Education
Educating students on the safety of walking and bicycling can be an important part of a school district’s curriculum.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Lesson Plans:
Lessons presented here are a sampling of youth-focused bicycle and pedestrian curriculum currently in use throughout the United States. These lessons are simple, straightforward, and adaptable to different learning styles, audiences, and physical settings. Importance was placed on being able to deliver the lessons in a one-day, single class period format, and all lessons attempt to encourage a deeper inclusion of many learning styles and student differences.
Selection criteria included: minimal logistics, adaptability for special education student participation and facilitation, consideration of space or resource limitation, grade-appropriate reading level text and clarity of written materials, multi-sensory access to learning styles, and simple instructions for delivery.
Many of the activities from the following lesson plans have been adapted from other sources noted on the bottom of the lesson plans.
Grades K-2 Lesson Plans:
Crossing the Intersection: K-1
Help Curious George Ride Bike Safely: K-2
Safety Safari Walkabout: K-2
Pedestrian Safety grade 2
Trips and Travel: grades 2-3
What’s the Speed Limit? grades 2-3
K-2 Bike Curriculum (all lesson plans)
Grades 3-5 Lesson Plans:
Trips and Travel: grades 2-3
What’s the Speed Limit? grades 2-3
Group Poem: grades 3-4
That Hurts! grades 3-5
Walk and Roll Team Trivia: grades 3-5
Traffic Signals Stop and Go Game: grades 3-6
What’s the Speed Limit? grades 4-5
Bike Parts Race: grades 4-8
Comic Strip: grades 5-8
Why Should I Wear a Helmet? grades 5-8
Grades 3-5 Bike Curriculum (all lesson plans)
Grades 6-8 Lesson Plans:
Traffic Signals Stop and Go Game: grades 3-6
Bike Parts Race: grades 4-8
Comic Strip: grades 5-8
Why Should I Wear a Helmet? grades 5-8
If Signs Could Talk: grades 7-8
Riding on the Road: grades 7-8
Grades 6-8 Bike Curriculum (all lesson plans)
School Assemblies on Bicycle Safety:
School assemblies can incorporate the importance of safety when walking and biking to school. Here is a program from Safe Routes Philadelphia:
Bike Assembly Program from SR2S Philly
Bicycle Assembly Overheads
Pedestrian/Bike Education Extras:
Here are some supporting pieces of information to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety in schools:
Bicycle Safety Card (available in English and Spanish)
Bike and Pedestrian Video and Book List
Bike Education Forms
Brains Recipe
New Jersey Bicycle Laws
Songs
Traffic Signs Game
Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Bookmarks
Wayside Elementary School (Ocean Township NJ) Case Study: In-School Bicycle Education
Read about how Wayside Elementary School from Ocean Township School District, New Jersey incorporated bicycle safety into their curriculum.
