Bicycle History/Protect Your Melon

Grade:

Kindergarten

Theme:

Transportation-Bicycles

Materials:

· Pictures of bicycles from WHS
· Pictures of bicycles today
· Bicycle helmet
· Two musk melons (The bicycle helmet should fit securely on one of the melons.)
· Large sheet of plastic to protect the floor
· Poster board chart with 2 columns (Has Helmet, No Helmet)
· Cut out bicycles
· Tape
· Poster board with song lyrics written on it
· Marker
· Bike Lesson by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Goals:

· Demonstrate how important it is to wear a bicycle helmet.
· Show how bicycles have changed over the years.

Objectives:

1. Given old photos of bicycles and new photos of bicycles the children will detect differences between the photos.
2. Given the melon demonstration the children will discuss why it is important to wear a helmet.

Procedure:

a. Introductory Experiences
1. Read the story The Bike Lesson by Stan and Jan Berenstain (5 minutes)
a. Discuss different rules when riding a bike.
i. One of the most important things about riding a bike is wearing a helmet.
2. Hand out a cut out bicycle to every child, after talking about the story. (1 minute)
3. Put up the poster board chart that is divided into 2 columns (Has Helmet, No Helmet). (10 minutes)
a. Each child will come up individually to receive a piece of tape. They will then put their cut out bicycle in the “Has Helmet” column or the “No Helmet” column.
i. After everyone has their bicycles on the chart ask questions:
1. Do we have more learners who have a helmet or do not have a helmet?
2. How many learners have a helmet? How many learners do not have a helmet?
3. How many should have helmets?

b. Developmental Experience (15 minutes)
1. Introduce children to old photos of bicycles that were ridden in Winona many years ago. (primary documents)
a. Green tricycle was from the late 1960s (40 years ago). (primary document)
i. The color of this tricycle was very popular, many people liked the color.
b. Black bicycle has wooden wheels with rubber tires. (primary document)
i. Many bicycle wheels were solid rubber (no air in them).
c. Bicycle races were very popular in Winona. They raced around a course. It was a cheap entertainment, didn’t have to pay any money. The races occurred once a week.
d. Bicycles were purchased at a bicycle store in Winona by the name of Kolter Bicycle Store of Winona.
2. Introduce children to new photos of bicycles that are ridden by people today.
a. Compare the bicycles from years ago to bicycles today.
i. Ask questions:
1. Do they look the same? What is different about them?
2. Are their bicycle races today in Winona? Why/ why not?
3. Where can you buy bicycles today?
3. Look at the price of bikes in the early 1900s. (primary document)
a. $8.95 in 1902
b. What do bicycles cost today?
c. Are there a lot of people riding bicycles today, why? Why may you ride a bicycle today instead of driving a car?

c. Culminating Experience
1. Have students stand around plastic sheet.
a. Talk about how the melon is like our heads. (round, mushy inside)
b. Drop the melon without the helmet on.
i. If it doesn’t break, show soft spots/dents where it hit the floor.
c. Drop the melon with the helmet on.
i. Show that this one has no damage.
1. Ask why it’s important to wear a helmet.
2. Who needs to wear a helmet when riding a bike?

2. Sing the Helmet Song (sung to the tune of London Bridge)
a. Wear your helmet when you ride
When you ride, when you ride

Wear your helmet when you ride
Protect your melon!
*Have song lyrics up on poster board to encourage reading.

Assessments:

1. Discussion after reading story, comparing bikes, and watching the melons being dropped.