Creating Public Notices, Past Tense Direct and Indirect Speech, Dictionary New Words and Writing About NAFDAC for Primary 6

Class: Primary 6
Term: 3rd Term
Week: 3
Age: 11 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Language Studies
Curriculum Theme: English Studies
Previous Lesson: Health Posters Listening, Direct and Indirect Speech Practice, Dictionary Word Order and Community Safety Writing.
Topic: Public Notices, Direct and Indirect Speech, Vocabulary, and Article Writing
Subject Matter: Speech — producing important public notices, Structure — direct and indirect speech in past tense and transformations, Vocabulary Development — dictionary search for meanings of new words and sentence use, Writing/Continuous Writing — writing an article about NAFDAC

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain:

• Define a public notice and state its characteristics.
• Explain direct and indirect speech in the past tense.
• Identify the rules for transforming direct speech to indirect speech in the past tense.
• State the full meaning, origin, objectives, and duties of NAFDAC.

Affective Domain:

• Appreciate the importance of clear communication in public notices.
• Participate actively in discussions about NAFDAC.
• Show interest in expanding their vocabulary through dictionary use.

Psychomotor Domain:

• Produce a chart showing important public notices.
• Transform sentences from direct to indirect speech and vice versa in the past tense.
• Use a dictionary to find the meanings of new words and use them in sentences.
• Write a short article about NAFDAC.

Social Domain:

• Collaborate with peers to create a public notice chart.
• Engage in group activities for speech transformation practice.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum for Primary Schools.
• State Unified Scheme of Work for Primary 6.
• New Oxford Primary English Course for Primary 6.
• https://www.education.gov.ng/
• https://www.nafdec.gov.ng/

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• English Language textbook and workbook
• Oral English manual
• Sound recorder
• Essay manual
• Chart showing examples of public notices
• Dictionaries
• Whiteboard and markers

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils understand how to communicate important information clearly to the public through notices. It also teaches them how to accurately report what someone else has said, which is a useful skill for daily interactions and written communication. Furthermore, it helps them expand their vocabulary and learn about important national agencies like NAFDAC.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils are expected to have basic knowledge of sentence structure, tenses, and simple vocabulary. They should also be familiar with using a dictionary for alphabetical order.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Public Notices, Direct and Indirect Speech, Vocabulary, and Article Writing

Producing Important Public Notices

A public notice is a formal announcement or piece of information made to a general audience. It is usually displayed in public places or published in newspapers to inform people about important events, rules, or warnings.

The following are characteristics of important public notices:

• They are clear and concise.
• They use simple language that is easy to understand.
• They are usually brief and to the point.
• They contain essential information (who, what, when, where, why).
• They are often displayed prominently.

Direct and Indirect Speech (Past Tense)

Direct Speech: This is when the exact words spoken by someone are quoted. It is usually enclosed in quotation marks (” “).

Example: She said, “I am going to the market.”

Indirect Speech (Reported Speech): This is when the words of a speaker are reported without quoting them exactly. Quotation marks are not used, and the tense of the verb often changes, especially when the reporting verb is in the past tense.

Example: She said that she was going to the market.

The following are rules for transforming direct speech to indirect speech when the reporting verb (e.g., said) is in the past tense:

• Tense Change:
  • Present simple changes to past simple. (e.g., “I am” → “he was”)
  • Present continuous changes to past continuous. (e.g., “I am going” → “he was going”)
  • Present perfect changes to past perfect. (e.g., “I have gone” → “he had gone”)
  • Past simple changes to past perfect. (e.g., “I went” → “he had gone”)
  • ‘Will’ changes to ‘would’.
  • ‘Can’ changes to ‘could’.
  • ‘May’ changes to ‘might’.
• Pronoun Change: Pronouns change to match the new context. (e.g., “I” → “he/she”, “my” → “his/her”)
• Time and Place Adverbs:
  • ‘Now’ changes to ‘then’.
  • ‘Today’ changes to ‘that day’.
  • ‘Yesterday’ changes to ‘the previous day’ or ‘the day before’.
  • ‘Tomorrow’ changes to ‘the next day’ or ‘the following day’.
  • ‘Here’ changes to ‘there’.
  • ‘This’ changes to ‘that’.
  • ‘These’ changes to ‘those’.
• Conjunction: ‘That’ is often used to introduce the reported speech, but it is optional.

Examples of Transformation:

1. Direct: He said, “I am happy.”

Indirect: He said that he was happy.

2. Direct: She said, “I visited my aunt yesterday.”

Indirect: She said that she had visited her aunt the previous day.

Vocabulary Development: Dictionary Use

A dictionary is a book or electronic resource that lists words of a language in alphabetical order, giving their meaning, pronunciation, and other information.

Using a dictionary helps to:

• Find the meaning of new words.
• Improve spelling.
• Learn how to pronounce words.
• Expand vocabulary.

Steps to find a word in a dictionary:

1. Look at the first letter of the word and open the dictionary to that section.
2. Use the guide words at the top of the page to quickly locate the correct page.
3. Scan the words on the page in alphabetical order until you find your word.
4. Read the definition and other information provided.

Article Writing about NAFDAC

NAFDAC stands for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

Origin: NAFDAC was established in 1993 by Decree No. 15 of 1993, now an Act of the National Assembly. It is a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria.

Objectives:

• To regulate and control the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale, and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, packaged water, and chemicals.
• To protect public health by ensuring that regulated products are safe, wholesome, and of the right quality.

Duties:

• Registration and approval of regulated products.
• Inspection of production facilities.
• Monitoring the quality of products in the market.
• Conducting laboratory tests.
• Public enlightenment campaigns on fake and substandard products.

An article is a piece of writing published in a newspaper, magazine, or on a website. When writing an article about NAFDAC, consider the following structure:

• Title: A catchy title about NAFDAC.
• Introduction: Introduce NAFDAC and its main purpose.
• Body Paragraphs: Discuss its origin, objectives, and duties in detail. Provide examples of its work.
• Conclusion: Summarize NAFDAC’s importance to public health and safety.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Lecture, Demonstration, Question and Answer, Visual Aids

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Set Induction
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them if they have ever seen signs like “No Smoking,” “Beware of Dog,” or “Public Holiday.” The teacher explains that these are types of public notices and introduces the topic for the day, which covers public notices, direct/indirect speech, vocabulary, and article writing.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions and listen attentively to the introduction.
Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the lesson topic and its relevance.

Step 2: Public Notices

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays a chart with various public notices. The teacher defines what a public notice is, explains its purpose, and lists the characteristics of effective public notices using the board summary. The teacher guides pupils on steps for making clear public notices.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the chart, listen to the explanation, and copy the board summary. They ask questions for clarification.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the definition, purpose, and characteristics of public notices.

Step 3: Direct and Indirect Speech (Past Tense)

Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Modelling
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains direct and indirect speech, focusing on transformations when the reporting verb is in the past tense. The teacher provides clear examples on the board, demonstrating the changes in tense, pronouns, and time/place adverbs as outlined in the board summary.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, take notes, and practice transforming simple sentences from direct to indirect speech as guided by the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils learn how to transform sentences between direct and indirect speech in the past tense.

Step 4: Vocabulary Development: Dictionary Use

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guidance
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher discusses the importance of a dictionary. The teacher guides pupils on how to use a dictionary to find meanings of new words, demonstrating the use of alphabetical order and guide words. The teacher gives some new words for pupils to find meanings for and use in sentences.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, observe the demonstration, and practice using their dictionaries to find words and construct sentences.
Learning Point: Pupils develop skills in using a dictionary for vocabulary expansion.

Step 5: Article Writing about NAFDAC

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Discussion/Lecture
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher initiates a discussion about NAFDAC, asking pupils what they know about it. The teacher then explains the full meaning, origin, objectives, and duties of NAFDAC. The teacher models the structure for writing an article about NAFDAC, highlighting key sections.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in the discussion, listen to the teacher’s explanation, and take notes on NAFDAC’s details and article structure.
Learning Point: Pupils gain knowledge about NAFDAC and understand the structure of an article.

Step 6: Practical Application/Group Work

Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Collaboration/Practice
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher organizes pupils into groups. Each group is tasked with either creating a simple public notice for a school event or transforming a few direct speech sentences into indirect speech.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils work in groups to complete the assigned tasks, applying the knowledge gained from the lesson.
Learning Point: Pupils apply their understanding of public notices and speech transformations in a practical setting.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What is a public notice?
2. Mention two characteristics of a good public notice.
3. Change the following sentence to indirect speech: “She said, ‘I am reading a book.'”
4. How does a dictionary help you in your studies?
5. State two objectives of NAFDAC.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Summarization
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarizes the key points of the lesson, reinforcing the importance of clear communication through public notices, correct use of direct/indirect speech, the value of dictionary skills, and awareness of NAFDAC’s role. The teacher assigns homework: write a short article (one paragraph) about NAFDAC.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and copy down the homework assignment.
Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and receive homework to practice the skills learned.

Home Task: Write four correct English sentences that demonstrate the main language skill in Public Notices, Direct and Indirect Speech, Vocabulary, and Article Writing.

Lesson Keywords

• Public notice – A formal announcement or information made to a general audience.
• Direct speech – The exact words spoken by someone, enclosed in quotation marks.
• Indirect speech – Reporting what someone said without quoting their exact words.
• NAFDAC – National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
• Dictionary – A book or resource listing words with their meanings and information.

Differentiation

For pupils who grasp concepts quickly, the teacher will provide more complex sentences for direct/indirect speech transformation and encourage them to research additional facts about NAFDAC. For pupils who need more support, the teacher will provide simplified public notice examples and guide them step-by-step in using the dictionary and transforming sentences.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Teachers should ensure they have current examples of public notices to display. Emphasize practical application by having pupils create their own notices or practice speech transformations orally. Encourage active participation in dictionary use and discussions about NAFDAC to make the lesson interactive and relevant to pupils’ daily lives.