Activity 01
Hazard Hunt
Pupils work in small groups with pictures or illustrations of different rooms in a house (kitchen, bathroom, living room). They use a marker to circle all the potential hazards they can find and then present their findings to the class.
Identify three potential safety hazards in a kitchen.
Facilitation TipProvide a simple checklist to guide their search, including categories like electrical, trip, or burn hazards.
What to look forObserve pupils during the 'Hazard Hunt' activity, listening to their discussions to gauge their understanding of what constitutes a hazard.
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Activity 02
Playground Safety Audit
Take the class to the school playground with clipboards and a pre-made safety checklist. In pairs, pupils inspect the equipment and the area for potential risks like broken parts, slippery surfaces, or rubbish.
Explain the purpose of a fire drill at school.
Facilitation TipEnsure proper supervision and frame the activity as helping the school to keep everyone safe.
What to look forPupils create a 'Safety Poster' for a specific area, like the kitchen or the school yard, illustrating key hazards and the rules to stay safe.
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Activity 03
Emergency Call Role-Play
Set up a scenario where pupils need to make a practice call to emergency services (999 or 112). One pupil acts as the caller and another as the operator, practising how to give clear information like their address and the nature of the emergency.
Evaluate the safety of a playground by looking for potential risks.
Facilitation TipHave key information like the school's Eircode written on the board for them to use.
What to look forPupils complete a simple 'traffic light' self-assessment, colouring a circle red, amber, or green to show their confidence in identifying risks in different situations.
ApplyAnalyzeEvaluateCreateSocial AwarenessDecision-Making
Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Begin with concrete, visual examples in the classroom before discussing more abstract scenarios. Use 'What if...?' questions to encourage problem-solving and critical thinking. Frame the conversation around care and responsibility for oneself and others, rather than just listing rules. Ensure a supportive atmosphere where pupils feel comfortable sharing their own experiences or asking questions.
Pupils will be able to walk into a familiar place, like the classroom or a playground, and confidently point out potential risks and explain how to stay safe.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
If an adult is doing something, it must be safe for me to do it too.
Adults have more experience, strength, and knowledge. Some activities, like using a sharp knife or a hot cooker, are only safe for adults or with their direct supervision.
Accidents just happen and there's nothing you can do to stop them.
While some things are unpredictable, we can prevent most accidents by being aware of our surroundings, identifying potential hazards, and making safe choices.
Safety rules are just there to spoil our fun.
Safety rules are created to protect everyone from getting hurt. Following them means we can all continue to have fun in a safe way, whether playing sports or on a school tour.
Methods used in this brief