Electricity Safety (2 Days)

Science
3.3.6 Describe ways human beings can protect themselves from adverse weather conditions.

Health
Not available at this time

• Summary: Groups are given situations and make decisions if it is safe to stay (strike) or if they should leave (bolt).

• Materials: For the Student: (groups of 4-6) _ 2-5 situation cards.

• Background For Teachers: Attached to this lesson is a page of rules that can be followed to protect yourself from lightning. Cover these rules with your students.

• Intended Learning Outcomes:
  • Develop and use categories, Make estimations and predictions,
  • Distinguish between examples and non-examples.

• Instructional Procedures:
  1. Create a scoreboard on the overhead or chalkboard similar to the one below. Team 1 Team 2, etc. Strikes Bolts Total Points
  2. Students will work in teams to decide if a given situation describes a safe practice in a lightning storm (a STRIKE) or an unsafe practice (a BOLT).
  3. The teacher hands out one situation to each team. Each team should have a different situation. Give the teams 2-5 minutes to quietly discuss the situation and determine whether it is a STRIKE (the situation describes a safe practice), or to BOLT and leave (because the situation describes an unsafe practice).
  4. Have each group present the situation and solution to the class. The rest of the class must listen until the presentation is complete before asking any questions or making comments. Teams are expected to answer STRIKE or BOLT and explain why. The teacher should direct questions needed for clarification of the group's reasoning.
  5. After the group has fully explained their justification of action, other students may contribute their thoughts on the situation.
  6. Situations should be scored based upon safe and complete answers. Points may be awarded from 1-10 per situation depending upon the amount of information required. If the situations vary in difficulty, teachers may pre-assign points and allow the teams to choose a situation by the number of points possible.
  7. Tally scores at the end of the session. Levels of mastery may include Charged, Shocking, Flashy, and Electrifying. Encourage students to be aware of and prepare to practice safety around lightning. Challenge students to create new situations to use in another game of STRIKES AND BOLTS.

• Summary: Learn and discuss the school evacuation routes. Have a practice drill with yellow yarn representing downed power lines.

• Materials: For the Teacher: _ Written copy of the school evacuation routes. _ 1-2 heavy lengths of cord (like an extension cord) or yarn. For the Student: (groups of 3-6) _ Copy of the room evacuation route.

• Background For Teachers: All schools have evacuation procedures for fires, earthquakes, and other emergency situations. This activity is a review of these procedures and a critique of safety in relation to electrical elements and power lines. Students will take an active part in discussing and evaluating the school evacuation plans to ensure an understanding of the importance of identifying electrical concerns.

• Intended Learning Outcomes:
  • Science-technology, society interactions, Accept responsibility for problems related to science and technology.

• Instructional Procedures:
  1. Introduce the concept of electrical safety at school by discussing the evacuation procedures and routes for various situations.
  2. Show the maps (if available) of safety routes in the classroom and other school areas. Discuss the areas on the school grounds that have electrical concerns such as lights, outlets, wiring in the walls, etc. Electricity is wired into almost all of the rooms in a public school. This makes electrical safety a very important factor to discuss.
  3. During a natural disaster such as an earthquake, the likelihood that electrical lines will be disrupted and possibly broken are great. This may present a serious danger to all people in the school.
  4. Practice a safe and quick evacuation. Remember that lights should be turned off and windows closed. Review why this is necessary. When reaching the evacuation meeting area, look around for evidence of possible overhead power lines, or buried lines. These are a concern that may not become apparent until they are exposed, which may be too late. Evaluate the chosen area for safety. Return to the classroom and discuss your findings.
  5. Prepare for another drill. This time, block at least one of the direct routes with a yellow cord or yarn to simulate a downed or exposed electrical line. As students find the "exposed electrical lines," the appropriate action is to bypass this exist and use another close exit, or backtrack and select an alternative route to exit safely.
  6. Discuss and evaluate the evacuation at the outside area, or return to the classroom to debrief on the drill. If necessary, present concerns about routes or meeting areas to the Principal or appropriate person.

• Summary: Students and parents use a check list to identify areas of electrical concern in their home and neighborhood.

• Materials: For the Student: (individual) _ Copy of the Power of Being Safe student sheet.

• Background For Teachers: Home and neighborhood safety is a concern for all students. Some areas of particular concern are appliances in the bathroom, issues related to cleaning appliances in the kitchen, frayed cords, too many cords in an outlet, overhead power lines near or in trees, pool safety, antenna safety, kite flying, and safe behaviors in emergency situations. Utah Power and Light has many materials available for school use. Check to see if these materials are already in your schools. The 15 minute video, "Look Up and Live," is appropriate for use with this lesson. Free copies are available from Utah Power and Light, as well as pamphlets about electricity and safety.

• Intended Learning Outcomes:
  • Plan an investigation, Collect data, Analyze data and draw inferences.
  • Act responsibly to solve science related problems.

• Instructional Procedures:
  1. Discuss the importance of safety as it relates to the power of electricity. Electricity may not seem powerful to students since they don't "see" electricity until it produces an effect on an object. It is vital to stress the importance and power of electricity. We couldn't live our lives in the same manner without electricity. This makes electricity important to us, yet the power of electricity can also make it very dangerous.
  2. List and discuss important safety tips. This list should include areas and items that need to be checked for safety. The list should include items like: Radios plugged in near a tub, sink, pool, or other water sources. Outlets that have too many plugs. Frayed or damaged electrical cords.
  3. Clarify or discuss any items that students are unclear about. Hand out copies of the homework check list. Discuss the check list with the students and add any missing items that may be appropriate to your geographical area. Challenge students to complete the check list and discuss with parents.
  4. Have students and parents grade their home and neighborhood. Have students identify and record areas of concern. Assign students to return the check list for further class discussion.

• Summary: Discuss and list what items should be in an emergency kit for home.

• Materials: For the Teacher: _ Overhead of Steps to Take in a Power Outage. For the Student: (individual) _ Safety kit suggestions.

• Background For Teachers: Occasionally, electrical service fails to reach homes. Weather conditions can sometimes cause interruption of power. Accidents may cause damage to power lines, or power lines may need repair. The steps to take when electricity is not reaching your home are listed on the overhead master that accompanies this lesson plan. This activity has students consider the items that should be in an emergency kit in the home. The items on the following attached list are useful and strongly suggested.

• Intended Learning Outcomes:
  • Recognize relevance of science in daily life.
  • Accept responsibility for problems related to science and technology.

• Instructional Procedures:
  1. Describe a situation when the power has gone out in the school or surrounding neighborhood. Have the students give other examples that they remember. Have the students describe how they feel when electrical power to their homes has been interrupted.
  2. On the overhead or board, generate a list of items that might be placed in a home emergency kit. Discuss and determine the uses for each item.
  3. Have students take the list they generate home to be shared and discussed with their parents.

• complete all of the activities?
• participate in the discussions?
• explain why it is important to practice safe behaviors around electricity?