Staying Safe Everyday

Lesson Overview

Year Level: Year 3
Subject: Health
Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
Unit: Safety Skills for Kids (Lesson 1 of 10)
Australian Curriculum Links:

• ACPPS035 – Identify and practise strategies to promote health, safety, and wellbeing
• ACPPS036 – Examine how different situations influence emotional responses
• Cross-curriculum Priorities: Personal and Social Capability

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Define what ‘safety’ means and explain the importance of safety skills in everyday life.
2. Identify and describe common unsafe situations at home, school, and in the community.
3. Recognise and discuss feelings that may signal danger and how to respond appropriately.

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Materials Needed

• A4 paper and coloured pencils
• Large sheets of butchers’ paper
• Whiteboard and markers
• ‘Safety Scenario’ flashcards (prepared before class with real-life unsafe situations)
• A soft ball or beanbag for a class discussion game

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Warm-Up Activity (10 minutes) – The ‘Safety Check-In’ Game

• Begin by throwing a soft ball or beanbag to different students, asking them:
  • “What does being safe mean to you?”
  • “Can you think of a time when you felt safe?”
• As students respond, write key words on the board (e.g., "rules", "listening", "help", "danger", "trust").
• Set the scene by explaining that safety is not just about following rules—it's about recognising when something feels wrong and knowing what to do.

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2. Class Discussion (15 minutes) – What is Unsafe?

• Draw a simple T-chart on the board with two columns: Safe and Unsafe.
• Ask students to share examples of safe and unsafe situations they know from home, school, and the community. Examples could include:
  • Safe: Wearing a seatbelt, waiting for the green man at a crossing, playing where an adult can see you.
  • Unsafe: Talking to strangers online, touching power points, climbing very high without supervision.
• Discuss how our body signals (such as feeling nervous, shaky, or uncomfortable) can help alert us to danger.

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3. Group Activity (20 minutes) – Safety Sorting Challenge

• Divide the class into small groups (4–5 students per group) and give each group a large sheet of butchers’ paper.
• Hand each group a mix of ‘Safety Scenario’ flashcards. These might include:
  • Walking home alone after dark
  • A sibling helping you cross the road
  • Seeing a fire in the kitchen
  • A stranger offering you a lift
  • Getting lost in the shopping centre
• Each group must place the cards in one of two categories: Safe or Unsafe.
• Groups then present their reasoning to the class.
• End with a discussion: Which of these situations have you experienced? How did you feel, and what did you do?

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4. Reflection and Wrap-Up (15 minutes) – The Safety Shield

• Each student draws a shield on an A4 piece of paper, dividing it into four sections with the following prompts:
  1. One place where I feel safe
  2. One person who helps keep me safe
  3. One thing I can do to stay safe
  4. One feeling I have when I don’t feel safe
• Allow students to share their shields with a partner, then display them around the classroom as a reminder of key safety lessons.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Support: Provide additional guidance to students who may struggle to categorise safety scenarios. Use verbal prompts to help with understanding.
• Challenge: Have higher-ability students create their own ‘Safe or Unsafe’ scenarios and present them to the class.

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Assessment & Reflection

• Formative Assessment: Observation of class discussions, participation in group work, and student responses during activities.
• Exit Ticket: As students leave the classroom, they must say one thing they learned about staying safe today.

Teacher Reflection After Lesson:

• Were students engaged in the discussions?
• Did they provide appropriate examples of safety and danger?
• How well did students articulate feelings and body signals related to danger?

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Next Lesson Sneak Peek:

In Lesson 2, we will learn about protective behaviours and who we can trust when we feel unsafe.

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Wow Factor and Deep Thinking

This lesson stands out because it:
✅ Uses engaging, age-appropriate activities that promote active learning.
✅ Encourages deep thinking about emotions linked to safety.
✅ Incorporates creative, hands-on reflection through a personalised ‘Safety Shield’.

By making safety relatable and interactive, students will leave not just understanding safety—but feeling empowered to make smart choices. 🚀