Community Participation
Lesson Plan - Emerging, Developing
Strangers

Instructional Area:

check box graphic Leisure

check box graphic Community

check box graphic Home Living / Daily Living

Ability Level:

check box graphic Emerging

check box graphic Developing

check box graphic Mastery

Topic / Skill Outcome:

  • Personal Safety – Strangers

Learning Area(s):

  • Literacy
  • Communication
  • Social Studies
  • Personal Resource Management

Purpose of Lesson / Objective:

  • Increase student’s understanding of simple safety rules to help prevent inappropriate touch or possible abduction.

Materials / Equipment / Environment:

  • Written Materials (Book, Pamphlets)
  • Video – TV – VCR
    (Refer to Supporting Activities and Materials for specifics)
  • Magazines
  • Poster Board
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Quiet Classroom Environment

Group Size: 4-6

Time Required: 45 minutes – two separate opportunities

Lesson Procedure:

  1. Week 1:  Read a book on strangers and/or safety, view a video on strangers or safety, or have a police officer discuss the concept of strangers and what we need to do to keep ourselves safe.
  2. Week 2:  Review what a stranger is and what we need to do to keep ourselves safe – then have students involved in various role play situations, to increase their understanding of what would be an appropriate response if they were to be approached by a stranger.

Carry Over / Related Activities:

  • Invite a children’s theatrical company ,that has experience presenting information on personal safety (strangers, good touch/bad touch), to your classroom to perform for the students and to heighten their awareness of who is a stranger and what could happen if we interact with them.
  • Invite a police officer from your local community or an individual from an advocacy group for individuals with disabilities (e.g., Association for Retarded Citizens – ARC) to come and speak to the students about the importance of stranger awareness and personal safety, and how there are community helpers that can assist us.
  • Take a community outing to a shopping mall. Have students identify who are strangers - anyone they don’t know. Then have students indicate whom they might ask for help if a stranger should approach them and where that person would be found/located.

Supporting Activities / Possible Adaptations:

  • “Run, Yell & Tell”:  A Safety Book for Children (A Gentle Approach to Abduction Prevention for Young Children), by Carol Watson – a publication of Missing Children of Minnesota (you can check it out from your local library).
  • Other books available from your local library:
    • Being Careful With Strangers, by Kate Petty
    • Be Street Smart! Be Save!, by Nily Glaser
    • Watch Out for Strangers, by Paul Humphrey
    • Stranger Danger, by Cynthia MacGregor
    • McGruff the Crime Dog materials – available from your local law enforcement agency. OR www.mcgruff.org
      • Ideas about staying safe (games, puzzles, stories, tips – including stranger danger and tips for parents (educators)
  • Have students point to, or cut out, pictures of appropriate adults who can help them when, and if, a stranger approaches them.  Make a poster with the pictures.
  • www.state.ia.us/government/dps/kids/safetypuzzle.htm - Safety Search Word Find and safety information you need to know.
  • www.safetyadvantage.com - 2,000 plus safety videos.
  • Stranger Danger - Playing It Safe Video (talk to your local police department).

Strategies for Participation:

  • For students who are unable to yell for help, program their voice output communication device to say “HELP!” and/or provide them with a whistle to blow or a bell to ring to get someone’s attention.

Student Reaction / Evaluation:

  • Students want to know that they can feel safe and secure.

Lesson Support:
(Introduction – lead in, background information, supporting concepts and activities – curriculum)

  • Help the students to define what a stranger is – explain to them that a stranger is anyone   they do not know.
  • Read a book or view a video about strangers and being safe, to reinforce concepts that the students need to learn and practice.
  • Students need to know that some strangers might harm, or hurt them – they could follow them, talk to them or touch them inappropriately – the student needs to run, yell (scream) and get some help.
  • Students should know that is safest to use the “buddy system” – always travel with a buddy rather than being alone, it is safer to stay in groups.