Safe Water Plans

Overview

In this final lesson of the unit, students use all the water safety skills they have learned to create and practise a personal Water Safety Action Plan. They then demonstrate their understanding through short, age-appropriate scenario role-plays and peer teaching.

Learning intentions

• Students will create a simple, personal action plan for staying safe near water.
• Students will practise what to do in common water safety situations (before, during and after).
• Students will communicate safety messages clearly to a partner or small group.
• Students will show safety behaviours using role-play and explanation.

Success criteria

• I can identify key safety actions for different water situations.
• I can explain what I would do and who I would tell.
• I can role-play safely and respectfully, using a clear safety voice and actions.
• I can check my plan with a peer using the class success checklist.

Curriculum links

• Health and wellbeing focus: making healthy and safe choices and identifying practical strategies for health and safety.
• Personal and social capability: communicating and collaborating respectfully during group tasks.
• Safety and wellbeing learning: recognising risks and using protective behaviours in real-life contexts.
• Learning through inquiry: reflecting on actions and improving safety plans.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 5 mins – WALT & hook Teacher shares today’s WALT: “We are learning to create a personal Water Safety Action Plan and practise it in scenarios.” Quick class prompt: “What are the most important water safety rules we must remember?”

2. 10 mins – Review the unit skills (quick carousel) Students rotate through 3 teacher-led mini prompts around the room (e.g., safe entry to water, buddy and supervision, asking for help/calling emergency services). For each prompt, students give one safety action and one reason.

3. 15 mins – Plan building (group + individual) Students choose (or are given) a template with sections:

• Before water: “I will…” (e.g., wear appropriate gear, use a buddy, listen to instructions)
• During water: “If I feel unsafe…” (e.g., stop, move to safe place, call for help)
• After water: “I will…” (e.g., tell a grown-up if something happened). Teacher circulates to ensure plans include at least 3 actions and a “who I tell” line.

4. 15 mins – Scenario role-play (practise rounds) In pairs or small groups, students receive a scenario card matched to their year level (teacher reads it aloud if needed). Examples:

• Year 1: “At the pool edge, a friend runs off—what do you do?”
• Year 2: “You can’t find an adult near the water—what do you do?”
• Year 3: “Someone looks tired or upset in shallow water—how do you get help safely?”
• Year 4: “You see unsafe behaviour near water—how do you respond and communicate?” Students practise using their plan: clear steps, safe words, and a safe call for help (without risky rescues).

5. 10 mins – Peer teaching “Safety Coach” check Each student briefly teaches their partner one part of their plan (e.g., “Before water” or “If I feel unsafe”). Partner uses a simple checklist: “Does your plan say what to do? Who to tell? Is it safe and realistic?”

6. 5 mins – Share-out reflection & closing Whole class share: “One action from my plan I will definitely remember.” Teacher collects templates for feedback and praises clear communication and safe choices.

Resources

• Water Safety Action Plan template (one per student) with age-appropriate sentence starters
• Scenario cards with teacher-read options for younger students
• Colour pencils/crayons, scissors, glue (optional for a poster-style plan)
• “Safety Coach” peer checklist (simple tick boxes or yes/no prompts)
• Display chart of key class rules (buddy, supervision, ask for help, stay within safe areas)
• Timer for rotation and role-play rounds
• Visuals for non-readers (icons for “buddy”, “adult”, “help”, “stop and move away”)
• Optional: “My emergency person” card with family/school contact placeholders
• Classroom video projector for a short teacher recap (if available)

Assessment

• Teacher observation during scenario role-play using a brief rubric: safety actions, communication, and “who to tell”.
• Template review: check that each plan includes at least 3 correct actions and a clear help-seeking step.
• Peer checklist evidence: whether students can explain one part of the plan accurately to a partner.

Differentiation

• Support for early readers: provide sentence starters, icon prompts, and teacher read-aloud of scenario cards; allow drawing instead of writing.
• Support for students needing additional structure: offer a “minimum plan” version with exactly 3 actions and a fixed “tell an adult” line.
• Extension for confident learners: add an extra section “I would tell them: …” (what to say), and include one example of a real place to practise the plan (e.g., beach, lake, pool, water park).
• EAL/SEN: use visuals and modelling; allow rehearsing responses in pairs before speaking to the class; provide word banks with safety terms (e.g., buddy, stop, ask, help).

Extension (optional)

• Advanced “What if?” challenge: Students choose one scenario and add a second response step (e.g., “If the first adult can’t help, I will…”). They then peer-teach the updated plan.