Learn as a Responsible Citizen

There are two topics in this section. This information will help you discover the answer to the following questions:

  • Will I be protected if I use my bike helmet for other sports?
  • Do I encourage my friends to wear a helmet?

Match the Helmet to the Activity

Do you know which helmet is appropriate for each activity? Play this game to test your knowledge!

Special Features of Helmets

As you look carefully at each helmet think about its special features. What makes each helmet different from the other helmets? Why do you think they are made differently?

Helmet Features

What features makes a bike helmet different from a football helmet? Watch the videos below to find out more about the special features of each helmet.

Still have questions? Here is some more information about buying the right helmet.

Act as a Responsible Citizen – Think Challenge #1

Creating a Helmet

Click here and read about two students at John Hopkins University who designed a better whitewater rafting helmet. Then click on “Watch the video in Real format” to see a video about the project.

Working with a partner, discuss and take notes on the following:

  • Why did they decide to develop the improved helmet?
  • What goals did they have when designing the helmet?
  • What features did they add to make their helmet better?
  • How did they test their helmet?

Now It's Your Turn!

Of course you won't be able to make a new helmet, but you can design one.

  1. Choose a sport or an activity that you feel needs an improved helmet. For example, what about helmets for people who wear turbans or other headdresses?)
  2. Get a helmet that is currently used for this sport and examine how it is made.
  3. Discuss and write down ways that it could be improved.
  4. Draw a picture of what your new helmet will look like.

Choose one of the following options for presenting the design of your new helmet.

  1. Make a video where you and your partner describe your helmet.
  2. Prepare a multimedia presentation that will teach your class about your helmet design.
  3. Create a webpage that describe your new helmet.
  4. Or write a report to hand in to your teacher that decribes your new helmet.

Whichever option you choose make sure to include:

  1. Why you chose the sport you did.
  2. Problems with the present helmet.
  3. Your ideas for making a better helmet.
  4. A detailed drawing of your new helmet.

Conduct research to find out about groups or companies that might be interested in your design. Prepare a letter to send to one of these groups or companies about your idea. Talk to your teacher about how you might send your letter.

Act as a Responsible Citizen – Think Challenge #2

The History of Sport Helmets

Wearing helmets in sports is a relatively new idea. It's really only in the last 30 years that helmets have become a common sight in most sports. You might be surprised to see what some of the early helmets looked like.

Click on the links below to look at some old hockey, football, and bicycling helmets.

Consider the following questions when looking at these helmets.

  • How are they different than modern helmets?
  • How are they the same as modern helmets?
  • What is the biggest change in type of material used?
  • Why do you think helmets have changed so much since they first started to be used?

Now it's time for you to decide how to show what you have learned to the class.

You could:

  • create a poster
  • make a web page
  • make a multimedia presentation
  • or think of your own special way of presenting the information

The Role of Peer Pressure

Why Don't People Wear Helmets Anyway?

Helmets are the best way we know to reduce head injury. Despite what we know, why are people still not wearing helmets? Take this quiz to test your knowledge about helmet use!

Peer Pressure and Helmet Use

What do you know about being a responsible citizen? What role do friends, parents and our own decisions play in our safety?

What about you?

Have you ever been pressured to do something you didn't want to do? Have you ever done something dangerous just to be cool?

Think about it...

peer group

You can still be cool and safe at the same time.

There are three things you can do to resist negative peer pressure:

  1. Know your own mind: Take time to think about issues of safety. Talk to your parents and decide exactly what you think about things that could affect your health. Don't let others talk you out of what you've decided.
  2. Be a leader: When someone is telling you or someone else to do something risky or unsafe, be the one who says, “That's a bad idea!” Don't be afraid to speak up. Just say clearly and firmly what you think.
  3. Don't let others put you or your friends down. Sometimes people say things like, “wimp”, “sissy”, “Are you too scared?” Walk away or just tell them clearly to stop talking like that.

Peer Pressure Resources:

resources
 

Act as a Responsible Citizen – Think Challenge #3

Learning from Others

Click here to watch an interview about a boy involved in a serious bicycling accident.

Discuss the following questions in the online discussion room called “accident” or with a group in your class.

  1. How did you feel when the mother described Peter's injuries?
  2. What had Peter done wrong that led to the accident?
  3. What had he done right?
  4. Why had the mother insisted on her children wearing helmets?

At one point in the interview, Peter says, “Why would you not wear a helmet when you see all these things happening?”

  1. Why do you think people don't wear helmets?
  2. What role does peer pressure have in wearing or not wearing a helmet?

Act as a Responsible Citizen – Think Challenge #4

Write a Poem or Rap Song

In partners or groups, write a poem or song that focuses on how peer pressure affects your decisions on safety matters such as wearing helmets.

Make an audio or video recording of your creation or present it live to the class.

Watch the other groups' creations and then discuss the strengths of each one in class or in the online discussion area called “Rap/Poetry.”

Act as a Responsible Citizen – Think Challenge #5

Read and Discuss

Read one of the following books: Fourth Grade Rats by Jerry Spinelli or Carrie's Crowd by Lesley Choyce. Then go to the discussion area in this course or get together in groups and discuss the book. Use these questions to guide your discussion.

  1. How did peer pressure affect the characters in the story?
  2. How did they deal with the peer pressure? Did they change how they dealt with it as the story went on?
  3. Does peer pressure affect your life?
  4. Think about the sports you play. Does peer pressure cause you to do dangerous things like not wear the proper helmet?
  5. What are some ways that you can prevent peer pressure from putting you in dangerous situations?