Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Second Term
Week: 3
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Health Habits
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Pupils have learned about different types of food and the importance of healthy eating.
Topic: Bad Eating Habits to Avoid
Subject Matter: Bad Eating Habits

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

Identify at least three bad eating habits.
Name simple reasons why certain eating habits are bad.

Affective Domain

Express willingness to avoid bad eating habits.
Understand the importance of good manners while eating.

Psychomotor Domain

Demonstrate good eating behaviours like chewing slowly or washing hands.
Point to pictures showing bad eating habits.

Participate in discussions about healthy eating.
Share simple observations about good and bad eating behaviours.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
Early Childhood Care and Education resources
Relevant early-years health habits workbook/textbook

Instructional Materials

Charts showing pictures of children eating (some with good habits, some with bad habits)
Posters illustrating good hygiene (e.g., washing hands)
Flashcards with images of different foods (healthy and unhealthy)
A doll or puppet to demonstrate eating actions

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 5-year-olds as it teaches them practical habits that affect their health, digestion, and social interactions. By identifying and avoiding bad eating habits early, pupils develop a foundation for lifelong healthy living and good table manners.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils know that food helps them grow and be strong. They can identify some healthy foods and understand that washing hands is important for cleanliness.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Bad Eating Habits to Avoid

Bad eating habits are things we do when we eat that are not good for our bodies or for our manners. We must learn to avoid them to stay healthy and polite.

Common Bad Eating Habits to Avoid:

Eating too fast: When you eat too quickly, you might choke or get a tummy ache because your food is not properly chewed.
Talking with food in your mouth: This is bad manners and can be dangerous because food might come out of your mouth or you might choke.
Eating too much sweet or junk food: Eating too many sweets, biscuits, or fried snacks can make your teeth bad and give you a tummy ache. It also stops you from eating healthy food.
Not washing hands before eating: Germs on our hands can go into our mouth and make us sick. Always wash hands with soap and water before touching food.
Eating food that has fallen on the floor: Food on the floor picks up dirt and germs. It is not clean and can make you sick.
Being picky and refusing healthy food: Some children refuse to eat vegetables, fruits, or other healthy foods. This means their bodies don’t get all the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy.

It is important to chew your food slowly, keep your mouth closed when chewing, eat healthy foods, and always wash your hands before eating.

Key Words

Habits – things we do often.
Avoid – to stay away from something.
Chew – to break food into smaller pieces with your teeth.
Germs – tiny things that can make us sick.
Healthy – good for your body.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

Display charts with pictures of children demonstrating good and bad eating habits.
Draw a simple picture of hands being washed.
Show pictures of healthy foods versus junk foods.
Demonstrate chewing slowly with a closed mouth.

Good Eating Habits Song

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Lyrics:

No more eating very fast,
Chew your food, make it last.
Don’t talk with your mouth so full,
That’s a very silly rule.
Wash your hands before you eat,
Keep your body strong and neat.

Actions:

“No more eating very fast” – Shake head, pretend to eat quickly.
“Chew your food, make it last” – Pretend to chew slowly, mouth closed.
“Don’t talk with your mouth so full” – Finger on lips, shake head.
“That’s a very silly rule” – Shrug shoulders.
“Wash your hands before you eat” – Rub hands together.
“Keep your body strong and neat” – Flex arm muscles, pat chest.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the song together several times, encouraging pupils to do the actions. Use it to reinforce the key habits discussed.

Watch and Learn About Good Eating Habits

The teacher will show a short video illustrating good and bad eating habits for children.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0f-nQ-fV1E

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Role-play, Repetition, Practical Activity.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Recalling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to name some healthy foods they like to eat. The teacher then introduces the topic by saying, “Today, we will learn about some things we should NOT do when we eat, to keep our bodies healthy and our manners good!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings and name healthy foods. They listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Pupils recall previous knowledge about healthy food and are introduced to the new topic.

Step 2: Presentation – What are Bad Eating Habits?

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Visualizing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains simply what bad eating habits are using the charts. “Bad eating habits are things we do that are not good for our bodies or our manners.” The teacher points to pictures showing examples like eating too fast or talking with food in the mouth.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the charts and listen to the teacher’s explanation. They point to pictures as the teacher names them.

Learning Point: Pupils begin to understand the concept of bad eating habits.

Step 3: Demonstration and Explanation of Specific Habits

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstrating/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates specific bad eating habits using a doll or by acting it out (e.g., pretending to eat very fast, pretending to talk with a mouthful of food). For each habit, the teacher explains why it is bad (e.g., “Eating too fast can give you a tummy ache!”). The teacher also shows a picture of unwashed hands and explains about germs.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the teacher’s demonstrations and listen to the explanations. They identify the bad habits being shown.

Learning Point: Pupils learn concrete examples of bad eating habits and their simple consequences.

Step 4: Guided Practice – Identifying Bad Habits

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Facilitating

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows various pictures on charts or flashcards. Some pictures show good eating habits, and some show bad ones. The teacher asks, “Is this a good habit or a bad habit? Why?” guiding pupils to identify and explain.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils point to the pictures and respond orally, identifying good or bad habits and giving simple reasons.

Learning Point: Pupils practise identifying and differentiating between good and bad eating habits.

Step 5: Reinforcement with Song and Video

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcing/Engaging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Good Eating Habits Song” with actions. Afterwards, the teacher shows the short educational video about good and bad eating habits, pausing to discuss key points.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the song with actions and watch the video, repeating key phrases or actions shown in the video.

Learning Point: The song and video reinforce the lesson content in an engaging way.

Step 6: Application – Why Avoid Bad Habits?

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Discussing/Encouraging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils, “Why should we avoid these bad habits?” and encourages them to share their thoughts. The teacher emphasises that avoiding these habits helps them stay healthy, strong, and polite.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils offer simple reasons for avoiding bad habits and express their commitment to trying to eat well.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the benefits of avoiding bad eating habits and are encouraged to adopt good ones.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.

“Can you show me with your hands how we wash them before eating?”
“What happens if we eat food that falls on the floor?” (Pupils respond orally)
“Point to the picture that shows someone eating too fast.”
“Name one bad eating habit we should avoid.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Summarising/Closing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them to always remember the good eating habits they learned. “Let’s all try to eat well and be healthy!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond positively and repeat the teacher’s closing remarks.

Learning Point: The lesson is concluded with a positive reinforcement of good habits.

Lesson Keywords

Habits – things we do often.
Avoid – to stay away from something.
Chew – to break food into smaller pieces with your teeth.
Germs – tiny things that can make us sick.
Healthy – good for your body.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils who struggle, the teacher can use larger, clearer pictures, repeat explanations more slowly, and provide hand-over-hand guidance for actions like pretending to wash hands. Focus on identifying just one or two key bad habits.
Extension: For pupils who grasp the concept quickly, the teacher can ask them to suggest another bad eating habit they might have seen or to explain in slightly more detail why a particular habit is bad. They can also draw a picture of themselves avoiding a bad habit.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, prepare your charts and pictures clearly illustrating both good and bad eating habits. Ensure the doll or puppet is ready for demonstrations. The main idea children must understand is that certain actions while eating can harm their health or show bad manners, and they have the power to choose good habits. Pay close attention to pupils’ responses during the guided practice and evaluation to gauge their understanding. Observe if they can physically demonstrate good habits like washing hands or chewing slowly. Encourage all pupils to participate, especially during the song and role-play. For shy pupils, ask them to simply point to a picture or repeat a word. Emphasise hygiene, especially handwashing, as a critical safety precaution. Reinforce the lesson throughout the week by gently reminding pupils about good eating habits during snack or lunch times.