Lesson video

Hello, I'm Miss Kumar.

And I'm so pleased that you've chosen to learn with me today.

Today's lesson is called Staying Safe Near Water.

And it's taken from our unit Staying Safe and Healthy: How Can I Stay Safe While Out and About? I would really like you to do this lesson with a trusted adult.

There might be some parts of the lesson that you find tricky or a little bit worrying.

If at any point in the lesson, you do feel worried, please pause the video and speak to your trusted adult.

The outcome of today's lesson is I can describe dangers around water and explain how to keep safe.

Before we begin any learning, let's remind ourselves of some important ground rules.

Laura reminds us to listen to others.

It's really important that we take turns to speak and that we don't interrupt each other.

Andeep reminds us to respect privacy.

This is a safe space for us to share how we think and feel, but we shouldn't really talk about what's been said to lots of people outside of the classroom.

Jacob reminds us no judgment.

We shouldn't laugh or make anyone feel silly for what they say.

And finally, Izzy reminds us, choose your level of participation.

It's absolutely fine if you don't want to answer a question or take part in a discussion.

You can sit and listen instead.

Throughout the lesson, you might notice that there are some words that are in bold, black font.

These are called keywords.

Let's take a quick look at these important keywords now and what they mean.

Drown.

Drown is when someone stays underwater too long and can't breathe, which can be very dangerous.

Safe.

Safe is to avoid danger and stay out of harm.

And emergency.

An emergency is a dangerous situation which needs immediate help.

Today's lesson is split into two parts.

Let's start with Part 1, what are the dangers of getting into water? There are lots of fun activities that we can do in the water.

For example, we can go swimming or we can paddle in the sea.

I wonder, what fun activities have you done in the water? Although getting into water can be lots of fun, it can be dangerous too.

It is easy to drown in water, so we need to stay safe.

Someone can drown if they have their mouth and nose underwater for too long so that they can't breathe.

Water could be inhaled, that means breathed into the lungs, which can cause serious injuries or even death.

Someone starting to drown is an emergency.

Unfortunately, many young people drown every year.

Most child drownings occur in the warmer months.

Perhaps that's because people tend to cool off in water when it's warm.

Most drownings occur in rivers, lakes, and canals.

And most children who drowned were able to swim.

Anyone can drown even if they know how to swim because drowning can happen if someone's mouth and nose are underwater for too long and they can't breathe.

We don't need to be scared of water, but we do need to know how to be careful and how to keep ourselves safe.

True or false.

Most children drown because they can't swim.

You can pause to have a think and then press play when you're ready to move on.

The answer is false.

Can you remember why? Most children who drown can swim.

Drowning happens when someone's nose and mouth are underwater so they can't breathe.

This causes water to be inhaled or breathed into the lungs.

What do you think about what Sofia says here? She says, "If the water looks safe, this means that it is safe." Hmm, I'm not sure I agree with Sofia.

In fact, I think that Sofia is incorrect.

All water can be dangerous and we should always be careful around water so that we stay safe.

Someone can drown in any amount of water, For example, in a bath, a swimming pool, a river, or the sea.

Even if the water looks safe on the surface, that means the top, there can be hidden dangers that can cause an emergency.

For instance, being in cold water can be very dangerous for our body and it can kill quickly.

It can make swimming difficult and it can cause us to gasp for air, resulting in water getting into our lungs.

This can cause someone to drown.

Aisha says, "When the weather is hot in the summer, it might seem tempting to cool off in water." Andeep reminds us, "Even in the hot weather, the temperatures of water can remain icy cold, which is very dangerous." We should be especially careful if we are near moving water, like the sea or a river.

Moving water is unpredictable.

That means that it can change quickly, which makes swimming difficult.

It could cause us to be pushed in a different direction, which isn't safe.

We can't always see what is under the water, and this can be dangerous too.

Hidden dangers could include objects like broken glass or nets.

Currents.

This is a powerful movement of the water.

Changing depths.

It could go from being very shallow to suddenly very deep.

Obstacles which prevent you getting out, like rocks and grass.

And pollution, like rubbish, which could make us sick.

Time for a quick check for understanding.

What are some dangers of getting into water? A, the water could be cold, b, we could float, or c, there could be hidden objects.

You can pause to have a quick think and then press play when you're ready to see the answers.

The answers are a and c.

Some of the dangers of getting into water include the water could be cold and there could be hidden objects.

That brings us to the first task for today's lesson, Task A.

Complete the paragraph below to show your understanding of the dangers of getting into water.

Use the word bank to help you.

Let's have a quick look at the word bank.

The words that you've got are difficult, easy, swim, lungs, arms, breathe, heart, warm, fun, objects, mouth, and cold.

And this is the paragraph.

It is blank to drown in water.

Someone can drown if their nose and blank are underwater and they can't blank.

This can lead to water entering their blank.

Some dangers of water are that it can be too blank, which makes us gasp for air and makes swimming blank.

There could also be hidden blank, currents, and pollution under the water.

You can pause the video to do this task, and when you're ready to see the answers, just press play.

Your completed paragraph should look like this.

It is easy to drown in water.

Someone can drown if their nose and mouth are underwater and they can't breathe.

This can lead to water entering their lungs.

Some dangers of water are that it can be too cold, which makes us gasp for air and makes swimming difficult.

There could also be hidden objects, currents, and pollution under the water.

These words did not fit in the paragraph.

Arms, warm, heart, and swim.

Well done if you've got most or all of those answers correct.

That brings us to the second part of today's lesson, how can we stay safe near water? There are ways that we can stay safe near water.

One way to stay safe is to never go swimming without a trusted adult.

Our trusted adults can help us to stay safe in the water and can watch to make sure that we don't get into danger.

If there is an emergency in the water, trusted adults can alert a lifeguard to help and call the emergency services if needed.

You can see a lifeguard in the picture.

He's wearing a red top and red shorts.

Lifeguards are people that are specially trained to deal with emergencies in water.

We can also stay safe near water by wearing flotation devices, like armbands or a float vest.

These can help us to keep our mouth and nose above water, especially if we're not confident swimmers.

If we go to a beach where lifeguards are on duty, there can be different flags that can help us to know where it is safest to swim.

If we see red and yellow flags at the beach, as shown in the picture, this shows where it is safe to swim.

But we should still take precautions.

That means we should still be careful.

If we only see a red flag, this means it is not safe to get into the water.

What do you think about what Jun says? "I'm amazing at swimming.

I think the rules about safe swimming only apply to people who are nervous about swimming or not very good at it." Hmm, I don't think I agree with Jun.

Jun is incorrect.

The rules about safe swimming apply to everyone, including people who are confident swimmers.

Unfortunately, anyone can drown and most young people who do drown are able to swim.

Everyone needs to follow the rules to stay safe near water.

People who are confident swimmers may be good at swimming, but this can sometimes cause them to be less careful around water.

They could swim in more dangerous areas, take more risks around water, and not follow the rules that keep everyone safe.

Amelia, who is a mountain rescue volunteer, says the following.

"Everyone needs to follow the rules around water, even if they are good swimmers." That's very important advice.

Who is correct? Aisha says, "It is safe to go swimming on our own or with friends if we're confident." Andeep says, "It is not safe to go swimming without a trusted adult." You can pause the video to have a quick think and then press play when you're ready to move on.

I hope that you were able to spot that Andeep is correct.

It is not safe to go swimming without a trusted adult.

If we do get into difficulty in the water, this is an emergency.

There are things we can do to help ourselves until an adult, like a lifeguard, can help.

We can float on our back with our hands and legs stretched out like a starfish.

This helps to make sure that we don't go underneath the water and can also signal to others that we need help.

We should also be careful to not run or play near water.

Instead, we should walk calmly with our trusted adult.

We should never push anyone into the water unexpectedly, even if we're playing or messing around.

This isn't safe and it could cause someone to get seriously hurt.

If we think someone else is drowning, this is an emergency.

Someone who is in difficulty in the water could be trying to float, shouting, waving their arms, going underneath the water.

If we think we see someone who could be drowning, we should tell a trusted adult or a lifeguard straight away.

Drowning is an emergency, so action needs to be taken quickly.

However, we should never enter the water ourselves to try and help as we could also become unsafe.

If we get into difficulty in the water, what can we do to try to stay safe? You can pause the video to think this question through and then press play when you're ready to see the answers.

The answer is we can float on our back like a starfish.

Well done if you got that correct.

To help us remember how to stay safe near or in water, we can follow the Water Safety Code.

Step one, stop and think.

Check your surroundings.

Are there any dangers? Pay attention to signs and advice.

Step two, stay together.

Stay with family and friends when you're near water.

Remember, beaches with lifeguards are safer than those without.

Step three, call 999.

Never enter the water if you see an emergency.

Always call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

And lastly, step four, float.

If you get into trouble in the water, remember to stay calm and float on your back.

Throwing something that floats to anyone else that has fallen in is also really helpful.

But remember, never enter the water yourselves to save somebody else in an emergency.

True or false.

If you see someone in the water in an emergency, you should call 999.

You can pause to have quick think and then press play when you're ready to see the answer.

The answer of course is true.

That brings us to the second task for today's lesson, Task B.

Jacob is going to the beach with his family.

What are four things that he should remember to stay safe near the water? You can pause to do this task, and when you're ready to see some possible answers, just press play.

How did you get on? I hope that you were able to give Jacob some really helpful advice.

Let's have a look at the answers.

You might have said the following.

Jacob should remember to always go swimming with a trusted adult, to wear a flotation device if he isn't a confident swimmer, to swim between the red and yellow flags, where a lifeguard has said it is safe, to float on his back like a starfish if he gets into difficulty in the water, and to never run or play near the water.

Well done if your answers were along those lines.

That brings us to the end of today's lesson.

Let's have a quick look at today's lesson summary.

Drowning is a risk for many young people, so it's important to know how to stay safe near water.

People can drown in any amount of water, for example, a swimming pool, the sea, a river, or a bath.

Drowning is an emergency.

And if we see someone drowning, we must get help straight away.

Cold and moving water can be especially dangerous as they make swimming more difficult and can be unpredictable.

Similarly, we can't always see what's under the water, so there may be hidden dangers.

Never go swimming without a trusted adult.

We can stay safe near and in water by following the Water Safety Code.

Stop and think, stay together, call 999 in an emergency, and float if you get into trouble in water.

Well done on all your hard work today.

I hope that you have learned a lot more about how we can stay safe near water.

See you again soon.

If you need any support following on from today's lesson, you can look at the following websites.

NHS website.

NHS advice about health and prevention, including how to access services.

And the British Red Cross, a volunteer-led organization which offers support for people, including with First Aid.