Pedestrian Safety Furth Grade Lessn 1 Subject: Health, Physical Educatin Materials: Chart Paper; Marker; 12 Picture Cards; Reflective Vest; Tw wastebaskets (r ther classrm items, i.e., chair, t be used as visual barriers). Set Up: Draw an intersectin n the bard. Draw fur crsswalks. Extend the street n yur right t be a bit lnger with sidewalks and a driveway. Extend als the street n the left but withut sidewalks. Have waste baskets handy fr #11 f the lessn. Overview: Students will review safety tips fr walking near traffic as well as discuss and practice hw t safely crss streets, intersectins, and railrad tracks. At this maturity level, it is imprtant t emphasize that students can be mre independent if they can demnstrate prper safety skills. These students are rle mdels fr yunger students and siblings. They generally knw hw t crss the street, but tend t rush thrugh the steps withut full awareness f their envirnment. Crssing intersectins requires a particular skill set because there is traffic appraching in several different directins and students cannt easily interpret driver behavir. Objectives: The bjective f this lessn is t: Remind students the basic cncepts f sharing spaces with cars and ther mtrized traffic. Review the basic cncepts f crssing a street safely. Teach students simple skills fr crssing intersectins safely and t teach them several traffic signals t aid in their crssing behavir. Students will be able t: Explain reasns we walk places and identify cmmn places t walk Define and use apprpriate pedestrian safety vcabulary Recgnize and demnstrate safe practices near traffic such as walking n a sidewalk r side f street facing traffic and wearing reflective gear and carrying a flashlight Use care and cautin when crssing smaller, residential streets Recgnize that they need t set a prper example fr yunger children Identify and demnstrate the five steps t crssing a street Demnstrate safe behavir while appraching and crssing an intersectin
Standards: Physical Educatin Standard 1: Demnstrates cmpetency in mtr skills and mvement patterns needed t perfrm a variety f physical activities. Physical Educatin Standard 5: Exhibits respnsible persnal and scial behavir that respects self and thers in physical activity settings. Physical Educatin Standard 6: Values physical activity fr health, enjyment, challenge, self- expressin, and/r scial interactin. Health Standard 1: Students will cmprehend cncepts related t health prmtin and disease preventin t enhance health. Health Standard 5: Students will demnstrate the ability t use decisin-making skills t enhance health. Health Standard 7: Students will demnstrate the ability t practice health-enhancing behavirs and avid r reduce health risks. Pedestrian Skills/Rules Overview: 1. USE SIDEWALK 2. WALK ON THE LEFT if there are n sidewalks 3. WALK, DO NOT RUN, WHEN CROSSING THE STREET 4. PLAY AWAY FROM TRAFFIC 5. STAY TOGETHER WHEN CROSSING THE STREET 6. BE ALERT AROUND TRAFFIC PUT AWAY ALL DISTRACTIONS ipds, PHONES, TOYS, etc. 7. SLOW DOWN & LOOK FOR MOVING VEHICLES AT DRIVEWAYS 8. DRESS TO BE SEEN & CARRY A FLASHLIGHT 9. FIND A SAFE PLACE TO CROSS WITHOUT VISUAL BARRIERS 10. FIND THE EDGE r SECOND EDGE 11. LOOK LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT AND LISTEN FOR TRAFFIC 12. ALWAYS CROSS IN A STRAIGHT LINE, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, LOOKING AND LISTENING FOR TRAFFIC 13. ALWAYS STOP 10-15 FEET BEFORE THE RAILROAD TRACKS, LOOK LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT AND LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE CROSSING 14. IF YOU SEE A TRAIN, STOP AND WAIT FOR IT TO PASS, NEVER TRY TO BEAT IT 15. NEVER PLAY AROUND RAILROAD TRACKS. 16. CHECK LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT, IN FRONT and BEHIND BEFORE CROSSING IN AN INTERSECTION 17. EVEN IF ALL THE SIGNALS SAY IT IS YOUR TURN TO CROSS, ONLY YOU CAN DECIDE IF IT IS REALLY SAFE Intrductin: Hell class. I am frm Safe Rutes t Schl. Yu may remember having had ne f ur teachers in yur classes in past years. I visit classes all ver Snma Cunty t teach kids abut walking and biking safely t schl. Tday we are ging review sme pedestrian safety skills and learn and practice sme new nes. Discussin: 1. Raise yur hand if yu remember learning abut safe walking skills in previus grades. 2. Why d yu think it is imprtant fr us t talk mre abut walking safety? Because we want t be safe / fr ur wn safety Because we are rle mdels fr yung pedestrians / even adults / the safety f thers 3. Raise yur hand if yu walk t get t places. T where d yu walk? Schl, a friend s huse, the stre, library, park, etc.
4. Great! It lks like everyne in this class has been a pedestrian at ne pint r anther. Wh can tell me what pedestrian means? A pedestrian is a persn wh travels n ft ntice the prefix ped meaning ft like in pedal, pedicure and centipede. 5. Nw, wh can tell me why it is gd t walk places? It is gd fr yu (exercise). It is gd fr the envirnment: Walking reduces CO2 emissins that cntribute t glbal warming. Every mile we drive in a car prduces abut a pund f CO2. Plants absrb carbn, and put xygen int the air. It takes ONE Duglas Fir tree, planted and left t grw fr 10 years t absrb abut 85 punds f CO2, stpping it frm ging int the atmsphere and plluting ur air 10 years is a lng time, as lng as yu ve been alive! S, yu prevent ne pund f CO2 frm entering the atmsphere every single time yu walk r bike instead f driving ne mile, way faster than waiting ten years fr a tree t d it fr us...in this way yu becme the super her f yur planet imagine 85 walks! It is gd fr yur neighbrhd (less traffic, mre peple n the streets makes it safer). It is fun! 6. Walking is gd fr many reasns. Nw, let s talk abut hw t walk safely r PEDESTRIAN SAFETY SKILLS and recrd them n this chart paper. [Title chart paper]. We will need several assistants. [Chse the first fur, ask their names, and refer t them by name.] One f yu will stand with me and write dwn the imprtant pints, then pass-the-pen t anther assistant after each entry. QUIETLY, cntinue t pass the pen t NEW and WILLING assistants as we g alng. Please say PASS if yu d nt wish t be an assistant. -Give me a thumbs-up if we have sidewalks near ur schl. -If there is a sidewalk, is it best t use it r walk n the street? USE IT! [Vlunteer writes n chart paper USE SIDEWALK] -What d yu d if a street des nt have a sidewalk? Walk n the left side f the street [Vlunteer writes n chart paper WALK ON THE LEFT if there are n sidewalks] -Why d yu think we shuld walk n the left side rather than the right? We walk n the left s that we face traffic and can see ncming cars and drivers. [Refer t street diagram withut sidewalk] 7. Let s lk at these street scene pictures. Can yu pint ut the unsafe behavir and suggest any skills the children need t practice? [Display Picture Card 7A] The child is running... [Vlunteer writes WALK, DO NOT RUN, WHEN CROSSING THE STREET] [Display Picture Card 7B] The child is playing arund traffic. [Vlunteer writes PLAY AWAY FROM TRAFFIC] [Display Picture Card 7C] The yunger child is walking t far ahead f the lder sibling. [Vlunteer writes STAY TOGETHER WHEN CROSSING THE STREET] [Display Picture Card 7D] The student is listening t an ipd rather than listening t traffic and being aware f his/her surrundings. [Vlunteer writes BE ALERT AROUND TRAFFIC PUT AWAY ALL DISTRACTIONS ipds, PHONES, TOYS, etc. ] 8. Great wrk! Nw, can yu picture a driveway in yur mind? This is a place where pedestrians and cars share space tgether. Raise yur hand if yu can demnstrate hw t be safe befre yu step int a driveway? [As student(s) d their best t mdel safe cnduct, remind r crrect them thrugh questins t the class; i.e., What d yu think f the way (student s name) crssed/slwed/lked? Is there smething he/she frgt t d? (Suggested demnstratin pints belw.)] Slw dwn befre yu get t the driveway. Check cars that may be parked in the driveway if there is a persn inside r the back white lights are n, DON T MOVE! Stp and wait until yu knw the car is nt mving. Lk left, right, and left again t make sure cars aren t cming. If there is n ne in the car, the lights are nt n, and all directins are clear, it is safe t crss. Walk with yur head up, lking fr traffic. [Vlunteer writes SLOW DOWN & LOOK FOR MOVING VEHICLES AT DRIVEWAYS
9. Can yu think f any ther things yu need t be cautius f, when yu walk early in the mrning r late in the evening? A driver nt being able t see yu -That s right! Yu always have t cnsider what yu are wearing when yu are a pedestrian. When it is dark, it can be very hard fr drivers t see yu. The best way t be seen when it is dark utside is t wear bright- clred clthing, reflective material and t carry a flashlight. Reflective materials are shiny and becme brighter when light hits them. [Shw example f reflective vest, invite a student t put it n] [Vlunteer writes DRESS TO BE SEEN & CARRY A FLASHLIGHT] 10. Nw, let s talk abut crssing the street at mid-blck. Raise yur hand if yu think yu knw what midblck means. Mid-blck means middle f the blck. It is when we are at sme place alng the street, nt at a crner r an intersectin. -When we talk abut crssing streets safely at mid-blck, we are talking abut a specific kind f street. Lk at these pictures f different streets. Give me a thumbs up r thumbs dwn t tell if it is a gd r bad idea t try t crss them. [Display Picture Card 10 Safe and Unsafe Streets.] After lking at these pictures, what are sme characteristics f a street that we shuld think twice abut crssing at mid-blck? One that has heavy traffic, traffic mving at high speeds, several lanes f traffic [Refer t prtin f diagram with lnger street and sidewalks.] Let s imagine that we are ging t be crssing the street r teaching a yunger child t crss the street fr the first time. This is the sidewalk next t the street and this is the actual street. As we talk abut the steps t crssing the street, we are ging t practice tgether. Please stay with me as we talk thugh each step. We are nt ging t rush. Remember, we have t be gd rle mdels fr the yunger children in ur care. Nw that we knw what streets are safe t crss and we are n a street that we have deemed safe, we will call it a neighbrhd street, we have t remember that it is nt always safe t crss at any place n that street. Yu have t be sure t find a safe place t crss. 11. Hw d yu knw where it is safe t crss? A safe place t crss is where yu can see clearly in bth directins where there are n visual barriers -What are sme examples f visual barriers? Parked cars, trucks and buses, tall bushes, trash cans, trees, mail bxes things that blck yur view [Vlunteer writes FIND A SAFE PLACE TO CROSS WITHOUT VISUAL BARRIERS] -What shuld yu d if yu want t crss the street but encunter a visual barrier making it hard fr yu t see traffic cming dwn the street)? [Draw a parked car int the diagram.] Find anther place t crss the street -Ok, let s talk abut anther step yu shuld fllw befre actually crssing. -What is the edge f a street? The curb r side f the rad where the sidewalk ends and street begins -Why is the edge a gd place fr me t stp? It is a place where yu can see cars cming, but yu are still far enugh away frm the rad -Nw, let s imagine that there is nt a safer place t crss. The street is lined with visual barriers, parked cars & trees [draw them int the diagram.] and I cannt see ne directin dwn my street. What d yu think I shuld d? Mve ut a little mre t the edge f the barrier, this is called the secnd edge [refer t diagram] [Vlunteer writes FIND THE EDGE r SECOND EDGE] -Ok, wh wuld like t demnstrate finding a safe place t crss using these waste baskets? [Invite class participatin thrugh questining t help guide/crrect/remind students as they demnstrate. (Suggested discussin pints belw.)] Lk left-right-left fr traffic -Why d we lk left first? That is the directin that the traffic clsest t us is cming frm -Then, why d we lk right? T see if traffic is cming frm the ppsite directin
-Finally, why d yu think we lk left again? Because cars mve fast and we want t make sure it is still safe t crss where cars are mving clsest t us -Yu ve gt it! We nt nly have t use ur sight sense when we crss thugh. We als have t use ur? Hearing -What are sme f the sunds we shuld be listening fr? Car engines, hrns, sirens, etc. -What shuld I d if I hear ne f thse sunds? Yes, I stp and wait until it is clear. Lk and listen fr traffic again [Vlunteer writes LOOK LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT AND LISTEN FOR TRAFFIC] -Nw, as he/she crsses the street Is he/she walking? We shuld never run because we may trip and fall. Is his/her head up? Is he/she lking left-right-left and listening while walking? Is he/she walking straight acrss the street? -Remember in gemetry that the diagnal line n a right triangle is lnger than the straight lines. Yu want t mve in a straight line because yu will be in the street less time and yu are less likely t be hurt. [Yu may want t demnstrate this cncept by using sidewalk chalk r a string s the students can visualize.] [Vlunteer writes ALWAYS CROSS IN A STRAIGHT LINE, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, LOOKING AND LISTENING FOR TRAFFIC] -Gd, we are nw safely n the ther side. We ve learned the basic principles we need t knw in rder t crss the street safely. 12. Tday the weather is gd. But, what if it were raining r snwing? Hw d yu think rain and snw affect drivers? They can t see as well. They can t stp as quickly. -That s right! An imprtant thing t think abut when crssing the street is what drivers can see and d. When the weather is bad, drivers may have difficulty seeing yu r may nt be able t stp as quickly. Have yu ever slipped n sme ice? Well, that s what it s like fr cars when it s raining r snwing. Very slippery! Have yu ever been inside a car when it is raining r snwing hard? Can yu see well? N, because the windws fg up easily -What are sme things yu can d if yu think cars may have truble stpping because it s raining r snwing? Be especially careful abut where and when yu crss the street. -Yes, when it is raining r snwing, yu shuld be especially careful abut where and when yu crss the street. Find the place alng the street where yu can see the farthest in bth directins, and nly crss when yu are sure n cars are cming. Remember t lk left-right-left befre yu crss the street, cntinue lking left-right-left as yu crss, and always crss in a straight line because it is the shrtest distance. 13. Let s talk abut TWO SERIOUS SITUATIONS: A. What if yu see a yunger child attempt t run r crss the street? What culd yu d? Offer t crss with them by calling ut and asking them t wait fr yu t begin crssing. Make sure that yu d nt run after them. Always stp at the edge first. Shw them hw t crss teach them the steps fr safe street crssing. B. What shuld yu d if yu cme t a Railrad Crssing r Railrad tracks? [Display Picture Card 13 Railrad Crssing] [Vlunteer writes the fllwing] ALWAYS STOP 10-15 FEET BEFORE THE RAILROAD TRACKS, LOOK LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT AND LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE CROSSING, keep in mind, sme trains may be silent. IF YOU SEE A TRAIN, STOP AND WAIT FOR IT TO PASS, NEVER TRY TO BEAT IT. NEVER PLAY AROUND RAILROAD TRACKS. 14. Nw, let s talk abut crssing an intersectin where tw r mre rads meet each ther. [Refer t street diagram.] Yu can see the tw rads as they crss ver each ther. I bet yu are used t seeing these
street signs and traffic lights at intersectins. [Display street sign and traffic light picture cards.] What abut these? [Display Picture Card 14 Crsswalk] Yes, crsswalks, the special, painted areas n the rad that shw where yu shuld walk nce yu are sure the rad is clear t crss. Wh wuld like t demnstrate crssing the intersectin using the skills we have been discussing. [Again, invite class participatin thrugh questining t help guide/crrect/remind students as they demnstrate. (Suggested discussin pints belw.)] - The safest place t crss an intersectin is at the crsswalk r the end f the sidewalk befre it pens int the street. Walk n the sidewalk Stp at the edge/curb Lk and listen fr traffic left-right-left, ALSO in fnt and behind (t see if cars are turning nt the street where we want t crss cars smetimes change their directins by turning -Thank yu, yu may take yur seat. [Vlunteer writes CHECK LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT, IN FRONT and BEHIND BEFORE CROSSING IN AN INTERSECTION] 15. Great! Nw, let s practice using the signs and signals we see n the rad. I need three mre vlunteers t demnstrate. Stand in a rw. I will tell yu when it is yur turn t shw us hw yu wuld respnd t the symbl yu will see. [Display Picture Card 15A Stp Sign.] Vlunteer #1, yu are a driver. Stp signs tell cars that they need t stp and see if it is clear t cntinue. Once the car has cme t a stp and checked all directins fr ther cars, it may crss the intersectin. D drivers always stp at stp signs? [Display Picture Card 15B Stplight.] Vlunteer #2, yu are als a driver. Stplight clrs tell cars when they need t slw dwn, stp, and g. [Display Picture Card 15C Pedestrian Walk Signal.] Vlunteer #3, yu are a pedestrian. Pedestrian signals tell us when it is ur turn t crss. Lk left, right, left and listen, keep yur head and eyes up, making eye cntact with drivers. [Display Picture Card 15D Pedestrian Dn t Walk Signal.] Vlunteer #1, yu are nw a pedestrian. This means that it is nt safe t crss stay at the edge f the sidewalk and wait until the next white Walk signal cmes n. -[Display Picture Card 15E Pedestrian Dn t Walk Signal with flashing hand & numbers.] What des it mean if the pedestrian signal has numbers while the red hand is flashing? They are cunting dwn t zer, telling us hw much time is left t crss the street befre the signal changes. -If the pedestrian signal was white when yu started crssing and it turns int a Dn t Walk red flashing hand r a red hand with numbers cunting dwn, what shuld yu d? Cntinue crssing. There will be enugh time t crss. D nt turn arund and g back. -There is plenty f time t crss, s never run acrss the intersectin just t beat the clck. -[Vlunteer writes EVEN IF ALL THE SIGNALS SAY IT IS YOUR TURN TO CROSS, ONLY YOU CAN DECIDE IF IT IS REALLY SAFE. ] Adults, crssing guards, and crssing signals are there t help keep us safe. But yu still need t keep yur head up, lking and listening fr traffic at all times t make sure yu are safe. If the signals change befre we ve decided that it is safe t crss, just wait until it is time t crss again. It wn t be lng, and it is better t be safe. 16. Let s have a new vlunteer demnstrate crssing the street safely using the pedestrian signals. First, yu will hld and flash the signals and I will decide when it is safe t crss the street. [Chse a vlunteer t display the Pedestrian Walk Signal and Dn t Walk Signal, and if apprpriate cunt backwards, as yu demnstrate crssing the mdel intersectin.] -I see the pedestrian signal is red. I am stpped and waiting at the edge. Nw, I see that the pedestrian signal has a white Walk signal. I will first check left-right-left and in frnt, behind, in frnt. If it is clear, I will begin t crss the intersectin. -As I crss, I am ging t keep my head high, make eye cntact with drivers s I knw they see me, and watch fr cars in all directins. -I will als mve straight acrss the street. Ntice hw I am nt walking at a diagnal. This will help me get acrss in a shrt amunt f time. -And what will I d if it is raining, snwing r dark utside? I will be especially careful, because drivers
may find it harder t see me and may nt be able t stp as quickly. I will wear bright-clred clthing and reflective material, lk nt nly left and right but als in frnt and behind, and crss nly when I m sure it s safe and I see the white Walk signal. Did I make it safely acrss the street? YES!!! 17. [If there is time, chse anther vlunteer and switch rles. Then, chse tw different students t demnstrate n their wn, with audience participatin, f curse.] Clsing: Thank yu all fr yur attentin and participatin. I am curius; raise yur hand if yu are willing t be a gd rle mdel fr ther pedestrians, yunger and lder? I trust that yu will! Are there any questins r cmments?