Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Second Term
Week: 3
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Songs and Rhymes
Curriculum Theme: Songs and Rhymes
Previous Lesson: Pupils have learned and recited other simple rhymes.
Topic: HUMPTY DUMPTY
Subject Matter: HUMPTY DUMPTY.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Recite the “Humpty Dumpty” rhyme from memory.
Identify the main character and setting of the rhyme.
State simple moral lessons learned from the rhyme.

Affective Domain

Show enthusiasm while singing and role-playing the rhyme.
Appreciate the importance of being careful.
Listen attentively to instructions about safety.

Psychomotor Domain

Perform actions related to the “Humpty Dumpty” rhyme.
Participate in role-playing the rhyme.
Demonstrate careful movements during play.

Take turns and cooperate during group activities like role-play.
Understand the need to avoid rough play with friends.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4.
Early Childhood Care and Education resources.
Suitable early-years rhyme books.

Instructional Materials

Rhyme books with pictures of Humpty Dumpty.
A chart displaying the “Humpty Dumpty” rhyme.
Picture cards depicting Humpty Dumpty, a wall, and soldiers.
A toy egg and a small block (to represent a wall) for demonstration.

Rationale for the Lesson

Learning the “Humpty Dumpty” rhyme helps Pre-School Level 4 pupils develop language skills, memory, and rhythm. More importantly, it provides a valuable opportunity to discuss the consequences of falls and the importance of being careful and avoiding rough play, promoting safety awareness in a relatable way.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils are familiar with listening to and reciting simple rhymes and stories. They have also learned about different objects and actions.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

HUMPTY DUMPTY

Humpty Dumpty is a well-known nursery rhyme about an egg-shaped character who sits on a wall, falls off, and cannot be put back together again.

The “Humpty Dumpty” Rhyme

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Meaning of the Rhyme

The rhyme tells us a story about Humpty Dumpty, who was sitting in a high place (a wall). He fell down and broke into many pieces. Even with all the help from the king’s horses and men, he could not be fixed. This shows that some things, once broken, are very hard or impossible to fix.

Moral Lessons from “Humpty Dumpty”

Be Careful: Always be careful when you are playing, especially in high places or near things that can break.
Avoid Rough Play: Playing too roughly can lead to accidents and injuries, just like Humpty Dumpty’s fall.
Listen to Adults: Always listen to your teachers and parents when they tell you to be careful or to avoid certain activities.
Consequences: Sometimes, actions have consequences that cannot be easily undone.

Safety Rhyme: Be Careful, My Friend

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Be careful, careful, every day,
When you run and when you play.
Look around you, watch your step,
So no accidents will creep.
Be careful, careful, every day,
Safe and happy, come what may!

Actions: Point to eyes, point to feet, make a “stop” motion, hug self, clap hands.

How to use the rhyme: Recite this rhyme with pupils, encouraging them to perform the actions. Emphasize the words “careful” and “safe” and link it to avoiding falls and injuries.

Watch and Sing Along

Let’s watch a video of Humpty Dumpty and sing along!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_y-l84W518

Key Words

Humpty Dumpty – An egg-shaped character in a nursery rhyme.
Wall – A tall, flat structure, often made of bricks.
Fall – To drop down suddenly from a high place.
Careful – Paying attention to avoid danger or mistakes.
Rough Play – Playing in a way that can cause harm or injury.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

A chart with the “Humpty Dumpty” rhyme.
Picture cards of Humpty Dumpty, a wall, and a broken egg.
Demonstrate with a toy egg on a small block (wall) and show it falling (carefully).

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Storytelling, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Role-play, Imitation, Repetition, Practical Activity.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Motivation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and leads a warm-up song. The teacher then asks pupils if they know what an egg is and where they might see a wall. The teacher introduces the topic “Humpty Dumpty” by showing a picture of an egg on a wall.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, sing along, and answer questions about eggs and walls.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and introduced to the topic.

Step 2: Presentation – Reciting the Rhyme

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Recitation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays the “Humpty Dumpty” rhyme chart and recites the rhyme clearly and expressively, demonstrating simple actions. The teacher explains any new words like “great fall” or “king’s men” in simple terms.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and observe the teacher’s actions.

Learning Point: Pupils become familiar with the rhyme and its words.

Step 3: Guided Practice – Reciting and Singing

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Repetition/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides the pupils to recite the rhyme together, line by line, then stanza by stanza. The teacher encourages them to sing the rhyme and perform simple actions like pretending to sit on a wall, falling, and trying to put pieces together. The teacher plays the video for pupils to sing along.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the rhyme, sing along, and imitate the actions with the teacher and the video.

Learning Point: Pupils practise reciting and singing the rhyme with actions.

Step 4: Presentation – Understanding the Moral Lessons

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher discusses what happened to Humpty Dumpty and asks pupils why it is important to be careful. The teacher explains the moral lessons, focusing on avoiding rough play and listening to adults about safety. The teacher uses the toy egg and block to demonstrate Humpty’s fall and its consequences.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, answer simple questions, and observe the demonstration.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the story and the importance of being careful.

Step 5: Guided Practice – Role-play and Safety Discussion

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Role-play/Facilitation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pairs or small groups of pupils to role-play the rhyme, taking turns being Humpty Dumpty, the wall, and the king’s men. The teacher supervises and reinforces the idea of being careful during play, especially when moving around.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in role-playing the rhyme and discuss how to play safely.

Learning Point: Pupils apply the lesson through role-play and discuss safe behaviour.

Step 6: Application – Reinforcing Safety

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Activity

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Be Careful, My Friend” safety rhyme with actions. The teacher asks pupils to give examples of how they can be careful at school and at home to avoid falls or injuries.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the safety rhyme with actions and share examples of being careful.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of safety and careful play.

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.

“Can you recite the ‘Humpty Dumpty’ rhyme for me?”
“Who can show me how Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall and fell?” (Role-play a short part)
“What did we learn from Humpty Dumpty about playing?”
“Why is it important to avoid playing roughly?”

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/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them to always be careful, whether playing or moving around. The teacher encourages them to sing the rhyme at home.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and respond to the teacher’s encouragement.

Learning Point: Pupils are encouraged to apply the lesson in their daily lives.

Lesson Keywords

Humpty Dumpty – The main character of the rhyme.
Wall – Where Humpty Dumpty sat.
Fall – What happened to Humpty Dumpty.
Careful – How we should play.
Rough Play – What we should avoid.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils who struggle to remember the rhyme, the teacher can use more visual cues (picture cards, actions) and allow them to repeat shorter phrases. Encourage them to join in with just the actions or key words.
Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the rhyme and moral lessons, the teacher can ask them to suggest other situations where being careful is important or to create new actions for parts of the rhyme. They could also draw a picture of Humpty Dumpty.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have the rhyme chart, picture cards, and a toy egg/block ready for demonstration. Practise reciting the rhyme with actions yourself to model it clearly. Emphasize the story aspect of the rhyme to make it engaging for the children. When discussing moral lessons, use simple, relatable examples from their daily lives, like not running indoors or being gentle with toys. Encourage all pupils to participate in the actions and role-play, providing extra support for shy children. Observe if pupils can recite the rhyme and, more importantly, articulate why being careful is important. Their ability to explain the safety message in their own words or demonstrate careful play shows true understanding.