Phone Skills Alone and Okay

Phone Skills Alone and Okay GLE/LA Content Standards Benchmarks: Objectives: Objective 1: Practice safety around the home and personal safety Objective 2: Practice decision-making skills you would use when staying home alone Objective 3: Children will acquire proper phone techniques to be used in emergency and non-emergency situations. To correctly distinguish between emergency and non-emergency situations and be able to identify who to call in each situation. To demonstrate proper phone techniques when responding to an emergency. To demonstrate proper phone techniques when responding to an unfamiliar caller. Target Audience: K-5 th grade children Life Skill(s): Self Responsibility Character Focus: Responsibility Delivery Mode: Group Meeting Time Allotted: 30 minutes Materials Needed for the Lesson: Poster depicting notepaper with emergency numbers Who to Call activity Posters How to Answer the Phone, Who s Calling? Telephones Educational Leaflets Emergency Numbers/How to Answer the Phone, Calling for Help, Who Do You Call? Number of Participants: 2 to 50 Author(s): Eloise Futrell, Family Life Specialist (Retired), Made available by Diane D. Sasser, Ph. D., and Lanette Hebert, M. S., 4-H Coordinator, Southwest and Central Regions

Visit out web site at www.lsuagcenter.com Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, William R. Richardson, Chancellor, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, David J. Boethel, Vice Chancellor and Director, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, Paul D. Coreil, Vice Chancellor and Director.

The telephone is big help children home alone. When emergencies come up the phone gives you important access to help from adults. But it is important that you learn to use a telephone properly. Proper use includes knowing how to get in touch with the right people in an emergency. It is also important to know how to answer calls, particularly those from strangers, and how to handle them. Do you know who to call in an emergency? Do you know is it IS an emergency? How can you tell if it is an emergency? An emergency is a sudden crisis requiring immediate action that is too big for you to handle alone and may require the Police, Fire and/or Ambulance services, may cause or has caused loss of life, injury, illness, distress or in any way puts people or property in danger. Let s test ourselves to see if what we identify as an emergency versus a non-emergency situation (Handout pre-test Who Do You Call?). (After they ve completed pre-test, proceed). Let s go over some of these statements. And if you decide it is an emergency, who do you call? (Read each example below.) 1. You are putting away the dishes. A glass drops and breaks on the floor. YES or NO? No 2. You are making a piece of toast. The toast gets stuck and catches on fire. The toaster is near the curtains and they catch on fire too. YES or NO? Yes call fire department from neighbor s. 3. A bad storm starts. Suddenly the lights go out. YES or NO? No. 4. Your sister slips and falls down the stairs. She gets knocked out and doesn t answer when you talk to her. Is this an emergency? YES or NO? Yes -- call doctor or ambulance (discuss with parent) 5. You go outside to get the newspaper. The wind blows the door shut. Your key is inside. YES or NO? No (unless backup procedures fail) 6. Your brother is supposed to help you do the dishes before your mom comes home. He says he s tired of doing the dishes and won t help you. YES or NO? No 7. You come home after school and see that the front door to your house is open. YES or NO? Yes -- call police from neighbors 8. You are cutting with scissors. You cut your finger and it bleeds a little bit. YES or NO? No

9. The phone rings. When you pick it up someone starts saying bad things to you. YES or NO? No, unless caller persists. If they do, call parents. 10. You fall against a corner of a toy and get a bad cut on your knee. It is bleeding a lot. YES or NO? Yes -- call doctor or ambulance if bleeding can t be stopped. (discuss with parent) 11. A man you don t know comes to the door and asks to talk to your mother. You tell him your mom is busy. The man says he will call later and leaves. YES or NO? No 12. You are sitting watching TV and smell smoke. You look around the room but don t see where it is coming from. Is this an emergency? YES or NO? Yes -- call fire department from neighbors 13. On your way home a teenager follows you to your house. You don t talk to him but he s still outside watching the house after you get inside. YES or NO? Yes call the police 14. You and your little sister start arguing about who gets to watch TV. She gets really mad and keeps trying to change the channel. YES or NO? No So far we have discussed emergencies and who to call, but would you know what those numbers are if you are panicky or afraid? Many of us forget even important things like emergency phone numbers in a crisis. Therefore it is important to keep emergency numbers and other important numbers next to each phone in your home. Here are forms you can complete and copy to keep near your phone. (Hand out Emergency Numbers and Calling for Help. ) In some towns or cities, simply dialing 9-1-1 will call into an emergency dispatcher after which the appropriate emergency provider will respond to the emergency. In other areas, you must dial directly into the appropriate emergency service. That means there is a separate number you must dial for police, ambulance, or other emergency provider. You can usually find out that information by looking in the front of your local telephone book. These are the numbers you should have on your Emergency Numbers and Calling for Help forms. When you make an emergency call, do you know what to say? Let s practice making an emergency call. (Adult leader or volunteer is 9-1-1 or other emergency dispatcher, student is caller). (Go through steps on handout Calling for Help. ) 1. WHAT THE EMERGENCY IS 2. YOUR NAME 3. YOUR ADDRESS (including street address, house number, apartment number and city). 4. NEAREST CROSS STREETS: AND. 5. YOUR PHONE NUMBER:.

6. WAIT FOR QUESTIONS ON INSTRUCTIONS. 7. STAY ON THE PHONE UNTIL TOLD TO HANG UP. We ve talked about calls you make. What about calls you take the phone calls that are made to your home or personal number? How do you know who is calling? Some of us are lucky enough to have caller id capabilities on our phones which le4t us know the telephone number of the person calling in and sometimes the persons name or at least the name of the person to whom that phone is registered. You can choose whether to answer it if your parents have given you permission to take calls on the phone. Answering the phone. Do you ever have to answer the phone when home alone? What types of people call your home? Most callers have good reasons for calling. But it is important for you not to take any chances when you are home alone. What would you do if you received an obscene phone call or when the caller keeps asking you questions that you cannot answer or were taught not to answer or make you feel uncomfortable? (Show poster illustrating the proper procedure in answering the telephone. Using the telephone with another adult, demonstrate the proper responses to a caller. Then have as many children as possible come up and practice responding to the following types of situations. If it is possible, use several telephones so that all children get an opportunity to practice.) While we practice answering telephone, let me establish some ground rules: no making fun of those who are involved in the demonstration, no rude comments or noises. We are learning and genuine mistakes are allowed in order for us to learn. How To Answer The Phone 1. Begin by saying only Hello? 2. Give no information - - about your family - - that you are alone 3. Offer to take a message. Let s practice several situations. Watch carefully as others demonstrate so that you will know how to do it when it is your turn. This is very hard and you should not be embarrassed if you make a mistake. We must practice so that when you are on our own you will remember what to do, You are a salesperson and want to arrange for a delivery. You are a friend of the parents in town for just a few hours and want to get in touch with them. You are taking a survey on what TV programs the family watches. You are the school nurse and need to verify the family s address. You are a person from church who needs to contact the father right away about where something is located. You are someone calling about a wrong number.

You are obscene phone caller. When the child answers, you say nothing. You are a PTA member calling to tell parents about the next meeting. You are a salesperson wanting to tell the parents about a special on rug cleaning in their area. (Allow brief time for responses. Put up an overhead listing the proper procedures for answering the phone. Caution: When discussing the reasons for the rules, be careful not to alarm the children.) Conclusion: How do you know if a situation is considered an emergency? What if the lights go out in your home is that considered an emergency? If the hose breaks on the washer in your home and water is pouring onto the floor is this considered an emergency? How will you used the information you learned today? Please take this information home and share with your family. Practice phone use and emergency identification with them.

How To Answer The Phone 1. Begin by saying only Hello? 2. Give no information - - about your family - - that you are alone 3. Offer to take a message.

Practice Situations You are a salesperson and want to arrange for a delivery. You are a friend of the parents in town for just a few hours and want to get in touch with them. You are taking a survey on what TV programs the family watches. You are the school nurse and need to verify the family s address. You are a person from church who needs to contact the father right away about where something is located. You are someone calling about a wrong number. You are an obscene phone caller. When the child answers, you say nothing. You are a PTA member calling to tell your parents about the next meeting.

You are a salesperson wanting to tell the parents about a special on rug cleaning in their area.

Who is Calling? HELLO Answer it. It might be important! Just say, Hello. Give no information to strangers. Ask, Who are you calling?

Do not say that you are alone. If the caller scares you, hang up. May I take a message? Mrs. Walker called at This is an emergency. I want to report a. The address is. 4:30. She will pick you up at 7:30 for the PTA meeting tonight. Author(s): Eloise Futrell, Family Life Specialist (Retired), Made available by Diane D. Sasser, Ph. D., and Lanette Hebert, M. S., 4-H Coordinator, Southwest and Central Regions Visit out web site at www.lsuagcenter.com Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, William R. Richardson, Chancellor, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, David J. Boethel, Vice Chancellor and Director, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, Paul D. Coreil, Vice Chancellor and Director.

Who Do You Call? Read each example below. Decide if this is an emergency and circle the correct answer. 1. You are putting away the dishes. A glass drops and breaks on the floor. 2. You are making a piece of toast. The toast gets stuck and catches on fire. The toaster is near the curtains and they catch on fire too. 3. A bad storm starts. Suddenly the lights go out. 4. Your sister slips and falls down the stairs. She gets knocked out and doesn t answer when you talk to her. 5. You go outside to get the newspaper. The wind blows the door shut. Your key is inside. 6. Your brother is supposed to help you do the dishes before your mom comes home. He says he s tired of doing the dishes and won t help you 7. You come home after school and see that the front door to your house is open. 8. You are cutting with scissors. You cut your finger and it bleeds a little bit. 9. The phone rings. When you pick it up someone starts saying bad things to you. 10. You fall against a corner of a toy and get a bad cut on your knee. It is bleeding a lot. 11. A man you don t know comes to the door and asks to talk to your mother. You tell him your mom is busy. The man says he will call later and leaves. 12. You are sitting watching TV and smell smoke. You look around the room but don t see where it is coming from. 13. On your way home a teenager follow you to your house. You don t talk to him but he s still outside watching the house after you get inside. 14. You are your little sister start arguing about who gets to watch TV. She gets really mad and keeps trying to change the channel. Author(s): Eloise Futrell, Family Life Specialist (Retired), Made available by Diane D. Sasser, Ph. D., and Lanette Hebert, M. S., 4-H Coordinator, Southwest and Central Regions Visit out web site at www.lsuagcenter.com Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, William R. Richardson, Chancellor, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, David J. Boethel, Vice Chancellor and Director, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, Paul D. Coreil, Vice Chancellor and Director.

ANSWERS: (REMOVE WHEN DUPLICATING FOR STUDENTS) 1. No 2. Yes call fire department from neighbor s 3. no 4. Yes -- call doctor or ambulance (discuss with parent) 5. No (unless backup procedures fail0 6. No 7. Yes -- call police from neighbors 8. No 9. No, unless call persist. If they do, call parents. 10. Yes -- call doctor or ambulance if bleeding can t be stopped. (discuss with parent) 11. No 12. Yes -- call fire department from neighbors 13. Yes call the police 14. No

EMERGENCY NUMBERS POISON CONTROL _ AMBULANCE POLICE FIRE DEPT. IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS MOM: Moms full name Where mom works Mom s phone at work NEIGHBORS: Neighbors name Neighbors phone RELATIVES: Relatives name Relatives phone DOCTOR Doctors name Doctors phone POISON CONTROL Phone number DAD: Dad s full name Where dad works Dad s phone at work Neighbors name Neighbors phone Relatives name Relatives phone POLICE: Phone number AMBULANCE: Phone number FIRE DEPT. Phone number Visit out web site at www.lsuagcenter.com Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, William R. Richardson, Chancellor, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, David J. Boethel, Vice Chancellor and Director, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, Paul D. Coreil, Vice Chancellor and Director.

CALLING FOR HELP In case of an emergency, give the following information. WHAT THE EMERGENCY IS: YOUR NAME: YOUR ADDRESS: House Street (Apt) City NEAREST CROSS STREETS: AND YOUR PHONE NUMBER: WAIT FOR QUESTIONS ON INSTRUCTIONS. STAY ON THE PHONE UNTIL TOLD TO HANG UP. CALL EITHER 911 OR THE CORRECT EMERGENCY NUMBER Developed by: Eloise Futrell, Specialist, Family Life (retired) Made available by: Diane D. Sasser, Ph. D., and Lanette Hebert, 4-H Coordinator, Southwest and Central Regions Visit out web site at www.lsuagcenter.com Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, William R. Richardson, Chancellor, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, David J. Boethel, Vice Chancellor and Director, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, Paul D. Coreil, Vice Chancellor and Director