A comprehensive educational framework is now available to help teachers guide 11-to-13-year-olds through the complexities of growing up in an interconnected digital world. The ASAP Educational Programme centres on six Learning Units that combine reflection, creativity, and dialogue to help preadolescents understand not just what they do on social media, but why they do it.
Developed within the project ASAP - A Systemic APproach to social media and pre-adolescents through thinking skills education (2022-1-IT02-KA220-SCH-000090043), the units cover critical areas of digital literacy and wellbeing:
Authenticity & Authority teaches students to evaluate online information credibility, identify reliable sources, and practice fact-checking to combat misinformation.
Emotions helps young people recognise, express, and regulate feelings they experience while using social media, building emotional literacy and self-awareness.
Communication strengthens interpersonal skills through activities focused on listening, perspective-taking, and assertive behaviour both online and offline.
Role Models encourages reflection on influence, popularity, and authenticity, helping students understand how online figures shape their self-image and behaviour.
Onlife explores the blurred boundaries between digital and real worlds, promoting responsible and balanced participation in both spaces.
Power of Questions develops critical thinking and metacognitive awareness through curiosity and dialogue, teaching students that good questions lead to deeper understanding.
The programme invites students to slow down, think before reacting, and become more aware of their feelings, choices, and impact on others. By integrating these activities into everyday school life, teachers can transform social media from a distraction into an opportunity for growth and meaningful dialogue.
The materials are available in open access in the project website - here. Soon they will be available in other languages, including Portuguese.