Safety Squad Teacher Guide Safety Squad Teacher Guide
Unit 1: Lesson 3 - Day 3 | Childproofing & Prevention
Duration
50–60 Min
Objectives
"I can design prevention strategies to reduce hazards for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers."
Standard
FACS 12.3
Materials
Hazard Hero Cards
Safety Shield Slides
Safe Zone Blueprint
Peer Review Checklist
Mystery Card Key
Cards 01–03 Infant
Cards 04–06 Toddler
Cards 07–09 Preschool
Students identify their stage based on clues before start of the formal instruction.
Instructional Timeline
5 M
Bellringer: Mystery Identification
Students analyze "Hazard Profile" cards to deduce their age group. Rapid fire check: "Everyone with Profile 01-03, stand up! What group are you?"
12 M
Direct Instruction: Prevention
Review guesses and transition into safety shields presentation. Cover Safe Sleep, Poison Prevention, and Independence Safety.
20 M
Safe Zone Blueprint Design
Students create their plan using the Blueprint Worksheet. Requirement: 8–10 steps with I/L labels and caregiver brief.
8 M
Peer Review Session
Swap work and use the Safety Check Peer Review Checklist. Focus on clarity and actionable steps.
5 M
Closure & Submission
Final refinement based on feedback and submission for assessment.
Discussion Prompts
• How does curiosity vs. mobility drive different hazards?
• Is an anchored TV an immediate or long-term strategy? Why?
Safety Shield Slides Unit 1: Lesson 3
Safety Shield
Blueprints
Designing prevention strategies for every stage of early childhood.
Mission Objective
"I can design prevention strategies to reduce hazards for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers."
Hazard Hero: Rapid ID
5 MINUTES
Check your Age Card.
Stand up if the hazard I mention applies to your age group!
Quick Reaction Required
Think: Ability & Curiosity
Match Hazard to Stage
The Infant Shield (0–12 Mo)
Safe Sleep
ABC: Alone, Back, Crib. No toys, blankets, or bumpers.
Choking
Anything that fits in a toilet paper roll is a hazard.
Falls
Rolling or pulling up. Unattended heights are dangerous.
Toddler Patrol (1–3 Yr)
Poisoning
Curiosity leads to cabinets. Locks are essential.
Drowning
Can happen in 2 inches of water (buckets, toilets).
Tip-overs
Climbing bookshelves or dressers. Must be anchored.
Explorer Safety (3–5 Yr)
Electrical
Imitating adults. Sockets and appliances.
Tools
Sharp items and kitchen tools reached via step-stools.
Street
Independent play near driveways or roads.
The Blueprint Challenge
1
Select your Age Group Blueprint.
2
Identify 8–10 Specific Hazards for that stage.
3
Design Prevention Steps (Label as Immediate or Long-Term).
4
Write a Parent Pitch explaining why these matter.
Safe Zone Blueprint Worksheet Safe Zone Blueprint
Hazard Prevention Strategy Sheet
Agent:
Date:
Infant (0-12m)
Toddler (1-3y)
Preschool (3-5y)
| # | Identified Hazard | Prevention Strategy (Step-by-Step) | Type*
* I = Immediate Action | L = Long-term Investment/Installation
Caregiver Communication Brief
Why are these specific strategies vital for this child's developmental stage?
Safety Check Peer Review Safety Quality Check
Peer Review & Assessment Rubric
Reviewer: _______________
Designer: _______________
1 Peer Review Checklist
Age-Appropriateness
Hazards match developmental stage?
Yes
No
Practicality
Are steps realistic for a household?
1
2
3
Clarity
Specific and easy to understand?
1
2
3
Two Actionable Recommendations
•
•
! Assessment Rubric
Criteria
Points
Expectation
Completeness
/ 4
8–10 specific steps for the age group.
Age-Appropriate
/ 4
Hazards align to developmental stage.
Feasibility
/ 3
Steps are realistic and labeled (I/L).
Communication
/ 1
Parent brief is professional and clear.
Total Score / 12
Hazard Hero Cards Activity Hazard Hero Identification Cards
Bellringer Activity Manipulatives
Infant
Safe Sleep
Infant
Choking
Infant
Falls
Toddler
Poisoning
Toddler
Tip-overs
Toddler
Drowning
Preschool
Electricity
Preschool
Sharp Tools
Preschool
Street Safety
Infant
Strangulation
Toddler
Burns
Preschool
Fire Safety
Page 1 of 2 • Cut along borders • See Page 2 for Activity Scenarios
Teacher Reference: 20 Mystery Scenarios
Read these aloud for the Hazard Hero matching activity.
# Scenario / Prompt Target Group 01 A 6-month-old sleeping in a crib with a plush teddy bear. Infant 02 A baby left alone on a high changing table for "just a second." Infant 03 Finding a loose button on the floor near a crawling 8-month-old. Infant 04 A 4-month-old sleeping on their stomach on a soft sofa. Infant 05 A 2-year-old finds a colorful detergent pod under the sink. Toddler 06 A child climbing dresser drawers to reach a toy on top. Toddler 07 A toddler left playing in a bathroom with a filled mop bucket. Toddler 08 A child reaches for a hot pot handle sticking out from the stove. Toddler 09 A 4-year-old holding a metal fork near an open electrical outlet. Preschool 10 A child runs into the driveway as a car is backing out. Preschool 11 A 5-year-old uses adult kitchen shears to cut construction paper. Preschool 12 A child uses a stool to reach a high cabinet for matches. Preschool 13 A 10-month-old reaches for a dangling lamp cord.
Hazard Scenarios Teacher Resource Hazard Scenario Match Sheet
Teacher Reference Guide | 20 Quick Identification Prompts
Unit 1: Lesson 3
Use these scenarios for the Hazard Hero Bellringer . Call out a scenario; students holding the matching card stand up.
# Scenario / Observation Target Group Hazard Type 01 A 6-month-old is sleeping in a crib with a plush teddy bear. Infant Safe Sleep (ABC) 02 A baby is left alone on a high changing table for "just a second." Infant Falls 03 A parent finds a loose button on the floor near a crawling 8-month-old. Infant Choking 04 A 4-month-old is sleeping on their stomach on a soft sofa. Infant Safe Sleep / SIDS 05 A baby is playing near a staircase that has no safety gate. Infant Falls 06 A 10-month-old reaches for a dangling lamp cord. Infant Electrical 07 A 2-year-old finds a colorful detergent pod under the sink. Toddler Poisoning 08 A child is climbing the drawers of a dresser to reach a toy. Toddler Tip-over 09 A toddler is left playing in a bathroom with a filled mop bucket. Toddler Drowning 10 A child reaches for a hot pot handle sticking out from the stove. Toddler Burns 11 A 3-year-old is trying to climb out of their high-sided crib. Toddler Falls 12 A parent leaves vitamins on the counter within reach of a 2-year-old. Toddler Poisoning 13 A child pulls a heavy flat-screen TV sitting on a low stand. Toddler Tip-over 14 A 4-year-old is holding a metal fork near an open electrical outlet. Preschool Shock 15 A child runs into the driveway as a car is backing out.
Safety Intel Briefings Plus Safety Intel Dossier
Research Briefing: Phase 01
Target: Infants (0–12m)
Target: Infant Safety
Detailed Hazard Profile
Safe Sleep & SIDS
SIDS is the leading cause of accidental death for infants under 1. Soft mattresses, pillows, and crib bumpers can block an infant's airway. Infants lack the neck strength to turn their heads if obstructed.
Choking & Aspiration
Babies explore with their mouths. The "choke tube" rule applies to items under 1.25". High-risk: coins, button batteries (cause internal burns), and latex balloons.
Burns & Scalding
Infant skin is thin. Hot tap water or coffee can cause 3rd-degree burns instantly. They also struggle to regulate temperature during sun exposure.
Prevention Protocol
The ABCs of Sleep
Place an infant Alone , on their Back , in a Crib . Empty the crib of toys, pillows, and heavy quilts.
Structural Barriers
Install hardware-mounted gates at the top of stairs. These bolt into studs. Use pressure gates for doorways only.
Temp Settings
Lower water heaters to 120°F . Test bath water with your elbow, as hands are less heat-sensitive.
Milestones
Rolling (4m) and crawling (6m) happen fast. Safety measures must be active before milestones are hit.
Analysis Task
How does an infant's lack of neck strength make environmental hazards like soft bedding more dangerous than for an adult?
Intel Dossier P.01
Restricted Use: Guardians of Growth
Safety Intel Dossier
Research Briefing: Phase 02
Target: Toddlers (1–3y)
Target: Toddler Patrol
Detailed Hazard Profile
Poisoning: Look-Alike Risks
Laundry pods look like candy; blue cleaner looks like juice. Items like mouthwash, toxic plants (Lilies), and adult vitamins are dangerous to a toddler's small system.
Tip-Over Physics
Toddlers are top-heavy. They use drawers as ladders. Pulling drawers out shifts weight forward. Every 24 mins, a child is injured by a tipping TV or bookshelf.
Silent Drowning
Drowning occurs in 2" of water. Top-heavy toddlers fall into toilets/buckets and can't pull back out. Drowning is silent and takes only seconds.
Prevention Protocol
Secure the Perimeter
Move chemicals and meds to high cabinets. Latches help, but "out of sight and reach" is the only 100% method for persistent toddlers.
