Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before this lesson, ensure you have pictures of rabbits, actual brown and black crayons, and paper or a scrapbook with rabbit outlines ready for each pupil. The central idea is for pupils to correctly identify a rabbit and then carefully colour it using the specified colours, staying within the lines. Observe their ability to hold crayons correctly and apply colour neatly.

Class: Pre-School Level 3
Term: First Term
Week: 7
Age: 4 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Creativity
Curriculum Theme: Creativity
Previous Lesson: Identifying and naming some common animals.
Topic: Colouring a Rabbit
Subject Matter: Colouring a Rabbit

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Identify a rabbit from pictures.
Name the colours brown and black.

Affective Domain

Show enthusiasm while colouring the rabbit.
Appreciate their own and their friends’ coloured rabbits.

Psychomotor Domain

Hold crayons correctly.
Colour a rabbit neatly with brown and black crayons.

Share crayons and materials with classmates when needed.
Participate actively in class discussions about the rabbit.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 3
Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources

Instructional Materials

Pictures of rabbits
Scrapbooks or sheets of paper with rabbit outlines
Brown crayons
Black crayons

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps 4-year-olds develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination through the act of colouring. It also reinforces their knowledge of animals by focusing on the rabbit and helps them recognise and apply specific colours, connecting learning to a fun, practical activity.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify some common animals and recognise basic colours like red, blue, and yellow. They have also had some experience with holding crayons and scribbling.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Colouring a Rabbit

A rabbit is a small, furry animal with long ears and a short, fluffy tail. Rabbits like to hop around. We can colour a rabbit using brown and black crayons.

How to Colour a Rabbit

Hold your crayon gently but firmly.
Choose the brown crayon for the main body of the rabbit.
Colour inside the lines, moving your crayon in one direction (e.g., up and down, or side to side).
Use the black crayon for details like the eyes, nose, or whiskers, or to add patches.
Try to colour neatly without leaving white spaces.

Key Words

Rabbit – A small, furry animal with long ears.
Brown – A dark, earthy colour.
Black – The darkest colour, like the night sky.
Colour – To fill an outline with crayon or paint.

Rabbit Colouring Rhyme

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Lyrics:

Little rabbit, soft and brown,
Hopping, hopping all around.
Brown crayon, fill you in,
From your nose to your chin.
Black for eyes, so bright and keen,
Nicest rabbit ever seen!

Actions:

“Little rabbit, soft and brown”: Wiggle fingers like rabbit ears.
“Hopping, hopping all around”: Hop gently in place.
“Brown crayon, fill you in”: Make colouring motions with hands.
“From your nose to your chin”: Point to nose, then chin.
“Black for eyes, so bright and keen”: Point to eyes.
“Nicest rabbit ever seen!”: Give a thumbs-up.

Watch and Practise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0y06t0x1gM

💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary

How to teach the content: Begin by showing a picture of a rabbit and asking pupils to identify it. Discuss its features (long ears, furry, hops). Introduce the colours brown and black, explaining that these are common colours for rabbits. Demonstrate how to hold a crayon and colour neatly within an outline on a large chart or whiteboard.

What to show or demonstrate: Show real pictures of brown and black rabbits. Demonstrate the correct pencil grip for crayons. On a large outline of a rabbit, demonstrate colouring using brown for the body and black for details, emphasizing staying within the lines and colouring in one direction.

How to use the rhyme/song: Teach the “Rabbit Colouring Rhyme” line by line, encouraging pupils to repeat and perform the actions. Sing it a few times to help them remember the colours and characteristics of a rabbit.

How to use the video: Play the video, pausing to point out the rabbit’s features and how the colours are applied. Focus on the colouring technique rather than the drawing steps. Ask pupils to observe how the artist colours within the lines and uses the colours.

What to watch for: Observe if pupils can identify the rabbit and the colours brown and black. Pay attention to their crayon grip and their attempt to colour neatly within the lines. Encourage those who are struggling with a gentle hand-over-hand guide.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to name some animals they know. The teacher then shows a large picture of a rabbit and asks, “What animal is this?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, name animals, and try to identify the rabbit in the picture.

Learning Point: Pupils recall previous knowledge of animals and identify a rabbit.

Step 2: Identifying the Rabbit and Colours

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Identification/Vocabulary

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher confirms the animal is a rabbit and discusses its features (long ears, furry, hops). The teacher then shows brown and black crayons, naming each colour clearly and asking pupils to repeat.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, repeat the name “rabbit,” describe its features, and repeat the colours “brown” and “black.”

Learning Point: Pupils learn the name of the animal and the specific colours for the lesson.

Step 3: Demonstration of Colouring

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Instruction

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates on a large rabbit outline how to hold a crayon correctly (tripod grip). The teacher then colours a section of the rabbit using brown, showing how to stay within the lines and colour neatly. The teacher also shows how to add black details.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe carefully how the teacher holds the crayon and colours the rabbit, paying attention to staying within the lines.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the correct technique for holding crayons and colouring neatly.

Step 4: Guided Practice with Rhyme

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Motor Skills

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes paper with rabbit outlines and brown and black crayons to each pupil. The teacher then leads the class in singing the “Rabbit Colouring Rhyme” with actions, encouraging pupils to start colouring their rabbits.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils receive their materials, sing the rhyme with actions, and begin to colour their rabbits with brown and black crayons, trying to follow the teacher’s demonstration.

Learning Point: Pupils practise colouring while reinforcing the lesson through song and actions.

Step 5: Individual Colouring Activity

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Supervision/Support

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher moves around the classroom, observing pupils’ progress, providing individual guidance, and offering encouragement. The teacher reminds pupils to use brown for the body and black for details, and to colour neatly.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils continue colouring their rabbits independently, applying the techniques learned. They may ask for help if needed.

Learning Point: Pupils develop fine motor skills and apply colouring techniques independently.

Step 6: Sharing and Display

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Appreciation/Display

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils to hold up their coloured rabbits. The teacher praises their efforts and encourages them to appreciate each other’s work. The teacher may select a few examples to display.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils proudly show their coloured rabbits to the class and look at their friends’ work.

Learning Point: Pupils gain confidence and appreciate their creative efforts.

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.

“What animal did we colour today?”
“What colours did we use for the rabbit?”
“Show me your brown crayon.”
“Show me your black crayon.”
“Hold up your coloured rabbit for me to see.”

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: Summarisation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher congratulates the pupils on their beautiful coloured rabbits and reminds them that rabbits are lovely animals. The teacher thanks them for their participation.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s compliments and prepare for the next activity.

Learning Point: Pupils conclude the lesson with a sense of accomplishment.

Lesson Keywords

Rabbit – A small, furry animal with long ears.
Brown – A dark, earthy colour often found in nature.
Black – The darkest colour, like charcoal or a shadow.
Colouring – The activity of filling in a picture with colours.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils who struggle with crayon grip, provide larger, chunkier crayons or offer hand-over-hand guidance. For those finding it hard to stay within lines, provide outlines with thicker borders or simpler shapes. Offer extra verbal prompts for identifying colours.
Extension: Encourage pupils who finish quickly and neatly to draw a simple carrot for their rabbit or to add another detail to their rabbit using the specified colours. Ask them to identify other objects in the classroom that are brown or black.