Health Lesson Ideas

As students enter the classroom for the day, they select an index card which is face down on a table in the room identifying their personal safety area that they will be examining (this may also be done in pairs or small groups).

These safety areas may come from any of these categories (you may think of others in addition to these):

bus safety

sexual safety

bicycle

automobile

personal

ATM

parking garages

beach

aquatic

weather (thunderstorm, etc.)

kitchen

home (stairs are the most dangerous parts of our houses)

fire

playground

child (babysitting)

rollerblading

sport: general warm-up, cool down and sport specific, right size, good condition, well lighted playing arena, coach present, jogging at night

food safety

toy safety - consumer laws, etc.

hygiene products

drugs: over-the-counter, label reading, don't mix or share prescriptions, etc.

swimming pool

outdoor barbecuing

(Let the students think of other categories. Keep the lists from year to year. Share former class discussions with current class to generate even more ideas and categories.)

Students will be instructed to brainstorm (if in pairs or groups) or think of 10 safety rules related to the safety area being examined and write them on the lined piece of paper.

After completing 10 rules, student or groups will then come up to the easel paper or board and, using the "writing on the walls" strategy, write the ten rules on the paper or board.

After every student or group has had sufficient time to write their rules, the teacher will examine the results with the entire class. As each area is examined, rules may be added or deleted with class members and the instructor contributing.