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Rules That Protect People Who Help in Emergencies

8th grade nonfiction passage about good samaritan laws: 255 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

8th grade nonfiction good samaritan laws 255 words

Rules That Protect People Who Help in Emergencies

Many states have what are called Good Samaritan laws, which are meant to encourage ordinary people to help in an emergency. The details vary from place to place, but the central idea is the same: a person who gives reasonable help, in good faith, should not be punished or sued if something goes wrong despite their best efforts.

Consider why such a law matters. Imagine a bystander who sees a person collapse in a store. Some bystanders might hesitate, thinking, "What if I make it worse and then get blamed?" Fear of a lawsuit could keep helpers from acting. A Good Samaritan law lowers that fear, so that more people feel free to step forward.

These laws have limits. They generally protect help that is reasonable and offered without payment, and they do not excuse reckless or careless behavior. A helper who acts with obvious disregard for the victim's safety may not be protected. Many laws also leave a trained responder, such as a paramedic on duty, under different rules, because that person has a job duty to help.

The best first step in nearly any emergency is to call for trained help, and a helper can then do what he or she has been taught while waiting. Classes in first aid give people the skills and the confidence to be useful. A community is safer when its members are prepared to help one another, and the law supports that choice. Neighbors who learn these skills together often feel braver about acting when it counts.

Questions

  1. What is the central idea of Good Samaritan laws? in the text

  2. What fear might keep a bystander from helping? in the text

  3. What kind of help do these laws generally protect? in the text

  4. What is the best first step in nearly any emergency? in the text

  5. Why might a paramedic on duty be under different rules? think about it

  6. How do first aid classes make a community safer? think about it

Words to know

emergency
a sudden and serious problem that needs quick help
bystander
a person who is nearby and sees something happen
lawsuit
a case where one person asks a court to decide a problem
reckless
careless in a way that could cause harm
responder
a trained person who comes to help in an emergency
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 237 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.9

Many states have what are called Good Samaritan laws. These laws are meant to get ordinary people to help in an emergency. The details change from place to place, but the main idea is the same. A person who gives reasonable help, in good faith, should not be punished or sued if something goes wrong. This is true even if they did their best.

Think about why this matters. Picture a bystander who sees a person collapse in a store. Some bystanders might wait. They might think, "What if I make it worse and then get blamed?" Fear of a lawsuit could keep helpers from acting. A Good Samaritan law makes that fear smaller. More people feel free to step forward.

These laws have limits. They usually protect help that is reasonable and given without payment. They do not excuse reckless or careless acts. A helper who shows no care for the victim's safety may not be protected. Many laws also treat a trained responder, like a paramedic on duty, in a different way. That person has a job duty to help.

The best first step in almost any emergency is to call for trained help. Then a helper can do what he or she has been taught while waiting. Classes in first aid give people skills and confidence. A community is safer when its members are ready to help each other. The law supports that choice.

▲ This passage · 255 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 8.5

Many states have what are called Good Samaritan laws, which are meant to encourage ordinary people to help in an emergency. The details vary from place to place, but the central idea is the same: a person who gives reasonable help, in good faith, should not be punished or sued if something goes wrong despite their best efforts.

Consider why such a law matters. Imagine a bystander who sees a person collapse in a store. Some bystanders might hesitate, thinking, "What if I make it worse and then get blamed?" Fear of a lawsuit could keep helpers from acting. A Good Samaritan law lowers that fear, so that more people feel free to step forward.

These laws have limits. They generally protect help that is reasonable and offered without payment, and they do not excuse reckless or careless behavior. A helper who acts with obvious disregard for the victim's safety may not be protected. Many laws also leave a trained responder, such as a paramedic on duty, under different rules, because that person has a job duty to help.

The best first step in nearly any emergency is to call for trained help, and a helper can then do what he or she has been taught while waiting. Classes in first aid give people the skills and the confidence to be useful. A community is safer when its members are prepared to help one another, and the law supports that choice. Neighbors who learn these skills together often feel braver about acting when it counts.

■ Harder · 266 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 10.8

Numerous states have enacted what are commonly called Good Samaritan laws, which are intended to encourage ordinary people to lend a hand during an emergency. The specifics vary from one place to another, but the central principle is consistent: a person who provides reasonable assistance, in good faith, should not be punished or sued if something goes wrong in spite of his or her best efforts.

Consider why such a law is important. Imagine a bystander who watches a person collapse inside a store. Some bystanders might hesitate, wondering, "What if I make it worse and then get blamed?" The fear of a lawsuit could easily prevent helpers from acting at the moment when action matters most. A Good Samaritan law reduces that fear, so that more people feel comfortable stepping forward.

These laws nevertheless have limits. They generally protect help that is reasonable and offered without payment, and they do not excuse reckless or careless conduct. A helper who behaves with obvious disregard for the victim's safety may not be protected. Many laws also place a trained responder, such as a paramedic who is on duty, under different rules, because that person has a professional duty to help.

The wisest first step in nearly any emergency is to summon trained help, after which a helper can apply whatever he or she has been taught while waiting for it to arrive. Classes in first aid provide people with both the skills and the confidence to be useful. A community is safer when its members are prepared to assist one another, and the law supports that choice.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put emergency, bystander, lawsuit, reckless and responder on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 3 minutes to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 5 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "Rules That Protect People Who Help in Emergencies"?

It was written for 8th grade. It has 255 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 8.5. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 3 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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