Walking Your Way to Safety

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.

Teacher Assessment

Use Appendix 4: Communication and Application of Knowledge Rubric, to assess students.