First Grade Curriculum Resources
Standard of Learning
1.3 The student will explain the need for specific rules and practices to promote personal safety and injury-free situations. Key concepts/skills include:
- bus and automobile safety;
- pedestrian safety;
- playground safety;
- fire safety;
- home safety;
- Internet safety,
- water safety;
- bicycle, in-line skating, skateboard, scooter, and other self-propelled vehicle safety;
- the need for protective gear.
Understanding the Standard
The student will demonstrate bus and automobile safety knowledge and skills.
Essential Knowledge and Skills
The student will:
- identify car safety rules. (lock doors to keep strangers out, fasten seatbelts, use booster seats, sit in the back seat, etc.)
- describe bus safety rules. (stay seated while the bus is moving, follow the bus driver's directions, keep your book bag out of the aisle, etc.)
- identify why safety rules are important.
- describe the importance of wearing seatbelts.
Sample Lessons
Be Smart, Be Safe!
Grade 1-12
In this lesson plan, students are asked to generate lists of safety rules in an assigned area of safety concern (bus safety, automobile safety, etc). Once complete, the teacher will work with the class to expand the lists, allowing the students to take part in establishing the safety rules they are expected to know.
http://www.dunebrook.org/lessons/be_smart_be_safe.htm
Sponsor: Dunebrook
Free
Follow the Rules, Get Safely to School
Grade 1st
Although school buses are one of the safest ways to travel to and from school, injuries do occur. In this lesson plan, students will learn about bus safety from many different school subject areas. Six activities are outlined in this lesson.
Sponsor: Education World
Free
Road Safety Lessons
Grade 1st
These six road safety objectives give teachers the key points to cover in their classrooms. Included in this list of objectives are both an outline of information to be discussed and sample activities to help student fully understand each topic.
http://www.essortment.com/family/roadsafetyeduc_sugl.htm
Sponsor: Essortment
Free
Safety City
Grade 1
It is important for students to be aware of the rules citizens must obey to stay safe and function normal in society, so this lesson plan outlines the basic information that students should be familiar with.
http://www.abilenepolice.com/safetycity/lesson%20plan.htm
Sponsor: Albilene Police
Free
Oral Health Education: Saving Smiles Series- “Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body”
Grade: 1
Lesson Plan (1) Identify the functions of healthy teeth. (SOL 1.1b)
Lesson Plan (2) Demonstrate correct toothbrushing techniques for young
children. (SOL 1.2a)
Lesson Plan (3) Demonstrate safe toothpaste use and proper toothbrush
storage. (SOL 1.2a)
Lesson Plan (4) Identify nutritious meals, snack foods and beverages to
improve general and oral health. (SOL 1.2f)
Lesson Plan (5) Identify the oral health professionals met during a dental
visit. (SOL 1.5a and b)
Lesson Plan (6) Follow school safety rules during activities to avoid dental and
facial injuries. (SOL 1.3a, b, c and h; SOL 1.6a, b and c)
Sponsor: Virginia Department of Health, Division of Dental Health
Contact: http://www.vahealth.org/teeth/OralHealthEducation.asp (curriculum resources)
Free
Lesson Ideas
- Students listen to a story then identify reasons to wear safety belts. They practice buckling up and learn a safety belt chant.
- Students discuss ways to stay safe while riding in cars. They create collages and practice a rhyme about sitting in the back seat.
- Take a poll of the class and write on the board how many students always, sometimes, or never" wear safety belts when riding in a car. Briefly discuss the Virginia law (ie., police can give a ticket for not wearing a safety belt if they have stopped a car for another reason such as speeding, etc.).
- Initiate a discussion with the students about how acceleration and deceleration forces (speeding and stopping suddenly) can injure the brain and spine as much as a crash (ie., people can be thrown against hard objects within the vehicle). Ask the students to share their experiences and give examples.
- Have children role-play what they usually do when they get into a vehicle and how they behave. What do they do when they see someone not wearing a safety belt? Would they like to make a card to flash at people asking them to wear safety belts? (This activity is very popular in some parts of the country).
- Students make a 2-3 inch belt of paper long enough to go under a chair and around their laps with velcro attachments.
- Have the students talk about safety habits in cars and how riding in a bus is the same or different. They should note that basic rules for behavior are the same for all vehicles, including trains or commercial buses. Those rules are to keep quiet, keep arms and head inside the vehicle, and not play noisily and distract the driver.
- Review the basic rules of passenger bus safety (ie., wait quietly for the bus, follow traffic rules when crossing a street to or from a bus, step up and walk carefully in the bus, keep the aisles clear so no one trips and falls, etc.).
Additional Instructional Resources
- CDC-National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Fact Sheets - http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/cmprfact.htm
- CIVP, Safety Seat Program - http://www.safetyseatva.org
- Community resource officer or local police department
- Health Teacher (membership fee) - http://www.healthteacher.com
- Kids Health For Kids- Watch Out - http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
- National SAFEKIDS Campaign - http://www.safekids.org
- NHTSA Safety City - http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/kids/
- NHTSA Teacher’s Lounge - http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/kids/safeschool/teachers/
- "Riding in the Back Seat" - http://www.healthteacher.com
- Risk Watch - http://www.riskwatch.org
- Safe America - http://www.safeamerica.org
- Safety – http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/(health & fitness k-2)
- Safe USA - http://www.safeusa.org
- VDH, Center for Injury & Violence Prevention (CIVP) - http://www.vahealth.org/civp
- Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles - http://www.dmv.state.va.us
- Watch Out - http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch
- "Wear Your Safety Belt" - http://www.healthteacher.com
Assessment Ideas
The student will:
- participate in a school bus evacuation drill.
- draw an automobile safety picture.
- demonstrate how to use a seat belt correctly.

