Bicycle and pedestrian accidents are the third-leading cause nationally of deaths related to injuries among children ages 5 to 14, according to the Rockville, Maryland, Department of Parks and Recreation. To decrease traffic-related deaths and injuries among children, federal and state traffic and safety agencies promote classroom instruction and hands-on activities to teach kids about safe cycling and walking. Third-graders require more extensive safety education since they are more likely to walk or ride bikes alone. They also are old enough to grasp more complex information about laws, traffic signs and safety concepts.
Curriculum
Many schools allow students to ride bikes to school alone when they reach third grade. Students in kindergarten to second grade learn to be safe pedestrians. Third-graders move on to a more complex set of skills and rules, including personal responsibility for safety. Bicycle safety classes cover traffic safety, traffic laws, helmet safety and equipment safety. Pedestrian safety education is reinforced for third-graders, including traffic signals and signs, crossing streets, using sidewalks and awareness of surroundings and traffic.
Safety Town
Many cities and towns have a safety town like the one in Frisco, Texas. Frisco uses its Fire Safety Town to teach students about bicycle and pedestrian safety. A trip to safety town is a field trip for third-graders that usually follows classroom instruction and a pretest. Your students might listen to lectures and watch videos followed by helmet and bike safety checks before heading off to the town's simulated streets to practice skills such as using hand signals and obeying traffic signals and laws.
Bicycle Safety Rodeo
Schools set up bicycle rodeo courses on parking lots, playgrounds and in school gyms. You can use chalk to outline the course, and cones and stop signs guide traffic. Sponges are used to designate special areas. Rodeo participants learn about visibility, how to maintain control of the bike and how to remain aware. The rodeo puts students through traffic simulations and bike-handling drills. Students progress through a serious of stations, such as the quick stop and the rock dodge, to complete the rodeo.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Quiz Show
Students can engage in a safety quiz after completing the bicycle and pedestrian safety curriculum. The game allows students to practice and test their knowledge. Separate the class into two teams, write out the questions and answers and assign points. List the questions in categories, such as road rules or walking wisdom. A coin toss can decide which team is first to choose a category and answer a question you put to the students. Help your students with hints and encourage team members to work together to answer questions.
Pedestrian Safety Videos
Parents and teachers show third-graders fun and interesting videos about pedestrian safety. Some videos use cartoon characters and interactive content. You can download free pedestrian and bicycle safety videos for third-graders from Walking Info. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, or PBIC, maintains a video library with videos such as Walk and Ride -- Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety, in English and Spanish, and Step to Safety with ASIMO, a character and an acronym for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, and friends.
References
- Rockville Department of Parks and Recreation: Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Program
- National Highway Safety Traffic Administration: Safe Routes to Schools
- City of Frisco Fire Safety Town: Third-Grade Program
- City of Frisco Fire Safety Town: Teacher Resource Guide 2010-2011
- Walking Info: Educating Child Pedestrians
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