Safety on Wheels

Context and Curriculum Alignment

This 75-minute lesson aims to engage Year 7 students (age approximately 12-13) in understanding current bicycle safety issues—including electric bikes (e-bikes) and electric scooters (e-scooters)—along with pedestrian safety, following the NSW Health and Physical Education curriculum framework.

NSW Curriculum Links

• Content descriptor:
  • Personal, Social and Community Health
    • "Plan and practise strategies to promote health, safety and wellbeing" (ACPPS071)
    • "Investigate how environments shape health and wellbeing" (ACPPS070)
• Learning outcomes:
  • Students will develop skills to assess and apply strategies for personal safety and wellbeing in everyday environments (such as roads and public spaces).
  • Students will critically analyse influences on safety behaviours related to modern transport options.
• Achievement standard focus:
  • Students describe factors that influence identities and propose strategies to demonstrate respect, empathy and inclusion in health and safety contexts, including protective behaviours to keep themselves and others safe (Years 5-6 foundation continuing into Year 7 complexity) .

---

Learning Objectives

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

1. Identify the key safety risks associated with bicycles, e-bikes, and e-scooters in NSW.
2. Understand pedestrian safety principles and legal road-sharing responsibilities in NSW.
3. Analyse how individual actions impact personal and community safety.
4. Collaboratively develop practical safety strategies to reduce risks and promote mindful behaviour on roads and footpaths.

---

Lesson Plan Overview

Time	Activity	Details
0-10 mins	Engagement & Introduction	Quick brainstorm: Students list transport modes they use/have seen (including bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters). Brief video clip or infographic on NSW road rules for these modes.
10-25 mins	Investigate Safety Issues	Small groups: Each group uses NSW Government safety fact sheets (printed) on bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, or pedestrian safety. They note major risks and rules. (Teacher circulates to scaffold).
25-40 mins	Interactive Role Play - Road Sharing Simulation	Mark out “road” and “footpath” spaces in playground or classroom circles. Assign roles: Pedestrians, cyclists, e-bike riders, e-scooter riders. Students practice negotiating spaces safely with guided scenarios. Emphasise NSW legal requirements such as helmet laws, speed limits, footpath riding rules.
40-55 mins	Group Discussion and Reflection	Groups share what safety hazards they identified and how they adapted behaviour during role play. Teacher facilitates discussion on potential accidents and preventive strategies in local NSW contexts.
55-70 mins	Creative Safety Strategy Workshop	Groups create a poster/digital presentation proposing three safe practices for each mode of transport plus pedestrian tips, targeting peers in NSW.
70-75 mins	Exit Reflection and Formative Quiz	Quick individual quiz with multiple-choice and true/false questions on NSW bike/e-bike/scooter/pedestrian safety laws and best practices. Use paper or Kahoot! for engagement.

---

Resources

• NSW government safety fact sheets on bicycle, e-bike, and e-scooter use in NSW (hard copies).
• Video clip or infographic summarising relevant NSW road rules for young people.
• Playground or classroom space for role play marked with tape or cones.
• Poster materials or devices with digital presentation software.
• Online quiz tool (optional).

---

Assessment

• Observation during role play on students’ ability to apply safety rules and show respect for others’ spaces.
• Group safety strategy poster/presentation assessed for understanding key safety issues and practical strategies.
• Exit quiz results demonstrate individual knowledge retention and understanding.

---

Detailed Activity Descriptions

1. Engagement and Intro (10 mins)

• Ask students: What transport do you see your peers using to get to school? How do you keep safe?
• Show a 3-4 min video or infographic illustrating NSW rules for wearing helmets, speed limits, age restrictions for e-scooters, and pedestrian crossing rules to provide a visual foundation.

2. Safety Investigation (15 mins)

• Divide 29 students into 4 groups (7-8 students). Each group receives safety facts sheets focused on one area: bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, or pedestrian safety in NSW (laws, risks, common causes of accidents).
• Groups summarize key points onto a graphic organiser, guided by questions such as:
  • What are the biggest risks?
  • What rules must riders/walkers follow?
  • What safety equipment is essential?
• Teacher circulates, prompting with NSW-specific questions and debunking myths.

3. Role Play - Road Sharing Simulation (15 mins)

• Using taped areas or spatial markers, set up “road lanes” and “footpaths.”
• Assign roles: pedestrians, cyclists, e-bike riders, e-scooter riders (rotate through roles if time allows).
• Present scenarios like crossing intersections, encountering others on footpaths, and unexpected obstacles.
• Students act out safe, NSW-compliant behaviours (e.g., cyclists giving way to pedestrians, helmet use, e-scooter speed limits).
• Discuss how real-life situations may look and how behaviours influence safety.

4. Group Discussion and Reflection (15 mins)

• Each group shares experiences from role play: what was difficult? what rules did they follow or find confusing?
• Brainstorm with class the common causes of accidents and injuries in NSW involving these forms of travel (e.g., visibility, distractions, speed).
• Discuss pedestrian safety issues like crossing roads safely, using lights, and staying alert.

5. Creative Safety Strategy Workshop (15 mins)

• In groups, students design safety posters or digital slides aimed at NSW peers, highlighting top 3 safety tips for their transport mode and pedestrian safety.
• Encourage use of humour, slogans, clear images, or strong visual features to engage other students.

6. Exit Reflection and Quiz (5 mins)

• Students complete a quick formative quiz to assess learning outcomes, including questions on helmet laws, legal road use of scooters, and pedestrian right-of-way.
• This can be a paper quiz or via an online platform like Kahoot! if technology permits.

---

Differentiation & Engagement Tips

• For students needing additional support, provide sentence starters or partially completed graphic organisers in the investigation phase.
• Challenge advanced students to research recent statistics on bicycle/scooter accidents in NSW.
• Use multimedia and hands-on role play to suit varied learning styles and keep energy high.

---

Teacher Notes

• Emphasise legal requirements specific to NSW, including helmet laws mandatory for bicycles and e-bikes, and age restrictions for e-scooters. NSW laws also restrict where and how e-scooters may be ridden.
• Discuss real local examples of road safety incidents (news stories or community anecdotes) to contextualise learning.
• Reinforce respectful road-sharing behaviours that promote community health and safety.

---

This lesson plan utilises inquiry, collaboration, movement, and creativity to create an immersive learning experience that aligns directly with the NSW Personal, Social and Community Health outcomes for Year 7 students, develops essential safety knowledge relevant in their everyday life, and equips them with proactive strategies to keep themselves and others safe on roads and paths shared with bicycles, e-bikes, and e-scooters.