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How to be a team player online
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.
How to be a team player online
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Overview
In this lesson, learners will explore the importance of positive behaviour in online spaces. They will learn how to identify and maintain good conduct, both in games and online activities, and understand what to do if someone breaks the team rules. Through group discussions and activities, learners will connect their actions to the values of respect, kindness, and fairness.
This lesson links directly to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) by helping students see how positive online behaviour protects their rights. Specifically, it connects to Article 12 (the right to express opinions freely), Article 16 (the right to privacy), and Article 31 (the right to play and enjoy safe activities). By understanding these rights, students will learn how treating others with respect and fairness online contributes to protecting everyone’s rights.
Estimated time: 80 minutes (or two 40 minute sessions)
This lesson is part of the FREE digital licence program
Learning Intentions
Leaners will:
- Learn why it's important to behave well online and what actions can be taken if team rules are not followed.
- Link positive online behaviours to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and explain how these behaviours help protect children’s rights in online spaces.
These intentions are evidenced when learners can:
- Identify at least one value that helps to create a positive online environment, and explain why.
- Identify at least one positive action they can take as individuals to create a positive online environment and explain how this links to the UNCRC.
Educators will:
- Help learners understand why positive behaviour online is important.
- Show learners how behaving well online helps protect children's rights, as stated in the UNCRC.
These intentions are evidenced when educators can:
- Make evidence-based suggestions for how to keep online spaces positive and safe.
- Lead discussions where learners can connect their online behaviour to team values and understand how it relates to their rights.
Lesson Instructions
Part 1: What makes a good online teammate?
Discussion: What are "values"?
"Values" are the beliefs and principles that guide how we behave and interact with others. They influence our decisions and show what we think is important in life.
Brainstorm: Connecting values to team sports and activities
Ask students to think about a team sport or activity they have been part of, whether at school, in a club, or with friends. Write their answers on the board to refer to later in the activity.
- What values are important in the sports or activities you do?
- What values make a good team player?
- Why are these values important?
Discussion: Link to online environments
Encourage learners to make links to certain online game rules or codes of conduct that they are already aware of.
- What if we treated the digital world (online games, social media, messaging, etc.) like a sports field? What team rules do you think should apply?
- From the values we’ve brainstormed, which ones help create a positive online environment? Put a star next to these values.
Roleplay: Create a dramatic skit (in small groups/pairs)
For learners who find roleplay challenging, consider using written scenarios, storyboards, or comic strips.
Each group chooses a value (from the previous discussion), a media type, and a possible solution from the slide provided. In their groups, learners create a skit based on these prompts. Groups should include principles of dramatic action such as situation, character, and performance.
While the skits are performed or discussed, the audience fills in the assessment rubric provided - including a reflection on what worked well and how the solution presented could be improved
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Part 2: Child rights and positive online environments
Child rights and online conduct
Use the UNICEF Australia Child Rights poster provided to help guide this discussion.
Explain that children’s rights are basic human rights that protect their health, happiness, and safety.
Think/pair/share: Which rights from the poster are connected to being a good teammate, both online and offline?
Discuss how being a good teammate and showing positive sportsmanship relate to the rights they have chosen. Are there any connections or overlap between the rights in each column?
Investigate codes of conduct or game rules
Using devices, direct learners to investigate the codes of conduct or rules for an age-appropriate team or cooperative game of their choosing. Direct them to find at least one rule that also supports the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in particular the articles identified in the previous discussion.
Create a list of team values (small groups/pairs)
It may be helpful to provide a copy of any school behaviour rules, pledges, or principles for groups to refer to or adjust.
Using the provided template, each group will list important "team values" that promote positive cooperative behaviour in online spaces. These could include values like respect, kindness, honesty, and cooperation.
For each value they list, learners should connect it to an article from the Convention on the Rights of the Child. They should explain how this value helps protect those rights in online spaces.
For each value, learners will also suggest what should happen if the rule is not followed. This could include actions like giving a warning, talking to a trusted adult, or reporting inappropriate behaviour.
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Exit pass
In-class activity or set as homework.
What value stood out as something that is important in the online and offline spaces they interact in? Ask students to write 1-2 sentences describing how they would enact the value moving forward.
For instance, "In the game I am playing, I would show respect by not cheating and by encouraging others to do their best".
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(Optional) Top-up or extend the lesson
Top-up the lesson
For learners who need more help meeting the learning intentions & success criteria.
Find words related to this topic listed on the worksheet. Match each term to its correct definition from the options provided. Write a sentence for each term to show you understand its meaning in context.
This activity can be done throughout the lesson as new terms come up. Alternatively, it can be used as an additional activity after the lesson to reinforce understanding.
Extend the lesson
For learners who have met the learning intentions & success criteria and need a bit more of a challenge.
Ask learners to reflect on their own behaviour during sports or team activities.
- How did I contribute positively to the team today?
- Was there a moment where I could have been a better teammate?
- What values did I demonstrate during the activity?
Encourage learners to set personal goals for improvement in their teamwork and conduct.
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 5 & 6: Health and Physical Education
- AC9HP6P06: Apply strategies to manage emotions and analyse how emotional responses influence interactions.
- AC9HP6P08: Analyse and rehearse protective behaviours and help-seeking strategies that can be used in a range of online and offline situations.
- AC9HP6P10: Analyse how behaviours influence the health, safety, relationships and wellbeing of individuals and communities.
- AC9HP6M06: Propose and explain strategies to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour levels in their lives.
My Time, Our Place – Framework for School Age Care in Australia
This framework assists 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 develop confidence in their ability to interact positively with others in online spaces by understanding the values that underpin respectful and collaborative teamwork. This is evident when children:
- Reflect on how their behaviour in online spaces demonstrates their personal values and principles.
Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world.
Children explore how positive online behaviour contributes to building respectful and cooperative digital communities. This is evident when children:
- Recognise the importance of rules and codes of conduct in creating safe and supportive digital spaces.
Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators.
Children use their knowledge of teamwork values and digital etiquette to communicate effectively and build positive relationships in online environments. This is evident when children:
- Use appropriate language and strategies to resolve conflicts and support others in online spaces.
CASEL Framework
This 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 lesson helps learners reflect on their own values and how they influence behaviour in online spaces.
This is evident when learners:
- Identify their personal strengths and values, such as respect, kindness, and fairness.
- Reflect on how their behaviour in digital spaces demonstrates these values.
- Recognise how their contributions to teamwork affect the overall dynamic of online interactions.
Bournemouth University Theory of Change
This project, funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as part of the UK government's Online Literacy Media Strategy, aims to empower people to stay safe online by being able to critically evaluate what they see and read on the internet. It offers a transferable and sustainable framework and methodology that can not only be used for the independent evaluation of media literacy projects but also to inform their future design.
- Capabilities: This is where we use our media literacy more actively for particular purposes in our lives, rather than as passive consumers of information and content. Media literacy capabilities range from access changes, the application of more critical or mindful decision making when receiving information, the use of fact-checking of information or sources, more informed attitudes to sharing content and information, or getting directly involved in the media ecosystem as creators of media content.
National Association of Media Literacy Education (NAMLE)
The NAMLE Framework outlines the foundational concepts and principles for teaching and learning about media literacy. Media literacy, as defined by NAMLE, is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication.
Core Principle 1
- 1.1: MLE encourages learners to ask critical questions about the media they engage with.
- 1.2: MLE intersects with other literacies, such as social and emotional literacy.
Core Principle 2
- 2.1: MLE encompasses digital, social, and interactive media.
- 2.3: MLE integrates emotional and physiological responses to media.
Core Principle 3.
- 3.1: MLE equips learners with transferable skills for analysing and creating positive online interactions.
Core Principle 4
- 4.1: MLE helps learners understand the social norms and values promoted through media.
- 4.3: MLE examines the role of media in shaping behaviour and expectations.
Core Principle 6
- 6.1: MLE promotes responsible and ethical behaviour in online interactions.
- 6.3: MLE encourages collaborative problem-solving and dialogue.
Differentiate the lesson by assessing the discussion. Modify instruction as appropriate, based on whether learners can:
- Identify common values across online and offline environments.
- Identify and explain values that contribute to good teamwork and collaboration.
- Transfer values to a fictional scenario.
Options:
- Play a team-based game that requires cooperation, communication, and problem-solving. After, discuss how they worked together as a team to achieve their goals, and link the values demonstrated to this activity.
- Invite learners to reflect on why it is important to have a positive online environment.
- Offer starter scenarios, noted in the “discussion and answer key” supporting this pack.
Observe activity participation. Modify instruction if learners struggle to:
- Understand the links between online conduct and child rights.
- Identify values or rules that apply to cooperative play in online spaces.
Options:
- Play the video “What are Child Rights?” by UNICEF Australia to help unpack the concept of child rights.
- Pre-select codes of conduct and/or game rules from chosen age-appropriate cooperative games or platforms. Ask learners to match these to pre-selected Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Assess the “Exit pass” to ensure learners have met the following success criteria:
Identify at least one value that helps to create a positive online environment, and explain why.
Identify at least one positive action they can take as individuals to create a positive online environment and explain how this links to the UNCRC.
Next steps:
If some learners didn’t meet the criteria, do the “Top-up” activity in the following section. Discussion about the lesson’s themes can be continued at home, by setting the extension task as homework.
Important Note:
If this lesson is part of the eSmart Digital Licence, you’ll need to ensure that all learners have met the success criteria before accessing the Digital Licences.
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