Passenger Performance

Turn your classroom into a school bus for this role-playing activity that teaches students passenger safety rules and good bus behaviour.

Grade Level: Kindergarten – Grade 3

Subject: Passenger Safety

Time Required: 40 Minutes

Overall Expectations:

  • HPE – Healthy Living Strand
  • HPE – Physical Activity (DPA)
  • LL – Language and Literacy

Introduction/Minds On:
(3 minutes)

  • Teach the actions for the game “Bus Driver’s Coming”
    (Appendix 1).
  • Have students perform each action in their seat as you call out the actions.
  • Continue calling out the actions, varying the order, until the students are warmed up.

Development/Action:
(30 minutes)

Part 1: Review and Discussion

  • Review the school bus safety danger zone (Appendix 2) and the rules of being a bus and car passenger. Ask students questions related to bus and car safety (Appendix 3).

 

Part 2: Role Play Setup

  • Set up the classroom with rows of chairs or desks to mimic seats on a bus.
  • Designate an area to the right of the chairs to be the bus stop.
  • To the left of the bus, draw a line that resembles the middle line in the road. You might use a skipping rope or chalk.
  • Have the student in the front left row perform the duties of the bus driver.

 

Part 3: Role Play

  • Have half the class wait at the bus stop.
  • Have the other half on the bus with the driver.
  • The bus driver pretends to stop at the stop, then the students board safely.
  • The driver will pretend to drive for a moment, then stop again.
  • Students will get off the bus, reviewing the rules for getting off and crossing the road safely.
  • Students getting off the bus need to take 10 steps ahead of the bus, out of the danger zone, before beginning to cross the road.
  • Students must stop at the line resembling the middle of the road, look at the bus driver who will signal that it’s safe, then look both ways before crossing the road.
  • You may wish to play music during the activity (for example, “The Wheels on the Bus”).

Consolidation/Debrief:
(3-5 minutes)

  • Consult with students about the difference between being a passenger in a car and a passenger on a bus. What is similar? What is different?
  • You might create a Venn Diagram that identifies similarities and differences.

Teacher Assessment

Use Appendix 4: Assessment Role Play Checklist, to assess students.

Learning Outcomes


Oral: Listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations and for a variety of purposes. Use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.