Theme: Community
Grade: Kindergarten
Day 10: Community Safety
Lesson Description:
Children become introduced to emergency situations in a non-threatening manner. Understanding basic emergency situations presented in Emergency by Margaret Mayo and “Danger Rangers: Mission 547 Safety Rules!”, will help the children know when and how to respond to emergency situations people face in everyday life. The children will discuss the importance of community safety, both long ago and today. They will learn how to determine and take charge of emergency situations, by responding effectively.
Materials Needed:
• Emergency by Margaret Mayo
• Telephone
• Star stickers
• “Danger Rangers: Mission 547 Safety Rules!” movie
• Photos from Winona Historical Society
Goals:
1. The students will increase their knowledge of different kinds of emergencies.
2. The children will broaden their awareness of how fire fighters, ambulance drivers, and police officers can help maintain community safety.
Objectives:
1. The kindergarteners will learn how to respond in emergency situations.
2. The students will learn about fire safety procedures in their community.
3. The students will learn when and how to call "9-1-1" for an emergency situation.
Procedure:
a. Read Emergency by Margaret Mayo (5 min.)
Emergency situations can arise anyplace at anytime. Discuss with the children how safety has been important both now and long ago. Fire Stations and Police Stations have been around in our community for many years. Pass around a photo of a fire truck used in Winona in the 1800s, and then pass around a photo of a Winona fire truck that is used today. Point out the differences within in the two photographs. Point out how fire trucks today have hoses to put out fires, while firemen long ago carried buckets filled with water on their fire trucks.
b. How To Respond In Emergency Situations (35 min.)
1. Discuss with the children how emergencies can be scary; therefore, it is important to know what to do when one happens. Remind children to be thankful for their community helpers that protect them and help keep their community safe during emergency situations. (5 min)
2. By using a real unplugged telephone, demonstrate how to react and call for help during an emergency. Reinforce the steps to take: Be calm (don’t scream or panic), Call for help (dial 9-1-1), Tell the operator the situation, Give the operator necessary information (address), Stay on the line until help arrives. (5 min.)
3. Describe different situations and ask the class if they think it is an emergency situation or not (ex: burglary, fire, extreme illness, swallowed poison, drowning). If the class agrees the scenario is an emergency, have a student volunteer come up to the front to use the phone to practice calling for help
4. Go through the steps together as a class, while the student demonstrates. (5 min.)
5. Have the children watch “Danger Rangers: Mission 547 Safety Rules!” (20 min.)
c. Danger Rangers (5 min)
Give the kids each a star sticker. Tell them how proud you are of them for learning about community safety. Tell the children that they are now Danger Rangers too, because they know what to do in emergency situations.
Assessments:
1. When each child comes to the front to use the phone, make sure they go through the steps in the correct order.
2. When describing real life scenarios, check to see that the children are able to distinguish an emergency situation from a non-emergency situation.
3. When asking the children, “Who maintains safety in the community?” make sure the children correctly name the community helpers.
