SAFE WAYS

A road safety education resource written by Gill Murray.

This document is extracted from TRL Report 265 Improving road safety education in
developing countries; Ghana, by I. A. Sayer, C. J. Palmer, G. Murray and J. Guy (1997).
‘Safe Ways’ is a road safety education booklet intended for use by primary school teachers
as a teaching aid, to increase the awareness of young children of the danger on roads. The
booklet, though written for Ghana, has more general application and hence is included here
for all.

The topics covered are:

• Walking safely
• Observing the road environment
• Using protected crossings
• How to cross safely when there are no protected crossings
• Choosing safe routes as pedestrians

Each lesson builds on the previous lessons and provides a broad experience of road safety.
Lessons are designed to be presented once a week in periods of about one hour each, to
ensure that learning is gradually increased. Each lesson includes a list of objectives for the
lesson, details on preparation, suggestions for activities inside and outside the classroom
(including practical work), and a homework section. The principles in Safe Ways are
designed to be taught by active participation. The approach is to teach children safe
behaviour by giving them practical experience near roads.

The poster at the end called ‘Getting There Safely’ has been broken down into eight A4
pages. These can be printed out and the pieces stuck together to make up a large poster for
the wall.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

'Safe Ways' has been developed by the Transport Research Laboratory UK (TRL) and was
funded by the British Department for International Development (DFID). It is based on
research carried out by the TRL in the UK and in Ghana. The author appreciates the advice
given by her colleagues Jill Davies and Jill Guy. She is particularly grateful for the
contribution and assistance of Jill Guy in restructuring the resource.

These materials could not have been completed without the co-operation and help of Mr
Clocuh (Director), and Mrs Patience Anson-Yevu (Assistant Director) of the District Education
Office, Accra Metropolis, Ghana, and also Justice Amegashie, Director of the Ghanaian
National Road Safety Committee. Thanks are also extended for the support of the head
teachers, teachers and children who used this resource or helped in testing it.

Copyright TRL Ltd, 1997. The views expressed in this document are not necessarily those of
the Department for International Development.

i
CONTENTS

Page

Background 1

Introduction 2

Aims of the Project 3

Summary of the Pack 4

About this Resource 5

Lesson 1: Stepping Out 7

Lesson 2: Looking and Telling 11

Lesson 3: Zebras and Other Crossings 15

Lesson 4: Seeing and Being Seen 19

Lesson 5: Getting There Safely 23

Additional Activities for P5s 27

Curriculum Links 29

Topic Links 30

Example of a Trail Observation Sheet for Pupils 31

Example of a Green Cross Code Poster 32

Homework 33

"Getting There Safely" Poster At end

 SAFE WAYS
A Pedestrian Road Safety Education Resource For Ghana

BACKGROUND

In Ghana recent research has shown that almost one third of the
country's pedestrian deaths were to CHILDREN UNDER 16. These
pedestrian deaths usually happen when children are crossing roads.
They are often away from junctions and involve a vehicle such as a
bus or truck. Most of these accidents happen in town areas. It is likely
that these accidents are occurring on roads the pedestrians know
quite well!

As teachers we know that children often do things without thinking.

They are especially at risk in the road environment. Their attention is
easily lost, they can forget what they are doing, and they find it hard
to judge speed. Children are not small adults. They do not think like
adults or have our experience. They can think it is safe to cross a
road when it is not, for example:
§ if their view is blocked by one vehicle being in front of
another
§ if parked cars stop them from seeing other vehicles
§ if they do not see vehicles which are coming out of
driveways.

Also, children often take the quickest route across a road, instead of
walking a little further to a safer place.

Teachers can help children to learn about their local traffic

environment. Children need to know about what is safe behaviour
and what is dangerous, and why. They also need to learn where and
when it is safe to cross roads. All this can be best achieved by
practice near real roads close to home and school.

In Ghana older children are often responsible for taking younger

brothers, sisters, and family friends to school. Therefore the journey
to and from school can be used as a chance for P5s to re-enforce
class learning. It can also be used as an opportunity for children who
have been taught road safety to pass on their knowledge to younger
children.

1
INTRODUCTION

The SAFE WAYS resource aims to make P5 (10 - 11 year olds)

children safer pedestrians. It gives them exciting opportunities to
learn in the classroom and school compound and in practical
situations outside near real roads. They can learn near school and on
their journeys to and from school. Teachers know that children learn
best by doing the real thing. For example they learn to kick a ball,
play the drums, or skip by doing those things, and not just by being
told. It is the same with learning how to keep themselves safe -
children must practice the theory they have learnt in the classroom,
on the compound and near roads. Ideally you, the teacher, should
supervise this outside learning, but if you cannot do this in school
time, it is essential that you set the homework and discuss it in the
following lesson.

This resource contains elements of Environment, Mathematics,

English, and Science (see page 29 for diagram). It can, however, be
used as a pure road safety project, and would fit in well in the present
Life Skills curriculum. It is structured in 5 lessons and would be best
presented once a week in periods of about one hour.

It is important to start at the beginning of the project and work through

to the end, so that the children's learning is gradually increased.

The key learning points are:

• walking safely
• crossing safely
• identifying safe routes to and from school.

Crossing safely
2
AIMS OF THE PROJECT

To make P5 children safer pedestrians by:

• acquiring more knowledge about their local traffic

environment

• understanding the dangers of traffic

• improving their pedestrian behaviour

• repeating relevant road safety messages to

family and friends, especially younger children.

Being responsible for younger

members of the family

3
 SUMMARY OF SAFE WAYS

LESSON 1 STEPPING OUT (Where and how to walk)

Classroom Work: Accidents and pedestrian behaviour are discussed.
Practical Work: Practice in walking and stopping takes place in the
compound.
Homework: Learning is reinforced and the children are
encouraged to pass on their knowledge to younger children.

LESSON 2 LOOKING AND TELLING (Observing the road

environment)

Classroom Work: Rules for safe walking are discussed.

Practical Work: This looks at what can be found on the
footpath and road1 and takes note of observations made from the compound
and/or near the road.
Homework: Observation work continues and includes
road signs.

LESSON 3 ZEBRAS AND OTHER CROSSINGS (Using protected

crossing places)

Classroom Work: Discussion takes place on what protected

crossing places are, their names, and how to make use of them. The Green
Cross Code is featured.
Practical Work: This takes place in the compound or outside
the school, and includes a demonstration of how to use at least one of these
crossings.
Homework: The personal use of crossings is considered
especially on the journey to and from school. Passing on knowledge to younger
children is encouraged.

LESSON 4 SEEING AND BEING SEEN (Crossing where there are no

protected crossing places)

Classroom Work: There is a classroom discussion on how to

choose the safest place to cross when no protected crossing places exist.
Practical Work: Practice in the selection of a "safe" place,
and crossing in a safe manner is carried out in the compound and/or outside the
school.
Homework: Using the Green Cross Code is included, and
the importance of explaining it simply to younger children.

LESSON 5 GETTING THERE SAFELY (Choosing the safest route

between home and school)

Classroom Work: Discussion takes place on the problems

encountered on school journeys, and suggestions are made on how to make
routes safer. A large poster is studied for this purpose.
Practical Work: On the way home pedestrians are observed,
and personal routes to and from school to home are considered for their safety
value.
Homework: Pupils evaluate and try to improve their
school route.
4
 ABOUT THIS RESOURCE

OBJECTIVES
These are set out at the beginning of every lesson. They help you to know exactly
what you are expecting to achieve, and act as a check list.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
These have been carefully thought out and tried, to make sure that they work.
You will need to give your class time for the discussion work as it is important for
the children to gain knowledge from other members of their class. Co out as often
as you can. Practical work aids learning (see below for more details).

PREPARING
You should read through SAFE WAYS before beginning this project to give
yourself an idea of what you will need to do and how you might organise yourself
and your class. You should also read the lesson notes before each lesson and
check that you have done any preparation necessary. This can mean the
difference between a successful or an unsuccessful lesson.

HOMEWORK
Homework is vital to this project because the children are gaining experience of
the road environment when they are on various journeys and you are not with
them. It helps to re-enforce class learning. When it is time for homework, turn to
the relevant homework section at the back of this book. Copy the homework on to
the board and ask the children to copy it down into their general homework
books, or on to a piece of paper. You should collect and mark the Homework
between lessons.

PRACTICAL WORK
In several lessons practical work near roads is suggested as an option. This
needs careful planning and the children's safety must be your main concern.
There are several ways you could organise this work.
1) Take out one small group at a time, leaving other groups working inside with
monitors/leaders.
2) Take out one small group at a time, while the rest of the class are involved
with other school activities like assembly.
3) Take out the whole class but in small groups using other teachers. Send one
group off at a time with a few minutes between each group. You will need to tell
the other teachers exactly what you need them to do. You may need to call a
meeting first to explain things to them. Do not endanger the lives of your children.
If the road near your school is very busy it may not be wise to use it for teaching
purposes. Select a quiet road or use the school compound.

ORGANISING A TRAIL
For Lesson 2 a walk near your school is suggested. You must have planned the
exact route yourself before taking the children out. This means walking the route
yourself to get an idea of what local things the children might take note of, and
also to give you some idea of how long a walk would take. You should aim to
make it about 30 minutes long, and it should help the children to be more aware
of

5
their surroundings by observing and recording what they see. (See
example of a pupil sheet on page 31). You do not have to cross
any roads to do this work.

Child pedestrians start their journey home. Do they know enough

about the dangers of the road...

…and how to keep themselves safe until they reach home?

6
 LESSON 1 STEPPING OUT
Where and how to walk

Objectives:

• To know that traffic is dangerous

• To know that they should walk on the

pavement / footpath / edge of the road, and
not run or play in the road or on the pavement

• To know that they should walk facing the

traffic if there is no pavement/footpath

• To know that they should stop before crossing

a road

• To know that they should hold hands with

younger children and make them walk on the
side away from traffic

• To know the value of talking to younger

children about what they are doing to be safe
in the traffic situation.
Preparation:

Have paper and pens ready if you want the

children to record anything. You may need a stick
or a piece of rope to mark the edge of the 'road'
when doing the work in the compound.

Suggested Activities

1. Inside the Classroom:

• Write up on the board "Anyone can have a

___EXPERIENCES___

road accident".

• Ask the class if anybody has ever had, or

nearly had, a road accident? How did it feel?
Write up the key words the children give to
you e.g. "frightening", "painful".

• Get the children to talk about their experience

(in pairs or small groups).

• Choose a few children to tell the class about

what happened to them.

7
 Describing an accident to the class

Notes for the Teacher:

You will probably find that almost every child has experienced a near
accident and knows what it is like to feel afraid of the traffic.

You could let them write down their experiences if there is time. It is
interesting to put together a book of the children's stories.

An example of a typical experience is given below:

"I was just coming out of my school with some of my friends. It is on a
_____SAFETY BASICS_____

very busy road. We were laughing and talking. We stood by the edge
of the road and then jumped the ditch on to the road. I caught my foot
on a piece of piping and fell in front of a taxi. Luckily the taxi stopped
in time, but I was very scared. After that I went home”.

Have a class discussion and try to bring out the following points about
behaviour near traffic:

•Traffic is dangerous and can hurt you (make sure the children
. know what traffic is)
•roads are for traffic
•the pavement/footpath/edge of the road is for people
•always stop before crossing

8
 • hold hands with younger children, and protect them
from the traffic
• tell and show younger children how to behave
safely.

2. Outside the Classroom (in the compound)

§ Ask the class to run, skip, walk backwards and walk
forwards.

• Discuss which is the safest way to move along the

_____PRACTICAL__________

pavement/footpath/edge of the road.

• 2. Mark a line on the ground to be the edge of the

road.
Ask a few children to show the class how to walk
along the pavement with a younger child.
(HOLDING HANDS, WALKING ON THE LEFT,
AND WITH THE YOUNGER CHILD ON THE SIDE
AWAY FROM THE TRAFFIC).

• Demonstrate how and where to stand before

crossing.
(WITH FEET AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE ROAD,
AND NOT TOO NEAR THE EDGE).

Working in the compound

9
 Having a discussion in the compound

Homework:
Copy the homework on to the board. This is to
be found at the back of this book. Ask the
pupils to complete this homework before the
next lesson.

10
 LESSON 2 LOOKING AND TELLING
Observing the road environment

Objectives:
• To increase their road safety vocabulary

• To know what belongs on the

pavement/footpath/edge of the road and what
belongs on the road

• To recognise and avoid dangers

• To improve their looking and listening skills

• To be able to identify safe and unsafe behaviour

in the traffic environment.

Preparation:
• Homework from the previous lesson should have
been marked.

• Have paper and pens ready if you want the

children to record anything.

• If you intend to take your children on a walk in

this lesson you need to have planned it (see
page 5 'ABOUT THIS RESOURCE,
Organising a Trail').

Suggested Activities

1.Inside the Classroom:

Briefly go over the main points from the previous

_____REVISION_____

lesson. The children may need to refer to their

homework. You might ask:
What is traffic?
Why should you walk, not run near roads?
Why should you walk on the pavement/footpath if
there is one?
Why should you walk facing the traffic if there is no
pavement/footpath/edge of the road?
Why should you hold a younger child's hand near
roads?

11
 Why should the younger child walk on the side of

___REVISION___
you away from the traffic?
Why should you stop before crossing?
Where should you stand when you want to cross?

• Ask the children to look at their homework and discuss

the answers they have given.

• Ask the children what they have noticed about other

people1s behaviour near roads. Is it safe or unsafe? What
makes it safe or unsafe? Write up some of the points made
on the board in two columns, one for safe behaviour and one
for unsafe behaviour.
___________OBSERVATION___________

Note for the Teacher:

In this kind of road safety activity children seem to love to
point out other people who have behaved unsafely! Make
sure the 'safe' behaviour is highlighted too.

Discuss what things are found on the pavement/foot-

path/edge of the road, and what things are found on the
road. Make a list of each.

Say that there might be some dangerous things to look out

for around your particular school. Ask the children to see if
they can think of anything (e.g. ditches, oil drums, pipes
sticking out of the ground, sellers crowding the
pavement/footpath).

Together can you make a list of rules for safe walking? (e.g.
walk do not run; if there is no pavement/footpath walk facing
the traffic; hold hands with younger children; stop before
crossing).

2. Outside the Classroom (on the pavement OR in the

compound)

EITHER
___PRACTICAL___

• 1) Lead the children on a pre-planned

observation walk (see page 5 for details of
organisation and page 31 for an example of an
observation sheet).
OR
• 2) Stand outside the school near to, but not too
close to the road.

12
 OR
• 3) Stand in the school compound but where you

___PRACTICAL___
can still
see the road and traffic.

• Point out things of interest on the

footpath/pavement and road. Any special crossing
places near to school like footbridges (overbridges) or
lollipop stands should be particularly mentioned. Back at
school discuss what the class has seen, and how
children and other people behaved.

An example of unsafe behaviour near the road

WORDBANK
The following are useful words that the children should
learn:

Traffic Pavement Offices Policeman

Traffic lights Footpath Footbridge Ditch
Bicycle Truck Car Wheelchair
Speed Sounds Zebra Sellers
Lorrypark Litter City guard Parked cars
Lorry Direction Bus Motos
Shops Pedestrian Curve Stalls
Pot-hole Gutter ‘tro-tro’
Truck- Edge of the
pushers road

13
 Dangerous things can be found on the
pavement/footpath as well as on the road

HOMEWORK:

Copy the homework on to the board. Ask your

pupils to complete this homework before the next
lesson. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IF
THE OUTSIDE WORK HAS NOT BEEN DONE IN
CLASS TIME.

14
 LESSON 3 ZEBRAS AND OTHER CROSSINGS
Using protected crossing places

Objectives:
• To identify and name all the types of
protected crossing places that exist in Ghana

• To know the Green Cross Code

• To know how to cross the road using at least

one protected crossing place.

Preparation:
Homework from the previous lesson should
have been marked.
Have paper and pens ready if you want the
children to record anything.

Suggested Activities

1. Inside the Classroom:

• Briefly go over two points from the previous
lesson. You might ask:
Who can remember the list of rules we
made about safe walking?
___________REVISION___________

Can you think of any more now?

• Give out the Homework books and go over the

other important points from lesson 2. You might
ask:
Who can tell me something safe they have
seen someone do near roads?
Who can tell me something unsafe they
have seen someone do near roads?
Can you tell me some things you have seen
on the road?
Can you tell me some things you have seen
on the pavement/footpathledge of the road?
Who knows the answer to question 4 of the
homework? (IT Is BECAUSE TRAFFIC
CAN CROSS THE

15
_____REVISION_____
PAVEMENT / FOOTPATH / EDGE OF THE
ROAD ON TO A DRIVEWAY).
Who knows the road sign for children
crossing? (YOU COULD ASK ONE CHILD
TO DRAW IT ON THE BOARD).

• Ask the children if anyone has talked to their

younger brothers or sisters or friends about
where to walk and how to behave safely. Ask
also if anyone has shown them what to do.

• Ask the class if anybody knows any special

________PROTECTED CROSSINGS________________________

places to cross roads. Discuss what safe

places exist nearby, and on routes they
frequently use, for example travelling between
home and school or going to a friend's house.

• You should mention protected crossing

places:
zebra crossings
footbridges (overbridges)
traffic lights (with a pedestrian phase)
lollipop stands.

• Explain the word 'protected'. Talk about how to

use these protected crossing places. Stress
that not all drivers will stop at these protected
crossings so the children should make sure the
traffic has stopped before they cross.

• You should also mention special people who

can make crossing safer e.g. city guards,
police

• Can the children name any other people?

• Talk about how to cross with these special

people.

• If there is time the children could draw

themselves using one of these crossings.

16
 • Ask the children how they should cross a road.
_______________________________GREEN CROSS CODE_______________________________ Suggest there are rules to learn and follow which would
help to keep them safe. These rules are called codes.
The children need to learn the GREEN CROSS CODE1:
• First find a safe place to cross
• Stop by the edge of the road
• Look around and listen for on-coming vehicles
• If there are vehicles coming let them pass
• When no vehicles are coming walk straight
across
• Keep looking and listening while you cross

SEE PAGE 32 FOR A GREEN CROSS CODE POSTER

• Help the children to learn this Code, and remind

them to use it whenever they cross. Your class might like
to set the Green Cross Code to a well known Ghanaian
tune.

Notes for the Teacher

As you go over each point of the Green Cross Code you
could talk about the reason for it e.g.:
stop even if you think nothing is coming, because you
can see better and you have more time
stop on the pavement/footpath if there is one and
stop near enough to the road to see but not too near the
traffic
look around because a vehicle may come from behind
you or somewhere else unexpected, or they may be quiet
like a bicycle
listen because you sometimes hear something you have
not seen
walk because if you run you are more likely to trip over
walk straight across because you will not be in danger
on the road longer than necessary
keep looking and listening while you cross because
vehicles might appear after you have started to cross.

17
 1
Based on the Green Cross Code in the Ghanaian National Road Safety
Committee's
Traffic Safety Lessons for Children.

2. Outside the Classroom (on the pavement OR in the

compound)

• 1.
__________PRACTICAL__________

Demonstrate and get the children to

demonstrate how to use a zebra and lollipop stand in the
school compound. You might like to make your own zebra
crossing in the compound using charcoal and small white
stones.

THEN IF POSSIBLE

• 2. Demonstrate and/or get the children

to demonstrate how to use at least one protected crossing
place on a road near the school.
If you cannot do (2) then try to observe a crossing from the
school compound and see how other people are behaving.

• 3. Back in school. Discuss the

children's behaviour and other people's behaviour including
drivers.

Demonstrating how to use a lollipop stand, inside the classroom

(left) and
outside on the road (right)

Homework:
Copy the homework on to the board. Ask the
pupils to complete this homework before the
next lesson. You could suggest some slogans for
their posters, e.g. 'Be Safe - use a zebra', or 'Stay
Alive - use the lollipop'.

18
 LESSON 4 SEEING AND BEING SEEN
Crossing where there are no protected crossing places

Objectives:
• To know how to choose a safe place to cross where no
protected crossing places exist

• To cross a road themselves without a protected crossing

place

• To appreciate that pedestrians are vulnerable.

Preparation:
Homework from the previous lesson should have been
marked.
Imagine what it is like to be the height of a child. Bend
down near a car and note how your vision is restricted by
the vehicle.
If possible arrange to have one or more cars parked in the
safety of the compound for this lesson.
Have pens and paper ready if you want the children to
record anything.

Suggested Activities
1. Inside the Classroom:
• Briefly go over some of the points from the previous lesson.
You might ask:
Who can tell me the Green Cross Code? (WRITE IT UP
_______________REVISION_______________

AS A REMINDER)
Who has used the Green Cross Code? Why do you think it
helps people to be safer?
Has anyone used the Green Cross Code with their younger
brothers or sisters?

• Give out the Homework books and go over the

other important points from lesson 3. You might ask:
Who can name all the protected crossing places?
Who has used one on their way to or from school?
Has anyone now started to use a protected crossing on
any journey because it is safer?
Has anybody thought of a place that needs a protected
crossing? Where is it? What do other people think of that
idea?
Who has made a poster about using protected crossing
places?

19
 •
Then ask the class what might be the best place to
cross a road if there are no protected crossing

A SAFE PLACE__________
places? How do you choose the best place?
Discussion should bring out the following ideas:
ü Try to cross on a quiet road that is not busy
ü Try to cross on a straight road where you can see
the driver and he can see you
û Try not to cross at busy junctions and cross-roads
û Try not to cross near parked cars or driveways
û Try not to cross near a curve

(THIS IS BECAUSE THEY ALL STOP YOU SEEING

__________CHOOSING

VEHICLES AND DRIVERS SEEING YOU).

• Remind the class to use the Green Cross Code

whenever they are crossing.

• Ask the children to suggest a good place to cross where

there is no protected crossing near your school. Have a
discussion to see if everybody agrees.

Pedestrians are vulnerable!

2. Outside the Classroom (on the pavement OR in the
compound)

1. EITHER
PRACTICAL

In the compound get the children to stand around some

cars. They should touch them and describe what they see and
feel (e.g. hard, sharp, big, shiny, solid). Then they should
touch their legs or arms, and

20
-----------------------------------------PRACTICAL------------------------------- describe what that feels like (e.g. soft, squashy, smooth). Ask them to imagine what
would happen if a car and a person ran into each other.
OR
Take a soft fruit like a melon and something solid like a large stone. Tell the children
to imagine that the melon is a person and the stone is a vehicle. Ask what will
happen when they hit each other. Demonstrate what will happen by placing the fruit
on the ground and hitting it with the stone! Stress that this is what happens when cars
and people have accidents.

• 2. Make a mock-up road in the compound to practice crossing skills. You could
use the path under a verandah as a pretend pavement and some of the compound
ground as a pretend road. You should draw a line on the ground to represent the
other side of the road, or use a rope. Ask for some volunteers to demonstrate how to
cross (USING THE GREEN CROSS CODE). Discuss how well they performed. You
could make it more difficult by getting some children to pretend to be drivers.
If there is a quiet road near your school you may wish to practice crossing
using the Green Cross Code on that road.

• 3. To show how difficult and dangerous it is to cross near a curve - get about
twenty children to stand next to each other in a curved line. Another child walks along
the outside of the line pretending to be a car, and each child puts their hand up when
they can see the 'car'. They may be surprised at how little they can see. You should
use this opportunity to remind the children of the importance of the first line of the
Green Cross Code : "First find a safe place to cross".

a. Stand the children in a curved line all facing outwards1.

-

1
Source: Children and Traffic Book 1 by Dr K Jolly (now out of print).

21
b. Get a child to pretend to be a car, and to go along the line. The children
put their hand up or shout when they can see the ‘car'.

Practising crossing in the compound

Homework:
Copy the homework on to the board.
Ask the children to complete this homework before the next lesson.

22
 LESSON 5 GETTING THERE SAFELY
Choosing the safest route between home and school

Objectives:
• To put into practice the learning gained so far

• To be able to understand a simple road plan and record a safe route

• To select, use and record the safest route to and from school.

Preparation:
Have the poster "Getting There Safely" ready to display later in the lesson.
You will find the poster at the back of 'Safe Ways'.

Have paper and pens ready.

Suggested Activities

1. Inside the Classroom:

• Briefly go over some of the points from the previous lesson. You might
ask:
What are the differences between vehicles and people?
_________REVISION__________

Why do people get hurt more easily than vehicles?

• Give out the Homework books and go over some of the important
points from lesson 4. You might ask:
Protected crossings are good places to cross the road but what
sort of place should you look for if there are no protected crossing
places on your journey? (ON A QUIETER ROAD, A STRAIGHT
ROAD, NOT NEAR BUSY JUNCTIONS, NOT NEAR PARKED
CARS OR DRIVEWAYS, AND NOT NEAR A CURVE).
What code should you always use when crossing?
Have you helped some younger children to learn the Green Cross
Code?

23
 ♦ Ask the children to help compile a bar chart about their journeys to school.
They could all copy the chart. It could be about:
____________BARCHARTS_____________

• The most popular way to come to school (on foot, by car, by

bus, by truck)
• How long the school journey takes (in hours and minutes)
• How far away the school is from home (in miles).

Use the opportunity to stress that plenty of time should be allowed for
travelling.

A barchart showing how we get to school

________SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL________

• Display the poster "Getting There Safely" where all the class can see
it.

• Ask the children to look carefully at the poster. Get some children to
point out to the class things of interest e.g. petrol station, school, park,
stalls, sellers, different vehicles.

• Talk to the class about where Samuel and Gifty live and where their
school is.

• Ask all of the class to think of a safe way for Gifty to get to school.

• Choose one child to show the route he/she has chosen for Gifty.
Discuss whether this route is safe (the answer should be: cross by the
traffic lights with a special light

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 for pedestrians, along the path by the trees, along the footpath and across
ROUTES TO SCHOOL_____ the road by the lollipop stand).

• Repeat this process for Samuel's route from home to school. Get the
children to write down the safest route for Samuel.

• Remind the class to try to cross roads at safe crossing places such as
footbridges (overbridges) lollipop stands, zebra crossings and traffic lights
with a pedestrian phase. Otherwise cross in places where there are good
views of traffic and where the drivers can see you.

• Ask several children to come out individually and describe their routes to
_____SAFE

school. Discuss how safe they are.

• Make sure the children know they must leave plenty of time for any
journey, and always practise the Green Cross Code whenever they cross
a road.

Selecting a safe route sometimes means

walking a little further!

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 2. Outside the Classroom (on the way home)

• Ask the class to observe other school children leaving the school.
Are they behaving safely?
_____PRACTICAL_____

Are they crossing the road in a safe place?

Do you think they are using the Green Cross Code?

• Ask the children to think about their own route to and from school.
Is it as safe as it can be?
Can they change it to make it safer?

Children beginning their journeys home from school

Homework:
Copy the homework on to the board.

ALLOW TIME TO MARK THIS IMPORTANT HOMEWORK AND HAVE A SHORT

DISCUSSION WITH THE CLASS ABOUT IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

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ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES for P5s
If you want to extend this work you might like to try some of the following suggestions.

ENGLISH
The children could:
1) Interview other people in their own neighbourhood about their fears about traffic and how
they think it might be improved.

2) Keep a diary for one day. Write in it all the dangers they are exposed to - at home, on the
way to school, at school, after school etc. Discuss answers and how the risks could be made
less.

3) Use the MODEL mentioned below to get the children to discuss safe routes.

4) Imagine an alien from another planet has landed in Ghana. Ask the children to think
about what they would tell him about how to keep himself safe.

MATHEMATICS
The children could:
1) Think about stopping distances. Ask for two children - one to walk and one to run. The
two children should start moving when you tell them, and stop as quickly as they can when
you tell them to stop. Four other children should be found to observe what is happening:
The first observer should note and mark where the walker is when you call
STOP
The second observer should note and mark where the walker is when s/he
actually stops, so that the distance between can be measured
The third observer should mark and note where the runner is when you call
STOP
The fourth observer should note and mark where the runner is when s/he
actually stops, so that the stopping distance can be compared to that for
the walker.
Ask the children what the stopping distances are and why the stopping distances vary
(BECAUSE IT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO STOP WHEN RUNNING, WHICH IS WHY WE
SHOULD ALWAYS WALK NEAR ROADS).

2) Count the number of different vehicles that pass the school entrance in 15 minutes.
Display the results on a graph.

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ENVIRONMENT/SOCIAL STUDIES
The children could:
1) Think about the many people who help to keep the community safe. Who
are they? What can we do to help others feel safer?

2) Find out what sort of journeys people went on years ago in Ghana and how they travelled
about. They could ask their parents and grandparents.

3) Ask a member of the National Road Safety Committee or the police force to come into
the school to talk about accidents and how to keep safe.

SCIENCE
The children could:
1) Find out which colours are the easiest to see and therefore the safest for pedestrians to
wear, because they can be seen well by drivers. Think about which colours show up best-
black, blue, red, green, white, grey, yellow, orange, brown. Put them into an
order starting with the easiest one to see. Next look at material or cards of
those colours and check the answers. They could think about whether
different colours show up better in the dark, and what this means for walking
in the dark.

2) Make a MODEL of the area around your school. This is useful for thinking about safe
routes and it gives a more realistic view than a map. Make the MODEL out of paper, wood,
card, glue and paint - old boxes work well. Put in roads, footpaths, buildings and any
protected crossings. Try to make it as accurate as possible and in proportion. It should be
placed on a table and could be left out on the verandah or in the corner of a classroom.
When completed a few children at a time should discuss together where they would cross
the roads and routes they would choose to get from one place to another. They should move
model people around the MODEL.

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 CURRICULUM LINKS

Road safety is at present in the Life Skills syllabus and this project as a whole could be used
there. Parts of the SAFE WAYS programme also link with other subject areas in the
Ghanaian curriculum as shown below:

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 TOPIC LINKS

SAFE WAYS could be part of any of the topics below.

30
EXAMPLE OF A TRAIL OBSERVATION SHEET FOR PUPILS
(Lesson 2)

Use this sheet or make your own one. You should read this through with the children before
you go out.

1) Tick these things when you see them.

pedestrian carrying goods petrol station

zebra crossing driveway across pavement

stall advert or poster

policeman tree

2) What dangerous things can you see near your school?

2) Tick the vehicles when you see them.

truck bus

car lorry

bicycle motorcycle

3) How many parked cars are there?

Record them as you walk along. Add up the total number.

5) What traffic sounds can you hear?

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 HOMEWORK FOR LESSON 1

1) How do you think it feels to have a road accident?

It feels……………………………..

2) Draw a picture of yourself and a younger child walking near the road.

3) Write down three things you have told younger children.

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HOMEWORK FOR LESSON 2

1) SAFE things people do near the road:

…………………………………………………….…

……………………………………………….………

…………………………………………….…………

2) UNSAFE things people do near the road:

………………………………………………….……

……………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………….

3) Things I have seen outside:

On the road On the pavement/footpath

…………………….. ………………………..

…………………….. ………………………..

…………………….. ………………………..

4) You should tell a younger child to be careful when walking on the

pavement/footpath/edge of the road because:

………………………………………………………

5) Draw some road signs.

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HOMEWORK FOR LESSON 3

1) I know all these protected crossing places:

……………………………………………….

……………………………………………….

……………………………………………….

……………………………………………….

2) I use ………. PROTECTED crossings on the way to school.

3) Do you think that any more PROTECTED crossing places should be built by your
school? Where?

4) Make a poster about using a PROTECTED crossing place for a younger child.

5) Practice using a PROTECTED crossing place with a younger child.

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HOMEWORK FOR LESSON 4

1) If there are no protected crossing places I should cross ………………….

……………………………………………………..……………… I should not

cross……………………………………………………………….

2) Write down the GREEN CROSS CODE

Draw a picture about one part of it.

3) Show some younger children how to use the GREEN CROSS CODE.

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HOMEWORK FOR LESSON 5

1) When you get home write down the route you took home from school.

2) Do you think your route is the safest route you can take?

3) If it is not, what can you do to make your route safer?

37