Internet Safety Refresher
Internet Safety Refresher
Internet Safety Refresher
Lesson duration is: 30 minIntroduction
Items in this lesson
Internet Safety Refresher
Internet Safety Refresher
A rapid recap of the four Cs of online risk, testing everyday misconceptions about passwords, padlocks, links and deleted posts. Students finish by auditing their own privacy settings and committing to concrete changes.
What risks or problems have you seen or heard about online (or experienced) recently?
This word cloud starter draws out what students already know about online risks, so later slides can build on their own vocabulary and experiences.
Stretch: Ask students to pick one word from the cloud and justify which of the four Cs it belongs to.
Device-Free: Students jot one risk each on a sticky note; the teacher clusters similar notes on the board.
Lesson Objectives
Lesson Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Recognise key risks and safe practices for using the internet today.
Apply strategies to protect privacy, avoid harm, and report issues online.
Note: Share both objectives aloud and return to them during the recap to check progress.
Why a Refresher Matters
Why a Refresher Matters
The Internet changes fast — threats evolve (apps, features, algorithms)
Students may get complacent — “I’ve used it before, nothing bad happened”
Regular reminders help build safe habits
This slide explains why online safety needs revisiting: platforms and algorithms keep changing, and past luck breeds complacency.
Stretch: Students name an app feature that has changed recently and explain how it altered the risks involved.
Device-Free: Pair talk for one minute on the complacent quote, then take two responses by show of hands.
The Key Domains of Online Risk – the four 'Cs'
The Key Domains of Online Risk – the four 'Cs'
The four Cs are in line with national guidelines on internet safety for young people.
The hotspots introduce content, contact, conduct and commerce as the four categories used throughout the rest of the lesson.
Stretch: Students argue which of the four Cs poses the greatest risk to their age group, giving a real-world example to support the choice.
Device-Free: Write the four Cs in the corners of the board; students point to the category the teacher describes.
Common Risks & Real Examples
Common Risks & Real Examples
The animated background may take a little time to load, depending on the internet connection; the slide still works while it loads.
Each hotspot pairs a realistic scenario with a lesson point, turning the four Cs into situations students will recognise.
Stretch: Students match each of the seven examples to one of the four Cs and defend any that fit more than one.
Device-Free: Read one example aloud at a time; students hold up fingers (1–4) to show which C it fits.
If someone claims they’re a classmate from school, it's always safe to chat with them online.
True
False
True-or-false questions, each followed by an explanation slide.
This item targets the misconception that a familiar name or school connection guarantees someone is who they say they are.
Stretch: Students list two checks that would confirm a contact really is a classmate.
Device-Free: Thumbs up for true, thumbs down for false, then reveal the next slide.
FALSE: Accounts can be hacked, impersonated or misleading
The explanation clarifies that a known name on screen is not proof of identity, since accounts can be taken over or faked.
Stretch: Students describe how a hacked classmate account might be spotted from changes in tone or requests.
Device-Free: Ask students to tell a partner one warning sign before revealing the answer.
If a website has a padlock symbol, it’s guaranteed to be safe
True
False
Many students equate the padlock with a trustworthy site; this question exposes the gap between an encrypted connection and an honest one.
Stretch: Students explain what extra checks on a URL would reveal a fake site.
Device-Free: Students stand for true and stay seated for false.
FALSE: A padlock (HTTPS) means the connection is encrypted, but scammers can still make fake websites with padlocks. Always check the URL carefully.
HTTPS protects data in transit but says nothing about who runs the site, which is why scammers use it too.
Stretch: Students suggest why a scam site would deliberately obtain a padlock certificate.
Device-Free: Write a genuine and a lookalike web address on the board; students vote on which is fake.
Deleting a post or picture means it’s gone forever
True
False
The belief that the delete button erases content completely is widespread, and this item tests whether students recognise its limits.
Stretch: Students give a real-world example of how a deleted post could resurface.
Device-Free: Mini-whiteboards: write T or F and hold up on the count of three.
FALSE: Even if deleted, screenshots, backups, or copies may exist. Think before posting — it may live online longer than you expect.
Screenshots, backups and copies mean control over a post ends the moment it is shared.
Stretch: Students decide whether "think before posting" or "delete quickly" is the better habit, and justify the choice.
Device-Free: Pair talk: each partner names one place a copy of a post might be stored.
Using the same password on different sites is risky
True
False
Reusing one strong password feels safe to many students; the question checks whether they see how a single breach spreads across accounts.
Stretch: Students explain how a password manager removes the temptation to reuse passwords.
Device-Free: Show of hands for true, then for false; ask one student from each side to explain.
TRUE: If one account is hacked, others with the same password become easy targets. Use strong, unique passwords for each service.
One compromised password can unlock every account that shares it, which is why each service needs its own.
Stretch: Students rank email, gaming and social media accounts by how much damage a breach would cause and justify the order.
Device-Free: Students sketch on a mini-whiteboard how one leaked password reaches other accounts.
Cyberbullying only happens when someone insults you directly.
True
False
Students often picture cyberbullying as direct insults only, so this item probes whether they recognise quieter, indirect forms.
Stretch: Students explain why indirect bullying can be harder to report than direct insults.
Device-Free: Corners vote: true to one side of the room, false to the other.
FALSE: Cyberbullying can also be indirect — spreading rumours, sharing images without consent, or excluding someone from group chats.
Rumours, non-consensual image sharing and deliberate exclusion all count as cyberbullying, even without a direct insult.
Stretch: Students consider what responsibility a bystander in a group chat has, giving reasons.
Device-Free: Pairs list the three indirect forms from memory, then check against the slide.
It’s always safe to click on a link sent by a friend
True
False
Trust in friends can override caution, and this question checks whether students realise a friend's account can be used to send harmful links.
Stretch: Students identify the features of a message that would make a link from a friend suspicious.
Device-Free: Fist for false, open hand for true, shown together on a signal.
FALSE: Accounts can be hacked. If a link looks odd, check with your friend through another channel before clicking.
Checking through a separate channel, such as a call or a face-to-face question, is a simple habit that defeats most hacked-account scams.
Stretch: Students explain why replying to the suspicious message itself is not a reliable check.
Device-Free: Ask for a show of hands on who has received an odd link from a known contact, then discuss the response.
Anything you post online contributes to your digital footprint
True
False
Some students assume private accounts or casual comments do not count, so this item tests whether they see every post as part of a lasting record.
Stretch: Students argue whether likes and comments on others' posts also form part of a digital footprint.
Device-Free: Mini-whiteboards: write T or F with one word of justification.
TRUE: Universities, employers, and even strangers may one day see what you post. Always think about your “future self”.
Universities and employers do look at online profiles, which makes the idea of a "future self" a practical test before posting.
Stretch: Students describe a post that could help, rather than harm, a future application.
Device-Free: Pair talk: would a five-years-older self be comfortable with the last thing posted?
You should tell a trusted adult if you see something online that upsets you
True
False
Most students know the right answer here, so the question is really a check on whether embarrassment or fear of "snitching" would stop them acting on it.
Stretch: Students explain what might stop someone their age from telling an adult and how that barrier could be removed.
Device-Free: Eyes closed, hands up for true, to reduce peer pressure on the answer.
TRUE: Speaking up is never “snitching” — it’s protecting yourself. Trusted adults can help sort the problem and keep you safe.
Reframing reporting as self-protection rather than "snitching" addresses the main social barrier to students seeking help.
Stretch: Students list who counts as a trusted adult in and out of school, and justify each choice.
Device-Free: Each student writes the name of one trusted adult privately on paper, without sharing.
Safe Practices and Strategies
Use strong, unique passwords + a password manager. Turn on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) wherever possible. Be cautious before you click — hover over links, check URLs. Think before you share — who can see this? Permanent digital footprint. Use privacy / security settings on apps and platforms. Keep devices, apps, OS updated (patches often fix security flaws). Use secure / trusted Wi-Fi (avoid open public networks for sensitive tasks). Back up your data.
Safe Practices and Strategies
Completing these sentences targets the key terminology of safe practice (two-factor authentication, digital footprint, privacy settings) while checking students read each strategy closely.
Stretch: Students rank the eight strategies from most to least important for their own accounts and justify the top choice.
Device-Free: Read each sentence aloud with a pause; students write the missing word on mini-whiteboards.
Scenario: “A friend sends you a link through DM on a platform. They say it’s something funny — but the link looks odd. What do you do?”
This activity could be worked on in pairs.
The scenario moves students beyond recalling rules: they weigh trust in a friend against warning signs and decide on a course of action.
Stretch: Students compare two possible responses and explain which better protects both themselves and the friend.
Device-Free: Pairs agree a three-step response, then one pair per table reports back.
Reporting and Support
Reporting and Support
You can report Internet misuse to the platform, your educational setting or a trusted adult
Keep evidence (screenshots) — but do not forward more widely
Trusted and safe networks: school safeguarding, local / national helplines
Reminder: If something feels wrong — speak up (even if embarrassed)
Links or additional slides can be added here, including details of the school's own digital safeguarding lead (set the edited version of the lesson to private, to practise what is being taught).
This slide sets out where students can turn for help, stressing that evidence should be kept but not spread further.
Stretch: Students explain why forwarding a harmful screenshot, even as evidence, could make a situation worse.
Device-Free: Show of hands: who could name a trusted adult in school to report to today?
Online Safety Audit
Reporting and Support
Online Safety Audit
Take out your phones / device... don't use this as an excuse to get distracted!
In pairs, review 3 apps / platforms you use
Check privacy settings
Check who can see what you post
Check account security (2FA, password strength, recovery options)
The audit applies the lesson directly to students' own accounts, checking privacy settings, audience and account security on three apps.
Stretch: Each pair identifies the single riskiest setting found and explains how changing it reduces exposure.
Device-Free: Where phones are not permitted, pairs complete the three checks as a printed checklist from memory of the apps they use.
This activity may need editing as per your mobile phone policy
What two changes are you going to make?
Feedback time: learners should by now have realised not to share any sensitive information in their answers.
Asking for two changes pushes students to evaluate their audit findings and prioritise, rather than repeat general advice.
Stretch: Students explain which of their two changes would have prevented one of the risks shown earlier in the lesson.
Device-Free: Students write both changes on a mini-whiteboard and share one with a partner.
Recap
Recap
Risks evolve — stay alert
The 4 Cs help us understand threats
Safe habits (passwords, thinking before sharing, updates) make a difference
Reporting is vital — no shame in speaking up
Safety is ongoing, not a one-time lesson
The recap pulls together the lesson's main messages: risks change, safe habits matter and reporting is always the right step.
Stretch: Students select the recap point they find hardest to follow in practice and suggest how to overcome that barrier.
Device-Free: Read each point aloud; students give a thumbs up, sideways or down to show confidence.
Name one thing you will change to stay safer online.
Intended as the exit ticket.
This exit ticket checks what each student has taken away by asking for one personal, actionable change.
Stretch: Students add when and how they will carry out the change, making it specific and measurable.
Device-Free: Students write their answer on a slip of paper and hand it in at the door.
For more topical lessons visit the
UK Spotlight Channel
The recap pulls together the lesson's main messages: risks change, safe habits matter and reporting is always the right step.
Stretch: Students select the recap point they find hardest to follow in practice and suggest how to overcome that barrier.
Device-Free: Read each point aloud; students give a thumbs up, sideways or down to show confidence.