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Year 6

Online motivations and bias

I can explain different reasons why people post online and consider how bias can affect this.

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New
New
Year 6

Online motivations and bias

I can explain different reasons why people post online and consider how bias can affect this.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Everyone is motivated by different things.
  2. Everyone is biased in some way, even if they try to be fair and kind.
  3. Understanding people's motivations online can help us decide how to react to them.
  4. We do not always know people's motivations, but we can make a sensible guess.

Keywords

  • Motivation - the reason why someone does something

  • Post - in this context, to put something online, such as a video, image or text

  • Bias - a feeling that influences how you respond to a situation or person

  • Biased - a word to describe someone who feels bias towards someone else

Common misconception

I'm not biased because I'm kind to people.

Bias happens in our unconscious, often without us realising it. Acknowledging that we all have bias is the first step in addressing issues of prejudice. It is our actions in response to bias that determine whether we are kind or not.


To help you plan your year 6 rshe (pshe) lesson on: Online motivations and bias, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Allow pupils to discuss biases they are aware of and the impacts of these. Be conscious of any children who may have experienced prejudice and be aware of any safeguarding concerns, such as pupils who report experiencing prejudice or pupils who find it challenging to acknowledge their own biases.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:data,detailed information stored online
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detailed information stored online

Correct Answer:personal data,detailed information about us stored online
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detailed information about us stored online

Correct Answer:advertise,to persuade someone to buy something
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to persuade someone to buy something

Q2.
Which statements are true?
Correct answer: We should restrict the number of apps that have access to our location.
We are unable to delete accounts online once we have created them.
Correct answer: Social media companies use our data for advertising.
We should never upload our data to the cloud.
Q3.
What is an influencer?
the reason why someone does something
Correct answer: someone famous or trying to be famous by posting online
anyone with a social media account
Q4.
Even though many websites are free to access, we often have to give companies our ...
Correct Answer: data, personal information, personal data
Q5.
__________ are tiny files that allow the website to remember your device.
websites
comments
passwords
Correct answer: cookies
Q6.
An algorithm is a set of rules used or created by a ...
Correct Answer: computer program, computer programme

5 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:motivation,the reason why someone does something
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the reason why someone does something

Correct Answer:post,in this context, to put something online, like a video, image or text
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in this context, to put something online, like a video, image or text

Correct Answer:bias,a feeling that influences how you respond to a situation or person
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a feeling that influences how you respond to a situation or person

Correct Answer:biased,a word to describe someone who feels bias towards someone else
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a word to describe someone who feels bias towards someone else

Q2.
Why might someone be motivated to post online?
Correct answer: They might be paid to post an advert.
They might want to lose followers.
Correct answer: They might want to spread a message.
Q3.
Which of these statements are true?
We can't be biased if we're kind to people.
Correct answer: Everyone is biased in some way.
We always know if we are biased.
Correct answer: It is important to recognise our own bias.
Q4.
Which of these statements are false?
Correct answer: Everyone who posts online is motivated by the same thing.
We should think about a person's motivation when we see their posts online.
Correct answer: We can never guess what someone's motivation is online.
People can show bias online, especially if they will earn money from it.
Q5.
If we are biased without realising it, this is called bias.
Correct Answer: unconscious