Overview
Objectives
Supplies
Preparation Activities
Suggested Time
Warm Up
Part 1: Indoor Instruction
Part 2: Outside Instruction
Wrap Up
1
Lesson
Safe Routes to Anywhere
Lesson 1
Warm-Up
10 MINUTES
• Welcome kids as they arrive and offer them healthy snacks.
• Ice Breaker: Gather everyone together and begin with an ice-breaker such as asking everyone how
they got to school that day.
• Meeting Fellow Participants: Once it seems that every participant has found their voice, have
students meet one another. For example, have students turn to their neighbor and take 30
seconds each to ask their neighbors their name and why they are there/what they hope to get out
of coming (my parents made me come, I like riding and hope we get to ride, etc.). After the 30
second interviews, have partners introduce each other to the group.
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Safe Routes to Anywhere
Lesson 1
PART 1: Indoor Instruction
25 Minutes
Pre-Survey (10 minutes)
• Explain that to help make the most of the time you have with participants, that you will be giving
a pre-survey to assess what the group already knows and what individuals may need some extra
help with
• Administer the pre-survey
• As surveys are turned in, provide a small treat
Course Overview (15 minutes)
• Following the survey, take some time to provide a course overview so participants know what they
will get out of coming to the meetings.
• Warm-Up (Optional): Depending on the group, it may be appropriate to engage in a warm -up,
such as asking participants what they know about the behaviors of good drivers. As students
share, record their thoughts. If possible group similar ideas together. For instance, group all the
practices that pertain to visibility (using directional signals, turning on lights at night) together
and all the practices that pertain to being proactive (wearing seatbelts, maintaining their vehicle)
together. This warm up can be a way of connecting key ideas from the overview to the group’s
prior knowledge.
• Direct Instruction: Use the PowerPoint to assist with the course overview.
• Key-Concepts: Some key concepts to cover during the course overview include:
1. There is one rule above all others that will serve them well and help them steer clear of danger,
“Cyclists fare best they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles.” This means that good cyclists
don’t just ride their bikes, they drive their bikes.
2. Good Cyclists are:
•
Proactive
•
Visible
•
Predictable
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Lesson 1
PART 2: Outdoor Instruction
45 Minutes
Regroup everyone outside in a parking lot format.
For Parking Lot Format, all students have helmets on and are holding their bike facing the instructor(s).
Be Visible (10 Minutes)
• Explain that one thing good cyclists do is they wear bright clothing to help make themselves
visible. While some of you may not think bright clothes look super cool, but in the world of cycling,
the brighter, the better because being visible is a lot better than being hurt or killed in a collision
• Explain that at our meetings, students will wear their vests
• Provide reflective tape and stickers to place on the seat post, handle bars, and stays
Be Proactive (10 Minutes)
•
Explain that before every ride, good cyclists take two very important proactive measures-they put
on their helmet and do an ABC Quick check to make sure that their head is protected and that a
mechanical failure isn’t the cause of a collision
• Model and explain proper helmet fit using the two finger rule. The helmet should fit snugly and not
be able to rotate on the child’s head.
•
Eyes: The child should be able to see the front edge of the helmet. (2 horizontal fingers fit on forehead)
•
Ears: The sliders should be moved up to just under the ear lobes. (2 finger V around ear)
•
Mouth: The chin strap should fit snugly enough that opening the mouth widely will pull the helmet. (2 fingers fit under chin, between strap)
• Model and explain the ABC Quick Check
Be Predictable (20 Minutes)
• Good Cyclists are also predictable. To help develop the skills to make them more predictable,
explain that they are going to work on two skills, Starting and Stopping and Avoiding Hazards
• Play Red Light/Green Light
• Play Follow the Leader
• Optional Ramp Up: Snail Races
Clean Up (5 minutes)
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Safe Routes to Anywhere
Lesson 1
Drills, Games and Skills
ABC Quick Check
• A is for Air: check the air pressure, spin the wheels and make sure the tires are not worn out. Be
prepared to pump up the tires. Most children’s bikes will have a Schrader valve so have a pump that
fits. The pressure is stated on the side wall.
• B is for Brakes: check to make sure coaster brakes will stop the bike by spinning the back wheel
and then pedaling backwards. If the bike has hand brakes, check to see that the levers don’t hit
the handlebars and that the pads are clean, straight and contact the rims properly. Brake pads that
contact the tire can cause a blow out. Brake pads that go under the rim and contact the spokes can
cause a crash.
• C is for Cranks, Chain and Cogs: grab the crank arms and try to wiggle side to side. There should be
no movement. Spin the pedals and crank backwards to see if the chain runs smoothly over the cogs.
The chain should look like metal, not rust or black gunk. If the bike has gears check to make sure the
gear levers and derailleurs (gear changing mechanism) work to shift the chain between gears.
• Quick is for Quick Release: many children’s bicycles will not have quick releases on the wheels but
may have them on the seat post. Check to make sure they are tight and closed properly. Check to
make sure the wheels are seated in the “drops” and that the axle bolts are tight. If there are quick
releases on the wheels, check to make sure they are closed properly.
• Check is for a parking lot check: after making sure the seat and handlebars are tight, have the child
ride the bicycle around in the parking lot and check that everything works well.
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Lesson 1
Red Light Green Light:
• Model Start/Stop: Model proper starting
procedure, one pedal in an up position, ride as
straight as possible down to the end with the STOP
sign and come to a complete stop and put your
foot down.
• Students line up handlebar-to-handlebar with a
few feet between each bicyclist. The bicyclists
move forward on green, stop on red, and move
slowly during yellow. Instructor calls out colors as
students bicycle towards the opposite end of the
course. Before every “green,” leave time for the
students to establish Pedal Power Position. Play
the game until all participants reach the opposite
side and repeat.
Follow the Leader (working on control)
• Student cyclists follow a League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor (LCI). Student copy the
route and skills the leader demonstrates. If the group is large, the group may be broken up into two
groups if two LCIs are available.
Snail Races (working on control)
• Have riders line up with their front wheels on the start line. Tell them that the last person to the
finish line is the winner. They can’t stop, put a foot on the ground or turn around. When you say go
they must take their feet off the ground. Have them get a pedal in the power pedal position and
then give them the signal to go.
Wrap-Up
5 Minutes
Gather everyone in a parking lot format.
Each participant will share something that they learned.
Final Reminders
• Ensure bike is in proper working order
• Ride two times before the next meeting
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