School Car and Bike Check Initiative
Ready for winter 2013/14 – Learner challenge
Information for teachers
Introduction
This learner challenge is provided by Education Scotland to support the teaching of emergency and resilience education. It encourages practitioners and learners
to build on the other learning journeys available on the ‘Ready for Emergencies’ website in relation to severe weather, and to relate these to travel. This challenge
is also intended to facilitate opportunities to promote the use of the Ready Scotland website as a valuable source of information and resources to enhance
teaching and learning within Curriculum for Excellence. Most importantly, the challenge enables young people to develop as resilient citizens who are prepared
for winter weather and who are motivated to contribute to community efforts.
This accompanying ‘information for learners’ sheet provides a brief, sets out the tasks, gives examples of useful resources and offers questions for learners to
reflect upon.
Experiences and outcomes
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Representing my class, school and/or wider community encourages my self-worth and confidence and allows me
to contribute to and participate in society. HWB 0-12a - HWB 4-12a
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Through contributing my views, time and talents, I play a part in bringing about positive change in my school and
wider community. HWB 0-13a - HWB 4-13a
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I am learning to assess and manage risk, to protect myself and others, and to reduce the potential for harm when
possible. HWB 1-16a – 4-16a
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I know and can demonstrate how to keep myself and others safe and how to respond in a range of emergency
situations. HWB 1-17a – 4-17a
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I know and can demonstrate how to travel safely. HWB 0-18a – 4-18a
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As I extend and enhance my knowledge of features if various types of software, including those which help fine,
organise, manage and access information, I can apply what I learn in different situations. TCH 1-03a – 2-03a
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I have experienced the different jobs involved in running a business enterprise and understand the role each one
plays in its success. SOC 1-22a
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By experiencing the setting up and running of a business, I can collaborate in making choices relating to the
different roles and responsibilities and have evaluated its success. SOC 2-22a.
Taking it further
Enterprise Idea: Learners could follow up on their
presentations by establishing a ‘ready check’
service team for car or bike users in the school.
This could form the basis of a fundraising event
where people pay a small fee to have their cars or
bikes checked by learners at the school. Learners
could then provide feedback and further guidance if
necessary to drivers or bike users on completion of
the ready check.
This service could be extended to include members
of the local community. If bike checks are being
carried out, please ensure that someone qualified in
bike safety is present to oversee the process.
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/readyforemergencies
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School Car and Bike Check Initiative
Information for learners
Ready for winter 2013/14 – Learner challenge
Possible tasks
Challenge brief
Ready Scotland:
http://www.readyscotland.org/are-you-ready/severe-weather/on-the-move
http://www.readyscotland.org/are-you-ready/winter-weather
There are four main ways that we need to be ready for winter: at home, on the move, in
the community and in the workplace. This challenge looks more closely at ‘on the move’
through travel by car and bike. If cars or bikes are being used during winter, it is vital
that we ‘think ahead’ and prepare them for weather conditions that might be
encountered.
Ready for Emergencies:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/readyforemergencies/severeweather/index.
asp
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/readyforemergencies/resources/index.asp
In this challenge you are asked to think about creating and publicising a winter car travel
‘emergency kit’ campaign that will help to ensure that drivers and passengers are kept
as safe as possible during severe weather periods. This exercise will provide you with
the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure that car users in your school are best
prepared for travel during winter weather. If pupils in your school travel by bicycle then
you can also think of ways of helping them to get ready for winter too. This may include
information about the dangers of cycling in severe weather conditions such as high
winds and icy conditions.
British cycling – cycling in winter:
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/commuting/article/trav20121126-How-to-ride-inwinter-0
The Essential Guide to Winter Cycling Survival:
http://www.1010global.org/uk/2011/11/winter-cycling-survival
Reflective questions
Tasks
As a team, discuss and identify people/groups in your school who have a car or travel
with someone who uses a car. This can include teachers, other staff and even older
pupils who may already be drivers (remember your school mini bus if your school has
one!). What essential items are needed to ensure that vehicles are fully equipped to
cope with winter weather conditions, including severe weather? What safety checks can
be carried out? Do the same for bike users too.
Create a team presentation in a style of your choosing to help people prepare for car or
bike travel in winter. Share your ideas and what you know already. You can also
websites such as ‘Ready for Emergencies’ and Ready Scotland to help you.
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What types of severe weather are most relevant to your local area?
What impact could severe weather have one you and the people at your
school?
Why reasons can you think of that would cause some people to choose not
to prepare their cars properly for severe weather?
How could you apply what you know about preparing vehicles for severe
weather to spread the key messages?
How could you apply the skills you have used in this challenge to a different
situation - such as being ready for winter at home or in the community?
How could you check that the range of important messages that you are
trying to get across have been fully understood?
Think of some of the most challenging parts of the tasks. Did you manage to
tackle these successfully? Is there anything you would do differently next
time?
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/readyforemergencies
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