Research
Present each part of the lesson in the following order:
KEY VOCABULARY (2.5 min.):
Research: the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. [New Oxford American Dictionary]
Attention-getter (10 min.):
Ask your students a few of the following fact-based “true or false” questions about traffic safety:
Drunk driving accounts for approximately 30% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. (True – 2020 CDC Data)
People are less and less likely to wear seatbelts. (False – U.S. Department of Transport Traffic Safety Facts 2022)
Motorcycle helmet use is increasing. (True – U.S. Department of Transport Traffic Safety Facts 2022)
Los Angeles is one of the safest cities in the United States for traffic collisions. (False – Vision Zero for Los Angeles)
Once they have answered and you have given them the correct answers, ask them why it might be important to conduct research before creating a PSA.
Discussion (15 min.):
Replay one of the PSAs from Lesson One and ask your students what kinds of research the makers of that PSA would have had to do. For example, the Youth for Human Rights PSA required data from the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, while the Refuge Makeup Tutorial PSA cites the figure: “65% of women who suffer domestic violence keep it hidden.”
KEY VOCABULARY (2.5 min.):
Keyword: an informative word or phrase used in an information retrieval system (such as Google, a newspaper search or an academic database) to indicate the content of a document and find it [New Oxford American Dictionary]
Activity (20 min.):
Show your students how to use keywords to find statistics and information about a given topic. Generally, the keyword for a given search includes the most important or unique words that might be in an article about the topic being searched.
If you have access to computers (or even smart phones), have them use one of the reliable search engines on the Recommended Research Sources List. If not, have them skim through the Facts and Figures on Traffic Safety in LA and US. Alternatively, they could look through the indexes of books on traffic safety or encyclopedias.
Tell them to find information on pedestrian collisions in LA using the following keywords:
Pedestrian Fatalities 2022
Pedestrian Car Collisions
Pedestrian Injuries Traffic Collisions
This should take approximately 5 minutes.
Once students are comfortable finding information with keywords, introduce the list of available topics for the Streets, Art, SAFE project:
Drunk driving - under-aged or adult drinking and driving.
Drugged driving - driving while using drugs, for example: recreational drugs like marijuana or prescription medications like painkillers.
Distracted driving - doing other things while driving, for example: texting and driving, eating, putting on makeup, adjusting the radio, watching a map, watching videos, playing games, etc.
Distracted driving - driving tired.
Traffic laws - pedestrian laws, bicycling, e-scooter, skateboard laws.
Traffic laws - driving laws, for example: seat belts worn, rules of the road, etc.
Defensive techniques - for drivers.
Defensive techniques - for bicyclists, e-scooters, skateboarders.
Defensive techniques - for pedestrians.
Speeding - speed and pedestrian, bicycle, or e-scooter serious injuries or fatalities.
Speeding - street racing, sideshows and/or street takeovers.
Safety - for pedestrians, cyclists, skateboarders, e-scooters, etc. For example: wearing a helmet, reflective clothing, or using lights as applicable, etc.
Safe driving - road rage.
Explain that students may also create their own topic, so long as it is approved. Instruct them to pick a topic and begin conducting research (they will do the vast majority of this at home for their assignment). Since they will most likely be working in teams, encourage them to break up the research keywords amongst their team members.
Assignment (5 min. in class, 20 min. at home)
Once students are comfortable with how to conduct research, have them continue this process at home. Instruct them to compile a list of facts (with appropriate citations) for their PSA topic. As they conduct research, they may decide to adjust the concept for their PSA. This is absolutely allowable. These advertisements will be most effective if they are grounded in fact.
KEY VOCABULARY (2.5 min):
Survey: investigate the opinions or experience of (a group of people) by asking them questions. [New Oxford American Dictionary]
Discussion (15 min.):
Explain to students that another way to get information for their PSAs is to observe and gather it themselves.
Ask students why it might be important to survey their local community and experts before making a PSA.
Ask them what kinds of questions they might put on a survey. Encourage students to note down their own and their peers’ responses.
Activity (15 min.):
Have them write a short survey for classmates to answer. Encourage them to tailor their surveys to the PSA topic they have chosen. Next, have them trade surveys with other students so they have the experience of both giving and taking a survey.
Assignment (5 min. in class, 20 min. at home):
Instruct students to revise their surveys as needed and then give them to friends, family members, and classmates. Encourage them to reach out to traffic safety experts, such as policemen and firemen, as well. They may give the same survey to these professionals, or they may ask slightly different questions.
∞ End of Lesson ∞