Content Area: Health and Physical Education

 

Index: 2.1E Grade 4 CPI 4

 

Standard: 2.1 - Wellness

 

Strand: E -  Safety

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 4 - The student will describe the characteristics of strangers, acquaintances, and trusted adults and demonstrate safe and appropriate ways to deal with each.

 

Grade: 4

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        SAFETY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD - For this activity, you need a video camera or a camera that develops instant photographs. Accompany students on a “walk” to an intersection near the school. Videotape the activities at the intersection, noting the movement of vehicles and pedestrians. Note obstacles that may interfere with safe crossing or driving, such as buildings, signs, or trees. Students view the tape to detect as many safety hazards as possible and suggest possible solutions. Students write a letter to community officials outlining their suggestions for increased safety.

 

      Variation: Students develop a safety checklist and monitor a school or community play area for potential safety problems. The class develops a report for community or school officials.

 

·        WHO ARE YOU? - Use puppets or stuffed animals to introduce three characters that represent the ways people handle conflicts:

Mouse: Meek, weak, doesn’t stick up for his/her own ideas
Monster: Bully, pushes ideas on others
Me: A balance between a monster and a mouse

Model how each character might handle the same conflict situation. Allow student volunteers to participate in the demonstration. Then divide the class into small groups, and give each group a situation. Students determine if the character in the situation is responding as a mouse, monster, or “me”. If the mouse or monster is in control, the group rewrites the situation to handle the conflict more appropriately. Groups present the original role-play and then the rewrite. As the students present their skits, they discuss the skills needed to manage conflict in a healthy way.

 

·        EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW TO STAY HEALTHY - Divide the class into small groups. Each group brainstorms tips to stay healthy—as many ideas as they can during a set time period (3-5 minutes). Reconvene the class and create a master list of tips. Organize the tips into categories (e.g., safety, nutrition, exercise). Use these ideas to create a tip of the day which can be used on bulletin boards, or to trigger journal-writing activities. Variation: Incorporate the health tips into the school’s daily announcements.