Cover lesson · English · Year 9 · Intermediate
Debating online rights
DCF: Citizenship → Digital rights, licensing and ownership
Name: Class: Date:
Cover teacher — you need no subject knowledge
Print: this sheet and the stimulus sheet "Who should own your data?", one of each per pupil. No computers needed.
Run: 5 min read the stimulus · 5 min plan on this sheet · 30 min write · 5 min swap and check against the criteria box. There is no single right answer — pupils are marked on structure and evidence, not on which side they pick.
Collect: this sheet plus their written argument. Both go to the class teacher.
What you are doing
You have a stimulus sheet with two opposing views about who should control personal data online. Choose one side and write a structured argument defending it: introduction, two developed points with evidence, and a conclusion.
Step by step
- 5 min — Read both perspectives on the stimulus sheet. Underline anything you could use as evidence.
- 5 min — Fill in the planning box below. Decide your side before you start writing.
- 30 min — Write your argument in full sentences on lined paper. Use the sentence starters if you are stuck.
- 5 min — Swap with a partner. Tick their work against the success criteria and tell them one thing to improve.
Planning box
| The side I am defending |
|
| Point 1 |
|
| Evidence for point 1 |
|
| Point 2 |
|
| Evidence for point 2 |
|
| The strongest thing the other side would say |
|
| My answer to it |
|
Sentence starters
- "In today's digital world…" / "Whenever we install an app…"
- "Firstly… This matters because…"
- "Some people argue that… However, this ignores…"
- "Under UK data protection law…"
- "To conclude, the stronger case is… because…"
Write your argument
Use lined paper. Aim for four paragraphs and at least 300 words.
Success criteria
- I state clearly which side I am defending in my first paragraph.
- I make two separate points, each with evidence from the stimulus sheet.
- I name at least one real right or rule (for example the right to have data erased, or the ICO).
- I answer the strongest argument from the other side instead of ignoring it.
- My conclusion restates my case without adding new information.
If you finish early
- Rewrite your introduction defending the opposite side. Which was easier to argue, and why?
- List three pieces of personal data you handed over this week without being asked directly for it.
- Draft the three questions you would put to a social media company at a public inquiry.