‘Myth vs Reality’ is phase 2 of our practical PSHE toolkit for educators of young people aged 11-14. Its purpose is to help educators generate discussion amongst young people about their online experiences and challenge them to consider how real the content is that we see online.
Using a set of talking heads films as a spring board, the toolkit covers relevant topics such as online pornography, healthy relationships and body image; considering how all 3 topics connect together. It will explore key online myths in relation to these topics and guide educators in supporting young people to seek out the reality and challenge the myths they are seeing online.
Through discussion and activities, this toolkit not only challenges young people to reflect on their own experiences, their own behaviour and unpick the truth from the online myths, but also ensures that they know who to go to and how to get support when/if aspects of their online life worries them.
This toolkit is primarily to be used with young people in Key Stage 3 (11-14 year olds). We recommend that you check activities and film content in advance to ensure they are appropriate for your year group, school and wider community. All activities have been reviewed by KS2 teachers (7-11 year olds) and activities which have been deemedappropriate for use with an upper KS2 group have been starred throughout. We advise that KS2 teachers check theseactivities first and only use them if they suit the needs and maturity of your pupils.
This toolkit has been designed to suit the needs of different educators. Although not designed as an assembly resource, educators can be selective in the activities they use according to their PSHE timetable. For example, should you have a 40 minute PSHE lesson, 15 minutes tutor time, or if you lead a youth group, there are different aspects of this toolkit that you can can use to fit into your allocated time. We advise that you always use the films in conjunction with the follow-on discussion questions to ensure you cover all the messages and that key themes are handled effectively.
If your school doesn’t have a dedicated PSHE lesson, many of the topics and learning outcomes from this toolkit cover aspects of the Computing curriculum. For example, this curriculum requires Key Stage 3 students to be taught to understand:
- How to use a range of technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely
- How to recognise inappropriate content, contact and conduct
- How to report concerns
For more questions about this toolkit, read the guidance for educators section from pages 6 to 18. For support on using the lesson plans, see the topic guidance pages at the start of each topic section of this toolkit.
Youth involvement in the PSHE Toolkit
The toolkit was created following focus groups conducted in five schools across the UK, where young people expressed the need for education about the portrayal of gender, bodies and relationships online with a particular need for education about the reality of online pornography.
Full resource:
All aspects of the resource are free to download and are subject to Creative Commons.