Fire Safety for Teachers
By Allison Porro, Graduate Student, Rutgers University
Join the nation in celebrating Fire Prevention Week, October 9-15! Firefighters have received a lot of attention this past year and are heroes to many. Educating your students about fire prevention not only promotes safety and helps firefighters do their job, but it also can be a lot of fun!
Here are some suggestions for activities centered on fire safety:
The life and times of fire . . . Have your students imagine that they have become fires. How were they created? What do they need to survive? Is someone out to extinguish them? Have each student write an autobiography about life as a fire.
From the desk of . . . Your students are publicists for Smokey Bear, who has decided not to come to work anymore! Have them write letters to Smokey, explaining the importance of fire safety and why he should continue to promote it. Or have them attempt to recruit a new spokesanimal!
Meet a real firefighter! Invite a local firefighter to come speak to your class. Have the students prepare questions ahead of time and take notes during the visit. They might want to ask questions about how to become a firefighter or about the dynamics of fire itself. Afterward, students can each write an article for a class newsletter describing the visit and what they learned.
Fire Safety Expo . . . Your students can hold a Fire Safety Expo right in your classroom! Have each one choose a Fire Safety device to represent, such as a smoke alarm, fire extinguisher, or even the "stop, drop, and roll" slogan. Allow time for students to create posters for their "booth," describing the benefits of their fire safety device, how to use it, and why everyone should purchase it. Invite parents to attend.
Take a field trip. Arrange to visit your local fire department. Invite parents along to chaperone. Have the students take notes about what they see and what they learn so that they can compile a scrapbook of "Firehouse Memories" when they return. Include written descriptions of the sights and sounds of the fire department, along with colorful illustrations.
Read books.
For Lower Grades:
Clifford the Firehouse Dog by Norman Bridwell (Scholastic, Inc., 1994)
No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids (and Dragons)
by Jean Pendziwol (Kids Can Press, Limited, 2001)
Stop, Drop, and Roll by Margery Cuyler
(Simon & Schuster Children's Books, 2001)
For Upper Grades:
Fire in Their Eyes: Wildfires and the People Who Fight Them
by Karen Magnuson Beil (Harcourt, 1999)
Fires by Elaine Landau (Franklin Watts, 1999)
Visit the NFPA's Fire Prevention Week Web site for more classroom ideas and information: www.nfpa.org