How to Teach Safety Signs to Students
Safety signs provide valuable warnings. Teaching students to recognize and understand the meaning conveyed by these signs can help them avoid hazardous situations and assist them in finding help in the event of an emergency. Through the use of an engaging lesson that requires student participation, teachers can ensure all of their students are safety sign literate.
Instructions
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Create a handout which features common safety signs. Include signs such as children at play, crosswalk markers and exit signs. Feature any signs that are present in your school or immediate community. For example, if you have a blind resident in close proximity to the school, include the blind crossing sign as students will surely encounter this sign in their community.
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Engage students in a safety sign scavenger hunt. Have students bring their handout with them as you walk around the school and playground. Instruct them to be on the lookout for safety signs and to circle any they see while they tour the area. Once you return to class, ask the students which signs they saw and where they saw them.
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Have students create their own signs. Give each child card stock and ask them to create replicas of the signs they see on the handout. This encourages students to study each sign carefully. Tell students that attention to detail is important when it comes to safety signs, as small differences in signs can make a big difference.
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Tell a story. You can create a story in which the character encounters safety signs in advance, or you can make the story up as you go. Ask students to listen carefully as you tell the story and to hold up the appropriate sign as the character in the story comes across places where that sign might be found. For example, if you tell students that Bob is walking to the railroad tracks, students could hold up the railroad crossing sign.
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Have students create a safety sign skit. Divide students into groups and assign each group one of the safety signs. Ask the group participants to create a skit featuring that safety sign. Help students come up with scenarios and refine their skits. Then have them perform their skits for their classmates.
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