A fake photo of a classmate can do real damage — and “it’s not real” is not an answer a student can use. This 12-page printable unit gives grades 6–9 one skill that keeps working as the technology changes: a checking habit. No logins, no apps, no projector — print it and teach it.

WHAT’S INCLUDED (12 pages, US Letter, print-ready PDF)

1. Cover and contents

2. Teacher overview, objectives, and where it fits in your curriculum

3. 60-minute lesson sequence (or two 30-minute sessions)

4. Starter: “Real or Generated?” — 12 statements for pairs to sort

5. Activity 1: The Six Tells detection checklist, with worked examples

6. Activity 2: six cut-out discussion scenario cards

7. Activity 3: “What would you do?” decision tree, who-to-tell table, and US reporting routes

8. Activity 4: the 30-second rule poster and assembly line, with success criteria

9. Written task, exit ticket, and student self-assessment

10. Answer sheet, worked verdicts, staff notes, and differentiation (Support / Challenge / ELL / low vision & dyslexia)

11. Letter home to families (editable)

12. License, credits, and how to edit the source file

BY THE END OF THE LESSON STUDENTS CAN…

• Describe what a deepfake is in one sentence, and name two ways it is used against young people.

• Apply the Six Tells checklist to an image or clip and give a reasoned judgement, not a guess.

• Explain why “it isn’t real” does not mean “it isn’t harmful”.

• Choose the right next step for each scenario: keep, delete, block, tell an adult, report — and name who.

HOW TO USE IT

Print one copy of pages 4–9 per pair. Pairs work the starter and the Six Tells, the class builds the decision tree together, and the written task doubles as the assessment. It fits health, advisory, media literacy, or a computer-science period, and it is written to be taught by any classroom teacher — not an IT specialist. The 60-minute plan splits cleanly into two 30-minute lessons; pages 2, 7 and 8 also work unedited as a five-minute assembly.

SAFE TO TEACH

The unit contains no examples of indecent imagery, no links to harmful material, and no graphic language. Every scenario is about a uniform photo, a voice note, a fake screenshot, or a clipped video. The staff-notes page answers the four questions teachers actually get asked, including what to do if a student discloses that something has already happened.