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Be a Sport for Sports Safety!
Calling all sports fans! April is National Youth Sports Safety Month, an annual campaign to encourage safety in sports participation. This week, Education World offers five lessons that will help students learn about ways they can stay safe while having fun participating in athletic and recreational activities! Included: Lessons in which students create commercials for sports safety equipment, create sports safety posters, and much more!
National Youth Sports Safety Month was started in 1993 by National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, Inc. and is held annually in April. Each year, the campaign highlights a different aspect of injury prevention. The focus for 2001 is emotional injuries in youth sports.
Youth interest and participation in sports continues to grow. According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, nearly 75 percent of households in the United States with school-age children have at least one child who plays organized sports. However, the rise in youth sports participation has caused an increase in sports- and recreation-related injuries among children. The SAFE KIDS Campaign reports that each year in the United States, more than 3 million children experience sports- and recreation-related injuries. Yet, experts estimate, half of all organized sports-related injuries among children can be prevented.
Help your students become sports safety savvy with the five activities below from Education World! Read the brief descriptions below for each lesson. Click any headline for a complete teaching resource!
- Equipment Ad
Students create a one-minute advertisement for a piece of sports safety equipment. (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)
- Sports Safety Role Play
Students role-play sports situations and determine the actions needed to stay safe from injuries. (Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8)
- Playground Safety Check
Students check their schoolyard or community playground for safety hazards. (Grade 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)
- Sports Safety Posters
Students create posters highlighting sports safety tips. (Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)
- Sports Safety Pamphlets
Students create pamphlets highlighting safety guidelines for specific sports. (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- National Program for Playground Safety
This site describes National Playground Safety Week, a time to focus on playground safety.
- Sports Equipment and Environment Safety
This lesson from Safe Kids Canada provides activities to help students consider the roles sports equipment and environmental conditions play in preventing sports injuries.
- National Bicycle Safety Network
This site provides numerous links about bicycle safety.
- Think First for Kids
This site describes an educational program that addresses several safety areas that involve children, including water safety, bicycle safety, and sports and recreational safety.
- Kids 'N Fitness
This site describes Kids 'N Fitness, a national exercise project for young people that concludes on May 4. Activities include having students track the amount of time they exercise, complete an athlete WebQuest, ask questions of professional athletes, and win prizes such as a basketball autographed by Grant Hill and a digital camera!
Article by Lois Lewis
Education World®
Copyright © 2001 Education World
04/23/2001
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