Note for teachers using this lesson plan
Before the lesson, prepare a variety of clear pictures or real objects representing clean and dirty environments or items (e.g., clean cloth, dirty cloth, tidy room picture, messy room picture). The central idea for pupils is to visually recognise and verbally identify “clean” and “dirty” through guided practice. Emphasise that clean is good for health, while dirty can cause sickness. Observe pupils as they point to and attempt to name clean and dirty examples.
Class: Pre-School Level 1
Term: Second Term
Week: 7
Age: 2 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Health Habits
Curriculum Theme: Health Habits
Previous Lesson: Keeping our bodies clean
Topic: THE ENVIRONMENT
Subject Matter: Identifying and differentiating clean and dirty environments.
Specific Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:
Cognitive Domain
- Identify pictures of clean environments.
- Point to pictures of dirty environments.
- Say “clean” and “dirty” when prompted.
Affective Domain
- Show preference for clean environments.
- Participate in activities that involve identifying clean and dirty items.
Psychomotor Domain
- Sort simple picture cards into “clean” and “dirty” piles with guidance.
- Demonstrate pointing to clean and dirty objects in the classroom.
Social Domain
- Listen attentively to the teacher’s instructions.
- Engage in simple group activities related to the environment.
Reference Materials
- NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 1
- Early Childhood Care and Education resources
Instructional Materials
- Charts showing clean and dirty environments (e.g., a tidy classroom vs. a messy one, clean hands vs. dirty hands, clean playground vs. littered one)
- Picture cards of various clean and dirty objects/places
- Real objects: a clean cloth, a cloth with some visible dirt (e.g., mud stain), a clean toy, a toy with some dust/sand
- Video clips (e.g., from YouTube)
Rationale for the Lesson
This lesson is crucial for 2-year-olds as it introduces fundamental concepts of hygiene and safety in their immediate surroundings. Understanding the difference between clean and dirty helps pupils develop early habits for personal health and contributes to a safer, more pleasant learning and living environment.Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Pupils can already recognise common objects and follow simple instructions. They may have a basic understanding of “good” and “bad” or “nice” and “not nice” from daily interactions.Lesson Content/Board Summary
Identifying and Differentiating Clean and Dirty Environments
What is a Clean Environment?
A clean environment is neat, tidy, and free from dirt, dust, and rubbish. It looks nice and helps us stay healthy because there are no germs hiding to make us sick.
- Examples: Our tidy classroom, a clean home, a swept playground.
What is a Dirty Environment?
A dirty environment is messy, untidy, and full of dirt, dust, or rubbish. It does not look nice and can make us sick because it has many germs.
- Examples: A classroom with papers on the floor, a house with dust everywhere, a playground with litter.
Key Words
- Clean – Neat, tidy, no dirt.
- Dirty – Messy, untidy, has dirt.
Clean and Dirty Song
Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
Lyrics:
Clean, clean, everywhere,
No more dirt or dust to share.
Shiny floor and tidy space,
Happy smiles on every face.
Clean, clean, everywhere,
No more dirt or dust to share.
Dirty, dirty, oh no, no,
Germs are hiding, watch them grow.
Messy floor and dusty space,
Sad little frowns on every face.
Dirty, dirty, oh no, no,
Germs are hiding, watch them grow.
Actions: For “clean,” pupils can clap hands, sweep hands in front, smile. For “dirty,” pupils can shake head, make a “yucky” face, point down.
Watch and Learn About Clean and Dirty
💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary
How to teach the content: Explain “clean” and “dirty” using simple, short sentences. Focus on showing rather than long explanations. Use a clear, enthusiastic tone for “clean” and a slightly concerned tone for “dirty”.
What to show or demonstrate: Hold up real objects (clean cloth, dirty cloth, clean toy, dusty toy) and picture cards. Point to specific features that make them clean or dirty. For example, “See? No dust, this is clean!” or “Oh, look at the dirt here, this is dirty.”
How to use the rhyme/song: Sing the “Clean and Dirty Song” slowly and clearly, demonstrating the actions. Repeat it several times, encouraging pupils to join in with the actions and simple words like “clean” and “dirty.”
How to use the video: Introduce the video by saying, “Let’s watch a video about clean and dirty things!” Play the video. After watching, ask pupils to point to the clean things they saw and the dirty things they saw. Encourage them to repeat “clean” and “dirty” as they point.
What to watch for: Observe if pupils can correctly point to clean and dirty items. Listen for their attempts to say the words “clean” and “dirty.” Correct gently by re-demonstrating and asking them to repeat.
Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques
- Play-based Learning
- Demonstration
- Guided Practice
- Songs and Rhymes
- Picture Talk
- Question and Answer
- Repetition
- Manipulation of Objects
Instructional Procedures
Step 1: Introduction
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and leads them in a short “Good Morning” song. The teacher then asks, “Who likes to play in a clean place?” and introduces the topic by showing a picture of a very clean classroom.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, sing along, and raise hands or nod for the clean place question.
Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and introduced to the idea of clean environments.
Step 2: Presentation of Clean Environments
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Visual Learning/Naming
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays charts and picture cards of various clean environments (e.g., tidy room, clean hands, swept compound). The teacher points to each picture and says, “This is clean. Say ‘clean’!”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the pictures, point to them, and repeat “clean” after the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils begin to recognise and name clean environments.
Step 3: Presentation of Dirty Environments
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Visual Learning/Naming
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays charts and picture cards of dirty environments (e.g., messy room, dirty hands, littered compound). The teacher points to each picture and says, “This is dirty. Say ‘dirty’!”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the pictures, point to them, and repeat “dirty” after the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils begin to recognise and name dirty environments.
Step 4: Differentiating Clean and Dirty
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Comparison/Sorting
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher holds up a clean picture and a dirty picture side-by-side. The teacher asks, “Which one is clean?” and “Which one is dirty?” The teacher guides pupils to point to the correct picture. The teacher then uses real objects (clean cloth, dirty cloth) for comparison.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils point to the clean picture, then the dirty picture. They observe the real objects and point to “clean” or “dirty” as guided.
Learning Point: Pupils learn to differentiate between clean and dirty visually and through tactile experience.
Step 5: Rhyme Reinforcement
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Auditory Learning/Movement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Clean and Dirty Song” with actions. The teacher sings slowly and encourages pupils to join in with the words and actions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing along and perform the actions for “clean” and “dirty.”
Learning Point: Pupils reinforce the concepts of clean and dirty through song and movement.
Step 6: Guided Practice with Video
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Application/Observation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher plays the “Clean and Dirty Song for Kids” video. During and after the video, the teacher pauses and asks, “Was that clean or dirty?” The teacher encourages pupils to point or say the word.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video and respond by pointing or saying “clean” or “dirty” when prompted.
Learning Point: Pupils apply their understanding by identifying clean and dirty examples from a video.
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.
- “Point to the clean picture.” (Teacher holds up a clean picture and a dirty picture)
- “Point to the dirty picture.” (Teacher holds up the same pictures)
- “Show me something clean in our classroom.”
- “Show me something dirty (or pretend dirty) in our classroom.”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate by pointing to pictures or objects.
Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson by identifying clean and dirty items.
Step 8: Conclusion
Time: 1 minute
Teaching Skill: Summary/Reinforcement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them that keeping our environment clean helps us stay healthy and happy. “Let’s always try to keep our school and home clean!”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and may repeat “clean.”
Learning Point: Pupils understand the importance of keeping their environment clean.
Lesson Keywords
- Clean – When something is neat and has no dirt.
- Dirty – When something is messy and has dirt.
Differentiation
- Support: For pupils who are struggling, the teacher will use larger, very clear picture cards and real objects. The teacher will provide more repetition and use hand-over-hand guidance to help them point to the correct items. Focus on just identifying “clean” first, then “dirty.”
- Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the concept, the teacher can ask them to identify more examples of clean or dirty things around the classroom without direct prompting. Encourage them to attempt saying the full word “clean” or “dirty” independently.
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