Who’s Really Behind the Screen?

5-minute SAFE starter on deepfakes, online image abuse, and how to check what is real.

Lesson Starter Safe 5 min Beginner Discussion

Preparation

  • Load slides 1–7 on the projector or board.
  • Check you can briefly demonstrate a reverse image search (optional).

Learning objectives

  • Understand what deepfakes are and the scale of the problem
  • Recognise that AI-generated intimate images are illegal abuse
  • Know basic steps for staying safe online when you see suspicious images or videos

Instructions

  1. Display the title slide and introduce the topic of deepfakes and online image abuse Slide 1

    Frame this sensitively — some students may have personal experience of this issue

  2. Show the Did You Know facts and read the key statistics aloud 60 seconds Slide 2

    Pause after "1 in 17 young people" — reassure students that support is always available

  3. Ask "If you couldn't tell whether a video of your friend was real or AI-generated, what would you do?" — students discuss in pairs, then reveal answers 60 Secs Slide 3-4 Pair Discussion

    Listen for students who say they'd share it to warn others — the answers address this directly

  4. Ask "How would you verify if content is genuine?" — reveal answers and optionally use the Spot the Fake Challenge as a practical activity Slide 5-6 Pair discussion

    BBC Bitesize link on Slide 6 works well as a follow-up if you have a few extra minutes

  5. Display the Staying Safe in an AI World key takeaways and emphasise reporting routes

    Highlight that victims are never to blame and that sharing harmful images is a serious offence

Key definitions

Deepfake
AI-generated or manipulated video, image, or audio that convincingly shows something that never happened. Can make people appear to say or do things they never did.
Reverse Image Search
A way to check where an image came from online. You upload or paste an image into a search engine to see if it appears elsewhere or has been edited.

Differentiation

Support

Provide simple, student-friendly definitions of deepfake and reverse image search with visuals. Allow extra processing time and check understanding in smaller groups.

Stretch

Ask students to research a real-world case of deepfake misuse and prepare one slide on the impact and response.

SEND

Pre-teach key vocabulary one-to-one or in a small group. Offer written prompts or sentence starters for the discussion so students can participate safely.

Extension activities

  • As a follow-up, ask students to create a short poster or slide for younger pupils explaining how to respond if they see a suspicious image or video online. Next lesson