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Stay Safe, Stay Smart

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Stacey Hersch

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Stay Safe, Stay Smart Lesson Plan

Students will learn personal safety awareness and decision-making strategies to recognize and respond to potential risks confidently.

Personal safety skills empower 7th graders to handle everyday situations effectively, promoting awareness and self-confidence.

Audience

7th Grade Middle School Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, role-playing, and scenario analysis.

Materials

Stay Safe, Stay Smart Lesson Plan

Prep

Teacher Preparation

5 minutes

  • Review the Stay Safe, Stay Smart Lesson Plan for detailed activity instructions.
  • Familiarize yourself with interactive discussion points and scenario exercises.
  • Prepare to guide role play and group discussions to engage students effectively.

Step 1

Introduction & Objectives

5 minutes

  • Introduce the lesson by explaining the importance of personal safety and situational awareness.
  • Share the learning objectives in simple terms.
  • Engage students with a brief discussion about what 'safety' means to them.

Step 2

Interactive Discussion

10 minutes

  • Lead a group discussion on common safety concerns and smart decision-making.
  • Ask students to share experiences where they needed to make safe choices.
  • Encourage critical thinking with questions like, 'What would you do in this situation?'

Step 3

Scenario Role-Playing

10 minutes

  • Divide the class into small groups and assign different safety scenarios.
  • Have each group role-play their scenario to identify safe responses.
  • After role-playing, gather everyone to reflect on the decisions made and discuss alternative actions.
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Slide Deck

Stay Safe, Stay Smart

Welcome to our lesson on personal safety!

We will learn how to be aware of our surroundings and make smart decisions to stay safe.

Introduce the lesson and its importance. Make sure to engage students from the start by asking them what personal safety means to them.

Learning Objectives

• Understand personal safety and situational awareness
• Identify potential risks in everyday situations
• Develop smart decision-making skills

Let's discuss what these ideas mean to you.

Discuss the lesson's objectives. Emphasize that personal safety skills empower them to handle everyday situations.

What is Personal Safety?

Personal safety means being aware of your surroundings, understanding risks, and making decisions that keep you safe.

Think about a time when you felt unsafe and what you did about it.

Use this slide for a brief discussion. Ask open questions like 'What makes you feel safe?' to provoke thinking.

Interactive Discussion

Discuss these questions:
• What are some common safety concerns you have?
• What actions can you take if you feel unsafe?
• Can you share a moment when you made a smart choice to stay safe?

Lead an interactive discussion. Encourage students to share their experiences but remind them to keep details safe and anonymous if needed.

Scenario Role-Playing

In groups, you'll role-play different safety scenarios.

Focus on:
• Recognizing potential risks
• Making quick, smart decisions
• Reflecting on alternative safe actions after the role-play.

Explain the role-play activity clearly. Divide students into small groups and describe each scenario. Provide guidance during discussions.

Summary & Reflection

Today, we learned about personal safety and smart decision-making.

Remember:
• Stay aware of your surroundings
• Identify risks early
• Trust your instincts and make safe choices

Any questions or comments before we wrap up?

Conclude the session by summarizing key points and asking students to reflect on the lesson. This reinforces the learning objectives.

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Activity

Safety Scenario Role-Play Activity

Overview

In this activity, students will engage in role-playing various safety scenarios to practice identifying risks and making safe decisions. This exercise is designed to reinforce the lesson's objectives through hands-on, experiential learning.

Guidelines for Teachers

  1. Preparation:

    • Review the Stay Safe, Stay Smart Lesson Plan to refresh the lesson's objectives and instructions.
    • Prepare scenario cards or a list of safety situations for the activity.
    • Remind students that the activity is meant to be supportive and constructive, not punitive.

  2. Group Formation:

    • Divide the class into small groups (ideally 3-4 students per group).
    • Explain that each group will be given a different safety scenario to role-play.

  3. Scenario Assignment:

    • Provide each group with a scenario card. Below are detailed safety scenarios to consider:

      Scenario 1: A stranger approaches you while waiting for the school bus.

      • Situation: A person you do not know starts a conversation with you by asking personal questions or offering a ride.

      • Focus: How to stay alert, keep a safe distance, and seek help if necessary.

      Scenario 2: You notice someone behaving oddly at a school event.

      • Situation: A classmate or visitor is acting in a way that seems unusual or makes others uncomfortable.

      • Focus: Recognizing concerning behavior and informing a trusted adult or supervisor.

      Scenario 3: You’re in a public place and feel uncomfortable with the behavior of someone nearby.

      • Situation: You are shopping at a store or in a park when someone lingers too close to you or follows you around.

      • Focus: Trusting your instincts, seeking help from another individual or a security officer, and moving to a safer area.

      Scenario 4: A classmate asks you to go somewhere unsupervised.

      • Situation: A friend invites you to join them in a location away from teachers or adult supervision, such as behind the school or off-campus.

      • Focus: Evaluating the situation, understanding the potential risks, and deciding whether to refuse or ask for guidance from an adult.

      Scenario 5: You receive a message from someone you don’t know on social media.

      • Situation: A stranger sends a private message asking personal questions or trying to meet up.

      • Focus: Recognizing online safety risks, not sharing personal information, and telling a trusted adult.

  4. Role-Playing Instructions:

    • Ask groups to assign roles within their group (e.g., bystander, person in need, responder).
    • Encourage students to act out the scenario, focusing on how to identify risks and make safe decisions.
    • Remind students to try using phrases such as, "I don't feel safe," or "I need to get help," during their role-play.

  5. Debrief:

    • After each group acts out their scenario, bring the whole class together.
    • Ask each group to explain what happened, which safe choices were made, and if there were alternative safe actions they could have taken.
    • Facilitate a discussion with questions like:
      • What potential risks did you notice in your scenario?
      • How did you decide on the safest course of action?
      • If you had to do it again, what would you do differently?

Follow-Up Points

  • Reflection Writing: Ask students to write a brief reflection on the experience. They can answer prompts such as:

    "What did you learn about personal safety through this role-playing activity?"

    "How might you use these skills in your daily life?"





  • Class Discussion: Revisit the key points after the role-play to ensure all students understand the safe behaviors discussed.





  • Extension Idea: Consider creating more complex scenarios or additional role-plays in future sessions to further enhance decision-making skills.

This activity is designed to bring personal safety concepts to life by allowing students to actively practice safe decision-making in a controlled environment.

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