Sharing Information Online wellbeing lesson plan
A secondary wellbeing lesson for Years 8 to 10 that helps Australian teachers introduce safe, considered decision making about sharing information online through a structured, ready-to-teach lesson. Students learn to recognise how personal information, photos and online interactions can affect their privacy, safety and relationships, and practise pausing before they share. The lesson also builds students' thinking about digital footprints, misinformation and respectful online communication, supporting confident and safe use of social media and other online spaces.
Online Safety, AI & Digital Literacy
Snapshot
Sharing Information Online
This lesson gives teachers a structured way to help students build practical digital decision making skills without relying on fear based messaging. Feedback: 4.4/5 from 69 teacher ratings
Prep time:
5 to 10 minutes
Lesson length:
45 to 50 minutes
Key Focus
Making safe, informed decisions about sharing personal information and content online
Lesson Format
Teacher-led discussion and structured activities
What students will learn
By the end of the lesson, students will be supported to:
Recognise
Recognise the difference between information that is generally safe to share and information that could compromise privacy or safety.
Recognise how personal details, photos or location information can be shared or copied beyond their original context.
Recognise situations where consent should be sought before sharing photos, tags or personal information about someone else.
Understand
Understand how a digital footprint builds over time and can affect privacy, reputation and relationships.
Understand why checking sources and thinking critically about content, including AI generated information, matters before sharing or believing it.
Practise
Practise pausing to think before sharing personal information, photos or details about themselves or others online.
Practise asking for consent before posting or tagging someone else.
Practise identifying trusted adults or support options if something shared online feels unsafe or upsetting.
Who this lesson is for?
This lesson is designed for secondary students in Years 8 to 10 who are actively using social media, messaging apps and other online platforms as part of daily life.
It is suitable for:
secondary wellbeing lessons
Health or PDHPE teaching
pastoral care or advisory sessions
digital literacy or online safety programs
respectful relationships units that include online behaviour
Suitability should be based on more than age alone. Teachers should consider the lesson focus, student maturity, cohort needs, classroom culture, existing discussion norms and available support pathways.
Best used when
Use this lesson when students need clear, practical language for recognising unkind behaviour and knowing what to do next.
Introducing online safety and digital literacy Use when students are beginning structured learning about privacy, digital footprints and safe sharing habits.
Reinforcing respectful online communication Use when revisiting class or school expectations about respectful behaviour on social media and messaging platforms.
Supporting a respectful relationships unit Use when consent and boundaries are being explored alongside online communication and sharing habits.
Practising safe decision making Use when students need practical steps for pausing before they share personal information or content online.
Preparing for increased online independence Use when students are gaining more access to devices, social media or online platforms and need clear decision making skills.
Creating a structured digital literacy discussion Use when you want a calm, teacher led discussion about privacy, misinformation and online choices.
The lesson can be used proactively with the whole class. It does not need to follow a specific incident.
Why this lesson matters
Students share personal information, photos and opinions online every day, often without pausing to consider who might see it or how it could be used later. Teaching students to think critically before they share helps build stronger digital judgement over time, rather than only responding after something has already gone wrong. It gives students language and habits they can use across social media, messaging and other everyday online spaces. This lesson supports schools building a culture where privacy, consent and respectful online communication are treated as everyday skills, not just a set of rules to follow.
How this lesson supports wellbeing
This lesson supports student wellbeing by building practical social and emotional skills students can use in everyday school life. It helps students develop:
Capability How the lesson supports it
Critical thinking Students learn to pause and evaluate information, sources and content before sharing or believing it.
Digital literacy Students build understanding of digital footprints and how shared content can be copied or seen beyond its original audience.
Privacy awareness Students recognise which types of personal information are safe or risky to share online.
Respectful communication Students consider how their online words and posts affect others.
Consent and boundaries Students practise seeking permission before sharing photos or information about someone else.
Help-seeking Students identify who they can speak to if something online feels unsafe or upsetting.
For teachers and school leaders, the lesson contributes to broader wellbeing, respectful relationships, child safety and pastoral care goals in Australian primary schools.
Teaching notes & Delivery Considerations
This lesson includes content about unkind behaviour, exclusion and asking adults for help. It should be taught with calm, clear discussion norms.
Before teaching
Remind students not to name classmates or share personal stories about specific people or accounts
Frame discussion around general scenarios rather than real examples from the school or friendship group
Make clear the lesson is about building safe decision making skills, not judging past choices
Be prepared to follow your school's child safety, wellbeing or child protection procedures if a student discloses harm or says they feel unsafe
During delivery
Use everyday examples such as posting photos, tagging friends or sharing personal updates
Give students time to discuss and practise pausing before they share
Reinforce that mistakes made online can often be managed with support, without shame or blame
Allow students to respond through discussion or written reflection depending on confidence
Supporting safe discussion
Reinforce that privacy and consent apply to information about themselves and about others
Explain that asking for help with an online concern is a responsible choice
Follow your school's child safety or wellbeing procedures if concerns arise during discussion
Adaptation options
Extend discussion into evaluating misinformation or AI generated content for more confident groups
Use guided examples or sentence starters for students who need more structured support
Spend more time on consent and boundaries if this connects with a wider respectful relationships unit
