Learning about bushfires

Session: What is fire safety?Early Years (3 to 5 year olds)

Time: 50 minutes* (approximately)

Addresses the following Victorian Early Years

Learning and Development Framework outcomes

1. Identity

Children feel safe, secure and supported.Childrendevelop their emerging autonomy, interdependence,resilience and sense of agency.

3. Wellbeing

Children take increasing responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing.

4. Learning

Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating.

Children transfer and adapt what they have learnt from one context to another. Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies and natural and

processed materials.

Overview of session:

Children will be encouraged to explore the concept of safety in their daily lives. This session will introduce children to fire safety and why it is important to be safe around all fires.

Suggested resources:

Whiteboard or butcher’s paper Appropriate markers to record on the medium used Picture books, non-fiction books Visual arts materials Dramatic and imaginative play resources CD’s, puppets, props Linked resources including those on Resources/Bushfires Education website

Activities

Starting

Discuss ideas about safety:

What is safety? Why do you think it is important to know about safety and being safe? What makes you feel safe?

Discuss different types of safety:

* For details, please refer to the ‘Introduction’ on the Early Years section, Bushfires Education website

© Victorian Curriculum and Assessment A uthority 2015

Learning about bushfires

Road safety Car safety Being safe in the sun Fire safety

Encourage children to think about other types of safety and share their ideas and experiences.

Linked Resources:

Road and Car Safety – Road Safety Victoria

Sun safety policy and procedures – Cancer Council Victoria

Exploring

Introduce the concepts of ‘fire’ and ‘fire safety’. Discussion questions:

What is fire? What is fire safety? Why do we need to know about fire safety?

Encourage children to share and discuss their ideas. Record children’s ideas and use for further discussion.

Explore and discuss the concept of fire safety and why it is important for everyone to know about fire safety.

Different types of fires, including bushfires, will be explored further in the Types of fires session.

Bringing it together

Use the following learning experiences to encourage further discussion and understanding of key concepts:

Provide a range of images and pictures that show different aspects of safety, including fire safety. Use group experiences to encourage discussion and questions.

Read pictures books and other texts that discuss different types of safety. Include books on fire safety and bushfire safety.

Provide a range of drawing materials and encourage children to reflect their ideas about safety through visual art experiences.

Set up dramatic and imaginative play spaces that enable children to role play exploring different types of safety.

Use songs and rhymes to explore the concept of safety.

Extending

Discussion questions:

Who can help us understand more about fire safety? Where can we get more information about fire safety?

Encourage children to share and discuss their ideas. Record children’s ideas and use for further discussion. Use technology and other resources to access information about fire safety. Explore the use of technology in sourcing information and extending knowledge.

Linked resources: CFA – Early Fire Safe and Fire Safe Kids

See also the Resources section on the Bushfires Education website.

© VCAA 2015 Page 2