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Summer Survival Guide

It’s summer! Time to have some fun in the sun. But be careful. Activities like hikes and beach days can have hidden dangers. Read on to learn what to look out for and tips on how to protect yourself. Then solve mixed-skills problems!

By Jessica McKenna-Ratjen
From the May/June 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will solve mixed-skilled problems related to common summer dangers.

Lexile: 760L; 590L
Focus Area: Algebraic Thinking,
Standards
  • CCSS: 4.NBT.A.2, 4.NBT.A.3, 4.NBT.B.5, 4.NBT.B.6, 4.NF.A.1 TEKS: 4.2B, 4.2D, 4.3C, 4.4D, 4.4E

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Lexile® measure

  • 760L
  • 590L
nervous system

The network of nerve cells in your body that controls everything you do, including walking, breathing, thinking, and feeling. The nervous system includes your brain and spinal cord.
dehydrated

Not having the normal amount of water in your body. When you are dehydrated, you are likely to feel sick or weak.
endangered

In danger of becoming extinct, usually because of human actions

Beat the Heat

The Danger:
A hot day means sweat! If you don’t drink enough water, you can become dehydrated. Dehydration makes you tired, confused, and light-headed. If you get too hot, your body temperature could rise so high that you develop heatstroke. You could faint or even die.

Survival Tips:
Drink plenty of water during hot summer days. When you go outside, stick to shady areas, wear lightweight clothing that is light in color, and don’t stay out too long. If you feel too hot, sit down and pour cool water on your skin. Call 911 if it gets worse.

The Danger:
A hot day means sweat! If you don’t drink enough water, you can become dehydrated. Dehydration makes you tired, confused, and light-headed. If you get too hot, your body temperature could rise. That could give you heatstroke. You could faint or even die.

Survival Tips:
Drink plenty of water during hot summer days. When you go outside, stick to shady areas. Wear lightweight clothing that is light in color. Don’t stay out too long. If you feel too hot, sit down. Pour cool water on your skin. If you start to feel worse, call 911.

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Strong swimming skills can help you survive a rip current.

Escape Rip Currents

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If you’re caught in a rip current, follow the current’s path. When it slows down, angle toward the beach.

The Danger:
Summer is the season for swimming in the ocean. But be careful where you wade in. A rip current could sweep you away! If you see a patch of water that looks different in color or that moves differently from the water around it, you might be facing a rip current. Rip currents are the reason for more than 80% of lifeguard rescues at the beach!

Survival Tips:
Always swim in an area protected by lifeguards. Check the water for suspicious signs before you enter it. If you do get caught in a current, don’t swim against it. Instead, swim with the current, then angle toward the beach when the current’s power lessens.

The Danger:
Summer is the season for swimming in the ocean. But be careful where you wade in. A rip current could sweep you away! If you see a patch of water that is different in color, watch out. See if it moves differently from the water around it. You might be facing a rip current. Rip currents are the reason for more than 80 percent of lifeguard rescues at the beach!

Survival Tips:
Always swim in an area protected by lifeguards. Check the water before you enter it. If you do get caught in a current, don’t swim against it. Instead, swim with the current. Then turn toward the beach when the current is less strong.

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Prevent Tick Bites

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Deer ticks are about the size of a poppy seed.

The Danger:
For hikers, forest dangers aren’t always as big as bears. Deer ticks are tiny, but they can be a deadly disaster! Ticks eat blood, and they dig their way under your skin to get it. Once they’re inside, they can transmit a lot of diseases. The big one? Lyme disease. This infection can cause skin rash, fever, headache, and achy joints. It can even damage a person’s nervous system!

Survival Tips:
Wear insect repellent anytime you plan to spend time outdoors. When you’re back inside, check your body all over for ticks. If you find one, use tweezers to grab the tick’s body as close to your skin as possible. Steadily pull the critter out, then flush it down the toilet.

The Danger:
Dangers in the forest aren’t always big. Deer ticks are tiny. But they can be deadly! Ticks eat blood. To get it, they dig under your skin. Once they’re inside, they can give you a lot of diseases. The big one? Lyme disease. This infection can give you a rash or a fever. You might also develop headaches. Your joints may ache. The disease can even damage a person’s nervous system!

Survival Tips:
Wear insect repellent. When you come inside, check your body for ticks. If you find one, use tweezers to grab the tick’s body as close to your skin as possible. Steadily pull the critter out. Then flush it down the toilet.

Avoid Toxic Plants

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Poison Ivy

The Danger:
Poison ivy, poison oak, and poisonsumac all release a toxic oil called urushiol (yu-ROO-shee-ol). If you touch the oil, it can cause an itchy rash and blisters.

Survival Tips:
Learn what these toxic plants look like so you can avoid them. If you think you touched a dangerous plant, wash your skin in soap and cool water. If you do develop a rash, don’t scratch! Try using a skin lotion like calamine to relieve the itching.

The Danger:
Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac all release a toxic oil. It’s called urushiol (yu-ROO-shee-ol). Don’t touch these plants! Their oil can cause an itchy rash and blisters.

Survival Tips:
Learn what these toxic plants look like so you can avoid them. If you think you touched one, wash your skin in soap and cool water. If you do develop a rash, don’t scratch! Try using a skin lotion like calamine to relieve the itching.

 Stephen Frink/Getty Images

Humans kill an estimated 70 million sharks per year.

Stop Shark Attacks

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The Danger:
The odds of being attacked by a shark are extremely low: about

1 in 11.5 million! It’s very unlikely that you’ll ever be bitten by one. In fact, humans are the dangerous ones when it comes to sharks. Sharks often die after getting caught in fishing lines. Some are hunted for their fins. Today more than 60 shark species are endangered, including the famous great white.

Survival Tips:
Avoid beaches where sharks are known to swim. Wherever you do swim, stay in a group and make sure not to swim while bleeding. If a shark ever does attack you, hit its nose as hard as you can. You can also try clawing at its eyes or gills.

The Danger:
The odds of being attacked by a shark are extremely low: about 1 in 11.5 million! It’s very unlikely that you’ll ever be bitten by one. In fact, humans are the dangerous ones when it comes to sharks. Sharks often die after getting caught in fishing lines. Some are hunted for their fins. Today more than 60 shark species are endangered, including the famous great white.

Survival Tips:
Avoid beaches where sharks are known to swim. Wherever you do swim, stay in a group and make sure not to swim while bleeding. If a shark ever does attack you, hit its nose as hard as you can. You can also try clawing at its eyes or gills.

Math Talk

What sort of dangerous summer situation could math knowledge help you survive?

 

Math Talk

What sort of dangerous summer situation could math knowledge help you survive?

 

Heatstroke occurs when your body temperature rises above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Write 104 in both expanded and word form.

Heatstroke occurs when your body temperature rises above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Write 104 in both expanded and word form.

Rip current speeds vary, but some can be as fast as 8 feet per second! If you were caught in a rip current this quick for just 15 seconds, how far would it drag you?

Rip current speeds vary, but some can be as fast as 8 feet per second! If you were caught in a rip current this quick for just 15 seconds, how far would it drag you?

It’s estimated that about 476,000 people get Lyme disease each year in the U.S. Round that number to the nearest 10,000.

It’s estimated that about 476,000 people get Lyme disease each year in the U.S. Round that number to the nearest 10,000.

Urushiol can remain active on the surface of objects for up to 60 months if not cleaned! With 12 months in a year, how many years can urushiol stay active?

Urushiol can remain active on the surface of objects for up to 60 months if not cleaned! With 12 months in a year, how many years can urushiol stay active?

A great white shark can smell a single drop of blood from up to 1/3 of a mile away! Write three fractions that are equivalent to 1/3.

A great white shark can smell a single drop of blood from up to 1/3 of a mile away! Write three fractions that are equivalent to 1/3.

Continue Your Learning

  • Rewatch the video “Rip Current Safety” (above). Then research more about rip currents or any of the other summer dangers from the article. Create a pamphlet about how to avoid the danger and what to do if you encounter it. Include at least 3 new number facts in your pamphlet.
  • Write 1 of the 4 operations on each of 4 notecards: +, –, x, and ÷. Shuffle the cards, then roll 3 dice or 1 die 3 times to create one 1-digit number and one 2-digit number. Select a card from the pile. Add, subtract, multiply, or divide your two numbers depending on the card you pick. Be careful, some division equations may have remainders!

Continue Your Learning

  • Rewatch the video “Rip Current Safety” (above). Then research more about rip currents or any of the other summer dangers from the article. Create a pamphlet about how to avoid the danger and what to do if you encounter it. Include at least 3 new number facts in your pamphlet.
  • Write 1 of the 4 operations on each of 4 notecards: +, –, x, and ÷. Shuffle the cards, then roll 3 dice or 1 die 3 times to create one 1-digit number and one 2-digit number. Select a card from the pile. Add, subtract, multiply, or divide your two numbers depending on the card you pick. Be careful, some division equations may have remainders!
video (1)
Activities (6)
Question & Answer Sheets
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

1. SPARK ENGAGEMENT.

Play the video "Rip Current Safety." Then, before or after reading the article, spark a discussion based on the following questions.

  • What is your favorite summer activity?
  • Why should we be careful when having fun outdoors?
  • What are some ways math could help you have fun during the summer

2. INTRODUCE THE MATH CONCEPT AND VOCABULARY.

  • Have students write down the number 12. What are some other ways you can write this number? (Answers will vary. Possible answers: twelve, 10 + 2)
  • What place value could you round this number to? (nearest ten)
  • What are some equations that would total this number? (Answers will vary. Possible answers: 3 x 4, 24/2)
  • Write or display the fraction 1/12. What kind of number is this? (a fraction) What is one fraction that is equivalent to this one? (Answers will vary. Possible answer: 2/24)
  • There are many math skills we can perform on a number. Today we are going to practice using our knowledge of these different skills to solve word problems.

3. REINFORCE WITH MATH PRACTICE.

  • Have students complete questions 1 through 5 on pages 8 through 11.

TEACHER'S TIP:

Encourage students to draw a model/diagram or use an equation when solving mixed-skill problems to show their mathematical thinking and prove their answer.

-Victoria J. Dixon, San Antonio, TX

TEACHER'S TIP:

Encourage students to draw a model/diagram or use an equation when solving mixed-skill problems to show their mathematical thinking and prove their answer.

-Victoria J. Dixon, San Antonio, TX

Class Discussion:

Summer isn't the only time fun activities can have unexpected dangers. Have a class discussion about ways students can stay safe every day while they play and learn, both physically and mentally. Make a class list of safety reminders, such as not running in the classroom and making sure to take breaks when completing difficult tasks.

 

Class Discussion:

Summer isn't the only time fun activities can have unexpected dangers. Have a class discussion about ways students can stay safe every day while they play and learn, both physically and mentally. Make a class list of safety reminders, such as not running in the classroom and making sure to take breaks when completing difficult tasks.

 

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