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Handling a Minor Injury

Ninth graders learn a calm, reliable response to a minor sprain or strain, from stopping activity to the RICE method and knowing when to get help, and put the steps in order.

Grade 9Handling a Minor Injury45 minutes1 class periodSHAPEExplicit teaching4 StandardsSHAPE
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Stop and protect.
  • ✓Use the RICE method.
  • ✓Know when to get help.
  • ✓Order the steps.
Essential Question

A minor injury handled well heals faster and avoids worse harm. What are the calm, correct steps to take when a sprain or strain happens?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Steps

Project this and put the steps for handling a minor injury in order — tap each step from stopping activity to getting help.

🩹 Put the steps for handling a minor injury in orderTry it
Tap the steps in order, starting with stopping and protecting the injury.
The Lesson · Health & PE Flow (Warm-Up · Learn · Practice · Apply · Cool-Down)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — It Happens

5 min

Mid-game, someone rolls an ankle. Panic makes it worse. What is the calm, correct thing to do first?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show the moment.
  • Ask what to do.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Use — Order the Steps

12 min

Students put the injury-response steps in order.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order the Steps.
  • Order the steps.
  • Name each one.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Modify — RICE in Action

13 min

Students apply RICE to a case.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Read a minor-injury case.
  • Apply each RICE step.
  • Note when to get help.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Read.
  • Apply.
  • Note.
4

Create — Response Card

15 min

Students build a quick-response card.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • List the steps in order.
  • Add the RICE details.
  • Note the help signals.

🎒 Student Actions

  • List.
  • Add.
  • Note.
5

Reflect — Know Your Limits

5 min

Students reflect on when to escalate.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Why stop activity first?
  • When should you get adult or medical help?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the SHAPE America National Standards for Health Education and Physical Education.

SHAPE
HE.1

Describe how to respond to a minor injury.

SHAPE
HE.7

Apply the RICE method to a sprain or strain.

SHAPE
HE.4

Recognize when to seek adult or medical help.

SHAPE
PE.4

Apply safety and injury-care practices.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Step picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “First I ___ , then I ___ .”
  • Order two steps at a time.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with 'stop and protect'.
  • Walk through a simple case together.
  • Add one step at a time.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Apply RICE to different injuries.
  • Decide self-care vs medical help.
  • Explain the response to a partner.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🖼️Injury-step cards
  • 💻Order the Steps
  • 🩹Wrap and cold pack
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

injuryharm to the body, like a sprain or strainspraina stretched or torn ligament around a jointstrainan overstretched or torn muscle or tendonRICERest, Ice, Compression, Elevationswellingpuffiness from fluid around an injurycompressiongentle pressure from a wrap to limit swellingelevationraising an injured part above heart levelfirst aidimmediate care given for a minor injury
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What should you do first when a minor injury happens?
Stop the activity and protect the injured area, so it does not get worse.
QUESTION 2
What does RICE stand for?
Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation, the basic care for a sprain or strain.
QUESTION 3
When should you get adult or medical help?
If the injury looks serious, is very painful, will not bear weight, or does not improve, get help.

Create: a response card.

Have students list the injury-response steps in order, add the RICE details, and note the signals that mean it is time to get help, so they can act calmly in the moment. A printable injury-care worksheet is in the PE & Health library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Handling a Minor InjuryFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Handling a Minor InjuryQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Handling a Minor InjuryPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: compression, elevation, first aid, injury, RICE, sprain, strain, swelling
  1. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation
  2. puffiness from fluid around an injury
  3. raising an injured part above heart level
  4. immediate care given for a minor injury
  5. an overstretched or torn muscle or tendon
  6. gentle pressure from a wrap to limit swelling
  7. harm to the body, like a sprain or strain
  8. a stretched or torn ligament around a joint

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What should you do first when a minor injury happens?
  2. What does RICE stand for?
  3. When should you get adult or medical help?
Answer key — Part A: 1) RICE · 2) swelling · 3) elevation · 4) first aid · 5) strain · 6) compression · 7) injury · 8) sprain
Part B: 1) Stop the activity and protect the injured area, so it does not get worse. 2) Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation, the basic care for a sprain or strain. 3) If the injury looks serious, is very painful, will not bear weight, or does not improve, get help.