Safe and Sound: Personal Safety Skills for Everyday Life
How can developing personal safety skills help us navigate the world with confidence?
How to Use This Lesson
This is a Harmony Student Wellness lesson, a week-long, music-centered social-emotional learning lesson designed to be taught across multiple sessions, culminating in an arts-based project. This lesson can be taught in isolation or as part of the larger Harmony Student Wellness program. For more support on implementation, see the Implementation Guide on the program page.
Essential Question
How can developing personal safety skills help us navigate the world with confidence?
Objectives
Mastery Objective:
- Students will be able to identify personal safety strategies, apply the three C's of Caution, Communication, and Confidence to real-life scenarios, and express their understanding of personal safety through visual art.
Day 1 - Students will:
- Listen to “I Can” by Nas
- Define personal safety and explain why prioritizing it matters
- Identify the three C's of personal safety: Caution, Communication, and Confidence
Day 2 - Students will:
- Listen to “Eyes Open” by Taylor Swift
- Explain target denial and how situational awareness and risk reduction support safety
- Apply the skill of trusting their instincts as a personal safety tool
Day 3 - Students will:
- Listen to “Tightrope” by Janelle Monáe
- Describe strategies for managing fear and anxiety related to personal safety
- Distinguish between healthy caution and fear that limits daily life
Day 4 - Students will:
- Listen to “Safe and Sound” by Capital Cities
- Apply personal safety skills to real-life scenarios through discussion
- Recognize the role of a support system in personal safety
Arts-Based Activity - Students will:
- Design an original piece of art that communicates a personal safety message
- Reflect on the personal safety strategies explored throughout the lesson
Background
In this lesson, students will learn about personal safety as a set of learnable skills and strategies. They will begin by defining personal safety and understanding why prioritizing it matters for their health, relationships, and future. Students will explore key tools for staying safe, including situational awareness, risk reduction, and the role of instinct, and consider how to balance caution with fear and anxiety. Students will practice applying these tools through scenario-based discussion and examine how a support system connects to personal safety. Finally, students will create a street art project that communicates a personal safety message of their own design.
Materials
Required for all lessons:
- Student Journals
- Art Supplies
Arts-Based Activity:
- Paper for street art project