Lesson Plan
My Safety Blueprint Lesson Plan
Guide 9th graders to identify potential risks and create a personalized safety blueprint—outlining trusted contacts, coping strategies, and clear action steps for emergencies.
A safety plan empowers students to respond calmly in challenging situations, reduces anxiety, and fosters independence by providing a clear roadmap and support resources for real-life scenarios.
Audience
9th Grade Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive brainstorming and guided individual drafting.
Materials
Personal Safety Plan Template, Possible Scenarios Cards, Pens and Notebooks, Projector or Interactive Whiteboard, and Timer or Stopwatch
Prep
Prepare Materials
10 minutes
- Print enough Personal Safety Plan Template for each student.
- Print and cut sets of Possible Scenarios Cards into individual cards.
- Ensure projector or interactive whiteboard is set up and functioning.
- Review the Personal Safety Plan Template and Possible Scenarios Cards to familiarize yourself with key discussion points.
Step 1
Introduction and Objectives
5 minutes
- Welcome students and introduce the session goal: creating a personalized safety plan.
- Define what a safety plan is and why it matters.
- Share an overview of the steps: scenario exploration, drafting, peer feedback, and reflection.
Step 2
Scenario Brainstorm
5 minutes
- Divide students into small groups and distribute one Possible Scenarios Card to each group.
- In groups, identify risks and discuss safe actions or resources for the scenario.
- Have one representative from each group share their scenario and proposed safety steps.
Step 3
Draft Your Safety Plan
10 minutes
- Distribute the Personal Safety Plan Template to each student.
- Ask students to fill in: potential risks, trusted contacts, coping strategies, and step-by-step safety actions.
- Circulate the room to provide guidance and answer questions.
Step 4
Peer Feedback
5 minutes
- Pair students and have them exchange their drafted safety plans.
- Provide guiding questions: Are the steps clear? Are contacts accessible? Is the plan realistic?
- Encourage constructive feedback and suggest improvements.
Step 5
Group Reflection and Next Steps
5 minutes
- Reconvene the whole group and invite volunteers to share one strategy from their plan.
- Summarize key takeaways: clarity of steps, importance of trusted contacts, and flexibility of plans.
- Encourage students to keep their plans accessible and to revise them as needed.
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Slide Deck
My Safety Blueprint
Creating Your Personal Safety Plan
Welcome students. Introduce yourself and today’s goal: creating your own safety plan. Explain that this plan will help them stay safe and calm in challenging situations. Briefly preview the session steps.
Session Objectives
• Identify potential risks in various situations
• List trusted contacts for support
• Develop personal coping strategies
• Create step-by-step safety actions for emergencies
Spend about 5 minutes on this slide. Read through each objective aloud, then ask if anyone has questions. Emphasize how each objective will build their personal plan.
What Is a Safety Plan?
A safety plan is a personalized roadmap you can follow when you feel unsafe, anxious, or overwhelmed.
It helps you:
• Recognize warning signs
• Know who to contact for help
• Choose coping strategies that work for you
• Follow clear steps to stay safe
Explain that a safety plan is a pre-built guide for emergencies. Ask students to think of a time when having a plan might help. Encourage a quick volunteer share.
Scenario Brainstorm
In your groups:
- Review the scenario on your card
- Identify potential risks or warning signs
- Discuss safe actions, resources, or contacts you could use
- Choose one person to share your ideas with the class
Divide students into small groups (3–4). Hand out one Possible Scenarios Cards per group. Give them 5 minutes to discuss risks and safe actions. Walk around to support discussion.
Draft Your Safety Plan
Use the Personal Safety Plan Template to fill in:
• Potential risks or warning signs
• Trusted contacts (names & phone numbers)
• Coping strategies (what helps you calm down)
• Step-by-step safety actions for an emergency
Distribute the Personal Safety Plan Template. Explain each section. Allow students 10 minutes to fill in their own plans. Circulate to answer questions and offer examples.
Peer Feedback
In pairs, review each other’s plan. Ask:
• Are the action steps clear and realistic?
• Are the trusted contacts available and reachable?
• Are the coping strategies personalized and helpful?
• What could make this plan stronger?
Ask students to pair up and exchange their drafted plans. Read the guiding questions aloud and display them. Allow 5 minutes for feedback, then summarize common suggestions.
Reflection & Next Steps
• Volunteers share one safety strategy from their plan
• Key takeaways:
– Clear, actionable steps
– Reliable, accessible contacts
– Personalized coping strategies
• Keep your plan in an easy-to-find place and update it as needed
Bring the class back together. Invite a few volunteers to share one strategy they learned or included in their plan. Emphasize flexibility: plans can change over time. Remind students to keep their plan accessible.
Activity
Possible Scenarios Cards
Use these scenario cards to brainstorm risks and safety steps in small groups. Distribute one card per group.
- Scenario 1: You’re walking home alone after extracurriculars and realize it’s getting dark. There are only a few streetlights and no one else around.
- Scenario 2: You receive an upsetting or threatening message from an unknown account on social media. You don’t know who sent it.
- Scenario 3: You’re at a friend’s party where people you don’t know are drinking alcohol. Your friend offers you a drink and pressures you to join in.
- Scenario 4: You lose your phone and can’t contact your parents. It’s the end of the school day, and you don’t know when they’ll arrive.
- Scenario 5: A student in your class is being bullied, and it’s making you feel unsafe. You’re not sure what to do or who to tell.
- Scenario 6: There’s an unexpected fire alarm at school during lunchtime. The hallway is crowded, and people start to panic.
- Scenario 7: You’re at a large public event (like a concert), get separated from your group, and your phone battery dies.
- Scenario 8: You’re feeling extremely anxious and overwhelmed in the bathroom between classes. You’re having trouble breathing and feel alone.
Worksheet
Personal Safety Plan Template
Use this template to build your own safety plan. Fill in each section with details that are meaningful to you.
1. Potential Risks or Warning Signs
List situations, feelings, or signs that let you know you might need to use your safety plan.
2. Trusted Contacts
Who can you turn to for help? Write down at least three people, their relationship to you, and a way to reach them.
3. Coping Strategies
What activities or techniques help you stay calm or feel safe? (e.g., deep breathing, listening to music, calling a friend)
4. Step-by-Step Safety Actions
Describe clear, actionable steps you will take if you notice a warning sign or find yourself in an unsafe situation.
5. Additional Notes or Reminders
Any other thoughts, codes, or reminders to keep in mind when you use your plan.