Government Property and How to Take Care of It for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Second Term
Week: 6
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Civic Education
Curriculum Theme: Civic Education
Previous Lesson: Understanding rules at home and school.
Topic: Government Property and How to Take Care of It
Subject Matter: Government Property to Take Care Of. Weekly focus: Government Property and How to Take Care of It.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify at least three examples of government property.
• Explain in simple terms what a vandal is.
• Mention at least two ways to take care of government property.

Affective Domain

• Show an appreciation for government property as belonging to everyone.
• Express a desire to protect public property from damage.

Psychomotor Domain

• Point to pictures of government property when asked.
• Demonstrate simple actions of caring for property, like pretending not to litter.

Social Domain

• Participate in discussions about community care.
• Understand their role in keeping public spaces clean and safe.

Reference Materials

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

Instructional Materials

• Posters showing various government properties (e.g., school building, hospital, public road, electricity pole, public tap/borehole, market)
• Charts illustrating good and bad ways of treating public property
• Pictures of children caring for public spaces (e.g., sweeping, not littering)
• Pictures of damaged public property (e.g., broken fence, littered park)
• Toy broom and dustpan for role-play

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils understand that some things in their community belong to everyone and are for their benefit. Learning to care for government property instills a sense of responsibility and civic duty from a young age, promoting good citizenship and a clean environment.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils know how to take care of their personal belongings and understand the concept of sharing. They also know that certain places like their school or playground are used by many children.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Government Property and How to Take Care of It

Government property refers to things that belong to everyone in the community. The government provides these things for people to use and enjoy, and they are paid for by everyone for the good of all.

Examples of Government Property

• School buildings: Where children learn.
• Roads and bridges: For people to travel safely.
• Hospitals and clinics: Where sick people get help.
• Public parks and playgrounds: For recreation and play.
• Electricity poles and street lights: To provide light and power.
• Public taps and boreholes: For clean water.
• Government offices (Secretariats, Museums): Places where important work is done or history is kept.

Who is a Vandal?

A vandal is someone who spoils, breaks, or damages things that belong to the government or the public. Vandalism is a bad act because it makes public property unusable or ugly for everyone.

How to Take Care of Government Property

We must all help to take care of government property because it is for our own good. Here are simple ways:

• Do not litter on roads, in parks, or in public buildings. Always use a dustbin.
• Do not break windows, chairs, or anything in public places.
• Do not write or draw on public walls or school desks.
• Use public facilities like taps, toilets, and playgrounds carefully.
• If you see something broken, tell an adult (teacher, parent, or community leader).
• Keep public places clean and tidy.

Key Words

• Government – The people who lead and manage our country and community.
• Property – Things that belong to someone or everyone.
• Vandal – Someone who spoils public things.
• Care – To look after something and keep it safe.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

The teacher should display charts and posters with clear pictures of various government properties. The teacher can also draw simple stick figures showing children either caring for property (e.g., putting litter in a bin) or misusing it (e.g., writing on a wall) to prompt discussion.

Our Community’s Things Rhyme

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Lyrics:

Roads and schools, for all to share,
Public taps, for water fair.
Parks and lights, for us to see,
Happy, safe, for you and me.
Keep them clean, don’t break or spoil,
Care for all, on Nigerian soil!

Actions:

• “Roads and schools”: Point forward, then make a roof shape with hands.
• “Public taps”: Mimic turning a tap.
• “Parks and lights”: Spread arms wide, then point up.
• “Happy, safe”: Smile and hug self.
• “Keep them clean”: Mimic sweeping.
• “Don’t break or spoil”: Shake head ‘no’.
• “Care for all”: Hug self again.
• “Nigerian soil”: Point down to the ground.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme together with actions after discussing examples of government property and how to care for them. Repeat it several times to help pupils remember the message.

Watch and Learn About Our Community

The teacher will show a short video about being a good citizen and caring for community property. This helps reinforce the idea visually.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Storytelling, 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 things they use every day at school or on the way to school (e.g., desks, chairs, playground, road). The teacher then introduces the idea that some of these things belong to everyone.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher and name familiar objects and places. They listen attentively.

Learning Point: Pupils recall familiar objects and are introduced to the concept of shared property.

Step 2: What is Government Property?

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Visualising

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains in simple terms that “government property” means things that belong to everyone in the community, provided by the government for everyone’s use. The teacher shows pictures of various government properties like the school building itself, a public road, or a hospital.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the explanation and look at the pictures, pointing to things they recognise.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the basic meaning of government property.

Step 3: Identifying Examples

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Identifying/Naming

Teacher’s Activity: Using charts and posters, the teacher guides pupils to identify more examples of government property, such as electricity poles, public taps/boreholes, parks, and bridges. The teacher asks, “Who uses this?” to reinforce the idea of “everyone.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify and name the properties shown in the pictures. They respond “everyone” when asked who uses them.

Learning Point: Pupils can recognise various examples of government property.

Step 4: Understanding a Vandal

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Defining/Discussing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the word “vandal” and explains that a vandal is someone who spoils or breaks public property. The teacher shows pictures of damaged property and asks, “Is this good or bad? Why?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the explanation, look at the pictures, and explain why damaging property is bad.

Learning Point: Pupils understand what a vandal is and why vandalism is wrong.

Step 5: How to Take Care

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstrating/Practising

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher discusses simple ways to take care of government property, such as not littering, not breaking things, not writing on walls, and using things carefully. The teacher demonstrates these actions and encourages pupils to role-play (e.g., pretending to put litter in a bin, carefully using a toy tap).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, repeat the ways to care, and participate in short role-play activities.

Learning Point: Pupils learn practical ways to care for public property.

Step 6: Reinforcement (Rhyme and Video)

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcing/Engaging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Our Community’s Things Rhyme” with actions. The teacher then plays the short educational video on caring for the community.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions and watch the video attentively, repeating key phrases if prompted.

Learning Point: Concepts are reinforced through song and visual media.

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. Point to a picture of government property.
2. Who is a vandal? (Teacher asks, pupils give simple answer).
3. Mention one way we can take care of our school building.
4. Show me how you would put rubbish in a bin.

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/Encouraging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them that caring for government property makes their community a better place for everyone. The teacher encourages them to be good citizens.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and affirm their commitment to caring for public property.

Learning Point: Pupils are encouraged to apply what they have learned in their daily lives.

Lesson Keywords

• Government – The leaders of our country and community.
• Property – Things that belong to people or the public.
• Vandal – Someone who damages public things.
• Care – To look after and protect something.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who are struggling, the teacher can use fewer examples, provide clearer and larger pictures, and simplify explanations further. They can be prompted to just point to items rather than name them, or to repeat simple phrases.
• Extension: For quicker learners, the teacher can ask them to identify more examples of government property in their neighbourhood or explain why it is important to report damage to an adult. They can also be asked to suggest other ways to keep public places clean.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, prepare your charts and pictures of various government properties. Ensure the images are clear and easily recognisable by 5-year-olds. Focus on properties relevant to their immediate environment (e.g., their school, local roads, public taps). When explaining “vandal,” keep it simple: “someone who spoils things that belong to everyone.” Emphasise the positive actions of caring rather than just the negative of not spoiling. The rhyme and video are crucial for reinforcement; encourage active participation. Observe pupils during role-play and discussion to gauge their understanding. True understanding will be shown when pupils can identify public property and suggest simple ways to care for it, or when they demonstrate appropriate behaviour like not littering during playtime.