Lesson: Going Places Safely (K-2)

INVITE students to talk about places they have visited on a class field trip. If students have limited experience with field trips, provide some examples of the types of places they could visit as a class, such as museums, science centers, or zoos. Then have students choose a place they would like to go on a class field trip.

HAVE students take an imaginary field trip to their chosen place. Narrate the preparations while having students pantomime what’s happening – for example, put on your jacket; climb on/off the bus; get your ticket checked; go inside. Then have students describe what they think they might see and do once they arrive.

ASK:
What do you need to do to stay safe when you visit new places?
Guide students to acknowledge the following safety rules:

• Always go places with an adult.
• Don’t wander off on your own.
• Talk only with people you know.

DEFINE the Key Vocabulary terms Internet and online.

EXPLAIN to students that another way to visit interesting places all over the world is by going on the Internet. Ask students to suggest what kinds of places they might be able to visit online, and encourage all responses.

SHOW students the video, “My Online Neighborhood.”

ASK:
What did Jeremiah like about the Internet? What kinds of things can he do on the Internet?
Sample responses:

TELL students that the computer makes it possible for them to visit distant places without ever leaving the classroom.

DEFINE the Key Vocabulary term website.

EXPLAIN to students that they will be visiting websites that belong to real places, such as zoos and museums. These places may be distant from where they live, but they can visit them online.

CHOOSE one of the following websites to explore as a class. You may project the site onto a screen, or group students around a computer.

• Destination Modern Art: This interactive, kid-directed site from New York’s Museum of Modern Art takes children on a virtual tour of the museum, its artwork, and the artists.
• The San Diego Zoo: This website includes galleries of animal photographs, slide shows, and live “animal cams” of the residents of the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California.

INVITE one or two students to role-play how they might ask you, as a teacher, to visit this site. (For example, “Mrs. Cohen, I’d like to visit a website about zoos. Can you help me find a site?”) Remind students that the first safety rule for going online is to always ask your parent or teacher first.

EXPLORE the website you’ve selected with your class, allowing students to choose pages and activities that are most interesting to them. Point out as you go through the site how students are following the other two safety rules for going online: only talk to people you know, and stick to places that are just right for you.

ENCOURAGE students to discuss what they saw and learned on their Internet field trip.

ASK:
What things did you see on the website that you’ve never seen before?
Depending on the site you chose to explore, students may name animals, musical instruments, or paintings that they have seen for the first time.

ARRANGE students into groups to share crayons and markers.

DISTRIBUTE the My Favorite Place Student Handout, one for each student.

ENCOURAGE students to think of one of the things they liked best on the website they visited. Have them draw a picture of that thing. Then help students write down the name of their favorite thing.

INVITE students to share the pictures of their favorite things with the class, and have them describe where they saw it on the website and why they like it.

READ ALOUD the safety rules on the student handout. Review how students followed the rules when they went online, and stress how students should use these rules whenever they travel online.