Vision Zero School Kit Resources

Introduction to Street Safety

Introduction to streets and crosswalks and the importance of safety

Objective: Introduce students to the concept of staying safe while walking and crossing streets.

Time Frame: 20 Minutes

Materials:

Div 1 + 2 (K-6) DIY Presentation
- Present Online
- PDF
Let’s Learn: Crosswalk Safety
- Present Online
- PDF
Traffic Signs Colouring Page

Teacher Guidance: Use the Let’s Learn: Crosswalk Safety presentation to introduce students to crosswalks and street safety.

Student Practice: Complete the Traffic Signs Colouring Page in class or at home and practice the 3 steps to crossing safely.

Identify safe and unsafe behaviours around streets

Objective: Introduce students to the concept of staying safe while walking and crossing streets.

Time Frame: 20 Minutes

Materials:

Let’s Learn: Safe and Unsafe Behaviours
- Present Online
- PDF
Journal Entry Template
Whiteboard
Markers

Teacher Guidance: Use the Lets Learn: Safe and Unsafe Behaviours presentation to talk about the behaviours and discuss the following:

What makes a behaviour safe or unsafe?
How can we improve unsafe behaviours?

Student Practice: Students can complete a journal entry and write about a time they felt safe or unsafe when crossing the road.

Explore road safety narratives through storytelling and illustration

Objective: Introduce students to the concept of staying safe while walking and crossing streets.

Time Frame: 30 minutes

Materials:

Teacher Guidance: Read A Safe Crossings Story to the class or have them take turns reading it to each other. Once the story is done invite students to engage with the story by creating illustrations to go along with the story, or by creating their own Safe Crossings Story!

Student Practice: Students can continue to explore road safety by creating their own illustrations for the Safe Crossings Story! Alternatively, students can choose to write their own safe crossings story!

Understanding Traffic Signs and Signals

Identifying common traffic signs using visuals

Objective: Familiarize students with basic traffic signs and signals.

Time Frame: 20 Minutes

Materials:

Let’s Learn: Traffic Signs Presentation
- Present Online
- PDF
Traffic Signs Colouring Sheet
Scavenger Hunt Take-Home Activity

Teacher Guidance: Use the Let’s Learn: Traffic Signs slide deck to introduce students to common traffic signs. Discuss the following with students:

Have you seen any of these signs in your neighbourhood?
How can signs help us to stay safe on the road?

Student Practice: To review the different traffic signs students can complete the Traffic Signs Review Colouring Sheet at home or in class.

Identify what traffic lights mean and how to follow them

Objective: Familiarize students with basic traffic signs and signals.

Time Frame: 20 Minutes

Materials:

Let’s Learn: Traffic Lights
- Present Online
- PDF

Teacher Guidance: Use the Let’s Learn: Traffic Lights slide deck to introduce students to traffic lights. Discuss the following with students:

How do traffic lights help keep people safe?

Student Practice: To help students familiarize themselves with the way traffic lights operate and affect traffic, play the game Red Light, Green Light with students in an open and safe environment.

Red Light, Green Light Game Instructions

Have students stand in a horizontal line facing you
The person calling the game will stand across the room on the finish line.
- When you say “Green light” everyone moves toward the finish.
- When you say “Yellow light” everyone must move in slow motion toward the finish line.
- When you say “Red light” everyone must stop moving.

Be able to identify the meaning of various traffic signs and signals

Objective: Familiarize students with basic traffic signs and signals.

Time Frame: 20 minutes

Materials:

Teacher Guidance: Have a review discussion with students about the different traffic signs and signals.

Student Practice: Students can further enjoy their learning about traffic signs and signals through flash cards and a matching game that can be completed in small groups or pairs.

Safe Ways of Moving

Demonstrate the importance of holding an adult's hand while crossing the street

Objective: Show students how to be safe pedestrians when walking near streets.

Time Frame: 20 Minutes

Materials:

Let’s Learn: Holding Hands
- Present Online
- PDF
Safe Crossings Story: Helping Hands

Teacher Guidance: Use the Let’s Learn: Crosswalk Safety slide deck to introduce students to crosswalks and street safety.

Student Practice: Complete Crosswalk Safety Colouring Page in class or at home and practice the three steps to crossing safely.

Practice stopping at curbs and looking both ways before crossing

Objective: Show students how to be safe pedestrians when walking near streets.

Time Frame: 20 Minutes

Materials:

Teacher Guidance: Use the Safe Street Explorer Activity to introduce students to crosswalks safety practices.

Student Practice: Complete the Journal Entry template in class or at home and share your experience completing the Safe Streets Explorer activity.

Engage in role-play activities to practice crossing the street safely

Objective: Practice with students how to be safe pedestrians when crossing the street.

Time Frame: 30 minutes

Materials:

Teacher Guidance: Use the Street Crossing Champions Activity to take all of the students' crosswalk safety practice and bring it to life!

Student Practice: Students can complete the Street Crossing Champions Illustration Activity and draw an illustration about their experience as a Street Crossing Champion. Their experiences can then be shared with the class or in their smaller Street Crossing Squads.

Being Visible on the Streets

Discuss the importance of wearing bright clothing and reflective materials

Objective: Teach students how to be visible to drivers when walking or biking.

Time Frame: 20 Minutes

Materials:

Teacher Guidance: Use the The Park in the Dark story to support the Let’s be Safe While Walking Activity and teach students the importance of being visible when moving around their neighbourhoods.

Student Practice: Students can complete a journal entry writing about what they learned and how it will impact the way they move around their neighbourhood in the dark.

Engage in activities where students explore visibility using flashlights

Objective: Teach students how to be visible to drivers when walking or biking.

Time Frame: 20 Minutes

Materials:

Be Seen Adventure: A Safety Quest
Reflective Materials
Construction Paper

Teacher Guidance: Use the Be Seen Adventure: A Safety Quest Activity to introduce students to the importance of utilizing reflective materials to move safely.

Student Practice: To help students familiarize themselves with the use of these reflective materials, allow for open play with their avatars.

Create a fun environment to demonstrate the importance of visibility

Objective: Teach students how to be visible to drivers when walking or biking.

Time Frame: 20 minutes

Materials:

Safety is in Fashion
Reflective Materials
Craft supplies

Teacher Guidance: Use the Safety is in Fashion Activity to re-emphasize the importance of utilizing reflective materials to move safely. This activity will show how students may be able to incorporate these safety elements into their daily lives in a fun way.

Student Practice: Challenge the students to take this activity home with them ant to engage their parents and siblings into moving and dressing for safety.

Review and Graduation

Share a story about a child who used their street safety knowledge to help others

Objective: Review key concepts and celebrate students completion of the street safety program.

Time Frame: 20 Minutes

Materials:

Safety is for Sharing: A Vision Zero Story

Teacher Guidance: Read the Safety is for Sharing story to re-emphasize how important it is that we all work together to move safely. If we help one another to learn the rules of the road, and to share stories we will all be a little bit safer.

Student Practice: Encourage the students to share their stories at home, with friends and help everyone become Vision Zero Ambassadors.

Hold a mini-graduation ceremony where students receive certificates for completing the program

Objective: Congratulate the students on all their hard work and present them with a graduation certificate.

Time Frame: 20 Minutes

Materials:

Graduation Certificate

Teacher Guidance: Congratulations! You’ve used all of the Vision Zero Schoolkits digital resources to teach your students how to move safely! Give yourself a pat on the back for being an amazing advocate for safety on our streets and providing those learnings to the next generation of road users!

Student Practice: Celebrate!