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Lower secondary: age 11-14

Explore our comprehensive suite of water safety teaching activities and learning resources, aimed at younger secondary school students.

These activities teach young people the RNLI’s four fundamental lessons about how to be safe and have fun near the water as they collect virtual stamps in their Challenge Passport.

The passport gives a good grounding in the basics, building familiarity with vital waterside and in-water life skills. You’ll also find a range of supporting activities to choose from, depending on what’s most relevant for your class or group.

Through hazard, rescue and accident investigation role-play scenarios (for both inland and coastal environments), as well as presentations, quizzes, debates and IT tasks, they’ll gain confidence in planning, risk assessing, and enjoying trips near the water safely.

  • RNLI The Pull Of A Rip activity slides
    • 15 mins
    Rip currents are hard to understand unless you’ve experienced one. This activity helps you get your head around them.
    The Pull of a Rip
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  • RNLI Taking A Risk activity slides
    • 30 mins
    When was the last time you took a risk – and what could have gone wrong?
    Taking a Risk
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  • RNLI Safety Planning activity slides
    • 30 mins
    Plan a trip to a somewhere near the water.
    Safety Planning Activity
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  • RNLI Rescue Role Play activity slides
    • 30 mins
    Use role play to understand the events that lead up to a rescue.
    Rescue Role Play Activity
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  • RNLI Research And Present activity slides
    • 30 mins
    Create your own water safety presentation.
    Research and Present
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  • RNLI Challenge Passport activity slides
    • 30 mins
    Collect virtual stamps in your Challenge Passport as you learn how to be safe and have fun near the water.
    Challenge Passport
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  • Thumbnail of 'Decision making' resource page for lower secondary school children
    Watch the videos to decide what to do when faced with different dilemmas near the water.
    Decision making
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  • RNLI True Or False activity slides
    • 15 mins
    Take the quiz to see how much you know about cold water shock, accidental drowning statistics and beach flags.
    True or False
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  • Could you survive in cold water video still
    • 5 mins
    This simple, short exercise gives the students an idea of the lifesaving differences between fighting against cold water and floating to live.
    Respect the Water: Fight or float?
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  • Could you survive in cold water video still
    • 20 mins
    This simple, short exercise gives the students an idea of the lifesaving differences between fighting against cold water and floating to live.
    Your perfect getaway
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  • RNLI Hazard Scenarios activity slides
    • 30 mins
    Work in pairs to decide how to react to different hazardous scenarios.
    Hazard Scenarios
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  • Could you survive in cold water video still
    • 5 mins
    This simple, short exercise gives the students an idea of the lifesaving differences between fighting against cold water and floating to live.
    Respect the Water: Test your instinct
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