Version: 2.0. Audience: Classes 8–10 first, with adaptable notes for Classes 11–12. Status: school pilot resource.
> Educational resource only. Not legal advice, not regulatory certification, not emergency or mental-health support.
A student receives an AI-generated-looking post claiming the school will close because of a health emergency. It includes a realistic image, an unnamed source, and urgent instructions to forward it immediately.
Submit all of the following:
| Stage | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| G — Goal | What is the real goal here: safety, attention, speed, or verification? Whose goal is being served by forwarding quickly? |
| U — Limits | What are the limits of the post's image, unnamed source and urgency cues? What could make it look convincing without being true? |
| A — Evidence | What official or independent sources should be checked before acting? Is the source of the image the same as the source of the claim? |
| R — People | Who could be harmed by forwarding it — panicked families, younger students, the school's reputation, someone falsely blamed? |
| D — Decide | Should you forward, stop, verify further, reject, disclose your uncertainty, or escalate to an adult? Why is this the strongest option available? |
G: The real goal is confirming whether there is an actual safety issue and responding proportionately — not being first to share news. Forwarding quickly serves the forwarder's sense of urgency, not the school community's safety.
U: A realistic image and confident tone are not evidence of truth; an unnamed source and pressure to "forward immediately" are both classic markers of unverified, possibly manufactured urgency.
A: Check the school's own official channels (website, direct communication, front office) before trusting a forwarded post. If the school has not communicated a closure, that absence is itself informative.
R: Families could panic unnecessarily, younger students could be frightened, and the school's ability to communicate accurately could be undermined if false information spreads faster than the correction.
D: Do not forward. Preserve the post privately if it seems necessary for follow-up. Verify through the school's official channel. If still uncertain, disclose that uncertainty rather than presenting the claim as fact, and tell a responsible adult or school coordinator so they can address it at the school level.
Assess against the five competencies in the GUARD Assessment Rubric (Goal clarity, Limitations, Evidence, Privacy and people, Decision) — not against whether the student's final action exactly matches the model answer. A well-reasoned "verify further before deciding" can be as strong as "reject and escalate," provided the reasoning at each stage engages with this scenario's specific details rather than generic AI-safety statements.
Educational resource. GUARD is a practical WhizzStep classroom method, not an externally certified or accredited standard. Not legal, safeguarding-policy or emergency-response advice.