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Emotion Detectives: Regulating Online Feelings
Child Safeguarding Statement
Some resources and activities may prompt a child to remember and potentially share an experience of harm. Make sure you’re familiar with your school's safeguarding policies and procedures so you can confidently report safety and well-being concerns.
Prepare students for the session by discussing: their right to be safe and respected; what to do if discussing online safety makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe; and how to seek help if they feel or have felt unsafe. Use this resource available on the website.
Emotion Detectives: Regulating Online Feelings
Overview
In this roleplay lesson, learners will create and act out scenes to explore how certain patterns of technology usage can affect their feelings and emotions.
By understanding how technology impacts their well-being and feelings, learners will begin to recognise the physical and emotional signs of device overuse, and learn the skills necessary to develop more mindful online habits.
For further guidance on fostering emotional intelligence in relation to the Compulsion risk area, please refer to the Educator lesson notes in the Resources section.
This lesson is part of the FREE digital licence program
Learning Intentions
By completing this activity, our class intends to:
- Understand that using devices can affect our emotions, and the emotions of others.
- Describe management strategies for regulating emotions in a range of online scenarios.
Lesson Instructions
Activity Setup
Download the “Student Activity Pack” from the Resources section, and distribute either by printing and pasting into student workbooks, or electronically on Google Classroom or similar.
An "Educator Tip Sheet" is provided in the Resources section to support class discussion and subject matter expertise.
Unpacking Common Scenarios
The first section of the “Student Activity Pack” demonstrates individuals in different technology-based scenarios. As a whole class group, discuss some of the likely scenarios and feelings that the characters in each image might be experiencing, and direct students to write down their thoughts on the worksheet provided.
Prompt questions include:
- What is going on in the image?
- What emotions might the characters be feeling?
- Why might they be feeling this way?
- Is this something that you can imagine yourself or others experiencing? Explain.
- If we wanted to change the feelings of this scenario to more positive emotions, what would need to happen?
Developing Skits
In small groups or pairs, ask students to develop a 5-minute skit based on one of the issues raised in the last step. Each scenario must have the following:
- Two (or more) characters.
- A problem caused by someone using technology in a certain way.
- A positive solution to the problem.
The skits should harness dramatic action and techniques, such as:
- A believable situation that includes technology.
- Characters that can be clearly identified, that show emotions and might have a backstory.
- Performances that use voice, body, and facial expressions.
- A solution to the conflict or problem which forms a clear ending.
Please see the “Educator Tip Sheet" in the Resources section for more suggestions on how to embed dramatic principles into the skit development.
If additional scaffolding is required to get the most out of group work, consider assigning students the following roles as appropriate:
- Director: Offering suggestions, timing the group, and making sure that the scenario is meeting the criteria set out for the activity.
- Actors: Each actor should have a character to play.
- Script-writer: Writing scripts and prompts for the actors to carry out.
Performance
Offer time for students to act out their skits in front of the class group. The audience should practice active listening by filling in the peer assessment rubrics in the "Student Activity Pack".
Exit Pass
After the performances, as a whole group discuss the scenarios and the audience’s responses. To conclude the lesson, each student should write answers to the two Exit Pass questions in the "Student Activity Pack.
Aligned Curriculum
Australian Curriculum (Version 9.0)
The Australian Curriculum outlines the fundamental knowledge, comprehension, and abilities students are expected to acquire as they advance through the initial 11 years of schooling.
Years 3 and 4: General Capabilities
Personal and Social Capabilities
Emotional awareness:
- Level 3: Explain the influence that their own behaviour has on the emotional responses of others.
Emotional regulation:
- Level 3: Manage and moderate emotions in familiar contexts, using provided strategies.
- AC9ADR4D01: Use the elements of drama to explore and develop ideas for dramatic action in improvisations and/or devised drama.
- AC9ADR4C01: Improvise and/or devise and shape drama using the elements of drama to communicate ideas, perspectives and/or meaning.
Years 3 and 4: Health and Physical Education
- AC9HP4P06: Explain how and why emotional responses can vary and practise strategies to manage their emotions.
- AC9HP4P10: Investigate and apply behaviours that contribute to their own and others’ health, safety, relationships and wellbeing.
CASEL Framework
The CASEL Framework creates a foundation for applying evidence-based, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies both at school and in the broader community. Its aim is to support the cultivation of SEL skills and environments that advance students’ learning and development.
- Self-awareness: The abilities to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behaviour across contexts.
- Social-awareness: The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts.
My Time, Our Place – Framework for School Age Care in Australia
The aim of My Time, Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia (the Framework) is to assist educators to provide children and young people with opportunities to maximise their potential and develop a foundation for successful lifelong learning. The Framework has been designed for use by approved providers and school age care educators working in partnership with children and young people, their families and the community, including schools.
Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity.
Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy, and respect.
This is evident when children:
- Identify the role of people in their lives and how they use technology and support children to use technology in appropriate ways.
Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world.
Children develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation.
This is evident when children:
- Understand that different people will use digital things at different times and for different reasons.
- Communicate and demonstrate an understanding that they are a part of a world that shares and communicates using digital things.
- Demonstrate an ability to share and respect others’ use of digital things.
Outcome 3: Children and young people have a strong sense of wellbeing.
Children become strong in their social, emotional and mental wellbeing, particularly when they are aware of and develop strategies to support their own mental and physical health, and personal safety.
This is evident when children:
- Identify emotions and feelings in relation to digital device usage, and attempt to explain why such feelings might arise.
Related Resources
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