Note for teachers using this lesson plan
Before the lesson, prepare clear, colourful pictures or real objects representing various community institutions like a school, market, hospital, church/mosque, and police station. The central idea for pupils is to recognise these places and understand that different people do different important things in them. Ensure a safe, open space for pupils to move and engage in simple role-play activities. Observe if pupils can name at least two social institutions and briefly say what happens there.
Class: Pre-School Level 3
Term: First Term
Week: 10
Age: 4 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Civic Education
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Practising Cultural Activities Through Folktales, Tales by Moonlight and Ewi
Topic: SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Subject Matter: Meaning and examples of social institutions in the community.
Specific Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:
Cognitive Domain
- Discuss the simple meaning of social institutions.
- Name at least three examples of social institutions in their community.
- Identify pictures of different social institutions.
Affective Domain
- Participate actively in discussions about community places.
- Show appreciation for the different roles people play in social institutions.
Psychomotor Domain
- Point to pictures of various social institutions when named.
- Engage in simple role-play related to community places.
Social Domain
- Share ideas and take turns when discussing community institutions.
- Cooperate with peers during group activities.
Reference Materials
- NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 3.
- Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources.
Instructional Materials
- Chart showing different social institutions (e.g., school, market, hospital, church/mosque, police station, eatery).
- Posters with pictures of people working in these institutions.
- Picture cards of various community places.
- Toy vehicles (e.g., toy school bus, ambulance, police car).
- Audio device for playing songs.
Rationale for the Lesson
Learning about social institutions helps 4-year-olds understand the different places in their community and the important work people do there. It fosters a sense of belonging and helps them recognise how various parts of the community function together, preparing them for active participation as they grow.
Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Pupils are familiar with their immediate environment, their family, and their school. They can recognise common places they visit in their neighbourhood.
Lesson Content/Board Summary
Meaning and Examples of Social Institutions in the Community
Social institutions are special places in our community where people come together to do important things for everyone. They help us learn, stay healthy, buy things, worship, and stay safe.
Examples of Social Institutions:
- School: A place where children learn and teachers teach. (e.g., your school)
- Market: A place where people buy and sell food, clothes, and other things.
- Hospital/Clinic: A place where sick people go to get well, and doctors and nurses help them.
- Church/Mosque: A place where people go to worship God.
- Police Station: A place where police officers work to keep us safe.
- Eatery/Restaurant: A place where people go to eat food.
- Palace: A place where a traditional ruler (like an Oba or Emir) lives and works.
- Stadium: A large place where people watch sports or other big events.
- Museum: A place where old and important things are kept for people to see and learn from.
Key Words
- Community – all the people and places in our neighbourhood.
- Institution – a special place or organisation that does important work.
- School – where we learn.
- Market – where we buy and sell.
- Hospital – where we get help when sick.
Our Community Places Song
Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”
Lyrics:
The school in our town, helps us learn and grow,
Learn and grow, learn and grow.
The school in our town, helps us learn and grow,
All through the town.
The market in our town, helps us buy our food,
Buy our food, buy our food.
The market in our town, helps us buy our food,
All through the town.
The hospital in our town, helps us when we’re sick,
When we’re sick, when we’re sick.
The hospital in our town, helps us when we’re sick,
All through the town.
Actions: For “school,” pretend to write. For “market,” pretend to hold a basket. For “hospital,” pretend to feel your forehead.
Watch and Learn About Community Places
💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary
How to teach the content: Introduce “social institutions” by explaining they are important places where people help each other. Use simple language and connect to pupils’ experiences. For each example, show a large picture and ask, “What is this place? What do people do here?”
What to show or demonstrate: Display a chart or posters with clear pictures of a school, market, hospital, church/mosque, police station, and eatery. Point to each picture as you name the institution and describe its function. Use toy vehicles (e.g., school bus, ambulance) to represent some institutions.
How to use the rhyme/song: Sing “Our Community Places Song” together, demonstrating the actions for each verse. Repeat the song several times, encouraging pupils to join in and perform the actions. You can add more verses for other institutions as time allows.
How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to see more community places. After watching, ask pupils to name some places they saw in the video and what they remember about them. Encourage them to point to the corresponding pictures on the chart if available.
What to watch for: Observe if pupils can name at least two institutions and understand their basic function. Look for active participation in singing and discussion. Correct any misconceptions about the purpose of each place gently.
Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques
- Play-based Learning
- Demonstration
- Guided Practice
- Picture Talk
- Question and Answer
- Role-play
- Repetition
- Songs and Rhymes
Instructional Procedures
Step 1: Introduction
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Engaging/Recalling
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets pupils and starts by asking them about places they visit with their parents, like the market or their church/mosque. “Good morning, children! Where do you go with Mummy or Daddy sometimes?”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond by naming familiar places they visit.
Learning Point: Pupils recall familiar places in their community.
Step 2: Presentation – Meaning of Social Institutions
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explaining/Illustrating
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the term “social institutions” simply: “Today, we will learn about special places in our community where people come together to do important things for everyone. We call them social institutions.” The teacher shows a chart with various institutions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and look at the chart, repeating “social institutions” after the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the simple meaning of social institutions.
Step 3: Presentation – Examples of Social Institutions
Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Naming/Describing
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher points to pictures of specific institutions (School, Market, Hospital, Church/Mosque, Police Station, Eatery) one by one. For each, the teacher names it and asks, “What do people do here?” and gives a simple explanation.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the pictures, name the institutions after the teacher, and try to say what happens there.
Learning Point: Pupils learn names and basic functions of various social institutions.
Step 4: Guided Practice – Identifying Institutions
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Guiding/Reinforcing
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher holds up picture cards of different institutions and asks pupils to identify them. “Who can tell me what this place is?” The teacher encourages pupils to point to the correct picture on the main chart.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils take turns identifying the institutions from the picture cards and pointing to them on the chart.
Learning Point: Pupils practice identifying and naming social institutions.
Step 5: Reinforcement – Song and Video
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Engaging/Consolidating
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing “Our Community Places Song” with actions. Afterwards, the teacher plays the short educational video about community places, encouraging pupils to watch and identify familiar places.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the song with actions and watch the video, trying to spot places they know.
Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding through song and visual media.
Step 6: Application – Simple Role-play
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Facilitating/Applying
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils to do a simple action related to an institution. “Let’s pretend we are at the market, buying yam!” or “Let’s pretend we are at school, reading a book!”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils imitate the actions for different institutions as guided by the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils apply their understanding through imaginative 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.
- “What is a social institution?” (Guide them to say “a special place where people do important things”).
- “Name two places in our community where people do important things.”
- The teacher shows pictures of a hospital and a school. “Point to the hospital. Point to the school.”
- “What do we do in a school?”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate.
Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.
Step 8: Conclusion
Time: 2 minutes
Teaching Skill: Summarizing/Ending
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises pupils for their participation and briefly reminds them that all these places help our community. The teacher leads the class in singing “Our Community Places Song” one last time.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s praise and sing the song happily.
Learning Point: Pupils consolidate learning and feel a sense of accomplishment.
Lesson Keywords
- Community – all the people and places around us.
- Institution – a special place that does important work.
- School – where children learn.
- Market – where we buy and sell things.
- Hospital – where sick people get help.
- Police Station – where police keep us safe.
Differentiation
- Support: For pupils who need extra help, use fewer examples and larger, very clear pictures. Provide more repetition of names and functions. Allow them to simply point to institutions without naming them verbally.
- Extension: For pupils who grasp the concept quickly, encourage them to name more institutions or describe in one simple sentence what happens there. Ask them to name one person who works in a particular institution (e.g., “Who works in a school?”).
Community Join the conversation Open discussion +