Signals for Safety: Acadia National Park

Summary

Students will demonstrate an understanding of safety signals.

Coin Type(s)

  • Quarter

Coin Program(s)

  • America the Beautiful Quarters

Objectives

Students will demonstrate an understanding of safety signals.

Major Subject Area Connections

  • Social Studies

Grades

  • 2nd
  • 3rd

Class Time

  • Sessions: One
  • Session Length: 30-45 minutes
  • Total Length: 0-45 minutes

Groupings

  • Whole group
  • Individual work

Terms and Concepts

Safety signals

Materials

  • Text about safety signals or signs and lighthouses
  • Internet
  • Writing tools
  • Related worksheets

Preparations

  • Print out and copy related worksheets.
  • Choose age-appropriate texts on safety signals and lighthouses.
  • Bookmark related sites such as:

Worksheets

Worksheets and files (PDF)

Lesson Steps

  1. Display and examine the Acadia National Park Quarter design. Locate this site on a class map. As background information, explain to the students that the United States Mint began to issue the quarters in the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program in 2010. By the time the program ends in 2021, there will be a total of 56 designs on the back of the coin. Each design will focus on a different national site—one from each state, territory, and the District of Columbia.
  2. Read a text on safety signals or signs. Discuss the importance of safety signals. Create a class list of safety signs and signals from the text as well as in your environment.
  3. Tell the students that a lighthouse's beacon and foghorn are safety signals for boat captains. Explain to the students that one function of a lighthouse is to keep boats safe by signaling that an obstacle is close by or as a guide for boats. Read a text on lighthouses to gain an understanding of their importance.
  4. Introduce the students to the "Show Me the Signs and Signals" worksheet. Explain to them that they are to match the correct sign or signal with the appropriate picture. Have them create a new safety sign or symbol that can be used at school, then illustrate and write a description of the function of their sign or symbol. Have them write a comparative paragraph about a lighthouse and a safety signal of their choice.
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Assess

  • Take anecdotal notes about the students' participation in class discussions.
  • Evaluate the students' worksheets and projects for understanding of the lesson objectives.
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Common Core Standards

This lesson plan is not associated with any Common Core Standards.

National Standards

This lesson plan is not associated with any National Standards.