Explore the New Bronze Medal Awards
Bronze Exam Worksheets
Bronze exam worksheets are a tool to assist Lifesaving Instructors/Examiners in keeping track of candidate performance. The Revised 2020 versions are for use with the updated curriculum.
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Bronze Awards Video (USB flash drive)
Designed specifically for instructors teaching Bronze Star, Medallion and Cross. Features real kids – like the ones you teach – in seven important segments: The Rescue Process, Ladder Approach, Rescuer’s Checklist, Submerged Victim Recovery, Defenses and Releases, Spinal Rollovers, Surface Dives.
Watch Bronze level candidates bring the Canadian Lifesaving Manual to life in demonstrations of tows, carries, removal techniques and victim simulations including distressed and drowning victim characteristics. See rescue skills performed in both pool and waterfront environments.
The Bronze Awards Video is an excellent instructional resource for introducing candidates to essential water rescue concepts. Slow motion, freeze frames, colourful animation and underwater angles means you can clearly see skills and techniques like you’ve never seen them before. Combined running time: 43 minutes.
Purchase the Bronze Awards Video USB Flash Drive at LifeguardDepot.com.
Teaching Bronze (USB Flash Drive)
Provides a suite of resources for instructors teaching the (revised 2020) Lifesaving Society Bronze medal awards. Includes sample core and lesson plans, learning activities, and PowerPoint presentations for each Bronze level.
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Also includes outlines and activities for blended learning formats. Features new instructional videos on Drowning Resuscitation and the Canadian Drowning Report. Includes the revised 2020 fillable test sheets and the Instructor Answer Guides for the Bronze Medallion and Bronze Cross Workbooks.
Purchase the Teaching Bronze USB Flash Drive at LifeguardDepot.com.
Swim for Life Strokes and Skills Video
Strokes & Skills is designed to help Swim Instructors teach and evaluate kids in the Swim for Life program. The 24 minute video features real kids in 8 segments covering:
- Front Crawl
- Back Crawl
- Breaststroke
- Entries
- Dives
- Movement Skills
- Kicks
- Fitness
Strokes & Skills brings the Swim for Life Award Guide to life. Real kids demonstrate stroke and skill mechanics that meet the Must Sees across different levels. Underwater views, slow motion, freeze frame, colourful animation and instant replay mean you can see Must Sees like you've never seen them before. Purchase the video on Lifeguarddepot.com.
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Watch the trailer:
Swim for Life Seals Certificate
Download this certifcate and print it. There is room for all of your Lifesaving Society learn-to-swim seals.
Canadian Swim Patrol
Performance Records (Rookie, Ranger and Star)
Keep them moving
There are several different styles and philosophies for teaching young people how to swim. One recurring challenge is keeping the participants interested and the entire class moving. Here are a few tips:
- Give preschoolers something to practice such as blowing bubbles or kicking while practicing floats, glides or swims with other swimmers.
- Assign swimmers different names (e.g., apple and orange). Have all the apples do an assigned task followed by the oranges, etc.
- While teaching strokes, use practice formations that allow more than one swimmer to participate at one time.
- As a swimming instructor, your goal is to provide participants with ample opportunity to practice and lots of feedback to improve their swimming strokes and skills. To do this, remember EGGS:
E - Explain & demonstrate
Keep your instructions short and specific; then demonstrate so the swimmers can see the skill. When demonstrating, swim across the class rather than away from them.
G - Group practice
The more practice you give your swimmers the better. By having more than one swimmer go at once, you give them more opportunities to succeed and make the most of your class time. Ensure that you are constantly scanning the entire class while they are practicing.
G - Group feedback & correction
After completing a skill, give the swimmers feedback and correction as a group. Make sure you give them an opportunity to practice the skill again and reinforce your feedback.
S - Specific feedback & correction
While the group is practicing, provide each swimmer with specific feedback of what they need to work on. Remember to correct the most serious errors first, and let the swimmer concentrate on a single correction at a time.
By using the EGGS principle, you will maximize the amount of practice time per participant and give the swimmers lots of opportunities to improve their strokes and skills.
Remember, the best place to learn how to swim is in the water!
Parent & Tot Tips
Opening games
Opening activities for Parent & Tot should take less than 5 minutes, be fun and imaginative and ease children into the water. These are some of our favourites.
Circle time
Aim for 5 to 10 minutes of circle time. Try breaking circle time up into two or three 5-minute sessions throughout your lesson. There are lots of fun activities, games and songs to use during circle time. Here are a few of our favourites:
How to use progressions in Parent & Tot
Here are sample progressions to help your little ones get their faces wet and in the water.
Tip 1 - Progressions are the components that make up a skill. Refer to pages 3 to 6 of Teaching Swim for Life to see sample progressions for Parent & Tot.
Tip 2 - Begin by explaining what progressions are. When teaching, explain which progressions are components of which skills.
Tip 3 - Always explain the goal of the day's lesson and which progresssion you'll be focusing on that day to allow parents to focus on the right things.
Tip 4 - Explaining progressions to the parents prevents boredom and allows them to work with their kids outside of class time as well.
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Submersion
Why, when and how - everything you need to know to prepare parents for the first dunk.
WHY - Submersion at an early age helps kids adjust to, and be comfortable in, the water. it teaches breath control, which is essential when learning to swim.
WHEN - Submersion needs to be done when the PARENT is comfortable and ready. A rushed parent will be nervous and that nervousness will transfer to the child.
WHEN - There is no rush to submerge a child. Start by explaining the benefits and the procedure with your class.
HOW - Share this handout with your class to explain the why, when and how to properly and safely submerge their little ones.