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Basic 4 · Our World and Our People · The Environment and the Weather

Making Our Environment Safe

In this topic you will identify hazards in the environment and ways of making it safe.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

  • Identify hazards in the home, school and community
  • Explain ways of removing hazards
  • Report hazards to adults

What you already know

  • Keeping safe (Basic 3)

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Strand
All about us
Sub-strand
The Environment and the Weather
Indicator
B4.2.1.1.1 – Explain ways of making the environment safe

Introduction

Broken bottles, open gutters and uncovered wells can cause accidents. A safe environment protects everyone, especially children.

1. Hazards Around Us

Hazard: Something that can cause harm or injury.

Hazards and solutions
HazardDangerSolution
broken bottlescutspick up carefully and dispose of safely
open guttersfalls, injuriescover with slabs
uncovered wellsdrowningcover and fence
exposed electrical wireselectric shockreport to an adult or ECG
stagnant watermosquitoes and malariadrain or cover
stray animalsbitesreport to authorities
A street scene with hazards circled: open gutter, uncovered well, broken bottle and hanging wires
Figure 1: Spot the hazards Draw one hazard and how to fix it.Illustration: Sirbus

2. Making the Environment Safe

  • clean up regularly
  • cover wells, gutters and pits
  • report dangers to parents, teachers or the assembly member
  • keep medicines and chemicals out of children's reach

Safety: Never touch fallen electric wires. Stay far away and tell an adult.

New words

hazard
Something that can cause harm.
injury
Harm to the body.
stagnant
Not flowing.
assembly member
An elected local leader.
electric shock
Injury caused by electricity passing through the body.
dispose
To get rid of.

Summary

  • Hazards can cause injury or disease.
  • Common hazards include open gutters, broken bottles and exposed wires.
  • We remove or cover hazards and report them.
  • Never touch fallen electric wires.

Class activity: Hazard Hunt

  1. Walk around the school compound with your teacher.
  2. List any hazards you see.
  3. Suggest a solution for each and report them to the head teacher.

You need: Broom, Waste basket, Printed photographs of clean, Polluted Ghanaian surroundings

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

  1. 1. Something that can cause harm is a…

    • A. Hazard
    • B. Gift
    • C. Plant
    • D. Song
    Show answer
    Answer: HazardThat is a hazard.

  2. 2. What should you do if you see a fallen electric wire?

    • A. Stay away and tell an adult
    • B. Touch it
    • C. Move it
    • D. Play near it
    Show answer
    Answer: Stay away and tell an adultWires can kill.

  3. 3. Stagnant water can cause…

    • A. Malaria
    • B. Strong bones
    • C. Good harvests
    • D. Rain
    Show answer
    Answer: MalariaMosquitoes breed there.

  4. 4. Uncovered wells are dangerous.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: TruePeople can fall in.

  5. 5. Broken bottles should be left on the path.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: FalseThey should be removed safely.

  6. 6. Not flowing water is ______ water.

    Show answer
    Answer: stagnantThat is stagnant.

  7. 7. Name three hazards in a community and their solutions.

    Show answer
    Answer: E.g. open gutters – cover; wells – cover; bottles – clear away.Each hazard has a solution.

  8. 8. Why should medicines be kept out of children's reach?

    Show answer
    Answer: Children may swallow them by mistake and be poisoned.Medicines can harm.

Homework

  1. Check your home for one hazard and fix it with an adult.