Safety and the Newspaper

For teachers grades K-5

1. Have your students scan the newspaper and the advertising inserts for pictures of toys. Have them cut them out and divided into two categories: those toys that are safest when played with outside and safe indoor toys. What reasons do the students give for their decisions?

2. Using a story about a recent fire, plan a lesson on the safety procedures students should follow if they are ever in such a situation. The discussion should include home and school safety procedures.

3. Have students write and illustrate a news story in which they are a hero who saves people from a fire using the safety procedures learned in No. 2 above.

4. Locate articles and photographs of community helpers such as firemen, policemen, paramedics, doctors, nurses, etc. Discuss the services provided by each of the community helpers and the consequences if we didn’t have these helpers.

5. Have students choose a community helper and report on how they recently helped someone.

6. Have students describe each of the community helpers discussed. How would they reach a helper in an emergency? Would they recognize a policeman if they were lost in a mall?