Teaching notes
How to use this resource
This resource, Laptop wrap: On the road, is designed to support the Digital Education
Revolution – NSW (DER-NSW) program. The resources and tasks are aimed at supporting
student use of the DER-NSW laptops in both online and offline classroom environments.
If you have difficulty viewing this resource on the DER-NSW laptop screens you can
switch your web browser to full screen mode. With your web browser open, press F11 to
switch between normal and full screen mode.
For more detailed support on how to use the DER-NSW laptop software referred to in this
resource please visit the TaLe site.
This resource is designed to help students analyse attitudes, behaviours and consequences
related to road safety. Through completing this wrap, students will develop a deeper
understanding of the various consequences of unsafe road use. Students will also
understand various influences that impact on decision making, particularly for young
people with less road use experience. Students identify specific strategies young people
can implement that promote safe road use and positive attitudes and behaviours.
Explore
This section refers to Sites2See: Exploring road and traffic injuries. This resource was
developed for the PDHPE Stage 6 syllabus. It contains links to a range of websites and
resources specifically related to road safety, including links to road safety and youth
organisations.
Your tasks
Before commencing the following activities, it is important that you consider the
appropriateness of the activities in your local school environment. School communities that
have recently experienced the loss of a community member through a road accident should
consult the school community including the school executive and parents before
commencing such activities in their PDHPE lessons.
Task 1: Write a microblog

Encourage students to question which attitudes and behaviours lead to the
most common and harmful road accidents? What preventative strategies can
drivers and passengers implement to maximise their safety. Explain that
motor vehicle accidents will often have multiple contributing factors that
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cause the accident eg an unrestrained passenger in the rear of the car may
distract the driver which results in them increasing the speed of the vehicle.

Also emphasise to students that while they or the person they are travelling
with might be extremely careful on the roads, other motorists who have
unsafe attitudes and behaviours can impact on their safety. Many innocent
people who drive safely on the roads are injured or killed each year.
Fostering a community attitude that reflects safe driving behaviours is
essential in creating a supportive environment for all road users.

To set up a microblog for your class, visit www.edmodo.com. This free
website provides a microblogging platform for teachers and students to
communicate. Using Edmodo you can organise students into class groups
for this task.

Explain to students that microblogs are a new way people can communicate
online. Unlike standard blogs that enable users to communicate vast
amounts of text, microblogs generally only allow users to communicate text
between 140–200 characters. Students need to consider how they can
summarise key aspects of information they wish to communicate. Discuss
with students the following key questions associated with microblogging:
-
What type of language is commonly used in microblogging?
-
In what situations is this language appropriate? Why is it not appropriate
in other situations?
-
Why do young people use such language when communicating?
-
How can someone communicate the most significant aspects of
information in a microblog? What are the features of a quality
microblog? What are key words and how are they used?
-
What are the implications if people only used the language commonly
used in microblogging?
Task 2: Let’s drive safely

Every year, the RTA and other government road safety organisations
develop and implement key road safety strategies, often aimed at reducing
the number of serious crashes on Australian roads. Road safety campaigns
often involve graphic television advertisements that highlight the
consequences of unsafe road use, particularly for motorists.

Discuss with students prior to the commencement of the activity:
o
What road safety advertisements can they remember?
o What features of these advertisements do they remember?
o Why do they remember those specific advertisements?
o How did those advertisements impact on their attitudes towards road
use?
o Why do some people continue to ignore such graphic advertisements
that highlight the real dangers of unsafe road use?
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
The emphasis of the current ads ‘No one thinks big of you’ is to make
unsafe driving attitudes and behaviours socially unacceptable.

Before allowing students to commence the film strip, remind them of the
need to use appropriate language at all times.
Task 3: What went wrong?

Provided are two examples in which young people may face tough decisions
associated with road safety. Like most decisions facing young people, it is
important to consider the social context in which the decisions need to be
made. Successfully analysing factors that may influence the decision
making process and then formulating strategies that support the health and
safety of all people is a vital skill for young people to develop.

You may wish to develop other relevant and realistic scenarios that will
stimulate student engagement in the activity.

Allow students to compare and discuss their podcasts and flowcharts. What
were common themes that were discussed in the student work?
Task 4: Write a newspaper article

Discuss with students the content of a feature newspaper article. Examine
and discuss what aspects of language are commonly used within feature
articles. Consider:
o How do writers capture the attention of readers most effectively?
o How long should feature articles be?
o How can witness statement and pictures be used to effectively to
increase the accuracy of information presented?
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