Educators

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Click Here For: Teaching Curriculum and Resources

Welcome to WABA's Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program!

WABA's Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Program is divided into two sections, a pedestrian safety program for kindergarten through second grade students and a bicycle safety program for third through fifth grade students. Both the pedestrian section and the bicycle section contain a set of four core lessons, which teach skills that are essential to developing a basic understanding of pedestrian and bicycle safety. If the teachers have time, there are enrichment exercises offering additional pedestrian and bicycle safety knowledge and skills. The pedestrian lessons are designed to be taught indoors or outdoors by classroom teachers through the Health Education Curriculum, in physical education class, or in another community setting. Many of the bicycle program lessons are intended to be taught outdoors by physical education teachers through the Physical Education Curriculum or at community workshops, though some can be done in the classroom. In a few schools where indoor facilities are scarce and weather inclement, we've held the on-bike lessons in the hallway! There are few rules here- with the permission of the school principal, let your creativity and determination to make kids safer bikers and walkers take you where it will!

Maryland Learner Outcomes

Extensive research has been done to ensure that the program supports educational goals set by the Maryland Department of Education. The objectives of the program lessons are built on the Maryland Learner Outcomes (MLOs). Though the lessons in the Lesson Handbook cover many additional Maryland Learner Outcomes, these are the outcomes that are most directly related to the program. Consult a copy of the Maryland Learner Outcomes for additional applicable outcomes.

Key Maryland Learner Outcomes

A few of the key Maryland Learner Outcomes that are incorporated into this program include:

Health, Safety and Injury Prevention (K-3): There are behaviors, such as taking precautions and following rules, that are basic to safe daily living.
Health, Health Behaviors (K-3): Demonstrate skills to improve or maintain personal health.
Social Studies, Geography (PreK-3): Explain why some locations are better than others for specific human activities.
Writing, Writing to Inform (PreK-3): Students will demonstrate their ability to write to inform by developing and organizing facts to convey information.
Health, Safety and Injury Prevention (4-5): There are ways to eliminate or modify specific hazardous situations.
Health, Goal Setting and Decision Making (4-5): Predict how decisions regarding health behaviors have consequences for self and others.
Social Studies, Geography (4-5): Construct and interpret maps using map elements.

Because this is a safety education program, most of the lesson objectives have to do with the Maryland Learner Outcomes related to health. However, the lesson activities also incorporate skits, writing assignments, songs, mapping activities, discussions of economic concepts, and mathematical calculations. This variety of activities makes it easy for teachers to integrate WABA's Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Program into the overall curriculum.

off-site links

1. Teach how to ride a bike.

2. There are two Bike Rodeo layouts (large and small) posted on WABA's web site.

3. A good place to order inexpensive helmets ($8-$10 each): http://www.helmetsrus.net/

4. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute has a downloadable flyer for parents on helmet fitting: http://www.helmets.org/fit.htm.

5. Order free bike safety videos from
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

Ride Smart. It’s Time to Start.

Bike Safe. Bike Smart.

6. "Safer Journey" is a program of Federal Highway Administration- They have produced two interactive CD's, one the Pedestrian Safer Journey and one the Bicycle Safer Journey. For information visit:
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov.
The email address given there for ordering them is wrong - use report.center@fhwa.dot.gov.

Also, FHWA has recently produced a good pedestrian safety video.

7. Curriculum guides to MD Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Program are downloadable from WABA's web site. Page 141 describes the activities involved in one version of a kids bike rodeo skills course.

8. "Keep Your Helmet On" rap.

District of Columbia

With the support of the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (Ddot), WABA maintains a cargo van containing bikes, helmets, and all materials necessary for delivery of the program. WABA staff schedule and teach classes in DC elementary schools during the school year and in DC Department of Recreation Centers in the summer months and conduct Confident City Cycling classes throughout the year.

Call us at 202-213-1459 or 202-518-0524 or email us at safetyed@waba.org to find a place on our schedule.

Maryland

In Maryland, supported by the Maryland State Highway Administration, WABA maintains three equipment trailers, trains teachers and other community leaders, and provides a curriculum, web site, and mentoring for the coordination of the lessons.

WABA's trailers currently serve the following areas:

Prince George and Montgomery Counties
Central Maryland: Cecil, Harford, and Baltimore Counties
The City of Baltimore

Teacher trainings are scheduled for each of these areas once a year. Educators of many types enroll in WABA's trainings and then apply for the use of the equipment trailer for their events.
a. Elementary school teachers who wish to bring the program to their schools
b. Police, Fire, EMS professionals who want to hold weekend bike safety education events
c. Staff from community organizations such as Safe Kids or the Boy Scouts of America who want to hold weekend bike safety events

The following document describes the steps for bringing the program to your school: Bringing the Program to Your School.

Virginia

The program is beginning in Arlington. WABA staff schedule and teach classes in elementary schools during the school year, in Recreation Centers in the summer months and conduct Confident City Cycling classes throughout the year.