The AI Literacy · Plate 05 · 35 min · unlocked
What it knows about you
A thirty-five-minute lesson on what a program collects while you use it, why it wants it, and the three questions to ask before typing anything personal.
Outcome
Can name three things a service might collect and give one reason it would want each.
Children arrive at this plate having used programs all their lives and having agreed to nothing themselves; an adult did, or nobody did. The lesson makes the collection visible without making it frightening. The outcome is a working habit — three questions before typing — not a fear of screens.
Before you start
A copy of one real privacy policy, printed or on the board, from a service the class knows. You will read three sentences of it aloud, not the whole thing; choose them in advance — one about what is collected, one about why, one about children.
No device for children. The point of this plate is not to use the tool.
Starter, five minutes
Ask the class to imagine a helper who follows them around all day with a notebook, writing down everything they say, when they said it, and where they were. Ask how they would feel. Then ask what the helper might do with the notebook.
Land the point: most programs on a phone or tablet are that helper. The notebook is called data, and the writing down is called collecting.
Main task, twenty minutes
Part one, eight minutes, whole class. Build a list on the board under the heading "What might a program write down?" The class will get most of it: what you type, when, how long, where you are, what device, what you liked. Add the one they miss: things you mention without meaning to — a friend's name, your school, your street.
Part two, seven minutes, whole class. Read your three chosen sentences from the real policy. After each, ask the room to say it in their own words. The "why" sentence usually reveals advertising or "improving our services"; name both plainly. Free things are paid for somehow.
Part three, five minutes, pairs. Each pair writes three things a service might collect and, for each, one reason it would want it. This is the outcome, and it should be quick, because the board has done the work.
Plenary, ten minutes
Put the never-type list on the board and ask why each item is there: full name with birthday, home address, passwords, photos of yourself, anything about someone else they would not want written down. Children can usually supply the reasons.
Close with the three questions, written where they can be copied: What does it collect? Why would it want that? Who agreed to it? Say the last one twice — for children under thirteen, the law says an adult must agree first, and this is why.
Teacher notes
The failure this lesson guards against is "nothing to hide" — the idea that collection only matters if you have done something wrong. The course's grade 8 text gives the counter-example: a pattern of late-night questions about a medical condition is informative regardless of the words. For younger classes, the friend's-name example does the same work: it is not your secret to give.
The opposite failure is alarm. The tone throughout is matter-of-fact. Programs collect data the way shops have cameras; knowing it is there is the point, not avoiding every shop.
Do not ask children which services they use or what they have typed into them. The lesson works entirely on the hypothetical helper and the published policy.
Assessment
Three things a service might collect, each with one reason the service would want it, in the pupil's own words. A list without reasons has not met the outcome.
What comes next
Plate 6 asks how to use the tool fairly, now that the class knows what it does, when it is wrong, what a source is, whose work is whose, and what it keeps.
Teach it · Read It Together
The Helper with the Notebook
What a program writes down while you use it, and why. The lesson above, as a booklet to read together: a teacher at the front with the class, or a parent at the table with one child. 35 minutes, in two voices. In the app, Archie reads it aloud.
Download the deck (PowerPoint)Print it (PDF) · 9 pages · grades 3-5
A read-aloud for kids, parents and teachers
The Helper with the Notebook
You have used programs all your life. Did you ever agree to what they keep? A grown-up did, or nobody did.
Today we make the writing-down visible, without making it scary. Thirty-five minutes, and no device needed. The point of this plate is not to use the tool.
Step 1 · The starter · 5 min
Imagine a helper
Imagine a helper who follows you around all day with a notebook. They write down everything you say, when you said it, and where you were.
How would that feel? And what might the helper do with the notebook?
Here is the point. Most programs on a phone or tablet are that helper. The notebook is called data. The writing down is called collecting.
Step 2 · The list · 8 min
What might a program write down?
Build the list together, where everyone can see it. You will get most of it.
What you type. When. How long for. Where you are. What device you used. What you liked.
Now the one people miss: things you mention without meaning to. A friend's name. Your school. Your street.
Step 3 · Three real sentences · 7 min
Read the policy
The grown-up reads three sentences from a real privacy policy, from a program you know. One about what it collects. One about why. One about children.
After each one, say it in your own words.
The "why" sentence usually turns out to mean advertising, or "improving our services". Say both plainly. Free things are paid for somehow.
Step 4 · In pairs · 5 min
Three things, three reasons
Write three things a program might collect, and for each one, one reason it would want it.
This should be quick. The board has done the work. This is the outcome of the whole plate.
Never type these
The never list, and why
Put these where everyone can see them, and ask why each one is there. You can usually supply the reasons yourselves.
- Never type: Your full name with your birthday.
- Why: Together they can be used to pretend to be you.
- Never type: Your home address.
- Why: It says where you are when nobody is with you.
- Never type: Passwords, and photos of yourself.
- Why: A password opens everything. A photo cannot be taken back.
- Never type: Anything about someone else.
- Why: It is not your secret to give.
The plenary · 10 min
Three questions before you type
What does it collect? Why would it want that? Who agreed to it?
Write them where they can be copied. Say the last one twice.
For children under thirteen, the law says a grown-up has to agree first. This is why.
Next time · Plate 6
Using it fairly
You know what it does, when it is wrong, what a source is, whose work is whose, and what it keeps. Last of all: how to use it fairly, and how to say so.
For the grown-up
Why this plate matters
The failure to guard against is "nothing to hide": the idea that collection only matters if you have done something wrong. The friend's-name example does the work for younger children. It is not your secret to give.
The opposite failure is alarm. Keep it matter-of-fact. Programs collect data the way shops have cameras. Knowing it is there is the point, not avoiding every shop.
Do not ask children which services they use or what they have typed into them. The lesson works entirely on the imaginary helper and the published policy.
Choose the three policy sentences in advance. One about what is collected, one about why, one about children.
Download the deck (PowerPoint)Print it (PDF) · 9 pages · grades 6-8
Read it together · for students, parents and teachers
The Helper with the Notebook
You have agreed to nothing yourself. An adult did, or nobody did. This plate makes the collection visible without making it frightening.
The outcome is a habit, three questions before typing, not a fear of screens. Thirty-five minutes, no device.
Step 1 · The starter · 5 min
The helper
Imagine someone who follows you all day with a notebook, writing down everything you say, when, and where you were. How would you feel? What might they do with it?
Most programs on a phone are that helper. The notebook is data. The writing down is collecting.
Step 2 · Whole class · 8 min
What might a program record?
Build the list. What you type, when, for how long, where you are, what device, what you liked.
Add the one that gets missed: what you mention without meaning to. A friend's name, your school, your street.
Step 3 · Whole class · 7 min
Three sentences from a real policy
Read three sentences from the privacy policy of a service the class knows. One on what is collected, one on why, one on children. After each, say it in your own words.
The "why" usually resolves to advertising or "improving our services". Name both plainly. Free things are paid for somehow.
Step 4 · Pairs · 5 min
Three things, with reasons
Three things a service might collect, and for each, one reason it would want it. A list without reasons has not met the outcome.
The never-type list
And why each is there
Ask the room for the reasons before giving them.
- Never type: Full name with date of birth.
- Why: Together they identify you to anyone.
- Never type: Home address.
- Why: It locates you when no one is with you.
- Never type: Passwords; photos of yourself.
- Why: One opens everything; the other cannot be withdrawn.
- Never type: Anything about another person.
- Why: It is not yours to give.
Plenary · 10 min
Three questions
What does it collect? Why would it want that? Who agreed to it?
Say the last one twice. Under thirteen, the law requires an adult to agree first. This is why.
A pattern of late-night questions about a medical condition is informative regardless of the words. That is why "nothing to hide" is the wrong frame.
Next · Plate 6
Using it honestly
Everything the course has built, turned into one habit: the line at the bottom of the work.
For the adult in the room
Notes
The failure to guard against is "nothing to hide". The counter-example is the pattern, not the words: late-night questions about a condition say something whatever they say.
The opposite failure is alarm. Programs collect data the way shops have cameras. Matter-of-fact throughout.
Do not ask students which services they use or what they have typed. The hypothetical helper and the published policy do all the work.