Let’s Make Fire Safety Fun this October!

October 9, 2017

 

Contributed by Shannon McClintock Miller

 

October is Fire Safety Month. It is very important that we focus on teaching and practicing fire safety with our children, especially during this week—Fire Prevention Week (October 8-14, 2017).

 

This year the National Fire Protection Association theme for Fire Safety Week is Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!  As we know, it is important to have an escape plan in a fire. This can make a difference when escaping safely and saving lives. In addition, there are other things we need to teach our children about fire safety such as calling for help, putting a fire out, and being prepared.  

Because music is such an effective tool for memorization, there’s no better method for teaching your students these valuable lessons. So let’s gear up to teach fire safety with the new Fire Safety series from Cantata Learning, by Charles Ghigna, with illustrations by Glenn Thomas and music by Drew Temperante.

 

Keep reading for some fun tips and ideas on how to teach each important lesson with these engaging books!

 

Use Plan and Prepare to teach children the four rules of fire safety which include:

 

Have a Plan, Get Out fast, Stay Low, and Don’t Open hot doors.  

 

 

As they learn these four rules, use Plan and Prepare to practice these life-saving skills by singing along to this catchy fire safety beat.  

 

Fire Safety starts with you, when you know just what to do. Rule One! Have a plan! Talk to your family. Make a plan to meet. Practice getting out. It’s the fire safety beat.  

 

This can also be shared on a small poster  that is posted at school and home during Fire Safety Month while they learn, practice, and memorize the four rules of fire safety. You can add a QR code to the poster so they can easily scan it to get to the music when practicing. QR codes are included on each book too.  

 

Get Out. Stay Out!  is perfect to use when  preparing children what to do in case there is ever a fire in at school or in their home.   

 

 

If there is a fire, do not run and hide. Use your exit plan. Get safely outside! Get out. Stay out! Find help right away. Get out. Stay Out! You can save the day!

 

A meaningful activity that goes along with this book and song is to create a fire escape plan on a piece of paper with family at home. They can draw a map of their home showing all windows and doors. After the map is complete, students could practice their escape plan by tracing it with their finger or drawing it with a crayon.  

 

Have the students bring their plans to school so they can share them as a class. After they share their home fire safety plan, create one as a class for your classroom and school. This could be done as a whole school project too.

 

The more they practice their plan and sing Get Out. Stay Out!, the better equipped in a fire they will be.  

 

It is important to teach children about contacting emergency services if there is a fire by using Dial 911!  

 

 

If you see fire, get away! Then dial this number to save the day: 9-1-1! 9-1-1! Help is coming on the run. If you need help, call 9-1-1!

 

When I was little, my parents and grandma had a 911 sticker right by our phones. With cell phones now being the main and only phone families often have, make sure students know how to call on any phone and what the emergency number is. You can copy and share this little poster that I made with Buncee. They can post this in the classroom, at school, and at home.  

 

You can even make an interactive Buncee by adding the video of Dial 911 with a QR code that makes it easy for them to scan from a piece of paper. With Buncee, you can add the QR code right as you are creating. Practice on this one by scanning the QR code to see where it takes you.  

 

The Call 9-1-1 Buncee Posters can be found here and here.

 

Children also need to know what to do if flames ever get on their clothes so we teach and practice to stop, drop, and roll. Now as you are teaching this life-saving skill, use the Cantata Learning book and song Stop, Drop, and Roll!  

 

 

Stop! Don’t run around. Drop! Get on the ground. Roll! Roll yourself about. You can put the fire out.  

 

This can be practiced by doing the actions while singing at school and home. Remember to talk to the children about why they don’t run around if their clothes catch fire, too. The Guided Reading Questions at the back of each Cantata Learning book will help facilitate this conversation and others.  

 

Stop, Drop, and Roll is a great tie in with a movement game and lesson with the physical education teacher or outside activity.  

 

As you can see, the Fire Safety series from Cantata Learning covers the fire safety skills our children need to possess not just at school but at home, too. Not only are the books and songs a perfect resource, but make sure you check out the Fire Safety Lesson Plan and Fire Safety YouTube Videos that accompany the series too.  These songs and stories will help students remember and share these skills for the rest of their lives.  

 

 

You can find out more about fire safety and Fire Prevention Week on the National Fire Prevention Association site here.

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