Lili and the forwarded monster face

In the bubble ship’s lounge, Miki was wrestling with a stubborn snack wrapper when Lili burst out laughing beside him.

“Look at this!”

On the tablet screen, Lili had two neon-green horns. Her eyebrows had a life of their own, and purple bubbles floated out of her mouth.

Miki laughed. “You look like you ate the engine.”

“At least I managed to eat something,” Lili said, glancing at his unopened snack.

“Send it to the space-school group! Everyone will crack up.”

Lili opened the sharing menu. “I’ll send a disappearing photo. They look, they laugh, then it’s gone.”

One of Kiber-Huba’s lenses lit up in the charging corner.

“I’d check that last bit.”

“The laughing?”

“The ‘gone’ bit.”

Huba projected a small hologram between them: an imaginary group chat and a horned monster face.

“Let’s say you send it.”

A countdown appeared beside the picture. Before it ended, one imaginary recipient saved a copy. The original disappeared from the conversation. The copy stayed.

Lili leaned closer. “But what if I delete it?”

Huba removed the original from the sender’s device too. The monster face was still grinning on the other screen.

“You can delete your own version. But if someone has already saved or forwarded it, they may still have a copy.”

“So a disappearing photo can have a cousin that doesn’t disappear,” said Miki.

“Sadly, it can have quite a large family,” Huba replied.

Lili looked back at the share button. “I’d only send it to the group.”

“And it might stay there,” said Huba. “But you can’t be completely sure. Someone could forward it to another group, and it could travel further from there.”

At last Miki tore open his snack. The wrapper popped loudly.

“Got it! And wait, I’ve got an even better photo!”

He found a photo of them together. Lili was standing by the ship’s air vent, her hair sticking up as if lightning had struck it.

“Let’s send this! Next to this, the monster filter looks like an ID photo.”

Lili turned to him. “Show off your own monster face. Ask permission for mine!”

Miki’s finger stopped above the screen. “Fair enough. I won’t send it.”

“Thank you.”

“Your hair looks like a separate life form.”

“I heard that.”

Huba’s lens flashed cheerfully. “You sorted that out quickly. Having a photo doesn’t mean the people in it want it shared.”

Lili returned to her own monster face. “But it’s OK to send funny photos, right?”

“Of course,” said Huba. “You can be silly. It’s worth thinking about who you want to share it with first.”

Three questions appeared in the hologram:

Who am I sending it to?

Has everyone in it agreed?

Would I be OK if it were forwarded?

Lili looked at them for a moment. “I’ll keep this one to myself for now. I haven’t decided whether I want to blow purple bubbles at the whole group.”

She closed sharing and saved the picture on her tablet. Then she grew serious.

“What if someone already sent a photo and another person starts sharing it around to make fun of them?”

Miki put down his snack. Huba floated closer.

“They should tell a trusted adult. Together they can ask for the picture to be removed and report the hurtful sharing. It helps to show the adult the messages so they can see what happened.”

“Even if they sent it first?” Lili asked.

“Even then. Sending a photo gives nobody permission to hurt you with it.”

Miki nodded. “And if I get something like that, I won’t forward it.”

“Exactly,” said Huba.

Lili checked her filtered picture again. A third horn had grown between the first two.

“Well, that’s evolving.”

“You’ll have your own antenna soon,” Miki remarked.

Lili laughed and closed the screen. “The horns can stay. Sharing can wait.”

Just then, the ship’s speaker announced: “Unknown life form in the lounge.”

Miki glanced at Lili’s hair. “Told you.”

“Miki!”

Teacher guide and answer keyPrint / save as PDF
Teacher guide and answer key

MOD_03 / RAW_04 • ages 8–12

Aim: understand that copies may remain, respect permission and name one way to ask for help. A funny photo is not shameful. The person doing the hurting is responsible for hurtful use. Do not ask for real photos or public personal disclosures.

30-minute session

0–3 min: introduce audience and copies. 3–11: read the three-page speech-balloon comic; separate Huba’s demonstration from real sharing. 11–18: discuss the eight radar cards in pairs. 18–24: three decisions and four-step practice. 24–28: worksheet, orally or in writing. 28–30: exit question: who can help, and why won’t I forward a hurtful photo?

Adaptation

Ages 8–9: read aloud; spoken answers are enough. Ages 10–12: discuss why a new audience needs fresh agreement. No timer or compulsory public speaking.

Discussion

Why does deleting your own version not guarantee removal of copies? Does permission for one group cover public posting? Why can you ask for help even if you sent it first? What can a bystander do instead of forwarding?

Worksheet answers

1: Who am I sending it to? Has everyone in it agreed? Would I be OK if it were forwarded? Equivalent wording is welcome. 2: No; a saved copy may remain. 3: For example, “Please don’t forward this; I don’t want you to.” 4: Show an adult; do not forward; find reporting together. Spreading or retaliation does not help.

Game answers

Radar 1–8: OK; ask first; stop; stop; ask first; OK; ask first; stop. Decisions 1–3: second, third, first option. Read the explanations in the game.

Assessment

Observe three points: understands copies; respects permission; names a help-seeking step. Record independently / with support / still practising. The game score is not a grade or safety certificate.

If a real incident is disclosed

Listen calmly without blame or group discussion. Follow the school’s safeguarding procedure. Use the service’s own reporting and removal options with adult support; do not promise complete deletion.

Parent guidePrint / save as PDF
Parent guide

Ten minutes together • ages 8–12

Read the story and spot where Lili pauses. Ask why a copy might remain. Discuss whose permission is needed and who could help. Try two radar cards; no real photo or account is needed.

Three questions

Who am I sending it to? Has everyone in it agreed? Would I be OK if it were forwarded? These help with decisions; they do not make a child responsible for someone else’s hurtful actions. Keeping a funny photo to yourself is fine.

If the photo has already been sent

Say: “You did the right thing by telling me. Let’s look together.” Look at the original message; do not spread it to new groups. Ask for the sharing to stop and use the platform’s reporting or removal options. Deleting your own version cannot guarantee that copies disappear. Involve the relevant school staff if school bullying is involved.

Set an example

Ask your child before sharing photos of them and respect a no. An earlier yes does not cover every later audience.

Avoid blame and promises

Avoid “It’s your fault”, “Never put anything online” or “I’ll definitely remove it everywhere”. Choose concrete steps together instead.

Sharing can waitPrint / save as PDF
Sharing can wait

Worksheet • ages 8–12

You do not need to give a real photo, name, account or personal story. All examples are fictional.

1. Three questions

Write the three questions you would ask before sharing.

2. Gone or still there?

Lili deletes her own photo. A recipient has already saved it. Will their copy definitely disappear too? Why?

3. What would you say?

Miki wants to send their photo without permission. Write one sentence Lili could use to stop him.

4. Helpful steps

Circle what helps: forward it to the class / show a trusted adult / do not spread it / hurt them back / find the reporting option with an adult.

My own sentence

“Before sharing, I…”