Lesson archive ยท Pack 002
Why this ad?
How ChatGPT's ads find people. Pupils work out why invented users see (or don't see) ChatGPT ads, learn how chats, history and advertisers' email lists are used to target them, and debate whether ads are a fair price for a free chatbot.
For the week of Monday, 26 October 2026. Out Friday, 23 October 2026. On 15 October 2026 404 Media reported that advertisers can aim ChatGPT ads at lists of email addresses and phone numbers. ChatGPT ads launched in the UK in June 2026.
At a glance
- Ages: 11-14 (KS3), 14-16 (KS4), 16-18 (Post-16). Members get a full version for each age band, with its own slides, plan, worksheet and teacher guide.
- Length: 60 minutes, with 45-minute and 20-minute (tutor time) versions
- Subjects: Computing, PSHE/RSHE, Citizenship, Tutor time
- Big question: If an AI chatbot is free, what are we paying with, and is it a fair deal?
Learning objectives
- Explain how ChatGPT's ads are chosen: from the current chat, from a user's history (if personalisation is on), or from lists uploaded by advertisers.
- Describe what OpenAI says advertisers do and do not receive, and tell the difference between a company claim and a verified fact.
- Evaluate whether ads are a fair price for a free chatbot, using UK rules on consent and advertising and at least two viewpoints.
What's in the pack
- Slide deck (12 slides, PowerPoint and PDF) with a teacher script, timings and sources in the speaker notes
- Lesson plan with 60, 45 and 20-minute options, differentiation and curriculum links
- Pupil worksheet: news check, 'Why this ad?' card sort, options table, PEEL verdict, extension and 3-2-1 exit ticket
- Teacher guide with background, a fact check, answers, likely questions and safeguarding notes
Curriculum links (England)
| Area | How this lesson covers it |
|---|---|
| Computing KS4 | A new technology (ads inside AI chatbots) and how to protect privacy: settings, consent and what not to share; how targeting systems match lists to accounts. |
| Computing KS3 | Protecting personal information, spotting adverts and scams, and designing an honest advert label (11-14 version). |
| RSHE: online safety and awareness | How data is generated, collected, shared and used online, including personal data shared to enable targeted advertising, and thinking critically about AI chatbots. |
| RSHE: wellbeing online | How advertising is targeted at young people and how to be a discerning consumer: the three ways an ad is picked and spotting sponsored content. |
| PSHE: living in the wider world | Media literacy, digital resilience and money: what 'free' services cost and consumer choice. |
| Citizenship | UK GDPR consent and the ASA's advertising rules: should companies or regulators set the rules? A structured debate (KS4); rules, laws and paying with money or information (KS3). |
| Post-16 | A level Computer Science (hashing and ethics of data use), Business, Media Studies and Politics/Law links, with a formal debate on banning chatbot ads. |
| Tutor time | Current affairs and digital citizenship, using the 20-minute version. |
Safeguarding
Low sensitivity. The main risks are pupils sharing personal details while discussing their own app use, under-age use of AI chatbots and scam adverts; the teacher guide covers each. No pupil needs an AI account or a device, and nobody logs in to ChatGPT in class.