Walking Your Way to Safety

Discuss pedestrian safety rules and then put them in context with a walking tour of the school’s neighbourhood. Talk about street signs and how to safely cross the road.

Grade Level: Kindergarten – Grade 3

Subject: Pedestrian Safety

Time Required: 60 Minutes

Overall Expectations:

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

Introduction/Minds On:
(3-5 minutes)

  • Have students stand up and march on the spot.
  • Ask students questions about pedestrian safety (see Appendix 1).
  • When students answer “yes”, have them turn around march in the opposite direction. If they answer “no”, have them continue to march in the same direction.

Development/Action:
(50 minutes)

Before The Walk

  • You may want to verify the board and school policy for outings outside the school.
  • Ask the students to identify the pedestrian safety rules on the streets, and on railway tracks. Discuss.
  • Introduce the pedestrian safety rules (see Appendix 2).
  • With input from students, plan a 20-minute walk through the school’s neighbourhood. Draw a map of the selected route, or take digital photos of the route, and share with the class.
  • If possible, select streets with sidewalks and a route that has at least one opportunity to cross the road.
  • Ensure you have at least one other leader to walk at the back of the line and that students are aware that they need to walk beside a partner and stay in a line when they walk.

During the Walk

Discuss the rules of pedestrian safety as the students are walking. Point out familiar street signs and discuss their meaning. Refer to Appendix 3: Sample questions for Neighbourhood Walk.

Consolidation/Debrief:
(3-5 minutes)

When the students are back in the classroom, ask them what they observed. What rules did they have to follow so they were safe on the road? Collectively, make a list of words related to pedestrian safety and hang them in the classroom.

Variation

If your school is in a rural area and you would like to familiarize the class with an urban setting, you might create a mock neighbourhood in the school yard or gymnasium.

Learning Outcomes


Reading: Read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, graphic and informational tests, using a range of strategies to construct meaning.

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.