Guide: Using Peerscroller in Lessons
Peerscroller videos are designed to spark meaningful discussions, support PSHE objectives, and help students engage with real-world topics in a relatable way. You can incorporate our videos into your lessons however way you’d like, but if you need some inspiration, here’s a step-by-step guide on how you could make the most of them in your classroom, followed by a direct example so you can see how to bring it all to life.
In this guide:
Step-by-step Overview
Step 1: Preparing your video
Peerscroller videos are short and designed with young people’s perspectives in mind, making them perfect for sparking curiosity and providing a natural entry point into your lesson.
If you’re using pre-made materials from a PSHE Lead, you might not need to select a video yourself - just ensure it aligns with your lesson’s focus.
However, if you’re starting from scratch, use the Teacher Portal to find a video that fits your theme, whether it’s digital wellbeing, relationships, life skills, or another topic.
Be sure to choose your video in advance so you can plan how to integrate it smoothly into your lesson.
The Browse menu of the Teacher Portal.
Step 2: Set the scene
Before hitting play, ensure you’re logged into the Teacher Portal. This is essential so you can control the video and ensure everything runs smoothly.
Then, you’re ready to give your students an introduction to the video/topic.
Ask a simple starter question to find out what they already know.
Share a personal anecdote or an example from the news to make it feel relevant.
Frame the video with a “watch out for…” prompt, encouraging students to spot key ideas.
This makes sure students are actively engaged from the start, rather than passively watching.
Step 3: Watch together
Play the Peerscroller video for the whole class. You could even watch it twice - once straight through, and once with pauses to highlight specific points. Short, relatable content holds attention, but pausing helps you check understanding and draw out key ideas.
If you need help on how to embed Peerscroller videos into your PowerPoints or Google Slides, watch our embedding Peerscroller videos guide here.
Step 4: Split into groups
After the video, break students into small groups or pairs and set a discussion task related to the video’s themes. For example:
What stood out to them?
Do they agree or disagree with anything mentioned?
How does this link to their own experiences?
Group work helps students process and personalise the content, encouraging deeper reflection.
Step 5: Whole class discussion
Bring the class back together to share key points from their group conversations. Encourage students to challenge each other’s views respectfully or build on each other’s ideas.
This step helps develop critical thinking and communication skills, while reinforcing the message of the video.
Step 6: Extend the learning
To embed the learning further, you could:
Set a follow-up task (e.g., writing a personal reflection, creating a poster, or researching more about the topic).
Link to other Peerscroller videos on related themes.
Signpost to further support resources if the topic raises sensitive issues.
This helps move the learning from a one-off conversation to a deeper understanding, and encourages students to make personal connections to the topic.
Example: How Social Media Alters Your Perspective
To help bring all of this to life, here’s how these exact steps could work with the Peerscroller video ‘How Social Media Alters Your Perspective’. Here’s the video if you’d like to give it a watch:
1. Set the scene
Before you press play, you want to get students thinking about the theme of the video - social media. This warms up their brains, connects to any existing knowledge they have, and makes them more likely to engage when they watch.
Ask the class:
How do you think social media influences the way you see the world?
Do you think your feed shows you a fair, balanced view – or mostly things you already agree with? Why?
You could even turn this into a quick hands-up poll! Ask students to raise their hand to which of the following statements applies to them:
- My feed is balanced
- My feed reflects my own interests
- Not sure
2. Watch the video
Once they’re curious, it’s time to show them the video. This one in particular breaks down how the content students see online is shaped by their own choices - and by social media algorithms.
Encourage students to jot down:
The definition of perspective.
The two ways social media shapes what we see.
To take this further, ask them to:
One point that stands out to them.
One thing that surprises them.
One question they have.
Giving students a simple structure for note-taking helps them stay focused and gives them something to share later, which boosts confidence in class discussions.
3. Split into groups
Now that they’ve got the core ideas from the video, it’s time to dig deeper. Split the class into small groups - around 4 students works well - and give each group a specific question to focus on. This keeps the conversation structured and helps quieter students contribute in smaller settings.
Example group questions:
Why do people mostly follow accounts they already agree with?
What is an algorithm, and how does it shape what you see?
How could only seeing one type of viewpoint affect your thinking?
What can you do to make sure you’re seeing a wider perspective online?
4. Whole class discussion
After group time, bring everyone back together and ask each group to share their key points with the rest of the class. You can scribe their ideas on the board to capture the range of perspectives.
Bonus prompt:
Did anyone hear an idea from another group that made them think differently?
What’s one thing they might change about how they use social media after today?
5. Extend the learning
To embed the learning, you can set a reflective task for independent work for the rest of the session.
Examples could be:
Write 100 words about how your social feed might shape the way you see the world. Is this something you want to change?
Creating their own ‘top tips’ for spotting bias in social media feeds.
Writing a short reflection on how their own feed may be shaping their views.
And finally, if you’d like to set some homework…
Ask students to review their own social media feeds - what kinds of content dominate? Are they seeing a mix of views, or just one perspective? They could even screenshot examples (if appropriate) and share these in the next lesson.
This structure can work for any Peerscroller video. Whatever you’re covering, this process helps you turn a short video into a full, engaging and interactive lesson. But don’t be confined by us - if you have your own way ideas don’t be afraid to give them a try!
Encourage your students to suggest Peerscroller videos they’d like to explore next, and you’ll build buy-in and engagement over time.
What do you need support with?
If there’s a specific topic or video you’d like a guide for, get in touch with us!
We’re always happy to work with you to create a tailored guide that helps you get the most out of Peerscroller.