D. Healthy Living · Healthy Living

Staying Safe at Home, Outdoors and Online

D1.1 A1.6About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can follow safety rules at home, like answering the door and phone safely, knowing our fire escape plan and keeping outlet covers on.
I can stay safe outdoors: in the sun, on the bus, on my bike, near roads and railway tracks, and near animals.
I can stay safe online by keeping personal information private and checking with an adult if something is true.

Words to know

personal safety
Things you do to keep yourself from getting hurt.

fire escape plan
A family plan that shows two ways out of each room and a meeting place outside.

outlet cover
A plastic cap that blocks the holes in an electrical outlet so nothing can be poked in.

UV rays
Invisible rays from the sun that can burn your skin and hurt your eyes, even on cloudy days.

railway crossing
A marked place where a road or path crosses train tracks. It often has lights, bells and a gate.

personal information
Facts about you that should stay private online, like your full name, address, school, phone number, passwords and photos.

trusted adult
A grown-up you know well who keeps you safe and helps you, like a parent, caregiver, teacher or coach.

Safety detective!

In Grade 1 you learned your address, how to call 911, and safety rules at school. This year you will be a safety detective. You will find dangers and know the safety rule at home, outdoors and online.

Safety at home

Answering the door: Don't open the door unless your grown-up says it is okay. You can talk through the door or let a grown-up answer.

Answering the phone: Never tell a caller that you are home alone. You can say, "My mom can't come to the phone right now. May I take a message?"

Fire safety: Every family should have a fire escape plan: two ways out of each room, and a meeting place outside, like a big tree or the neighbour's driveway. If the smoke alarm beeps: get out, stay out, and call 911 from outside. If there is smoke, crawl low under it.

Electricity: Leave outlet covers on. Never put anything in an outlet. Keep water away from plugs and electrical things.

Food safety: Wash your hands before you touch food. Put cold foods back in the fridge. Ask an adult before using knives, the stove or the toaster.

A fire escape map drawn from above, like a bird would see it. The bedroom has two ways out, and everyone meets at the tree. Get out, stay out!

Outdoors	Safety rule
☀️ Sun	Wear a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses. Play in the shade in the middle of the day. UV rays can burn even on cloudy or snowy days.
🚌 School bus	Wait back from the road. Stay in your seat. Cross the road in front of the bus, about 10 giant steps ahead, where the driver can see you.
🚲 Bike	Wear a helmet that fits, every ride. In Ontario, riders under 18 must wear a bike helmet.
🚶 Walking	Use sidewalks and crosswalks. Stop, look left, right and left again, and listen before you cross.
🚆 Train tracks	Cross only at a marked crossing. Stop when lights flash, bells ring or the gate is down. Never play on tracks.
💉 Allergies	If you have a serious allergy, carry your epinephrine auto-injector (or know where it is).
🐕 Animals	Ask the owner before you pet a dog. Never touch wild animals or a dog that is eating, sleeping or growling.

Outdoor safety rules

Get off the bus, walk about 10 giant steps ahead of it, then cross in front where the driver can see you. Never cross behind the bus.

Trains can't stop quickly

A train is very heavy and cannot stop fast. It can take a long, long distance to stop, much longer than a car. That is why we never try to beat a train and only cross tracks at marked crossings when it is safe.

Safety online

The internet can be fun for games, videos and learning. Here are the online safety rules:

Keep personal information private. Don't share your full name, address, school, phone number, passwords or photos.
Ask before you click, download or chat.
Check with an adult if something online is true. Anyone can put things on the internet, and some things are not true.
Tell an adult if something online makes you feel scared, uncomfortable or confused. You will not be in trouble.
Never agree to meet someone you only know online.

Worked example

Let's answer the door

Lucas is home with his big sister, who is in the shower. The doorbell rings. A man says, "I have a package. Can you open the door?" What should Lucas do?

Think: Is a trusted adult with me at the door? No. His sister is in the shower.
The rule: Don't open the door unless your grown-up says it is okay.
Lucas can say through the door, "Please leave it on the step," or say nothing.
He tells his sister as soon as she comes out.

Lucas keeps the door closed and tells his sister. The package can wait!

Worked example

Let's check the facts

Ruby watches a video that says, "Polar bears live in the Toronto forests!" Is it true?

Think: Anyone can post a video. Not everything online is true.
Check with an adult. Ruby asks her dad.
They look in a library book together. Polar bears live in the Arctic and along the coasts of Hudson Bay, in the far north of Canada, not in Toronto forests.

The video was not true. Ruby was a smart safety detective because she checked with an adult.

Worked example

Let's be safe at the tracks

Aiden is walking with his mom. They come to a railway crossing. The lights are flashing, the bells are ringing, and the gate is coming down, but no train is in sight. What should they do?

The signals mean a train is coming, even if you can't see it yet.
Trains are fast and can't stop quickly.
Stop and wait behind the gate.
Wait until the train has passed, the lights stop flashing and the gate goes up.

They stop and wait. Never cross when the signals are on.

Just for fun

Polar bears are amazing swimmers, but you will never see one riding the subway in Toronto. If a video says you will, be a safety detective and check with an adult!

Hands-on activity

Home safety hunt and fire escape map

You need: paper, crayons, and a grown-up.

Safety hunt: Walk through your home together. Find: smoke alarms, outlet covers, where medicines and cleaning products are stored (up high or locked), and where the sunscreen is.
Fire escape map: Draw your home from the top, like a bird would see it. Draw two ways out of your bedroom with arrows. Draw your family's meeting place outside.
Practise! Do a fire drill: someone says "Beep beep!" and everyone goes to the meeting place.
Role play: Your grown-up pretends to be a caller on the phone. Practise saying, "My dad can't come to the phone. May I take a message?"

Your turn

The doorbell rings and your grown-up is busy. What do you do?

What is a fire escape plan?

Name two ways to protect yourself from the sun.

What must you wear every time you ride a bike?

The lights are flashing at a railway crossing. What do you do?

Name two pieces of personal information you should not share online.

You want to pet a dog at the park. What should you do first?

More practice: warm-up

Should you leave outlet covers on? Yes or no?

If the smoke alarm beeps, do you hide or get out?

Where do you cross the street?

Can UV rays burn you on a cloudy day?

Is everything on the internet true?

More practice: on your own

The phone rings while your mom is outside shovelling snow. The caller asks, "Are you home alone?" What do you say?

Why should you cross the road in front of the school bus and not behind it?

A game asks, "What is your home address?" to win a prize. What do you do? Explain.

Your friend wants to cut an apple with a sharp knife while the grown-ups are outside. What could you say?

You see a raccoon in your backyard in the daytime. Should you go pet it? Explain.

Challenge

Why does a fire escape plan need two ways out of each room?

Your friend says, "Let's ride bikes, but I don't want to wear my helmet. It messes up my hair." What could you say? Give a reason.

Someone online you don't know says, "You're my best friend. Send me a picture of you and tell me your school." What do you do? Why?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Who should open the front door at home?

The smoke alarm goes off. What do you do?

Which helps protect you from UV rays?

The gate is down at a railway crossing, but you don't see a train. What should you do?

Which is personal information to keep private online?

A video says something surprising. What should you do?

What should you do before petting a dog you don't know?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: The Grade 2 expectation asks students to demonstrate an understanding of practices that enhance personal safety in the home (for example, precautions for answering the phone and door, home fire escape strategies, respecting electrical outlet covers, safe food preparation and storage, handwashing), outdoors (UV protection; bus, bicycle, walking and railway safety; carrying medication for allergic reactions; caution with animals) and when online (not sharing personal information, checking with an adult if information found online is true).

How to help at home:

Make and practise a home fire escape plan twice a year. Test smoke alarms.
Agree on family rules for the door and phone, and role-play them.
Check that your child's bike helmet fits (snug, level on the forehead, straps forming a V under each ear).
Walk the route to school or the bus stop together and point out crossings.
Sit with your child when they are online. Keep devices in shared spaces. Say often: "If something online worries you, tell me. You won't be in trouble."

Common difficulties: wanting to be helpful by opening the door; thinking it's safe to cross tracks when no train is visible; believing online videos because they look real.

This lesson also builds critical and creative thinking (A1.6): spotting dangers and deciding what to do.