The document outlines teaching ideas for Year 3 students to identify features of online texts and understand digital citizenship, emphasizing safe internet practices and ethical use of digital information. It includes various resources, activities, and videos to educate students about privacy, digital footprints, and navigating online platforms. Additionally, it provides guidance on how to evaluate websites and create safe online interactions, along with a focus on copyright and referencing information appropriately.

1. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Image: http://pixabay.com/en/icons-symbols-structure-networks-368716/

2. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
AUSTRALIAN CURRICIULUM
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES YEAR 3
Content Descriptor:
Work with others to plan the creation and communication of ideas and
information safely, applying agreed ethical and social protocols (ACTDIP013)
Elaboration:
Considering ways of managing the use of social media to maintain privacy
needs, for example activating privacy settings to avoid divulging personal
data such as photographs, addresses, and names and recognising that all
digital interactions are difficult to erase (digital footprints)
ENGLISH YEAR 3
Content Descriptor:
Identify the features of online texts that enhance navigation (ACELA1790)
Elaboration:
Students become familiar with the typical features of online texts, for
example navigation bars and buttons, hyperlinks and sitemaps

3. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Background Information for Teachers:
Digital Footprints: A trail of information (text,
audio, images etc) which people leave on the
Internet. Everything you post online combines to
becomes your digital footprint.
Navigation bars: A navigation bar is a section of a
website which is designed to aid users to navigate
(use) the online site/document.
Hyperlink: A hyperlink is data that the reader can
directly follow either by clicking on or hovering
over.
Sitemap: A sitemap is a list of pages of a website
which are accessible to users.

4. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
An introduction to the online world
As a class, watch the video which is embedded on the following slide.
This video is a great introduction to the ‘online world’ as it makes simple
comparisons between the ‘real’ and ‘online’ world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUO7t92k4Xg

5. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
How does the Internet work?
Many students and teachers do not realise that the Internet uses a
series of numbers for IP addresses (web addresses). When we
search on the Internet we generally type in a web address using
letters. However, the Internet has a built in mechanism for
translating every web address name into it’s exact address
(numbers).
The Basics of the World Wide Web:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8hzJxb0rpc#t=232

6. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
How does the Internet work?
The World Wide Web Explained in a little more detail (video
embedded on the following slide) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv0XCaUkfNk

7. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Rules for the Internet
By the time students are in Year 3 they should have a basic
understanding of Internet rules. However, we should not
assume that all students do so revision of basic rules is
essential. Follow the link below and as a class, revisit the 5
rules explained by Hippo. The rules include:
1. Don’t give out personal information
2. Don’t download alone
3. Don’t respond to a bully
4. Copy and paste, save it and print it
5. If you feel uncomfortable with what you see on the Internet
tell and adult
http://www.abcya.com/cyber_five_internet_safety.htm

8. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Rules for the Internet
As a class, work through the online interactive program called ‘Privacy
Playground: The first adventures of the three CyberPigs’. This program
guides students through spotting online marketing strategies, methods
for protecting their personal information and how to avoid online
predators. There is even a Teachers PDF Guide which can be
downloaded.
http://mediasmarts.ca/game/privacy-playground-first-adventure-three-cyberpigs

9. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Download a free poster
(image on the left) from:
http://www.educatorstechn
ology.com/2012/12/great-internet-
safety-posters-teachers.
html

10. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Rules for the Internet
As a class work through the second ‘Privacy Playground: The second
adventure of the three CyberPigs’. This online interactive program
focuses on how to authenticate online information, rules of netiquette,
distinguishing between facts and opinions, recognising bias and harmful
stereotyping in an online context. As with the first adventure, there is
also a Teachers PDF Guide which can be downloaded.
http://mediasmarts.ca/game/cybersense-and-nonsense-second-adventure-
three-cyberpigs

11. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Rules for the Internet
A digital footprint is a trail of information (text, audio, images etc) which
people leave on the Internet. Everything you post online combines to
becomes your digital footprint.
Show students the video which is embedded on the
following page. Even though it is quite confronting,
students need to be aware that everything which they
do online makes up their digital identity.
This will then lead into discussion about not uploading
photos of themselves, posting their personal information
etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHYkWtI7004

12. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Rules for the Internet
Invite students to create a list of rules for staying safe on the
Internet. Then ask students to turn their list into an
entertaining speech. Inform students that they are going to
use one of the following methods to create a talking avatar:
1. For online users: Use Voki to create an avatar which will
read their speech. Voki can be accessed online at
http://www.voki.com/ .
2. For SMART Notebook users: If you have SMART Notebook
software, students can create and save a Voki for free. On
the following page is a video demonstrating how students
can create a Voki and save it into SMART Notebook
software
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qufI8YKdCxk ).

13. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Rules for the Internet
3. For iPad users: Create a free avatar using Gabit
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gabit-talking-cartoon-creator/
id439739186 .

14. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
If you use it, reference it!
Many students think that if something is on the Internet then it is free
for anyone to use. Prior to this lesson, invite student to bring their most
important piece of work to share with the class. It might be their
favourite drawing, story, song, photo etc. Emphasise that it must be
student’s original work. Give each student the opportunity to show their
work to the class.
Then, start a class discussion about how things ‘get’ on the Internet.
Who puts them there? Why do they put them (share them) on the
Internet?
Give students the following scenario:
You have uploaded your favourite piece of work onto the Internet to
share with other people. People copy your work, put it on their own
website or use it for an assignment and say that it is their work, not
yours.

15. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
If you use it, reference it!
How does this make you feel? Then give students the next scenario:
People are using your work and they are making money from it.
How does this make you feel? What do you think the people who are
using your work should do? Can they just take it because it is on the
Internet?
Use the video on the follow slide as an introduction to copyright.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtJdfHXk_u8

16. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
If you use it, reference it!
The first and most basic step to teach students how to reference
information on the Internet to teach them to right click, copy and paste
the URL (web address) of the image or text they are using. On the
following slide is a video which I created for my class
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOTCyOT398w&list=UUyTdcfnz7pw
K_nwYUV6-JMA .
Once students have mastered this, I teach students how to conduct an
advanced Google image search. Here is a link to a quick video
demonstration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c66qvpfmwO8 .

17. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Social Media
Social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook are not only
popular for adults, but for students too. These sites allow students to
communicate and share information. Digital conversations can be shared,
rated, scored, copied, cited, commented, forwarded, noted, quoted, voted,
sold, stolen, measured, treasured, linked etc…
The video which is embedded on the following slide is a great introduction
to social media for teachers .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgNIIUD_oQg

18. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Social Media
Did you realise that sites such as Club Penguin and Moshi Monsters are
social networking sites? These sites are often accessed by students as
young as 5. Use the video which is embedded on the following slide to
explore online social sites with students. Pause the video throughout and
ask students leading questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nMUbHuffO8

19. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Social Media
Set up a class blog for your students in order for them to engage in social
media in a safe environment. There are many online platforms for doing
this. Two of my favourites are Weebly and Edublogs. Both are free for
education. Before allowing student to blog set clear rules. For example,
use your first name only and use your online etiquette.
Here are a few links showing examples of how my students communicate
collaboratively online.
http://jvillis.edublogs.org/15-enchinoderm-group/
http://pauljennings3jvauthorstudy.edublogs.org/short-story-collections/

20. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Hyperlinks:
Teach students how to create a hyperlink in
a word document, PowerPoint document
and an email. Allow students time to
practice inserting and opening hyperlinks. If
you are unsure of how to do this follow this
link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJqzAry
s7QY

21. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Search Engines:
Many students think Google is the Internet. Google is not the
Internet. It is a search engine. Introduce students to other
search engines and discuss what their function is. I like to
show students the following search engines and discuss the
layout/features of each and which ones they prefer and why?
Google Bing DuckDuckGo

22. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Search Engines:
Me4SweetSearch Kidtopia
GoGoolians

23. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Website evaluation
Work through the following criteria with
students as a class using a known website.
Then select two websites (one good and one
not so good for students to evaluate
themselves). The following criteria can be
inserted into a word document and given to
students so that they can type and or insert
screen captures in order to provide evidence
of their website evaluations.

24. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Website Evaluation Criteria:
WHO: Is the publisher/author of the website?
WHO: Is there information about the publisher/author? (ie an
about page?)
WHO: Is there a link, email address or contact form available
in case you wanted to find out more about the
publisher/author?
WHAT: What is the purpose of the website?

25. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Website Evaluation Criteria:
WHAT: What information is provided on the website?
WHAT: What images are provided on the website?
Are they relevant to the website?
WHAT: Are there any links provided on the website?
If so, are they suitable/relevant?
WHAT: Are there any navigation bars on the website?

26. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Website Evaluation Criteria:
WHAT: Is there a sitemap? Can you locate it?
WHAT: Are there any advertising, games, giveaways
or contests on the website? If so, how do you feel
about this?: What images are provided on the
website? Are they relevant to the website?
WHEN: When was the website created? Can you find a date?
WHEN: When was the website last updated? Can you find a
date?

27. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Website Evaluation Criteria:
WHY: Is the information on the website useful?
Why or why not?
WHY: Is the website easy to navigate? Why or why not?
HOW: If you could change something about the
website what would you change and why?

28. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Website Evaluation Criteria:
HOW: How would you rate this website overall?
What might your final judgement be based on your
observations?
Created by Joanne Villis. Based on the work of Kathy Schrock and the integration of De
Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats.

29. Website Evaluation Student Work Samples
Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis

30. Website Evaluation Student Work Samples
Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis

31. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Website Evaluation Student Work Samples

32. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Digital Citizenship
Watch the video on the following slide with students. The video is
an introduction to digital citizenship. There are nine key elements
of digital citizenship. These include:
1. Digital access: The right to access and use technology.
2. Digital commerce: The right to make purchases online.
3. Digital communication: The right to exchange information
electronically.
4. Digital literacy: The right to learn how to use technology.
5. Digital etiquette: The right to learn how to behave
appropriately when using technology.
6. Digital law: The right to be protected by digital laws.
7. Digital rights and responsibilities: The right to use and create
digital content.
8. Digital health and wellness: The right to use technology in a
way which keeps users physically and emotionally healthy.
9. Digital security: The right to personal security.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD_CANwFASU

33. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Digital Citizenship
Place students in small groups and assign each group one
of the nine elements of digital citizenship. Invite students
to discuss and explore their element in more detail. Ask
groups to consider:
a) What does their element mean? Can they explain it in
their own words?
b) What actions might students do in order to maintain
their digital rights in relation to their group’s element? (ie
create a list of rules in order to maintain student’s digital
rights)
c) What could students do if their digital rights were
infringed?

34. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
Digital Citizenship
Then ask students to prepare a script for a conversation between
sock puppets using an app called sock puppets.
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/sock-puppets/id394504903?mt=8
The app is free. Students can choose any of the characters below.
Ask students to record and then share their sock puppet scripts with
the class.

35. Identifying
Features
of Online
Texts
Year 3
Teaching
Ideas
By Joanne
Villis
COPYRIGHT
I give permission for the following:
Adaptations and sharing of this resources is for educational
purpose only. I do not give permission for commercial use of
this work. When sharing or adapting this work I ask that you
give credit to the original creator, Joanne Villis at
http://intertecheducation.edublogs.org/ .
Contact details:
http://intertecheducation.edublogs.org/
jvillis@inter-tech.com.au
http://www.pinterest.com/joannevillis/