FIRE SAFETY:
STOP, DROP, & ROLL LESSON

STOP, DROP & ROLL LESSON

Directions:

Print the Stop, Drop, & Roll reading comprehension passage and questions (see below).

Teachers may use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.  Older students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions.

Exercise

Find a book at the library on fire safety and read it to the children in your class. If you can, have a firefighter give a presentation to your class. Have the fireman or firewoman teach the children how to stop, drop, and roll properly. If you cannot get a firefighter to come, teach the children how to stop, drop, and roll on your own.

Make sure the children are rolling properly and are dropping to their knees quickly without hurting themselves. After you've taught the children how to stop, drop, and roll, assign homework. With the help of a parent each child should develop a fire escape plan for their house in the event of a fire at their home. Make sure each child knows how to escape from every floor in their house.

Lesson Excerpt

Fire is one of the most dangerous things that humans can encounter. It is never ok to play with fire, especially if you are alone. You should not use matches, have lit candles, or use the fire on your stove if an adult is not supervising you or doing these things for you. Sometimes fire cannot be avoided.

Accidents happen. A home can accidentally catch fire. Even if a parent is with you a candle can tip over if it is not properly placed in a candle holder. Explosions, though they are rare, can occur if something in your house is wired wrong or not working properly.

If your house is on fire or you are exposed to a fire's flames you need to know what to do to keep yourself safe. Depending on where the fire started in your house, you may be separated from your parents or other family members. At these moments you have to depend on yourself to stay safe. By knowing proper fire safety you can keep yourself from inhaling a lot of smoke, avoid getting burned, and knowing what we call stop, drop, and roll.

You should always stay close to the floor. Crawl on your hands and knees if you can or slither on your stomach quickly out of the room. When you do this you are preventing smoke from getting into your lungs and passing out from smoke inhalation. Heat rises and so does smoke so the closer you are to the floor the better you will be. (continued...)