Harmful Traditional Practices and Their Effects for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: First Term
Week: 9
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Social Habits
Curriculum Theme: Social Habits
Previous Lesson: Good Social Habits
Topic: Harmful Traditional Practices and Their Effects
Subject Matter: Harmful Traditional Practices

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify and name at least two harmful traditional practices in simple terms.
• State one or two simple effects of harmful traditional practices on children.

Affective Domain

• Express feelings of empathy for children affected by harmful practices.
• Show willingness to report any harmful practice they observe to a trusted adult.

Psychomotor Domain

• Draw a simple picture showing a child being happy (when not subjected to harmful practices) or sad (when subjected to them).
• Participate in a simple role-play demonstrating how to say “no” to something harmful or how to tell an adult.

Social Domain

• Discuss with peers about things that are good or bad for children.
• Share ideas on how children can be protected.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
• Early Childhood Care and Education resources
• Pictures showing children in different situations (happy, sad, working, playing, in school)

Instructional Materials

• Charts showing pictures of children engaging in various activities (e.g., going to school, playing, working, looking sad)
• Video clips (age-appropriate, showing children’s rights or safe practices)
• Drawing paper and crayons
• Flashcards with simple words like “school,” “play,” “work,” “happy,” “sad”

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 5-year-olds to understand that not all traditions are good, especially if they hurt children. It helps them recognise situations that are harmful and empowers them to seek help from trusted adults, fostering their safety and well-being.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify good and bad behaviours, understand the concept of rules, and know that adults help keep them safe.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Harmful Traditional Practices and Their Effects

Some traditions or ways of doing things in our communities can be harmful, especially to children. These are called Harmful Traditional Practices. They are not good because they can make children sad, sick, or stop them from growing well.

What are Harmful Traditional Practices?

These are old ways of doing things that hurt children or stop them from being happy and healthy. Examples include:

• Denying children education: Making children hawk goods or work instead of letting them go to school.
• Child Labour: Making children do very hard work that is not for their age, instead of playing or resting.
• Treating some children badly: Like not allowing girls to go to school or play just because they are girls, or treating some children unfairly.
• Making children do painful things: Practices that hurt a child’s body or make them feel very sad and scared.
• Not allowing children to play or rest: Children need time to play and rest to grow strong and smart.

Effects of Harmful Traditional Practices

When children are exposed to harmful traditional practices, they can:

• Become sad or scared.
• Get sick or hurt.
• Miss school and not learn.
• Not grow up strong and healthy.
• Not be able to play and have fun like other children.

It is important for children to know these practices are wrong and to tell a trusted adult (like Mummy, Daddy, Teacher, or Grandma) if they see or experience them.

Key Words

• Harmful – something that can hurt you.
• Traditional – old ways of doing things.
• Practices – things people do.
• Effects – what happens because of something.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

The teacher should display charts with simple pictures: a child going to school, a child playing happily, a child looking sad while hawking, a child with a hurt expression. The teacher can draw a “happy face” and a “sad face” on the board to represent good and bad effects.

Children’s Rights Song

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”

Lyrics:

Children need to learn and play,
Safe and happy every day.
No more hurt, no more pain,
Sunshine after every rain.
Tell an adult, strong and true,
They will always help you through!

Actions:

• “Learn and play”: Pretend to read a book, then clap hands.
• “Safe and happy”: Hug self, then smile broadly.
• “No more hurt”: Shake head side to side.
• “Sunshine after every rain”: Make a big circle with arms, then wipe imaginary tears.
• “Tell an adult”: Point to self, then point forward.
• “Help you through”: Give a thumbs-up.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the song together after discussing the effects of harmful practices, emphasizing that children have rights and should speak up.

Watch and Learn About Children’s Rights

The teacher will show a short, age-appropriate video about children’s rights, explaining that children should be safe, go to school, and play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU-t_iS6yU4

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 some good things children like to do (e.g., go to school, play, eat good food). The teacher then asks, “What if someone stops you from doing these good things? How would you feel?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond by naming good activities and expressing feelings like “sad” or “angry.”

Learning Point: Pupils recall positive experiences and begin to think about negative feelings.

Step 2: Introducing Harmful Practices

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Picture Talk

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that sometimes, some old ways of doing things, called ‘traditional practices,’ can be bad or ‘harmful’ to children. The teacher shows pictures of children hawking or looking sad while working, contrasting them with pictures of children in school or playing. “Look at these pictures. Which one shows a child being happy and safe? Which one shows a child looking sad or working too hard?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the pictures and identify the happy/safe and sad/hard-working children. They listen to the teacher’s explanation.

Learning Point: Pupils begin to understand the concept of harmful practices through visual examples.

Step 3: Discussing Specific Harmful Practices

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Discussion/Examples

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher discusses simple examples of harmful practices in age-appropriate language, such as “making children work instead of going to school,” “making children do painful things to their bodies,” or “not letting girls play or learn.” The teacher emphasizes that these are wrong.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, ask simple questions, and repeat phrases like “not good for children.”

Learning Point: Pupils identify specific harmful practices that affect children.

Step 4: Understanding the Effects

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Questioning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks, “What happens to children when these bad things are done to them?” The teacher guides pupils to state effects like “they get sick,” “they don’t learn,” “they are sad,” “they can’t play.” The teacher uses the “happy face” and “sad face” drawings on the board to illustrate.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils offer their ideas and repeat the effects mentioned by the teacher, pointing to the happy or sad faces.

Learning Point: Pupils connect harmful practices with their negative effects on children.

Step 5: Rhyme and Video Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Singing/Visual Learning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Children’s Rights Song” with actions. Afterwards, the teacher shows the short video clip about children’s rights, pausing to discuss key points like the right to go to school, play, and be safe.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the song with actions and watch the video, responding to simple questions about what they see.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of children’s rights and the importance of safety through song and visual media.

Step 6: Application Activity (Drawing/Role-play)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Activity/Role-play

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher gives each child paper and crayons. “Draw a picture of a child who is happy because they are safe and going to school, or a child who is sad because something bad is happening to them.” Alternatively, the teacher can lead a simple role-play where pupils practice telling a trusted adult, “Something is hurting me,” or “I saw something bad.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils draw their pictures or participate in the simple role-play, practicing how to speak up.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their understanding by expressing feelings visually or by practicing how to report harm.

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.

1. “Name one thing that is a harmful traditional practice.” (e.g., making children work hard)
2. “What happens to a child if they are made to work instead of going to school?” (e.g., they get tired, they don’t learn)
3. “If you see something bad happening to a child, who should you tell?” (e.g., Mummy, Daddy, Teacher)
4. Show two pictures (one of a happy child, one of a sad child). “Point to the child who is experiencing a harmful effect.”

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: Summarizing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher reiterates that children are special and deserve to be safe, happy, and go to school. “Always remember to tell a trusted adult if someone tries to hurt you or makes you do something bad.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and repeat, “I will tell an adult.”

Learning Point: Pupils internalize the main message of seeking help from adults.

Lesson Keywords

• Harmful – something that can hurt you or make you feel bad.
• Traditional – old ways of doing things that people have done for a long time.
• Practices – things people do regularly.
• Effects – what happens because of something else.
• Protect – to keep someone safe from harm.
• Adult – a grown-up person.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle, the teacher will use larger, more distinct pictures, provide fewer choices for answers, and offer hand-over-hand guidance during drawing. More repetition of key phrases and peer support can also be used.
• Extension: For quicker learners, the teacher can ask them to suggest another example of a good thing children should have (e.g., good food, clothes) or encourage them to draw more details in their pictures. They can also lead the role-play to demonstrate how to speak up.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, prepare clear, simple pictures or charts that illustrate both positive childhood experiences (school, play) and the negative impacts of harmful practices (sadness, hard work). Be sensitive when discussing harmful practices; focus on the *effects* on the child (sadness, sickness, missing school) rather than graphic details of the practices themselves. Emphasize that children should *always* tell a trusted adult if they feel unsafe or see something bad happening to another child. The goal is empowerment and safety, not fear. Observe pupils’ reactions carefully and provide reassurance. Judge understanding by their ability to point to correct pictures, state simple effects, and practice telling an adult.