D. Healthy Living · Healthy Living

Think Before You Act: Assessing Risks and Making Safe Decisions

D2.2 A1.6 A1.2About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can use a decision-making process to spot risks and think about options.
I can weigh the pros and cons of each option and decide when to check with an adult.
I can make safe decisions when cycling, preparing food, using a wheelchair or going online, and reflect afterward.

Words to know

risk
The chance that something could cause harm.

danger (hazard)
Something that could hurt you, like traffic, a hot stove or thin ice.

option
One of the choices you could make.

pros and cons
The good points (pros) and bad points (cons) of an option.

assess
To look at something carefully and judge it.

reflect
To think back on what you did and what you learned.

Should I or shouldn't I?

You make lots of decisions every day. Many are small, like what to wear. Some involve risk, like riding your bike to a friend's house, cooking a snack, or clicking a link. Grade 4 students are doing more things on their own, so it's time to learn a decision-making process that helps you think things through like a pro.

Remember from Grade 3

You learned a quick strategy: STOP, THINK, CHOOSE, CHECK. This year you'll use a fuller process with more steps, especially for situations where you could get hurt.

The decision-making process: spot the risks, weigh options, choose the safest, then act and reflect.

The decision-making process

Identify the dangers and risks. What could go wrong? How likely is it? How serious would it be?
Think of ways to stay safe. What could make this safer?
List your options and think about the pros and cons of each.
Do I need to check with an adult? If it's new, risky, or you're unsure, the answer is yes.
Choose the safest option.
Act. Do it!
Reflect. How did it go?
Improve. Is there anything I could do better next time?

Situation	Some risks	Ways to stay safe
Cycling 🚲	cars, potholes, wet leaves, being hard to see, falling	In Ontario, cyclists under 18 must wear a helmet. Check brakes and tires, use hand signals, ride on the right, wear bright clothes and use lights.
Preparing food 🍳	cuts, burns, germs, food allergies	Ask an adult first. Wash hands, use a grown-up's help with knives and the stove, use oven mitts, turn pot handles inward, check labels for allergens.
Using a wheelchair ♿	icy or snowy sidewalks, curbs without ramps, steep hills, being hard for drivers to see	Plan a route with curb cuts and ramps, check brakes and tires, use lights or a flag to be seen, go with a buddy when paths may be icy.
Going online 💻	strangers, scams, viruses, sharing personal information	Use privacy settings, don't click unknown links or pop-ups, ask before downloading, tell an adult if something feels wrong.

The same process works in every situation.

Turn pot handles inward so nobody can bump them and knock the pot over.

Worked example

Let's use the process: biking to a friend's house

Noor wants to bike to her friend's house, 4 blocks away, after school in November. It's starting to get dark around 5 o'clock.

Dangers and risks: traffic, wet leaves on the road, getting dark so drivers may not see her.
Ways to stay safe: helmet, bike lights, bright jacket, a route on quiet streets.
Options and pros/cons: (A) bike now with lights and a helmet: pro, quick; con, it gets dark soon. (B) Walk with her older brother: pro, safer; con, slower. (C) Wait until Saturday morning: pro, daylight; con, she has to wait.
Check with an adult? Yes. It's a new route and it's getting dark. Her dad says she can go now if she uses lights and is home by 4:45.
Choose and act: she wears her helmet and bright jacket, turns on her lights and takes the quiet street.
Reflect and improve: it went well, but it was darker than she expected. Next time she'll leave earlier.

Noor used all the steps: spot risks, find safety steps, compare options, check with an adult, choose, act, and reflect.

Worked example

Let's use the process: making a snack

Dev wants to make grilled cheese for his little sister. His mom is in the next room.

Risks: burns from the stove or pan, a fire if the pan is left alone.
Options: (A) make it alone without asking; (B) ask mom to help with the stove; (C) make cheese and crackers instead, with no stove.
Pros and cons: A is risky and breaks the family rule. B is safe and he still gets to cook. C is safe and quick.
Check with an adult: yes, because the stove is involved.
Choose: B. Mom stays beside him at the stove.
Reflect: next time he'll ask before he starts, so mom can plan to help.

Using the stove means checking with an adult. Dev chose to cook with his mom.

Hands-on activity

Decision-making poster

You need: a large sheet of paper and markers.

Write the 8 steps of the decision-making process down the side of the paper.
Pick a real situation from your life, like biking to the park, making a sandwich, sledding on a big hill or joining a new game online.
Fill in each step for your situation.
Share your poster with your grown-up. Ask: "Would you add any risks I missed?"
Do the activity for real (with permission), then fill in the Reflect and Improve steps.

Grown-up note: if your child chooses a kitchen task, stay with them for knives and heat.

Just for fun

Someone once said: "I used to have trouble making decisions. Now I'm not so sure." Good thing you have an 8-step process!

Your turn

What is the first step of the decision-making process?

When should you check with an adult?

What are pros and cons?

Name two ways to stay safe while cycling.

Name two risks when preparing food.

Why is reflecting after a decision helpful?

More practice: warm-up

True or false: you need a helmet to ride a bike in Ontario if you're under 18.

What should you do before touching food?

Is clicking a pop-up that says "You won a prize!" a risk?

What's the last step of the process?

Name one thing that makes a wheelchair user easier for drivers to see.

More practice: on your own

Your friends want to walk on the frozen pond in December. Use the first three steps.

Amir uses a wheelchair and wants to go to the library after a snowfall. What could he plan?

Why should you check with an adult before downloading a new game?

Write the pros and cons of biking to school alone versus with a friend.

After a bike ride, Leah reflects: "I almost didn't see a car backing out of a driveway." What could she improve?

Challenge

Explain the difference between how likely a risk is and how serious it is. Give an example.

A friend dares you to ride your bike down a steep hill with no hands. Use the process to decide, and explain how you'd say no.

Why might the safest choice be different for two people in the same situation?

Check your understanding

Quiz

What is the first step in the decision-making process?

You want to use the stove to make a snack. You should...

Which is required by law in Ontario for cyclists under 18?

Which is a "con" of skating on a pond nobody has checked?

What does reflect mean?

Which is a safe choice when going online?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: This lesson covers the Grade 4 expectation to apply a decision-making process (e.g., identify potential dangers and risks, consider ways to stay safe, consider the pros and cons of each option, consider whether they need to check with an adult, choose the safest option, act, reflect on their decision, consider whether there is anything they could improve for next time) to assess risks and make safe decisions in a variety of situations (e.g., when using a wheelchair, cycling, preparing food, going online) (D2.2). The eight steps in the lesson follow the curriculum's example exactly.

How to help at home:

Think aloud through your own decisions: "Should I drive in this snowstorm? Let's look at the risks."
Before your child gains a new freedom (biking a new route, cooking, a new app), go through the steps together.
After an outing, ask "What went well? What would you change?" to practise reflecting.

Safety reminders: Ontario law requires cyclists under 18 to wear an approved bicycle helmet. Supervise knives, the stove and oven. Children should never go on frozen ponds, lakes or rivers without an adult confirming the ice is safe.

Common difficulties: skipping straight to "act"; not seeing that the same situation can have several options. This lesson also builds critical and creative thinking (A1.6) and coping and help-seeking (A1.2).