Note for teachers using this lesson plan
Before the lesson, prepare picture cards or posters showing different special occasions like Christmas, Eid, and birthdays. Gather simple props for role-play, such as party hats or pretend gifts. The central idea for pupils is to understand that we use different greetings for different special times, and they should be able to demonstrate these greetings appropriately during role-play.
Class: Pre-School Level 3
Term: First Term
Week: 6
Age: 4 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Social Habits
Curriculum Theme: Social Habits
Previous Lesson: Daily Greetings (Good morning, Good afternoon)
Topic: GREETINGS ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Subject Matter: GREETINGS ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Specific Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:
Cognitive Domain
- Identify at least two special occasions.
- Recall appropriate greetings for special occasions like Christmas and Eid.
Affective Domain
- Show enthusiasm when greeting others during role-play.
- Appreciate the use of different greetings for various special occasions.
Psychomotor Domain
- Demonstrate appropriate greetings for special occasions.
- Participate in role-playing greeting scenarios.
Social Domain
- Greet their peers using special occasion greetings.
- Attempt to use simple local language greetings.
Reference Materials
- NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 3
- Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources
Instructional Materials
- Chart showing different special occasions (e.g., Christmas, Eid, Birthday)
- Posters with pictures of people greeting each other
- Picture cards of festive items (e.g., Christmas tree, Sallah ram, birthday cake)
- Simple props for role-play (e.g., pretend party hats, small gift box)
- Audio device for playing songs (optional)
Rationale for the Lesson
This lesson helps 4-year-olds understand that different events call for different ways of greeting people. Learning to greet appropriately on special occasions like festivals and birthdays helps children develop good social manners, show respect, and connect with others in their community and culture. It builds their confidence in social interactions.Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Pupils can already greet people daily using “Good morning,” “Good afternoon,” and “Good evening.” They are familiar with simple social interactions in the classroom.Lesson Content/Board Summary
GREETINGS ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS
We say different things to greet people when there is a special celebration or event. These are called special occasion greetings.
What are Special Occasions?
- Times when we celebrate!
- Examples:
- Christmas: When Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus.
- Eid-El-Fitri / Eid-El-Kabir: When Muslims celebrate after fasting or sacrifice.
- Birthdays: When we celebrate the day someone was born.
- Weddings: When two people get married.
Greetings for Special Occasions
- For Christmas, we say: “Merry Christmas!”
- For Eid, we say: “Happy Eid!” or “Barka da Sallah!” (Hausa)
- For Birthdays, we say: “Happy Birthday!”
- For Weddings or good news, we say: “Congratulations!”
Complimentary Remarks
When we greet someone on a special occasion, we can also say nice things (compliments):
- “You look lovely today!”
- “I love your outfit!”
- “Have a wonderful celebration!”
Local Language Greetings (Examples)
- Merry Christmas:
- Yoruba: “E ku Odun Keresimesi!”
- Igbo: “Ezi Ekeresimesi!”
- Hausa: “Barka da Kirsimeti!”
- Happy Eid:
- Yoruba: “E ku Odun Ileya!” (for Eid-el-Kabir)
- Hausa: “Barka da Sallah!”
Key Words
- Occasion – a special time or event.
- Greetings – words we say to welcome or acknowledge someone.
- Festival – a special day or period of celebration.
- Compliment – a nice thing you say to someone.
Special Occasion Greetings Rhyme
Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
Special days are here again,
Time to greet our friends, amen!
“Merry Christmas!” hear us say,
“Happy Eid!” on a festive day.
“Happy Birthday!” for a friend,
Joyful greetings, without end!
Actions:
- “Special days are here again”: Clap hands together.
- “Time to greet our friends, amen!”: Wave to a friend.
- “Merry Christmas!”: Pretend to shake hands.
- “Happy Eid!”: Hug self.
- “Happy Birthday!”: Point to a friend.
- “Joyful greetings, without end!”: Smile and spread arms wide.
Watch and Practise
💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary
How to teach the content: Use the chart and picture cards to introduce each special occasion. Point to the pictures and clearly say the name of the occasion and its corresponding greeting. Repeat each greeting several times, encouraging pupils to echo you. Emphasize the difference between daily greetings and special occasion greetings.
What to show or demonstrate: Show pictures of Christmas celebrations, Eid prayers/feasts, and birthday parties. Demonstrate the greetings with clear facial expressions and gestures. For local language greetings, say them clearly and slowly, asking pupils to repeat after you.
How to use the rhyme/song: Introduce the “Special Occasion Greetings Rhyme” after explaining the main greetings. Sing it slowly with the actions first, then repeat it a few times, encouraging pupils to join in with the singing and actions. The rhyme reinforces the key greetings in a fun, memorable way.
How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to see different greetings. Play the video, pausing at “Happy Birthday,” “Merry Christmas,” “Happy New Year,” and “Happy Easter” to ask pupils to repeat the greetings. Discuss what they saw and heard, focusing on the special occasion greetings.
What to watch for: Observe if pupils can correctly identify the occasion from a picture and say the appropriate greeting. Watch for their participation in role-play and their willingness to try local language greetings. Correct pronunciation gently and encourage all attempts.
Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques
Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Role-play, Imitation, Repetition.Instructional Procedures
Step 1: Introduction
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly and asks them if they remember any special days they celebrated recently, like a birthday or a festival. “Good morning, children! Do you remember when we celebrated Christmas or Eid? What did we say to people then?”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond by sharing their experiences and mentioning simple greetings they used.
Learning Point: Pupils recall past special occasions and link them to greetings.
Step 2: Presentation of Special Occasions
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Visual Learning/Naming
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays charts and picture cards of different special occasions (Christmas, Eid, Birthday). For each picture, the teacher names the occasion and asks, “What do we say on this day?” The teacher introduces the greeting for each. “This is Christmas! We say ‘Merry Christmas!'”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the pictures, listen to the teacher, and repeat the names of the occasions and their greetings after the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils identify special occasions and associate them with specific greetings.
Step 3: Introducing Greetings and Compliments
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Repetition/Modelling
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher focuses on the greetings for Christmas (“Merry Christmas!”), Eid (“Happy Eid!”), and Birthdays (“Happy Birthday!”). The teacher demonstrates each greeting with appropriate tone and gesture. The teacher also introduces simple complimentary remarks like “You look lovely!” or “Have a wonderful celebration!”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the greetings and complimentary remarks several times, imitating the teacher’s tone and gestures.
Learning Point: Pupils practise saying special occasion greetings and simple compliments.
Step 4: Rhyme Reinforcement
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Songs and Rhymes/Memory
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces and leads the pupils in singing the “Special Occasion Greetings Rhyme” with actions. The teacher sings it slowly first, then encourages pupils to join in, repeating it two to three times.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the rhyme, then sing along with the teacher, performing the actions.
Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their learning of special occasion greetings through song and movement.
Step 5: Video Observation and Practice
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Audio-Visual Learning/Discussion
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher plays the verified YouTube video, pausing at relevant parts to highlight “Happy Birthday,” “Merry Christmas,” and “Happy New Year.” The teacher asks pupils what greetings they heard and encourages them to say them again.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video, listen to the greetings, and repeat them when prompted by the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils experience greetings in a different format and practise oral repetition.
Step 6: Role-Play and Local Language Greetings
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Role-play/Cultural Awareness
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to role-play greeting scenarios for different occasions. For example, “It’s a birthday party, greet your friend!” or “It’s Eid, greet your neighbour!” The teacher also introduces simple local language greetings like “Barka da Sallah!” or “E ku Odun Keresimesi!” and has pupils practise saying them.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils take turns role-playing greeting each other using the learned phrases. They attempt to use the local language greetings.
Learning Point: Pupils apply greetings in a practical context and are introduced to cultural diversity in greetings.
Step 7: Evaluation/Review
Time: 4–5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.
- “What do we say on Christmas day?”
- “What do we say on Eid day?”
- “Show me how you would greet your friend on their birthday.”
- “Can you say ‘Barka da Sallah’?”
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: Summarization/Encouragement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them to always use appropriate greetings for special occasions. “Well done, children! Remember to use your special greetings when you see your friends and family celebrating!”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and respond positively.
Learning Point: Pupils are encouraged to practise good social habits.
Lesson Keywords
- Occasion – a special time or event.
- Greetings – words we say to welcome or acknowledge someone.
- Festival – a special day or period of celebration.
- Compliment – a nice thing you say to someone.
Differentiation
- Support: Provide larger picture cards for easier identification. For pupils struggling with verbal greetings, encourage them to point to the correct greeting on a chart or use gestures. Repeat greetings slowly and frequently. Pair them with a more confident peer during role-play.
- Extension: Challenge advanced pupils to identify other special occasions (e.g., New Year, Easter) and suggest appropriate greetings. Encourage them to use more complex complimentary remarks or try greetings in additional local languages. Ask them to create a short greeting dialogue for a specific occasion.
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