Safer Internet Day Tutorial Resource

Safer Internet Day Tutorial Resource

This is a ready-made Navigate resource pack intended for use within college tutorials or sessions. You are welcome to use it as provided or adapt it to better suit the specific needs of your college and students. These resources are designed to support student engagement with key national events and topics throughout the academic year. Please ensure that all activities are recorded on Navigate against each participating student.

Open the editable resource in Canva

This pack is available in both PowerPoint and Canva formats so you can adapt and edit the materials to suit your college's needs.

How to use this resource

1. Choose your icebreaker. At the end of this pack you'll find three icebreaker options designed to introduce the session's theme. Review these and select one that best suits your group's energy, time, and context.
2. Review the tutor notes. Before delivering the session, read through the tutor notes to understand the background and purpose of the topic. These notes will help you feel confident in leading the discussion and provide key points to include in your delivery.
3. Follow the session plan. Use the 30-35 minute session plan as your guide. It offers a suggested flow with timing and activity breakdowns to help structure your delivery effectively.
4. Deliver using the slides and resources. Work through the main input slides, activity slides, and reflection slides in order. Use any additional printable resources provided to support the main activity.

Tutor notes: topic context

Safer Internet Day 2026 will take place on 10 February 2026, with celebrations and learning based around the theme "Smart tech, safe choices - Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI". Everyone's talking about AI, and with many children and young people hearing about and using AI online, it's important they have the skills and confidence to make safe choices when they are using smart technology.

This Safer Internet Day we are exploring the impact of AI on all of our lives, looking at how AI can be used for good, and giving advice and guidance that empowers people to use AI safely and responsibly. Useful resources from the Safer Internet Centre include top tips for young people and top tips for parents and carers.

Session plan (30-35 minutes)

1. Starter - Icebreaker (5-7 mins). Choose one icebreaker:
   • Icebreaker 1: Would you click? Students decide whether they would click, ignore or report.
   • Icebreaker 2: Pause or post. Decide if the scenarios make you pause or want to post anyway.
   • Icebreaker 3: What's the consequence? Show real-life scenario examples and have students select the correct multiple-choice answer.
2. Main tutor input (10 mins). Give students a clear understanding of the Safer Internet theme. Introduce what Safer Internet Day is and why it is recognised, and explore how smart technology and AI affect online safety and choices.
3. Main class activity (15 mins). Divide into small groups of 4-6. Give each group one scenario. Each group discusses and answers questions based on the scenario, then feeds back to the class as a group or via a spokesperson. The tutor can highlight smart tech, safe choices and the usefulness of AI.
4. Reflection and wrap (5-8 mins). Ask the reflection questions as well as "One new thing you learned today?" Encourage 1-2 volunteers to share. Show the Navigate slide and prompt students to log their learning and reflections.

Main group activity: scenarios

Each group receives one scenario. Instead of guessing consequences, students:

• Identify what the risky behaviour is
• Suggest safe alternative actions
• Decide how to prevent the risk in the future

Scenario examples:

1. A student is invited to join a public Discord server that asks for personal info.
2. A friend asks to use their account to play an online game.
3. A classmate posts a funny meme about someone without consent.
4. A student is offered a "shortcut" AI tool that promises perfect essays.

A printable scenario resource is included at the end of the pack so students can write their answers in the box for ease.

Introduction

What is Safer Internet Day? Safer Internet Day is an annual international event that promotes the safe, responsible and positive use of the internet. It usually takes place in February and focuses on helping people understand online risks such as scams, privacy, cyberbullying, misinformation and harmful content, while also highlighting how the internet can be used in a safe and empowering way.

Why is it celebrated? The day is celebrated to:

• Raise awareness of how the internet affects people's rights, safety, and wellbeing, including privacy, freedom of expression, and protection from harm online
• Highlight real online risks such as scams, harassment, misinformation, and data misuse, while also showing how technology can be used positively
• Encourage responsibility and action, helping young people know how to stay safe, support others, and report concerns when something goes wrong online
• Promote shared responsibility, reminding users, schools, governments, and tech companies that creating a safer internet is everyone's role

Learning objectives

By the end of this session, students will:

• Understand what Safer Internet Day is and why it matters
• Explore how smart technology and AI impact your online safety and choices
• Take part in an interactive group activity about real-life online scenarios
• Reflect on how to make safer, more responsible choices online and record your learning on Navigate

Why does it matter?

• Online choices can affect your safety, e.g. scams, location sharing, or AI misuse
• Posts and content can impact your reputation, now and in the future
• Sharing personal information without thinking can lead to identity theft or unwanted attention
• Understanding AI and digital tools helps you make smarter, safer decisions
• Thinking before posting helps protect yourself and others

Making smarter choices

• Pause and think before clicking, posting, or sharing
• Check sources and links for reliability
• Protect your personal info (location, logins, private chats)
• Respect consent when sharing content about others
• Spot AI-generated content and question whether it's trustworthy

Reflection

• What is one safer choice you could make online after today's session?
• What risk or consequence surprised you the most and why?
• How can AI be useful without becoming unsafe or unfair?
• If a friend was about to post something risky, what advice would you give them?

Icebreaker option 1: Would you click?

Decide whether you would click, ignore or report each example.

• A TikTok ad claims an AI tool can "guarantee" higher exam grades if you upload coursework. Best choice: Report or Ignore. No tool can guarantee grades. Uploading coursework risks plagiarism, data misuse, and academic penalties.
• An email that looks like it's from your college IT team says your account will be locked unless you log in within 30 minutes. Best choice: Report or Ignore. Scammers use urgency to panic users. Colleges don't ask for logins via email links.
• You get a snap from someone you don't know saying they've seen your profile and want to talk. Best choice: Ignore or Block. Unknown contacts can be fake profiles or grooming attempts. You don't owe a reply.
• You get a DM offering you £50 to repost a link promoting a new crypto or investment app. Best choice: Report or Ignore. Many crypto promotions are scams. Sharing them can risk money, reputation, or legal trouble.

Icebreaker option 2: Pause or post

Decide whether to pause or post before sharing content online.

• You're angry after an argument with a friend and want to post a story calling them fake.
• You filmed a student having a bad moment and think it will be funny to share it in a group chat.
• Someone leaves a nasty comment on your post and you're about to reply publicly.
• You're tempted to share a rumour because "everyone already knows".

Icebreaker option 3: What's the consequence?

Predict what could happen after an online action and reveal the real outcome.

• Location sharing. A student keeps their Snapchat location on "public" so friends can see where they are. Someone they don't know starts showing up at places they visit. Real consequence: police were involved after stalking and safety concerns. There have been UK cases of stalking linked to live location sharing, leading to police involvement and safeguarding support. Apps now encourage users to limit who can see their location.
• Sharing college login details. A student shares their college login with a friend to "check something quickly." The account is later used to access personal data. Real consequence: a data breach investigation was launched and access was restricted. Real incidents in education settings have led to security investigations, accounts being locked, and disciplinary action because shared logins can lead to data breaches.
• AI voice scam. A young person receives a phone call that sounds exactly like their parent, saying they're in trouble and urgently need money transferred. Real consequence: money was lost due to AI voice-cloning scams. In the UK and globally, AI voice-cloning scams have caused people to lose thousands of pounds, prompting warnings from banks and police about trusting voice calls alone.

Printable group scenarios

For each scenario, students identify the risky behaviour, suggest safe alternative actions, and decide how to prevent the risk in the future:

1. A student is invited to join a public Discord server that asks for personal info.
2. A friend asks to use their account to play an online game.
3. A classmate posts a funny meme about someone without consent.
4. A student is offered a "shortcut" AI tool that promises perfect essays.

Source files attached below.