Released by the California Department of Public Health in 2015, The California Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Curriculum for Grades 4 and 5 teaches students the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety skills, while also developing healthy habits that benefit both their physical development and academic performance.
In addition to learning important information about safety, students who participate in this nine-lesson curriculum will find out about the positive impacts walking and bicycling have on their health and the environment.
The lessons can be taught consecutively or presented as stand-alone activities. Suggested times are noted for all of the lesson components to allow teachers the flexibility to pick and choose the most appropriate activities.
This curriculum is aligned with the California Health Education Content Standards and the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics. The lessons can be integrated into English, Mathematics, Science, and Physical Education classes.
VIEW OR DOWNLOAD ELECTRONIC VERSION OF ENTIRE CURRICULUM
VIEW OR DOWNLOAD TABLE OF CONTENTS
DOWNLOAD INDIVIDUAL LESSONS:
Lesson 1: Time to Get Moving!
Topic: Health Benefits of Walking and Bicycling (Physical Education Focus)
Students prepare a plan for scheduling 60 minutes of physical activity into their daily lives.
Lesson 2: Exercise Your Superpower
Topic: Health Benefits of Walking and Bicycling (Science Focus)
Students explore the health benefits of physical activity and create comic strips showing the “superpowers” of physical activity.
Lesson 3: Prescribe a Pollution Diet
Topic: Environmental Impact of Walking and Bicycling
Students learn how transportation choices impact air pollution. They help “Pollutey Judy” calculate and reduce the amount of air pollution that she produces each day.
Lesson 4: Rules of the Road
Topic: Pedestrian and Bicycle Laws
Students learn about pedestrian and bicycle safety laws and consider real-life scenario where these laws apply.
Lesson 5: Design Your Own Traffic Sign Game
Topic: Pedestrian Safety
Students identify the meaning and importance of traffic signs. They design and play games to learn about traffic signs.
Lesson 6: Silent Safety Signals
Topic: Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety (Physical Education Focus)
Students learn how nonverbal communication helps people stay safe while walking and bicycling.
They play games to practice using bicycle hand signals and eye contact.
Lesson 7: Get Your Helmet On!
Topic: Bicycle Safety
Students analyze the influences that contribute to bicyclists wearing helmets and create persuasive advertisements to teach bicycle safety.
Lesson 8: How Can We Be Safe on Our Routes to School?
Topic: Safe Routes to School
Students examine factors that affect pedestrian and bicycle safety and assess the safety of their routes to school.
Lesson 9: Getting to School, What’s the Cost?
Topic: Environmental Impact of Walking and Bicycling
Students evaluate the monetary, environmental, safety, and practical cost of different modes of transportation.
