Risk Watch - Grade 5 and 6
Posting date: July 2009
Risk Watch is recommended to support the Grade 5 and 6 curriculum across Canada in addressing personal safety and injury prevention.
Description
Author : Andy Halper
National Fire Protection Association, 1998
Print, 125 pages, colour, loose pages with binder, hardcover
Grades : 5-6
Concepts : Injury prevention, safety, risk management, emergency services, fire safety, motor vehicle safety, bicycle safety, pedestrian safety, water safety, choking, firearms, falls
Subjects : Health and Physical Education, Language, Science
CSC Evaluation
Curriculum Correlation
Risk Watch supports the Grade 5 and 6 curriculum across Canada in addressing personal safety and injury prevention across Canada.
Content
Risk Watch provides students with information and develops decision-making skills for responding appropriately to personal safety and injury prevention situations. The program is presented through eight themes: motor vehicle safety; fire and burn prevention; poisoning prevention; falls prevention; firearms injury prevention; bike and pedestrian safety; water safety; and choking, suffocation, and strangulation prevention. In each of the lessons, students assume the role of "Promoter" by creating an infomercial based on a particular safety theme. There are three journal-response activities in which the teacher needs to be sensitive to individual student experiences, e.g., students writing about a time they witnessed or experienced a motor vehicle collision. The purpose, intent, and instructions for using this learning resource are clearly outlined in the introduction and in the teacher instructional video. The material for students is clear and easy to follow. The resource includes links to Language Arts and the Arts, e.g., oral presentations, reading for information, written reports, skits, and songs.
Methodology
This resource provides a variety of developmentally appropriate instructional/learning strategies for independent and group use, e.g., presentation, games, performance, journal writing, and reflection. There are opportunities for students to discuss and present an infomercial on each of the eight safety themes and then to consolidate and practise problem-solving skills through a series of application activities. Cooperative learning and creative thinking are focuses for supporting the learning. Each theme identifies a home and community link. Included are suggestions for accessing service organizations such as police, fire, and health organizations, and information and resources to apply the learning at school and at home.
Assessment
The learning resource includes a fifteen-question, multiple-choice/short-answer test that can be used for determining student understanding. The student presentations and the Risk Watch in Action culminating activities also provide assessment opportunities.
Format
Risk Watch contains print materials and a teacher instructional video. The components are well organized and intuitive to use. Each safety theme has its own entry and exit points and can be used individually or together as a group of lessons. The themes are presented on cardstock and contained in a binder for durability and ease of use.
Bias
This learning resource as a whole is presented from a balanced perspective. Although a number of American examples are used, Canadian references are made through statistics, data, resources, and agencies listed.
Review Recommendation
Risk Watch is recommended to support the Grade 5 and 6 curriculum across Canada in addressing personal safety and injury prevention.
Contact Information
Art Pullan
Public Education - Canada
100 Strowger Blvd., Suite 107
Brockville, ON K6V 5J9
613-498-6247 ext. 100
e-mail: art.pullan@firesafetycouncil.com
Chris Slosser
Media Relations & Public Education
Office of the Fire Marshal
5775 Yonge St., 7th Floor
Toronto, ON M2M 4J1
416-325-3120
e-mail: chris.slosser@ontario.ca
Read the publisher's description of this resource
Note: These learning resources are recommended by Curriculum Services Canada. However, such a recommendation is of the resource only and should not be construed as a general recommendation of the developer of such a resource or the developer's business or related activities. While CSC recommends a resource on pedagogical grounds, the end user is fully responsible for its use.