Year 7 Road Safety Assembly
The Riot Act: Deadly Distraction
Monday 15 May 2023 at 1:50pm-2:45pm
Introduction
These teaching materials are designed to support The Riot Act’s live presentation for KS3 ‘Deadly Distraction’. Following the presentation these activities can be delivered sequentially as part of a continuous scheme of work, or as individual one-off lessons. The timing and content of each lesson plan is flexible to allow teachers to adapt the activities to fit their own specific requirements. ‘Deadly Distraction’ promotes essential road safety information to KS3 students, equipping them with essential skills to stay safe when travelling on and around roads as pedestrians. The live presentation and this pack aim to contribute to a longer-term behaviour change that benefits individuals, communities and the wider environment with regards to staying safe around roads.
Pre-show Discussion
Theatre is a powerful tool that can be used effectively to engage young people on an emotional level, challenging perceptions and stimulating critical thinking and behaviour change. To that end, it is important for students not to have too much information with regards to what will happen in the ‘Deadly Distraction’ show and workshop. More importantly, students will need to understand what will be expected of them during the event; they will need to listen carefully and respectfully during the play and will be invited to participate in the following workshop which will include a range of activities and discussions focussing on the play, the characters and the issues raised. It is important to be aware of any students who may have been affected by a road incident in case they find the show and workshop too upsetting or distressing and The Riot Act can provide copies of any scripts or workshop plans in advance to allow you to assess this.
Why Teach Road Safety?
Road incidents are a major cause of injury and death for young people across the UK. As young people get older and move from primary to secondary school, making more and more independent journeys, they become more at risk of being involved in a road incident. Adolescents between the ages of 12 – 16 are in one of the most vulnerable groups of road users accounting for 51% of all child road casualties (0 – 16 years). Making young people aware of the risks and providing them with strategies to take positive actions to remain safer are important parts of their development. Walking and cycling should always be encouraged amongst young people as sustainable travel is an important part of staying healthy and active; teaching road safety alongside this helps them to become safer and more confident independent travellers as well.
Learning Objectives
The overall objective of these teaching materials is to introduce KS3 students to important road safety issues, including dangers surrounding distractions (from phones and friends etc), peer pressure and influence and behaviour when near roads. This will facilitate greater understanding of the road safety dangers young people face and allow them to develop strategies to improve their safety around roads and motivate them to take personal responsibility for their own decisions and behaviour.
