Five Currant Buns for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: First Term
Week: 10
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Songs and Rhymes
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Cobber, Cobbler, Mend My Shoe
Topic: FIVE CURRANT BUNS
Subject Matter: FIVE CURRANT BUNS.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Recite the rhyme “Five Currant Buns”.
• State that subtraction means ‘taking away’.
• Identify a bun and state its use.
• Identify Nigerian play currency.

Affective Domain

• Participate enthusiastically in singing and role-play.
• State a simple moral lesson from the song, such as honesty or sharing.

Psychomotor Domain

• Perform actions related to the song, showing buns being sold.
• Role-play buying and selling buns using play money.

Social Domain

• Take turns during role-play activities.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4.
• Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources.

Instructional Materials

• Real buns or toy buns (5 pieces).
• Play money (Nigerian Naira notes and coins).
• Picture of a shop.
• Chart with the “Five Currant Buns” song lyrics.
• Picture cards of different types of buns.

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils develop language skills through rhyme and song, introduces early numeracy concepts of subtraction and money management in a practical way, and fosters social skills through role-play. It connects learning to everyday experiences like buying snacks from a shop.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can count numbers 1-5. They can identify some common food items and have a basic understanding of buying and selling from a shop.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

FIVE CURRANT BUNS

The lesson focuses on the popular children’s rhyme “Five Currant Buns”. A currant bun is a small, sweet bread roll that often contains dried currants or raisins. It is a tasty snack that can be bought from a bakery or shop.

The song helps us understand how things are ‘taken away’ when they are sold. This is called **subtraction**.

When you buy something, you give money to the shopkeeper. If you give more money than the item costs, the shopkeeper gives you back some money. This is called **change**.

Key Words

• Buns – sweet bread rolls, often with dried fruit.
• Shop – a place where we buy things like food or toys.
• Sold – when an item is given away for money.
• Subtraction – the act of taking away a number from another number.
• Change – the money you get back when you pay more than the cost of an item.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Display real or toy buns.
• Show play money (Naira notes and coins).
• Show a picture of a shop.
• Display the chart with the song lyrics.

The “Five Currant Buns” Song

This rhyme helps us count down and understand subtraction as buns are sold.

Tune: Traditional Nursery Rhyme

Lyrics:

Five currant buns in a baker’s shop,
Round and fat with a cherry on the top.
Along came a boy with a naira in his hand,
Bought a currant bun and away he ran.
(Hold up 5 fingers, then take one away)

Four currant buns in a baker’s shop,
Round and fat with a cherry on the top.
Along came a girl with a naira in her hand,
Bought a currant bun and away she ran.
(Hold up 4 fingers, then take one away)

Three currant buns in a baker’s shop,
Round and fat with a cherry on the top.
Along came a boy with a naira in his hand,
Bought a currant bun and away he ran.
(Hold up 3 fingers, then take one away)

Two currant buns in a baker’s shop,
Round and fat with a cherry on the top.
Along came a girl with a naira in her hand,
Bought a currant bun and away she ran.
(Hold up 2 fingers, then take one away)

One currant bun in a baker’s shop,
Round and fat with a cherry on the top.
Along came a boy with a naira in his hand,
Bought a currant bun and away he ran.
(Hold up 1 finger, then take one away)

No currant buns in the baker’s shop,
Nothing left with a cherry on the top.

Actions:

• Hold up fingers to represent the number of buns.
• Make a round shape with hands for “round and fat”.
• Point to the top of the head for “cherry on the top”.
• Pretend to hold money and “buy” a bun.
• “Run” away by wiggling fingers.
• Take away one finger each time a bun is sold.

How to use the rhyme: The teacher leads the song, using real or toy buns and fingers to demonstrate the counting down. Each time a bun is “bought”, one bun is removed, visually showing the concept of ‘taking away’ or subtraction.

Watch and Learn the Song

Watch this video to see and hear the song “Five Currant Buns” with actions.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

• Play-based Learning
• Demonstration
• Guided Practice
• Songs and Rhymes
• Role-play
• Manipulation of Objects
• Question and Answer
• Repetition

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils, asks them about their favourite snacks, and then shows a real or toy bun. “What is this? Have you eaten it before? Where do we buy buns?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to questions, identify the bun, and share their experiences.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and the topic is introduced in a familiar context.

Step 2: Introducing the Song

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Listening

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the song “Five Currant Buns” and sings the first verse slowly, showing 5 real or toy buns. The teacher explains what a currant bun is.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively, observe the buns, and try to understand the words.

Learning Point: Pupils become familiar with the song and the concept of ‘buns’.

Step 3: Singing and Actions

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Imitation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher sings the entire song again with clear actions, demonstrating how buns are “sold” and taken away one by one. The teacher can set up a simple “shop” with a picture and a “shopkeeper” (teacher or pupil).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, try to join in with the singing, and imitate the actions, observing the buns being removed as they are “sold”.

Learning Point: Pupils learn the song lyrics and link the actions to the words, understanding the sequence of events.

Step 4: Understanding Subtraction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Practical Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher re-sings the song, pausing after each bun is sold to ask, “How many buns are left?” and explicitly states, “When we take away, it is called subtraction.” The teacher uses fingers or counters to reinforce the ‘taking away’ concept.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils count the remaining buns, answer “how many left?”, and repeat the phrase “taking away means subtraction.”

Learning Point: Pupils grasp the practical concept of subtraction (taking away) as illustrated by the song.

Step 5: Role-Play: Buying and Selling

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Role-play/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher sets up a simple “bun shop” using the picture and buns. The teacher guides pupils to role-play buying buns with play money. The teacher demonstrates how to give change (e.g., if a bun costs N10 and the customer pays N20, the shopkeeper gives N10 back).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils take turns being the shopkeeper and customer, using play money to buy buns and practice simple transactions, including giving/receiving change.

Learning Point: Pupils apply the concepts of money and simple subtraction (for change) in a social and practical context.

Step 6: Moral Lessons

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Discussion/Value Clarification

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher discusses simple moral lessons from the song and role-play, such as the importance of honesty for the shopkeeper, being polite when buying, and the idea of sharing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils share their ideas about good behaviour when buying and selling, and how to be fair.

Learning Point: Pupils learn simple social values and good habits related to transactions and interactions.

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.

1. “Can you sing the ‘Five Currant Buns’ song?”
2. “What happens to the number of buns when someone buys one?” (It goes down/is taken away).
3. “What does ‘taking away’ mean in numbers?” (Subtraction).
4. “Show me how you would buy a bun and get change with our play money.”

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: Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them of the fun song and the new things they learned about buns, subtraction, and buying from a shop.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond with enthusiasm and help tidy up the materials.

Learning Point: Reinforce learning and end the lesson positively.

Lesson Keywords

• Buns – sweet bread rolls.
• Shop – a place to buy things.
• Sold – given away for money.
• Subtraction – taking away.
• Change – money given back when buying.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who find counting down difficult, use larger, more distinct buns or pictures. Focus primarily on singing the song and identifying the buns. Provide more teacher guidance during role-play, simplifying transactions (e.g., bun costs N10, pay N10, no change).
• Extension: Encourage quicker pupils to count down from a higher number (e.g., 10 buns). Ask them to explain how they calculated the “change” during role-play or to identify other items they could buy from the shop.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Prepare all instructional materials, especially the buns and play money, before the lesson begins. Emphasize the visual and kinesthetic aspects of the lesson by actively demonstrating the ‘taking away’ of buns as they are sold. Encourage all pupils to participate in singing and performing the actions. During the role-play, guide pupils through simple transactions, focusing on the concept of ‘change’ as a form of subtraction. Repeat the song several times throughout the lesson to reinforce learning. Observe pupils’ ability to count down, identify money, and participate in role-play to gauge their understanding.