🔥 Stop, Drop, and Learn! 🔥 

October isn’t just pumpkin spice and costumes—it’s also Fire Prevention Week in the US and Canada, a time to shine the spotlight on fire safety at school, at home, and everywhere in between. While firefighters may be the heroes who put out flames, students can be the everyday heroes who prevent fires and know exactly what to do if one happens.

In this lesson, you’ll guide your students through the must-know basics of fire safety: spotting fire hazards, learning escape strategies, practicing responses like “Stop, Drop, and Roll,” and even creating a family safety plan to take home. The big idea? To help students feel confident, prepared, and empowered to keep themselves and others safe. And because learning sticks better when it’s fun, you’ll wrap it all up with an interactive Goosechase scavenger hunt that brings fire safety to life.

Grade: 3 - 6

Subject: Health0 Personal Safety

Learning Objectives:

• By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
  • Identify key fire safety rules and procedures.
  • Demonstrate what to do in case of a fire emergency.
  • Recognize potential fire hazards in everyday environments.
  • Work collaboratively to problem-solve and practice safety skills.

Materials:

• Whiteboard or chart paper and markers
• Fire safety posters (optional, digital or printed)
• A whistle or bell (to simulate a fire drill)
• Mobile devices (tablets, phones, or laptops) with the Goosechase app installed

Preparation:

• Create an Experience on the Goosechase app with a series of Missions focussed on fire safety
• Develop Missions that require students to demonstrate their understanding of what they have learned. Example Missions:
  • Stop, Drop, and Roll!: Record a short video of your group demonstrating what to do if clothes catch fire.
  • Find the Exit: Take a photo of two different exits in your classroom or school.
  • Hot or Not?: In text, explain how to check if a door is safe to open during a fire.
  • Fire Hazards Hunt: Snap a photo of something that could be a fire hazard at school (real or staged).
  • Meeting Point: Take a photo of where your class would meet outside in a real fire drill.
  • Fire Safety Rulebook: Write down 3 fire safety rules every student should remember.

Find Example Missions in the Goosechase Template below

• Adapt the difficulty of the Missions based on the proficiency levels of your students to keep the activity inclusive and engaging for everyone.
• Prepare hints or resources that might help students solve the Missions if needed.
• Divide students into teams and assign each team a mobile device with the app, or have students complete the scavenger hunt individually.
• Run your Experience during one class period or longer.
• App Set-Up 
  • Dedicate time to ensuring all students have the Goosechase app downloaded and joined to the Experience to avoid any tech issues.

Lesson Outline:

• Warm-Up: Fire Prevention Week Kick-Off
  • Ask students: “What do you already know about fire safety?”
  • Introduce Fire Prevention Week and explain that it’s a time when everyone—kids, families, schools, firefighters—focus on learning how to prevent fires and stay safe.
• Direct Instruction: Fire Prevention & Response
  • At School:
    • Know two ways out of every room.
    • Listen carefully to alarms and teachers’ instructions.
    • Never block exits with backpacks or furniture.
  • At Home:
    • Test smoke alarms monthly with an adult
    • Create and practice a family escape plan.
    • Keep matches, lighters, and candles out of reach.
  • Everywhere:
    • Stop, Drop, and Roll if clothing catches fire.
    • Crawl low under smoke to get out safely.
    • Never go back inside for belongings or pets.
• Guided Practice: Spotting Hazards
  • Show images of different rooms (classroom, kitchen, bedroom, living room).

• As a class, circle or call out fire hazards (e.g., overloaded outlets, candles near curtains, blocked exits).
• Discuss safer choices.
• Practice Activity: Fire Drill & Role Play 
  • Run a mini fire drill (or simulate steps if not possible).
  • Add variety: role-play a nighttime fire at home (students imagine crawling under smoke, finding exits, and meeting at a safe outdoor spot).
• Goosechase Scavenger Hunt
  • Read through Missions with students, emphasizing the importance of fire safety.
  • Monitor progress and provide assistance as necessary.
  • If working in teams, encourage them to strategize and collaborate to solve the Missions.
  • Sit back and enjoy watching your students collaborate and demonstrate their learning.
• Debrief and Reflection
  • Review the activity, discussing which missions were the most challenging or fun.
  • Recap the “Top 3 Fire Safety Rules” as a class.
  • Discuss how teams collaborated and solved problems together.
  • Optionally, award prizes to the team(s) with the highest score

Optional Post-Experience Activities:

• Fire Safety Plan 
  1. Students draw a “Fire Safety Plan” for their home. Label exits, meeting points, and safety tools (like extinguishers).
• Short Story 
  1. Students write a short story about how to stay safe during a fire.
• Visual Creation
  1. In small groups, design a fire safety poster or skit to share with younger students or post in the classroom.

Assessment

• Teacher observation during discussion and drill practice.
• Student participation and accuracy in Goosechase missions.
• Review of individual homework (fire safety plan, stories).
• Evaluation of group projects (poster/skit).

Ready Made Experience

Fire Safety First

Learn fire safety rules and test your knowledge in this action-packed scavenger hunt!

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