Positive uses of social media
Increasingly, social media has been used to create positive social change. From hashtags to sharing positive posts and fundraising efforts, these movements build momentum through social media. Researching current trends and creating a strategy to promote a cause they believe in encourages students to be active citizens and to recognise the potential of using social media for positive outcomes.
Year level
7-10
Duration
60 minutes
Type
In class activity
Online learning
SEL Competencies
Self-management
Social awareness
Learning intention
Students understand how to use social media to create positive social change.
Key outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
understand the impact of social media trends
create a social change campaign.
Materials needed
Pen and paper
Device with internet access
Mapped to
Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
Refine protective behaviours and evaluate community resources to seek help for themselves and others (AC9HP8P08)
Analyse factors that shape identities and evaluate how individuals influence the identities of others (AC9HP10P01)
Plan, justify and critique strategies to enhance their own and others’ health, safety, relationships and wellbeing (AC9HP10P10)
Australian Curriculum: General Capabilities
Personal and Social Capability:
Self-management
Social awareness
Ethical Understanding:
Understanding ethical concepts and perspectives
Digital Literacy:
Investigating
Creating and exchanging
Critical and Creative Thinking:
Inquiring
Generating
Reflecting
NSW PDHPE Syllabus
Investigates health practices, behaviours and resources to promote health, safety, wellbeing and physically active communities (PD4-7)
Applies and refines interpersonal skills to assist themselves and others to interact respectfully and promote inclusion in a variety of groups or contexts (PD4-10)
Plans, implements and critiques strategies to promote health, safety, wellbeing and participation in physical activity in their communities (PD5-7)
Victorian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
Plan and use strategies and resources to enhance the health, safety and wellbeing of their communities (VCHPEP130)
Plan, implement and critique strategies to enhance the health, safety and wellbeing of their communities (VCHPEP149)
Activity 1
Research and applications: Positive social media
30 minutes
Ask students to choose a positive social media story or trend – for example, the Instagram page ‘goodnews_movement’ or hashtag ‘#buyfromthebush’, or using social media to connect with family members or to communicate with friends overseas.
Students create a poster or presentation explaining the campaign and why it was positive. Questions to answer include:
What is the story or trend?
What platform was it shared on and how did it grow momentum?
What was the reason for the trend or story?
Why did this come about?
What was the positive impact?
Activity 2
Individual activity: Social media to create social change
30 minutes
Individually, ask students to identify a topic they are interested in (e.g. climate change, poverty, homelessness, racism, mental health, discrimination).
For their chosen cause, ask students to design two social media posts to explain the topic. Students should write or draw these on paper. They might create a/an:
Instagram post
Twitter post
Facebook update
Snapchat filter.
Students write a paragraph explaining why their posts could create positive social change.
Students share their campaigns with each other.
