion Questions (5 min)
Ask children to: After they have completed the worksheet, hold a discussion with the
group about their answers.
• Write their names at the top of their worksheets
You may wish to ask them the following questions:
• Write down up to five things that you can do to protect your
computer from viruses • What can you do to keep your computer free from viruses?
• Put a tick next to the things that you know how to do yourself • Have you ever done something to try to protect your computer
from viruses?
Colour in the smiley face that shows how well you think this works to
stop viruses:
Smiley face – works very well
Neutral face – not sure how well it works
Sad face – doesn’t work well
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 ANTI-VIRUS - SOLUTIONS
EXERCISE 12: SHIELDS
There are lots of ways to protect your computer from viruses. These include:
• Install anti-virus or anti-malware software – This software scans and protects your computer from viruses, spyware or malware that could damage your
computer or access your emails or files.
• Keep anti-virus software up to date – Keeping your software updated is important because new threats can appear every day.
• Use firewalls – Firewalls will stop viruses downloading dangerous programs to your computer, and let you know if something suspicious tries to access
your computer.
• Use strong passwords – Strong passwords should include a mix of letters, numbers and symbols. The more complex it is, the harder it is for others to
work out.
• Avoid opening suspicious emails – If you don’t recognise the sender of an email, you shouldn’t open it.
• Don’t open links or attachments in emails from people you don’t know – Links and attachments in emails can sometimes contain viruses, so it’s best not
to open them – especially if you don’t know the sender.
• Don’t download content from websites that you don’t trust – Downloading music and movies files online can sometimes also download dangerous files
to your computer.
• Block pop-ups – Pop-ups can sometimes contain dangerous links or information. You can download a pop-up blocker to stop these appearing on your
screen.
• Back up your computer – It’s important to back up your computer in case it does get a virus, you can restore it to a recent setting.
It’s important to use a combination of these things. Talk to the children about how effective they think these strategies are, and why. There are no correct
answers.

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 TEACHER’S FEEDBACK
To help us further refine these materials, we invite you to share your observations on your experience of delivering each of the activities, including time
estimates, clarity of instructions (for children and teachers), and worksheet design and layout. Should you choose to do this, your observations can be
emailed to cop@itu.int

ACTIVITY NAME OBSERVATIONS

Rights vs Wants

Top 3

Sharing

Advice

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 Trust

Messages

Blocked

Response

Support

Warning

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 Protection

Shields

2. With whom did you use these activities (age group, gender, country)?

3. Did children engage well with these activities?

4. Were the activities appropriate for the age group?

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5. Did you feel equipped to teach these materials and respond to any questions the children had?

6. How effective were the resources in opening conversations in the classroom? (Please circle)

Not effective at all Somewhat effective Very effective Neutral

Please explain your answer:

7. Would you use these resources in the future? Why/why not?

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 This activity book has been developed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
and a working group of contributing authors from leading institutions in the sector of child
rights and child protection in the digital environment.

The activities are based on those developed by the Young and Resilient Research Centre at
Western Sydney University, with support from the 5Rights Foundation, to inform the drafting
of the UNCRC General Comment on Children’s Rights in the Digital Environment.

This work would not have been possible without the time, enthusiasm and dedication of the
contributing authors and ITU graphic team.

ITU is grateful to all of the following partners, who have created this resource for children by
contributing their valuable time and insights:
Amy Jones and Olivia Solari Yrigoyen (Child Rights Connect), John Carr (ECPAT International)
as well as Amanda Third and Lilly Moody (Western Sydney University)

www.itu.int/cop
ISBN: 978-92-61-31641-9