Worked example · IT · Year 9
DCF: Citizenship → Identity, image and reputation
A secure Year 9 response, annotated so you can see which success criterion each part meets. It is also the answer key. Step 1: active 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10; passive 2, 4, 7, 9. The model explanation in Step 4 is 164 words with 10 different connectives from all 5 rows of the bank.
1 A · 2 P · 3 A · 4 P · 5 A · 6 A · 7 P · 8 A · 9 P · 10 A
A like (8) and a username (5) are active, because you chose them, even though they feel small. Evidences criterion 1.
| Case | In the footprint | Who saw it, and how | Effect | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A: Rhian | A public post from age 13 about skipping lessons and insulting teachers | A café manager, by searching her name; the screenshot was on a public page | Embarrassing interview; made her look unreliable | Ask the page owner to remove it, search her name regularly, and build positive posts that appear higher |
| B: Dylan | School uniform, school gates, location tag, one username on two accounts | A stranger from a game, by linking the username to the public account | A safety risk: a stranger knows his name, school and town | Make the account private, remove the tag and photo, change his gaming username, tell a trusted adult |
| C: Ffion | A blog about Duke of Edinburgh’s Award walks and volunteering, with no private details | A college tutor, by reading the public blog | Positive: it showed her interests and commitment | Keep checking settings, keep friends’ photos off it unless they agree |
Each case is traced from what was shared to who found it and how, which is the chain the explanation needs. Evidences criteria 2 and 3.
(a) Although Rhian deleted the post, a classmate had already screenshotted it.
(b) A stranger linked Dylan’s accounts together because he used the same username on both.
(c) Unless you check your privacy settings, strangers can see more than you think.
(d) Ffion’s blog shows her skills, whereas Rhian’s old post showed a poor attitude.
(e) Dylan’s account was public. Anyone could see the photo of his school.
Because Dylan’s account was public, anyone could see the photo of his school.
In (a) and (c) the subordinate clause comes first and is followed by a comma. In (e) the splice is fixed once with a full stop and once with a subordinating connective. Evidences criteria 4 and 5.
Why the internet never forgets, and what you can do about it
Your digital footprint is everything about you online. Some of it is active, such as posts and likes, whereas the passive part, like your search history, is collected without you noticing.
Although you can delete a post, you cannot delete every copy of it. Rhian learned this the hard way. She deleted a rude post at 13, but a classmate had screenshotted it, so four years later a café manager found it. Dylan never told a stranger his school. However, he used one username on two accounts, which means that anyone could link them.
If you want to stay in control, follow three steps. Search your name before anyone else does. Set your accounts to private and use different usernames. Think about how a post will look in five years.
Your footprint can also work for you. Ffion blogs about her walks, so a college tutor already knew what she was good at. The internet never forgets. Make sure it remembers the right things.
164 words, plus the title. 10 different connectives (such as, whereas, although, but, so, however, which means that, if, before, also) from all 5 rows of the bank. Two sentences open with a subordinate clause (“Although you can delete ...”, “If you want ...”). Short sentences land the key points (“Rhian learned this the hard way.”, “The internet never forgets.”). It covers active and passive footprints, why deleting is not enough, three pieces of advice and a positive footprint. Evidences criteria 1 to 5.
Connectives: 10 · Rows: 5 · Subordinate openings: 2
Weak sentence: Dylan put his school on the internet and a stranger saw it.
Improved: Because Dylan tagged his school and used the same username for gaming, a stranger he had never met could work out where he lived.
The improved sentence explains how one thing caused the other instead of just listing them with “and”. Evidences criterion 4.
Would I be happy for a teacher or an employer to see this in five years? Is there anything here that shows where I live or go to school? Would the people in it be happy for it to be shared?
If you play online, use a username that has nothing to do with your real name or school. If a player asks where you live or go to school, do not answer, and tell a trusted adult.