Teacher s Guide: Safest Generation Ad Activity Introduction Today s 11- and 12-year-old preteens are very smart about vehicle safety. They have grown up using car seats and booster seats more consistently than any previous generation. They know they should always wear their seat belt. And most know that kids under 13 should always ride in a back seat. Despite their knowledge, however, seat belt use can begin to slip when kids hit their preteen years. It s just a stage but it s a risky one. Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for preteens. The Solution Safe Kids Buckle Up has launched a vehicle safety campaign targeting preteens. The Safest Generation campaign appeals to preteen norms: that is, most preteens wear their seat belts all the time, and sit in a back seat until they are 13. As part of the Safest Generation campaign, we have created an Ad Activity that allows children to create their own ads about vehicle safety. MAKE AN AD ACTIVITY Time Required About 20-30 minutes. Materials Needed If your school has a computer lab, students can create their ads online at SafestGeneration.com. No additional materials will be needed. Otherwise, you will need: One Make an Ad handout per child (copy the attached handout, or download at SafestGeneration.com) Old magazines Scissors Glue Markers, crayons or colored pencils Key Messages Today s preteens are smart about safety. Most 11- and 12-yearolds buckle up every time they ride in a car. Kids should ride in a back seat until they are at least 13. Getting Started Write the key messages where students can see them. Then hold a short discussion about vehicle safety. If there is time, play the Myth Slammers Game (attached). Click with your Preteen Help your preteen buckle up. For life.
MYTH SLAMMERS GAME Time Required 12-15 minutes Getting Started Read the introduction (below). Then read each Myth Slammer statement. After each statement, ask your students to raise their hand if they agree. Repeat for those who disagree. Then read the correct answer. Myth Slammers Introduction Only 40 years ago, many cars didn t even have lap and shoulder seat belts. Airbags didn t exist. Like ipods and cell phones, seat belts, airbags, GPS and other car-safety technology were something for the future. Today, you kids sitting here are that future. When you were babies, you were brought home from the hospital in car seats. As you grew up, you were taught always to wear your seat belts. You re smarter about safety than any generation before you. You are the Safest Generation. But because a lot of car safety devices are still relatively new for adults who grew up without them, there are still some old ideas about car safety floating around. So we re going to do a quick game When it comes to car safety Are you smarter than a 40-year-old?!! Myth Slammers Statements 1) Most 11- and 12-year-olds use seat belts. They think it s smart to buckle up. Is that a fact or a myth? THAT S A TRUE FACT. You are part of the Safest Generation. Kids your age know it s cool to stay safe. Studies show most kids your age buckle up all the time and sit in a back seat. 2) If there aren t enough seat belts in the car, the two smallest kids in the car should buckle up together. SLAMMED! THAT S A MYTH! Each seat belt is meant for only one person. Seat belts are designed to spread the impact of a crash across the sturdiest parts of the body the shoulder and hips. Sharing the seat belt puts the seat belt in the wrong place on both people. It could injure you in a crash. If there aren t enough seat belts for everyone, you shouldn t ride in that car. 3) Most people are driving at a high rate of speed when they get into a wreck. Is that true? SLAMMED! THAT S A MYTH! Speeding is the cause of lots of crashes. But most people who get into a wreck are driving less than 40 miles per hour. Think about it. Even if your car isn t speeding, someone who is speeding might crash into you. So That s why you should always wear your seat belt, even when you re with a safe driver. Click with your Preteen Help your preteen buckle up. For life.
4) If your car goes off the road into a river or lake, you ll be safer if you re not wearing your seat belt. Is that a fact or a myth? SLAMMED! THAT S A MYTH! These types of crashes occur less than one-half of one percent of the time. But if they do occur, do you know what protects you most? Your seat belt. Buckling up protects you during a crash so you can stay conscious and alert, and get out of the car quickly. It keeps you in place so you can find the door or a window even if the car is upside down. 5) You should wear your seat belt even when you re just on short trips in your neighborhood. Is that true? THAT S A TRUE FACT. Half of all crashes occur just 5 to 10 minutes from home. You should always buckle up, even on short trips. 6) If I do get into a crash, I d rather be thrown clear of the car. I have a better chance of surviving that way. Is that true? SLAMMED! THAT S A MYTH! Three out of four people who get thrown from the car die. It s as simple as that. 7) Adults don t need to wear a seat belt if a car has an airbag. Is that true? SLAMMED! THAT S A MYTH! When airbags were first invented, people thought they could be used instead of seat belts. But then they found out that airbags used without seat belts could severely injure and even kill people. Adults should always wear a seat belt, even with an airbag. And you should never sit in a seat that has an airbag unless you meet the height and weight requirements usually after you are 13 years old, weigh more than 80-100 pounds and are taller than 4 9. Click with your Preteen Help your preteen buckle up. For life.
IT S YOUR TURN NOW Make an ad other kids will think is cool You have grown up smart about safety. Here s a chance to put what you know to work. Create a Safest Generation ad other preteens can learn from. (You might even teach some grownups a thing or two.) option 1. On paper Follow the instructions on the following pages using the sample ads below as a guide. When you re finished, hang your ad up where other kids will see it. option 2. Online Create an ad at www.safestgeneration.com. From there, you can print it, email it, or post it on your MySpace or Facebook page. sample ads JUST GOING OUT FOR MILK? JUST PUT ON YOUR BELT. It s pretty amazing how far we ve come. Technology has made us the smartest generation, and seat belts have made us the safest. Let s show the world just who we are by creating our own ads at www.safestgeneration.com. Build it. Print it. Share it. Live it. Wear it. Half of all crashes occur just 5 to 10 minutes from home.
MAKE YOUR OWN AD: 1. Choose a template. You ll pick a new picture and write new words. TIP: The cutouts are on the next few pages. You can also mix and match things your own way. Seatbelt Ad: JUST GOING OUT FOR MILK? JUST PUT ON YOUR B E L T. technology Ad: It s pretty amazing how far we ve come. Technology has made us the smartest generation, and seat belts have made us the safest. Let s show the world just who we are by creating our own ads at www.safestgeneration.com. Build it. Print it. Share it. Live it. Wear it. Half of all crashes occur just 5 to 10 minutes from home. 2. Use any piece of paper as the base for your ad. TIP: Try using colored paper. Or use the back of a sheet of paper from this packet. 3. Pick a picture and glue it onto your paper. TIP: Cut a picture from a magazine or draw your own. 4. Cut out a headline shape and a box for your text. Write in your words, then glue them on your paper. TIP: Test the placement of your headline and text before you glue them down. You can also write directly on your ad. 5. Add the Safest Generation and Safe Kids logos. You re done! TIP: Hang your ad where people will see it.
Cut out the items below to use in the seatbelt ad Box for text Safest Generation logo Safe Kids logo Headline shape JU
Cut out the items below to use in the Technology ad Safest Generation logo Safe Kids logo Headline shape Box for text