Health and Safety in the Newspaper

 

Grades 6-12

 

1. Locate and collect articles from the paper that give information concerning specific exercises to do in order to improve and/or develop specific areas of the body. Identify your area of weakness, and from the information collected, develop a daily exercise program to develop and improve the weakness.

 

2. Use grocery ads to plan balanced menus that are nutritious as well as colorful and pleasing to the eye.

 

3. Study and compare advertisements for various products such as toothpaste, cold medicines, laxatives, headache remedies, etc. If possible, bring in boxes or labels that list the ingredients for comparison purposes. Determine the best buy based on advertised prices and other factors.

 

4. Discuss advertisements of the products compared in No. 3 above. What words did they use to persuade you to purchase their product?

 

5. Collect news stories that report home accidents. Discuss these articles and propose viable solutions for similar problems.

 

6. Make a safety book by collecting articles and pictures that emphasize safety at home, at school, at play and in public places. Are there any safety hints used specifically in one area and not another? Why or why not?

 

7. Collect toy ads. List all the possible dangers of misuse of these toys. Discuss the ages of the child using them as well as the sharp points on plastic toys, small parts that can be swallowed, fingers that can get stuck, etc.

 

8. Many students have chores that help around the house. Discuss the equipment you use for chores. Collect pictures of common tools – knives, scissors, lawn mowers, microwaves, etc.

 

9. Create a bulletin board of car accidents. Find the cause of the accident, the consequences and how the accident might have been avoided.

 

10. Locate news articles where health and safety procedures will be taught. Discuss the need for everyone to know how to do CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, water rescue skills, etc.

 

11. Collect colorful and unusual words from the newspaper to compose safety or courtesy slogans. Make them into a slogan mobile.

 

12. Find an article about a house fire. Draw a floor plan of your home and plan an escape route in case of a fire. Draw the position of the smoke detector and the date you last changed the battery. If you live in a two-story home or apartment building, do you have fire ladders in the bedrooms or rooftops to climb onto?

 

13. Read the sports section to find examples of good/bad sportsmanship. Make a list of the rules of good sportsmanship.

 

14. Write and dramatize an emergency situation where outside help is needed.

 

15. Have a “healthy newspaper scavenger hunt.” Items could include a cold remedy, hair grooming aid, a sharp object, etc.

 

16. Check out the classified ads and locate a job in which a strong health occupation background would be an asset.

 

17. Divide into two groups. Have one group look for examples of good grooming in articles and pictures and the other group look for those who are not well-groomed. Give the reasons for your choices.

 

18. Many students baby-sit with siblings. Discuss the dangers of accidental poisoning from household items. How would you instruct siblings to keep from using these products? Make a collage with your NO message.

 

19. Clip advertisements promoting health spas, exercise clubs, diet pills, etc. Discuss the terms of the agreements for joining these places.