Kiwanis
A partnership between Kiwanis of Gainesville and the City of Gainesville
Lesson Title: "Stop, Drop & Roll"
Level: K - 3
Objectives: After completing this lesson, children will have the knowledge and skill to:
1) Understand the "fire tetrahedron"; air, fuel, ignition source and chemical Rx;
2) Identify at least 3 ways their clothes could catch on fire;
3) Perform the "stop, drop and roll" maneuver if their clothes catch fire.
Time Frame: 20 - 30 minutes
Materials:
Fire tetrahedron (made of Styrofoam blocks and PVC pipe), orange vests or red construction paper flames, candle, matches, lighter, jar with lid, large STOP, DROP, ROLL signs.
Video(s):
"Be Cool About Fire Safety"
Activity(s):
1) Children will help assemble the building blocks of the Fire Tetrahedron in class.
2) Children will see how oxygen makes fire burn by observing a candle in a jar. When the lid is screwed on, the candle goes out.
3) Children will participate in the "stop, drop & roll" procedure, using an orange safety vest to simulate fire on their clothes. For each part of the maneuver, children will use big signs to signal what the correct behavior should be.
Assessment(s):
Children will receive a pre-quiz to determine knowledge about the safety aspects and risks associated with fire, administered by the classroom teacher. A post-quiz will be given at the conclusion of this lesson, consisting of the same material, only re-arranged. Other skills are assessed by the instructor, via children's participation, cooperation and willingness.
Background Info:
Fire is often portrayed as a frightening force of nature. Film of a raging wildfire consuming a pristine forest, or engulfing a building or vehicle are commonplace. Fire can be a fearful adversary for children, causing panic and a paralyzing fear that over-rides common sense and good judgment. They lack the experience and maturity to make critical decisions in life-threatening situations relative to fire. Children are particularly vulnerable to burns and injuries, and are twice as likely as an adult to die in a fire-related accident. In 1999 alone, nearly 100,000 children were treated in emergency rooms for burn-related injuries1.
Education is the best way for children to combat their fear and anxiety about fire, as well as teaching them how to stay calm and focused when confronted by fire. These tools are essential for their survival and well being.
Pre-Teaching:
Teachers will have the opportunity to introduce the subject matter prior to their visit, through exercises and/or video from the Risk Watch curriculum, or from public safety education material provided by Gainesville Fire Rescue.
Lesson Introduction:
Fire is a complex manifestation, especially for children. On one hand, it creates an intense curiosity that drives the need to experiment. On the other hand, it can plunge an otherwise sensible child (or adult) into a state of profound panic. Both of these behaviors often have the tragic consequence of disabling injury, or death. What can be done to elevate a child's knowledge of fire, AND modify their behavior in a positive way in order to prevent fire-related injuries and promote better decision-making skills in the event of a fire emergency? The purpose of this lesson is to teach children the science of fire, and what to do if they or someone else should find themselves on fire.
1 Source: NFPA.
Key Concept 1: What You Need For a Fire
Key Idea:
Before a fire can start, there are certain conditions that have to be met.
Activity: "Fire Needs Air to Burn"
Key Questions:
Have you all seen a picture or movie of a fire burning? What kinds of fires have you seen? (Responses could be a forest fire, campfire, house fire, car fire, etc.) You've all seen different kinds of fires, but what do you think all those fires have in common? For example, a fire is burning in a forest. What is burning? THE TREES. What are trees made of? WOOD. How about a campfire? What is the fire burning? WOOD. What else can fire burn up? (Responses could be paper, plastic, fabrics, rubber, gasoline, people, oil, etc.) GOOD. Before you can have a fire, you have to have AT LEAST 3 THINGS, or you won't have a fire. Fires need something to burn, or there IS no fire. Wood, paper, plastic, trees, all these things are called FUEL.
What's another thing that a fire HAS to have before it can burn? For example, how do some forest fires start? (Responses could be a cigarette butt, lightening, unattended campfire, etc.) How do you light a candle? THAT'S RIGHT. Before a fire starts, it needs something to LIGHT IT, like a match or a lighter. Lightening can start fires because the electricity is hot enough to light wood or grass on fire, just like the electricity in your house can start a fire if it sparks next to something like a curtain or wastebasket full of paper. The flame or heating element on the stove can ignite things too. Even certain kinds of chemicals that get mixed together can burst into flame. Fuel has to be IGNITED, and this is the second thing necessary before a fire can start. We call these things like lighters, matches, candles, IGNITION OR HEAT SOURCE.
Now, what do we still need before we can expect a fire to start? Let me give you a hint: (Breathe in and out several times). What am I doing? BREATHING. Why do I need to breathe? (Response should be because I need air, or oxygen) YES. I need air, and SO DOES A FIRE. Without air, a fire can't start, and if it's already burning, it will quickly go out. If you don't believe me, watch this.
Once all three of these things are available, a fire can start. And, the combination creates a fourth ingredient, which is a CHEMICAL REACTION that gives off ENERGY* as heat, which helps the fire keep burning the fuel. The bigger the fire gets, the more energy (heat) it gives off, so the more FUEL it can burn, which creates more ENERGY, and the cycle goes around and around. As long as there is air and fuel to keep the fire burning, it will continue to grow and burn.
*You can relate this to the lesson on Electricity, which discussed that energy can do 3 things, make light, make heat, and do work.
Concept Review:
What are the 3 (really 4) things that a fire needs before it can start? What happens when air is taken away from a fire?
Key Concept 2: Don't Set Yourself On Fire
Key Idea:
Maintain a safe distance from any sources of heat or open flame
Key Questions:
Could WE be a fuel source for a fire? YES. What part of us is most likely to catch fire? (Responses could be our clothes, shoes, hair, hats, etc.) RIGHT. The clothes we wear can very easily catch fire and burn, especially if they are baggy, or fluffy. Will our clothes protect us from being burned if they catch fire? NO. If our clothes catch fire, our skin is quickly burned very badly, especially if there is any plastic used in making our clothes. Why do you think plastic is so dangerous? What does plastic do when it gets very hot? Have you ever left a videotape in the sun, or in a hot car? What happened to it? (Response should be that it melted) RIGHT. If these kinds of clothes catch fire, they melt right into our skin, and stick there, burning us even if the fire goes out. And remember, burning plastic gives off poisonous gases that are very dangerous if we breathe them in.
What are some ways our clothes and hair can catch fire? (Responses could be getting too close to the flame on a heater or stove, matches or lighters, campfire, gas grill or fireplace, candles, cigarettes, etc.) GOOD. Even sparks from fireworks and firecrackers can land on your clothes and hair, setting them on fire. Anytime your clothes or hair come in contact with something hot enough to ignite them, there is a danger. If you have long hair, how many times have you caught it on something, or found something stuck in it and you never noticed it? If your hair should dangle over or get caught in something hot, it could burst into flames. How about ladies with fancy hairdos who use a lot of hair spray? VERY DANGEROUS. Hair spray is very FLAMMABLE, which means it can catch fire VERY EASILY.
Concept Review:
Can humans catch on fire? What usually catches fire first? What are some ways our clothes catch fire?
Key Concept 3: If On Fire, STOP, DROP, & ROLL
Key Idea:
Performing the Stop, Drop & Roll procedure is the best way to put ourselves out if caught on fire.
Key Questions:
Let's take a look at what we can do if the worst happens, and we catch on fire. What should we do? What CAN we do? (Responses might be to find water to put on the fire, try to get out of burning clothes, use your hands to smother the flames, call 9-11, etc.) What do we already know about fire that we can use to help save us if our clothes catch on fire? (Hint: What does a fire need to continue to burn? Remember our candle in the jar example?) RIGHT. A fire needs AIR. If our clothes catch fire, we need to snuff out the air and the fire will go out. How do we do that? Do we run around waving our arms and shouting help? NO. We STOP, and DROP onto our knees, then lie flat on the ground. Is that going to get rid of the air? NOT YET. What else should we do to snuff these flames out? ROLL. That will smother the flames licking our clothes against the ground and snuff out all the air so the fire goes out. So, cover your eyes, nose and mouth with your hands, and ROLL, ROLL, ROLL until the fire is out. Why cover your nose and mouth? Remember, smoke is dangerous, and even a few breaths can damage our lungs permanently. Covering your nose and mouth will help keep any smoke out. (Demonstrate, and then have each child perform the Stop, Drop and Roll maneuver).
Concept Review:
What should we do if our clothes catch fire? Why do we STOP, DROP and ROLL? What are we taking away from the fire when we STOP, DROP and ROLL?
Lesson Summary:
Fire is a scary proposition for young children. This fear can override their common sense and judgment, putting them in a panic. This is especially true when clothing or our person catches fire. The Stop, Drop and Roll maneuver effectively prevents serious injury by snuffing out the fire before it spreads and causes serious injury, or consumes the individual. Teaching children this procedure, practicing until it becomes instinctive, is one of the ways this important safety lesson can help reduce fire-related injuries to young children. This lesson is intended to explain the rationale behind the Stop, Drop and Roll maneuver, how to perform it effectively.
Follow-Up Activities:
1) Lead a discussion about the "safety clothes" that firefighters wear to protect them from heat, sparks and flame. Invite a firefighter to the classroom, or schedule a fire station visit so all the firefighting gear can be seen. Children can pick their favorite piece of equipment and talk about why they like it and how it protects the firefighter.
2) It's not just fire that can burn skin. Scalding water burns lead the list of serious burn injuries to children. Clothing splashed with scalding water can significantly increase the seriousness of the burn. Discuss where and how these kinds of burns can happen (bathroom sink, shower, tub, and kitchen) and how they can be avoided.
3) Burn treatment. Children should know that the best treatment for a minor burn is cold water, applied directly on the burn site. Discuss the Do's and Don'ts of treating a burn, and when it's necessary to go to the hospital for a serious burn.
Evaluations/Assessments:
1) Children will be required to take a "Picture Quiz", with illustrations showing correct and incorrect behavior as it pertains to fire and lesson objectives. Children need only circle the picture showing the correct behavior.
2) Approximately 2 - 4 weeks after they attend Safety City, teachers will be asked to "test" the children once again, to achieve a measure of retention. There will be instructions in the Teacher Packets on how to best re-visit this topic. Some options include: 1) re-take of the Picture Quiz, 2) a short demonstration of knowledge or skill, or, 3) giving the quiz verbally and recording average scores on a checklist. The teacher will be advised to review the material with the class before they administer the re-evaluation. The results will be sent to GFR as feedback and inclusion in reporting and statistical analysis.
Take-Aways:
1) For CHILDREN; an extensive goody bag containing coloring/activity/story books pertaining to the lesson, personalized Certificate of Achievement, healthy snacks, safety poster, "Be Cool" sunglasses, t-shirt, other related safety material FOR PARENTS TO READ, Safety City information and upcoming events or fun contests to enter. A GROUP PICTURE will be taken before the end of class.
2) For TEACHERS; topic-related review material for post-lesson assessment & mail-back, personalized Certificate of Achievement, Safety City schedule of events, follow-up activities/information, other safety-related material and a Letter to the Principal (explaining Safety City goals, objectives, accomplishments, background and invitation to join the supporting cast).
Attention Teacher:
There are many ways to prepare children for their educational experience at Safety City. Prior to the scheduled class, information about each lesson will be sent to the school in order for them to introduce the subject matter, familiarize children with Safety City, and briefly discuss the roles, responsibilities and ground rules for an enjoyable, "hands-on" learning experience.
For More Information:
2
"Stop, Drop & Roll"