Meaning and Examples of Air-Borne Diseases for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 9
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Health Habits
Curriculum Theme: Health Habits
Previous Lesson: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Topic: AIR-BORNE DISEASES: MEANING AND EXAMPLES
Subject Matter: Air-Borne Diseases: Meaning and Examples.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Explain in simple terms what an air-borne disease is.
• Identify and name at least two examples of common air-borne diseases.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the importance of preventing the spread of germs.
• Show willingness to practice good hygiene habits.

Psychomotor Domain

• Demonstrate how to cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
• Participate in a simple hand-washing action song.

Social Domain

• Share ideas about how to stay healthy with their classmates.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
• Early Childhood Care and Education resources
• Relevant early-years health and hygiene workbooks

Instructional Materials

• Charts with pictures of children coughing/sneezing and washing hands
• Posters showing healthy habits (e.g., covering mouth, washing hands)
• Pictures of common air-borne diseases (e.g., child with a cold, runny nose)
• Tissues or handkerchiefs
• Hand sanitizer or soap and water (for demonstration)
• Mp4 player (tablet/phone) for video playback

Rationale for the Lesson

Understanding air-borne diseases helps children learn how germs spread and how to protect themselves and others from getting sick. This lesson promotes essential hygiene habits that contribute to their overall health and well-being in school and at home.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify different parts of their body and have a basic understanding of what it means to be sick or healthy. They may also know simple hygiene practices like washing hands before eating.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

AIR-BORNE DISEASES: MEANING AND EXAMPLES

What are Air-Borne Diseases?

Air-borne diseases are sicknesses that can travel through the air from one person to another. When someone who is sick coughs, sneezes, or even talks, tiny little drops of water (we call them “germs”) come out of their mouth and nose. These tiny germs float in the air, and if another person breathes them in, they can also get sick.

How Air-Borne Diseases Spread

Imagine someone sneezes without covering their mouth. The tiny germs fly into the air. If you are close by, you might breathe in those germs and then you can get a cold too. This is why it’s important to cover our mouth and nose!

Examples of Air-Borne Diseases

Some common sicknesses that spread through the air are:

• Common Cold: Makes your nose runny, you might sneeze and cough.
• Flu (Influenza): Like a bad cold, can make you feel very tired and have a fever.
• Cough: When you cough, germs can fly out.
• Chickenpox: Causes itchy spots all over the body (though many children get vaccinated now).

Important Note for Teachers: The original seed incorrectly listed cholera, diarrhea, and dysentery as air-borne diseases. These are primarily water-borne or food-borne. Please ensure you teach correct examples like common cold, flu, and cough, which are spread through respiratory droplets in the air.

How to Prevent Air-Borne Diseases

We can stop these germs from spreading by:

• Covering our mouth and nose when we cough or sneeze (using a tissue or our elbow).
• Washing our hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing.
• Staying home when we are very sick, so we don’t share our germs with friends.

Key Words

• Air-borne – diseases that travel through the air.
• Germs – tiny things that can make us sick.
• Cough – to push air out of your lungs suddenly, often when you have a cold.
• Sneeze – to suddenly push air out of your nose and mouth.
• Spread – to move from one place or person to another.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Picture of a child sneezing into a tissue.
• Picture of a child washing hands with soap and water.
• Simple drawing of tiny “germs” floating in the air after a sneeze.

Germs Go Away Song

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Lyrics:

Germs, germs, tiny, tiny,
Floating in the air so shiny.
When I cough or when I sneeze,
I will use a tissue, please!
Wash my hands with soap and water,
Germs go away, no more bother!

Actions:

• “Germs, germs, tiny, tiny”: Wiggle fingers in the air.
• “Floating in the air so shiny”: Make floating motions with hands.
• “When I cough or when I sneeze”: Pretend to cough, then sneeze.
• “I will use a tissue, please!”: Pretend to grab a tissue and cover mouth/nose.
• “Wash my hands with soap and water”: Rub hands together as if washing.
• “Germs go away, no more bother!”: Shake hands as if shaking off water.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the song with actions after explaining how germs spread and how to prevent them. Repeat several times to reinforce the message.

Watch and Learn About Germs

The teacher will play a short, child-friendly video about germs and how they spread, emphasizing covering coughs and washing hands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4x9W0046pQ

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them what they do to stay healthy (e.g., eat good food, play, sleep). The teacher then asks what happens when someone gets sick, like a cold or a cough.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond by sharing their ideas about staying healthy and what they know about being sick.

Learning Point: Pupils recall prior knowledge about health and illness.

Step 2: Explaining Air-Borne Diseases

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains in simple terms that some sicknesses can travel through the air. The teacher pretends to sneeze without covering their mouth and asks pupils what they saw (imaginary tiny drops). The teacher introduces the term “air-borne diseases” and explains that it means diseases that spread through the air.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the teacher’s demonstration and listen to the explanation. They repeat the term “air-borne diseases.”

Learning Point: Pupils understand the basic concept of air-borne diseases.

Step 3: Identifying Examples of Air-Borne Diseases

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Identification/Picture Talk

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows pictures of children with common cold symptoms (runny nose, coughing) and explains that the common cold, flu, and cough are examples of air-borne diseases. The teacher asks pupils if they have ever had a cold or cough.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the pictures, identify the symptoms, and share if they have experienced these illnesses. They name the examples after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils identify and name examples of air-borne diseases.

Step 4: How Germs Spread in the Air

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Visualisation/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses a chart or drawing to show how tiny germs come out when someone coughs or sneezes without covering their mouth. The teacher explains that these germs float in the air and can make others sick if they breathe them in. The teacher asks, “How can we stop these germs from flying everywhere?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the chart/drawing and discuss how germs spread. They offer ideas on how to prevent the spread.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the mechanism of germ spread through the air.

Step 5: Practicing Prevention (Rhyme and Demonstration)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Practical Application/Song

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates the correct way to cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbow. Pupils practice this action. The teacher then leads the pupils in singing the “Germs Go Away Song” with actions, reinforcing hand washing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils imitate the teacher’s demonstration of covering coughs/sneezes. They sing the song with actions.

Learning Point: Pupils learn and practice preventive measures against air-borne diseases.

Step 6: Reinforcement through Video/Role-play

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Media Integration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher plays the short video about germs and how to prevent their spread. After the video, the teacher facilitates a brief role-play where one pupil pretends to sneeze and another demonstrates covering their mouth and offering a tissue.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video and then participate in the role-play, practicing good hygiene habits.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of germ prevention through visual and interactive activities.

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. What do we call diseases that travel through the air?
2. Can you name one sickness that spreads through the air? (e.g., cold, flu, cough)
3. Show me how you cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
4. Why is it important to wash our hands after coughing or sneezing?

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: Summary/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them to always practice good hygiene habits to stay healthy and keep their friends healthy. “Remember, no sharing germs!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and acknowledge the importance of the lesson.

Learning Point: Pupils are encouraged to apply learned habits in daily life.

Lesson Keywords

• Air-borne – sicknesses that spread through the air.
• Germs – tiny things that can make us sick.
• Cough – when you push air out of your mouth and nose quickly.
• Sneeze – when you suddenly push air out of your nose and mouth.
• Hygiene – keeping ourselves clean to stay healthy.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle, the teacher can use larger pictures, repeat explanations slowly, and provide hand-over-hand guidance for demonstrating covering coughs. Focus on identifying just one air-borne disease and one prevention method.
• Extension: For quicker learners, the teacher can ask them to explain in their own words why covering a cough is important, or to name another situation where hand washing is important (e.g., after playing, before eating). They can also help lead the rhyme actions.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

It is crucial to correct the factual inaccuracy in the original curriculum seed regarding examples of air-borne diseases. Cholera, diarrhea, and dysentery are primarily water-borne or food-borne, not air-borne. Focus on common air-borne illnesses like the common cold, flu, and cough, which are more relevant and understandable for preschoolers.

Prepare the instructional materials, especially the pictures of symptoms and prevention methods, before the lesson. Ensure tissues or handkerchiefs are available for the demonstration. Emphasize practical demonstrations and allow pupils ample opportunity to practice covering their mouths and washing their hands (or simulating it). The song and video are key for engagement and reinforcement. Observe pupils’ actions during the practical activities to gauge their understanding of proper hygiene.