Standards of Learning

K.3 The student will explain the concept of being safe. Key concepts/skills include:

1. the need for rules and practices;
2. the differences between emergency and nonemergency situations;
3. the choices that prevent injuries injuries (e.g., wearing helmets, using seat belts and safety seats, tying shoelaces).

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Understanding the Standard

The student will understand the need for safety rules and practices.

Essential Knowledge and Skills

The student will:

• define safety rules. (a rule that helps you to stay safe)
• give examples of:
• school safety rules; (no running, put books away, etc.)
• home safety rules; (put toys away, do not touch poisons, etc.)
• safety rules for bad weather; (get inside quickly, stay off the phone, etc.)
• pedestrian safety rules; (walk on the sidewalk, cross streets at corners, etc.)
• safety rules for riding in cars; (wear a safety belt, ride in the back seat, lock your door, stay seated, etc.)
• bus safety rules; (stay in your seat, put book bags in your lap, etc.)
• bike safety rules; (do not ride your bike too fast, in the dark, in the street, without a helmet, etc.)
• fire safety rules; (get out as fast as you can, stop, drop and roll if your clothes catch on fire, etc.)
• safety rules for the gymnasium; (no pushing or shoving, listen to safety instructions, etc.) and
• safety rules for strangers. (do not talk to or take anything from a stranger, do not go anywhere with a stranger, etc.)

Sample Lessons

Basic Water Safety
Grades: K-3
Water safety is very important for children to learn. This lesson shows children at a young age, basic safety rules for swimming pools or lakes, and how to help out a distressed swimmer by the use of a reaching assist.
Sponsor: Ask Eric
Contact: http://www.eduref.org (select lesson plans – health – safety)
Free

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

Class Rules (Responsible Personal Conduct)
Grades K-2
(30 minutes) This lesson is most appropriately taught at the very beginning of the school year. Explain that being in a classroom is different from being at home and that we will need to develop classroom rules so that we can operate in a democratic and efficient manner.
http://www.learningtogive.org/lessons/unit36/lesson4.html
Sponsor: Learning to Give
Free

Classroom Rules: Students at the Helm!
Grades K-12
The purpose of this lesson is to teach the language necessary for formulating rules. Essentially, students are given a demonstration of the language needed to formulate rules and then are asked to formulate the classroom rules for both teachers and students. There are several interesting pedagogical points to this lesson.  First, it is student-centered.  Second, it is intrinsically motivating.
http://bogglesworldesl.com/lessons/2002janfeb.htm
Sponsor: Lanternfish
Free

Creating Classroom Rules
Grades K-2
To learn about developing classroom rules. To learn about making rules for a group of people when the group is comprised of many different people. To learn that different groups of people may have different rules.
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=293
Sponsor: Science NetLinks
Free

Everyday Hazards: Safety Lessons
Grades K-2
VDFP Kids focuses on four broad safety themes: installing and testing smoke alarms; planning and practicing escape routes; bicycle safety and hunting for home hazards. Each theme addresses major safety concerns for children in grades K-6. These lessons are correlated to the Virginia Standards of Learning.
http://www.vafire.com/fire_safety_education/vdfpkidsk-2.html
Sponsor: Virginia Department of Fire Programs
Free

Fire Safety for Young Children
Grades: Kindergarten
2 sessions
Students learn about the role of a fire fighter along with important fire safety tips.
Sponsor: Ask Eric
Contact: http://www.eduref.org (select lesson plans – health – safety)
Free

Hurts and Hazards Kids, Kitchen Accidents, and Safety
In this series, the developmental skills in the preschool years are divided into three general levels: 2-3 years = naming and identifying, 3-5 years = sorting and classifying and 4-6 years = ordering, sequencing and comprehension. Helps children learn limits to prevent hurts and hazards and sort out safety procedures to prevent serious accidents. Uses small group experiences in centers throughout the room.
Sponsor: Virginia Cooperative Extension
Contact: http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/preschoolnutr/348-655/348-655.html
Free

Philanthropic Behavior
Grades K-2
Students will create class rules by determining what they would like their classroom to look like, feel like, and sound like in order for it to be a safe, fair, and fun learning environment. They will come to a consensus about what behaviors will lead to this goal, and what the consequences should be for not demonstrating the behaviors.
http://www.learningtogive.org/lessons/unit62/lesson1.html
Sponsor: Learning to Give
Free

Playground Safety Rules
Grades Preschool-K
Young children enjoy playing on swings, slides and other equipment at the playground. It is important they learn how to safely use the equipment at an early age to avoid accidents. Children can still have fun while playing correctly and safely.
http://pbskids.org/barney/pareduc/educators/lesson714.html
PBS Kids  
Free

Safety First
Grades K-1
Teaching safety is as important as living day-to-day, they go hand-in-hand. Children can learn to take responsibility for themselves in school, at home and on their own. Given different situations, children can learn the basic fundamentals of safety and how it comes first.
Sponsor: Ask Eric
Contact: http://www.eduref.org (select lesson plans – health – safety)
Free

Say No to Pyro – Fire Safety
Grades: K-1
Children need to learn how to handle situations where something is not safe when dealing with fire. This will show them what to do when they come across a situation where there is a possible problem.
Sponsor: Ask Eric
Contact: http://www.eduref.org (select lesson plans – health – safety)
Free

SunSmart
Grades: K-1
In this lesson, students learn how to protect themselves from the dangers of the sun. Although aimed at students living in Australia, this activity can be adapted by teachers worldwide.
Sponsor: Ask Eric
Contact: http://www.eduref.org (select lesson plans – health – safety)
Free

Welcome to the USFA's Kids Page Where the Fun Starts!
The federal United States Fire Administration Kids Page is full of tips that can help children and their families remain safe from fire. This web site includes a smoke alarm, escape planning, home fire safety, Hydros hazard house with an interactive computerized quiz. This site also features computerized games.
Sponsor: United States Fire Administration
Contact: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/kids/

Lesson Ideas

• Safety Catch. Stand with students in a large circle and toss the ball to a student and announce one of the eight Risk Watch risk areas. The student should state a safety rule that relates to that risk area. If the student is unable to answer, have him/her pass the ball to the student to the right. If the student answers correctly, he/she should toss the ball back to you. Continue to play until each student has stated at least one safety rule.
• Be A Risk Watcher. The kindergarten students will participate in a project with older elementary students. Each older student will pair up with a kindergarten student and will assist the kindergarten student in writing and drawing a picture of a safety message. When completed, each of the illustrations will be put together to create a class safety book.
• Have the students list the main car safety rules and talk about why their behavior in vehicles is important:
  --Always buckle up;
  --No fighting, jumping, or screaming in a car;
  --Don't put head, arms, or legs outside of the car;
  --Don't distract the driver in any way;
  --Make buckling up a habit for life.
• Discuss how a helmet helps to protect the head and brain during a fall. Tell the students that you will demonstrate how a helmet protects the head. Hold one of the melons next to a student's head and drop it. Strap the other melon into the used helmet and drop it. Explain to the students that the helmet can protect the head like it did the melon.
• Show a smoke alarm to students and tell how it warns people of fire and smoke and helps to prevent injury.
• NOTE: Local fire marshals and fire fighters are ALWAYS interested in bringing fire safety messages directly to children. This would be a good time to ask them to conduct an assembly on good fire safety habits, keeping the home safe from fire, and how to get out of the house in case of fire. Whatever they do will reinforce these lessons and activities.
• 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.
• Introduce the topic of safety around guns and emphasize basic rules when a gun is found. Introduce the video and tell students to listen for the four basic rules: STOP, don't touch, leave the area, and call an adult. "Learn Gun Safety With Eddie Eagle" (7 minutes), hosted by Jason Priestly, is an entertaining and effective way to emphasize the four rules.

Additional Instructional Resources

• American Red Cross - http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_584_,00.html
• CDC-National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Fact Sheets - http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/cmprfact.htm
• Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) - http://www.cpsc.gov/kids/kidsafety/index.html
• The Educators Reference Desk- School Safety - http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/lessons.cgi/Health/Safety
• Health Teacher (membership fee) - http://www.healthteacher.com
• Kids Health For Kids- Watch Out - http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/
• Lowe's Home Safety Council for Teachers - http://www.homesafetycouncil.org/home/home_april_w002.aspx
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
• National SAFEKIDS Campaign - http://www.safekids.org
• National Safety Council - http://www.nsc.org
• "Respect for Self and Others" and "Safety Counts" - http://www.healthteacher.com
• RISKWATCH - http://www.riskwatch.org
• Safe America - http://www.safeamerica.org
• Safe USA - http://www.safeusa.org
• School Rules for the Gymnasium, Classroom, Playground, and Lunchroom
• Social Skills – http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/ (health & fitness – K-2)
• VDH, Center for Injury & Violence Prevention (CIVP) - http://www.vahealth.org/civp
• Virginia Center for School Safety - http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/vcss/index.cfm
• Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles - http://www.dmv.state.va.us

Assessment Ideas

The student will:

• demonstrate appropriate safety behaviors.
• using a checklist, identify appropriate and inappropriate behaviors for specific situations.

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