Keeping children safe in a complex world is one of the greatest challenges parents and teachers face today. This book explores situations children might encounter while at home, at school, or during play. Issues addressed include fires, health emergencies, playground safety, bike safety, first aid, and more.
For a great way to begin each school morning, select a different topic for discussion each day. You could also develop an entire unit around a safety theme.
Fire Prevention Week
Use the pages on house fires in class and, for homework, have students plan and practice using fire escape routes with their families.
Bicycle Safety Week
Invite a police office to visit the classroom and talk about bike safety and proper equipment. Read the section on selecting a bike helmet to your class or have students work with the pages on riding double or losing a helmet. Have your students make a list of bicycle safety tips.
Home Safety
Photocopy several safety checklists for your students and let each family work together to make sure that home is a safe place. The situations in the "At Home" section will also help students recognize a number of home safety issues.
In addition, the situations in The Safety Book for Active Kids can be used for role playing and for cooperative learning. For example, you can assign parts to small groups of students and have them create simple skits by writing dialogue, finding props, and planning the action to demonstrate good safety practices.
By taking the time to discuss these situations with your students throughout the school year, you'll be helping them prepare for the unexpected. As they consider solutions for the various situation in the book, they will be developing skills in solving problems, setting priorities, and evaluating outcomes. They exercises can thus serve as vehicles for critical thinking and planning – and for promoting safe behavior with children.
