Safe speeds around schools

Hands-on science, persuasive writing and mapping local routes as students investigate changes to speed limits around schools. 

Published 2023

Speed limits are changing on the roads around school and kura. Your students will see new speed signs and other features, prompting a real-world opportunity to understand how they themselves contribute to a safer, thriving community. The change is part of New Zealand’s road safety plan, Road to Zero.

The Safe speeds around schools lesson plans bring this context to your classroom. It includes adaptations for Years 1-3, 4-6 and 7-8.

Students will:

• understand the drivers for change in the Road to Zero plan and how it relates to their lives
• learn through hands-on science investigations how lower speeds make school travel safer
• present their findings about safe local routes, learning through doing that it will take all of us working together to make our roads safe.

Safe speeds enable more kids to get around safely in ways that are good for their health and the environment. Plus, there’s reduced risk to tamariki and whānau of being killed or seriously injured on the way to and from school.

Resource writer: Matt Boucher is deputy principal of an intermediate school and has extensive science education experience.

Case study and video featuring Matt and his students:

Safe speeds around schools: curriculum resource gets its first run

Download the whole resource

Get everything described below in one click.

Everything as Word [ZIP, 9 MB] Everything as PDF [ZIP, 2.3 MB]

Get everything in a te reo Māori translation.

Everything as Word (Māori) [ZIP, 8.9 MB]  Everything as PDF (Māori) [ZIP, 2.5 MB]

Outline

An overview of the purpose and structure of the resource, with curriculum connections.

Outline Safe speeds around schools [DOCX, 1.1 MB]

Lesson 1

Students learn the big picture of New Zealand’s road safety plan, identify local safety features and produce a piece of persuasive writing about can be done to improve safety.

Lesson 1 Safe speeds around schools [DOCX, 3.4 MB]

Lesson 2

Includes 2 science experiments. First, the marble launcher, to learn about speed and force. Second, stopping distances.

Lesson 2 Safe speeds around schools [DOCX, 3.2 MB]

Handy guide to making a marble launcher for lesson 2.

Marble launcher instructions [PDF, 366 KB]

Lesson 3

Students map hazards on their routes to school and present their findings.

Lesson 3 Safe speeds around schools [DOCX, 1.1 MB]

Video guides

Lesson 2 includes links to these videos at the relevant step in the activities.