Ideas for Teaching Halloween Safety
When I think of Halloween in the classroom, I think of candy corn, costumes, and pumpkins. But, I also think about Halloween Safety. This topic is one of my favorite mini units to teach before Halloween rolls around.I don't think I need to convince you that covering the topic of staying safe during Halloween is a good idea. We all want our students to have safe and memorable experiences outside of school.
What follows is a break down of how I like to teach the topic of Halloween safety. I usually spend 2-3 days on the topic. I find that spending more than one day on the topic helps the information to sink in.
Introducing the Topic
I love introducing this topic by using a mystery bag. Place some Halloween related objects in a bag (a large gift bag or a paper grocery bag). Pull them out one at a time and see if your students can guess what they will be learning about. For this topic, I place the following in the bag:
- a trick or treat bucket
- candy
- a flashlight, glow stick, or reflective key chain/strip
- cell phone or two-way radio
Access Background Knowledge
Once my students have been introduced to our topic of study, I like to see what they already know. Ask them what they know about being safe and why it's important to be safe.
I like to create a class anchor chart of ideas. You can do this in a few ways.
- You can simply facilitate a whole group brainstorm and record students' ideas on the chart
- You could also ask students to write what they know about Halloween safety on a sticky note. Let each student read his/her sticky note before adding it to the chart. As you delve into the topic, you can remove any sticky notes that included misconceptions and place them next to the chart.
Grab a copy of this KWL chart HERE. :)
Teach the Content (Teach Them How to be Safe)
My preferred method for sharing ways to be safe during Halloween is centered around sharing safety tips. Tips make for a quick read and they are easy to remember. Every year I facilitate a safety mingle.
I give each student a card with a safety tip printed on it. They mingle around the room and read their safety tips to one another. I usually have them mingle for about 3-4 minutes. I bring the students back together and they share the tips they either read or learned during the mingle. I record these safety tips on an anchor chart (because it will be used for other activities...see below).
To help reinforce these ideas even more, I have the students use the tips they learned to create a safety tip book. They can choose the tips they think are most important, or applicable to their situation, and use them in their book.
The following day, I like to pair students up so they can read their safety tip books to each other. It's a great way to review the content.
If we don't have time for a mini book project, I might have them make a safety pennant instead. :)
Watch a Video
You can find lots of Halloween safety videos on You Tube, but always, always, always, be sure to preview the video before showing it to your students.
My favorite safety videos tend to be the ones that are posted by various public safety agencies (police and fire departments).
I really like the Halloween Safety PSA video from the DeKalb County Fire Department. Click HERE to watch. This video isn't scary (some get a little creepy and I don't want to spook my second graders), and it's very informative. :)
After we watch the video, we add more information to the anchor chart we created after the safety mingle. We review the new collection of tips on our anchor chart, and then students complete a safety sort. Sorts are a great way to engage students in critical thinking. This particular sort tasks students with sorting sentences into the categories "safe" and "not safe."
End of Unit
At the end of our mini unit, I give each student a safety certificate, and a glow stick or bracelet. They love this!
This year, I hope you take the time to teach and encourage your students to have a safe Halloween. The safety materials featured in this post can be found in my Halloween Safety pack on TPT. Click HERE for more information.
Happy Halloween!
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