Headspace Invaders

Your role as a teacher is to guide, support, and create space for thoughtful dialogue and reflection. You don’t need to be an expert; just someone who helps students slow down and make sense of what they’re seeing.

You might prompt quiet reflection before group kōrero or simply give permission to explore tricky questions without pressure to get it right straight away.

Some teachers pause during activities to unpack a moment in real time, while others use the postmodule reflections to check in, scaffold a group discussion, or introduce a values-based task linked to other curriculum areas.

This guide is aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC 2007), with a focus on Years 7–10. It also supports key directions in the Curriculum Refresh, particularly the emphasis on critical thinking, wellbeing, identity, and digital citizenship across learning areas.

More details are available in the Teacher Guide.

When students first visit Headspace Invaders, they see a short pop-up that introduces the platform. From there, they explore a visual space with three orbits, each focused on a key online challenge:

• Misinformation and how false content spreads
• Harmful behaviour that targets people based on identity
• Early signs of online extremism and how to respond safely

Each orbit contains a sequence of invaders that students complete in order. When they hover over an invader, it will pause and show the activity number, the focus, and a short description. Each invader builds on the one before it to support a clear learning journey. However, activities can also be used on their own or extended through classroom discussion. Each one lasts no more than 10 minutes.

Each section is short, interactive, and device based. Students work independently, earning coins as they progress through a mix of flexible and structured activities. Some tasks have open-ended choices, others require correct answers to unlock the next step, but all are designed to help students think critically, reflect on their decisions, and stay engaged without pressure or scoring.

Misinformation and Disinformation:

• The internet lies to you... sometimes
• Mis vs Disinformation
• Is this even real?
• Are AI and deepfakes messing with reality?
• Who decides what you see? (Algorithms)

Identity based harm:

• When Language Online Becomes Harmful
• The impact on Mental Health
• What can you do if you see Hate online?
• Does reporting actually work?

Online extremism:

• What is online extremism (and why should I care)?
• How extremist ideas spread in chats, games, and feeds
• Why extremism can be hard to spot
• What to do if extremism shows up in your feed

Headspace Invaders was developed in response to consistent feedback from students who told us they were seeing content that felt emotionally manipulative, isolating, or extreme and weren’t sure how to make sense of it or what to do. These moments often related to misinformation, identity-based harm, or early exposure to extremist ideas and communities.

The resource was created to open up meaningful, low-pressure opportunities to reflect, build judgement, and take early action. It supports conversations that help students feel more in control and less isolated in how they respond to what they see online. It’s built for classroom use, so you don’t need to be an expert to deliver it. You just need to create space for reflection, curiosity, and connection.