Pause, put it down, tell

Learning goal: Rehearse pausing and getting help when something feels wrong.

Prepare: One worksheet per child, pencils or crayons, and the linked book pages. A closed book can stand in for a device. No student account or device is needed.

Book connection: Cyber Safety Coloring & Activity Book Featuring Officer Quackers, PDF pages 31, 43. Numbers are PDF positions, including blank backs.

Teach the lesson

1. 3 min · Connect

   Ask: What could your face or body do when you feel unsure?

2. 4 min · Model and say

   Use a closed book as a pretend tablet. Say: This worries me. I stop touching the screen, put it down safely, and tell my teacher.

3. 8 min · Practice together

   Lead three gentle fictional situations: an odd pop-up, a confusing request, an unkind message. Children rehearse the same three actions. Do not show frightening content. Read the worksheet aloud and let children respond by pointing, speaking, circling, or drawing. Use optional coloring only if time allows.

4. 3 min · Discuss

   Invite two different responses. Ask: What would you do? Why could that help? Use the answer guide on the next page.

5. 2 min · Check understanding

   Give a new pretend pop-up and check whether students demonstrate all three actions.

Answers & follow-through

Worksheet guidance

1. Number these steps 1, 2, 3.

   Tell = 3; pause = 1; put down safely = 2. Accept an accessible equivalent such as moving hands away.

2. Do you have to fix a worrying message by yourself?

   No. Ask a trusted adult.

3. Draw yourself telling a helper.

   Look for asking rather than continuing to interact.

Check, then respond

Give a new pretend pop-up and check whether students demonstrate all three actions.

Mark your observation: □ Independent   □ With a prompt   □ Needs practice. If a child needs practice, demonstrate the same action again and offer a new example in the next class. This is a teaching check, not a safety certification.

Make it work for your learners

Support: Read aloud, point to two choices, model one response, and accept a gesture, spoken answer, drawing, or partner scribe. Do not require independent reading.

Extend: Ask the child to invent one new pretend situation for today’s goal and explain a safe response to a partner.

Family conversation

Let your child teach you the three actions with a pretend device.

No personal information or signed homework needs to be returned.

Teacher care note

Use fictional situations. Do not collect passwords, addresses, or private experiences. Offer an alternative to role-play. If a child shares a concern, listen calmly, avoid public questioning, and follow school procedures.