Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have all materials ready: straws, water, detergent, a balloon, and a paper fan. The central idea for pupils is that air is all around us, invisible, but can be felt and makes things move. Pupils will show successful learning by actively participating in blowing activities, making bubbles, and describing how they feel the air.

Class: Pre-School Level 2
Term: Second Term
Week: 5
Age: 3 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Pre-Science
Curriculum Theme: Pre-Science
Previous Lesson: Observing the environment and identifying common objects.
Topic: AIR: Meaning, Properties and Evidence of Air
Subject Matter: AIR. Description of Air: Invisible But Can Be Felt. Air As a Substance That Occupies Space.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Identify air as something that cannot be seen.
State that air can be felt.
Name objects that need air to function (e.g., balloon, football).

Affective Domain

Show curiosity about the existence and properties of air.
Participate actively and with interest in air-related activities.

Psychomotor Domain

Blow air through a straw to make bubbles in water.
Demonstrate feeling air using a paper fan or by blowing with their mouth.

Take turns and share materials during group activities, such as making bubbles.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 2
Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources

Instructional Materials

Straws
Water
Liquid detergent (e.g., dish soap)
Small bowls or cups
A balloon
A paper fan
Pictures of a football, bicycle tyre, or a real deflated/inflated football/tyre (optional)
Charts/Posters showing things that use air (e.g., kite, windmill, inflated tyre)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps 3-year-olds understand a fundamental part of their environment – air. By engaging in hands-on activities, pupils learn that even though air is invisible, it is real, can be felt, and occupies space, connecting abstract concepts to their everyday experiences and senses.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can breathe in and out, feel the wind, and have observed objects moving due to wind (e.g., leaves, clothes on a line).

Lesson Content/Board Summary

AIR: Meaning, Properties and Evidence of Air

Air is all around us!

Meaning of Air: Air is the invisible stuff that surrounds us everywhere. We cannot see it with our eyes.
Properties of Air:
- Air cannot be seen (it is invisible).
- Air can be felt (when it blows on our skin).
- Air takes up space (it fills things up).
Evidence of Air (How we know air is there):
- We breathe air in and out.
- When we blow with our mouth, we feel air.
- A paper fan makes air move, and we feel it.
- Air fills up a balloon and makes it big.
- Air fills up footballs and car tyres to make them hard.
- When we blow into water with detergent, air makes bubbles!

Key Words

Air – The invisible stuff all around us.
Invisible – Cannot be seen.
Feel – To sense with our skin.
Blow – To push air out of our mouth.
Bubble – A ball of air covered in soap film.

Air Everywhere Rhyme

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Lyrics:

Air, air, everywhere we go,
Cannot see it, but we know.
Feel it blowing, soft and light,
Makes our balloons big and bright.
Air, air, everywhere we go,
Cannot see it, but we know.

Actions: Point all around, shake head “no” for “cannot see”, gently wave hands for “feel it blowing”, make a big circle with hands for “big and bright”.

Watch and Learn About Air

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S08j0l3N-0Q

💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary

How to teach the content: Explain that air is invisible by asking pupils to look around and tell you if they see anything. Then, demonstrate how air can be felt by blowing on their hands or using a fan. Use the balloon to show that air takes up space. Relate these concepts to their breathing and familiar objects like footballs.

What to show or demonstrate: Inflate a balloon to show air occupies space. Use a paper fan to create air movement. Blow gently on pupils’ hands so they can feel the air. Show how to make bubbles using the straw, water, and detergent.

How to use the rhyme/song: Sing the “Air Everywhere Rhyme” several times with the pupils, encouraging them to perform the actions. Use it as a transition or reinforcement activity.

How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to learn more about air. Play the video “What is Air? | The Dr. Binocs Show” for the pupils. After watching, ask simple questions like “What did Dr. Binocs say about air?” or “Can you see air?” to check for understanding.

What to watch for: Observe if pupils are able to feel the air, understand that it is invisible, and actively participate in the bubble-making activity. Ensure they are blowing gently into the straw and not sucking the detergent.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning
Demonstration
Guided Practice
Songs and Rhymes
Practical Activity
Question and Answer
Observation

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Motivation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and leads them in a short “Good Morning” song. The teacher then asks, “What do we do to live?” (Breathe). “What do we breathe?” (Air). “Can you see the air?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, sing along, and attempt to answer the questions, looking around for air.

Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the concept of air and its invisibility.

Step 2: Meaning of Air (Invisible)

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains, “Air is all around us, but we cannot see it. It is invisible!” The teacher asks pupils to look around again and confirm they cannot see air. The teacher demonstrates breathing in and out, asking pupils to do the same.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, look around, and imitate the teacher breathing in and out.

Learning Point: Pupils understand that air is invisible.

Step 3: Air Can Be Felt

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Practical Demonstration/Sensory Experience

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher takes out a paper fan and fans it, saying, “Even though we can’t see air, we can feel it!” The teacher fans the air towards pupils, then asks them to blow on their own hands. “What do you feel?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils feel the air from the fan, blow on their hands, and describe what they feel (e.g., “wind,” “something cold”).

Learning Point: Pupils discover that air can be felt.

Step 4: Air Occupies Space

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Explanation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows a deflated balloon and then slowly inflates it. “Look! The balloon is getting bigger! What is filling it up?” The teacher explains, “Air is going inside and taking up space.” The teacher can also show a picture of a football or bicycle tyre and explain they are filled with air.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the balloon inflating and listen to the explanation. They may point to the balloon getting bigger.

Learning Point: Pupils understand that air occupies space.

Step 5: Practical Activity – Making Bubbles

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Activity/Observation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes small bowls with water and detergent and straws. The teacher demonstrates how to gently blow through the straw into the water to make bubbles. “When we blow, air comes out and makes bubbles! The bubbles are full of air!” The teacher supervises pupils as they make bubbles.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils carefully blow through straws into the water and detergent, making bubbles and observing them.

Learning Point: Pupils see evidence of air taking up space in bubbles.

Step 6: Rhyme and Video Reinforcement

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the “Air Everywhere Rhyme” again with actions. The teacher then plays the short video about air, asking pupils to pay attention to what they see and hear.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions and watch the video attentively.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of air through song and visual aids.

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 see air?” (Expected: “No” or shake head).
“How do you know air is there?” (Expected: “I can feel it,” “It makes bubbles,” “It fills the balloon”).
“Blow on your hand. What do you feel?”
“What fills up a balloon to make it big?”

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/Closing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly summarizes that air is invisible but important, and we can feel it and see its effects. The teacher praises pupils for their participation and leads them in a closing song.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and sing the closing song.

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and end the lesson positively.

Lesson Keywords

Air – The invisible gas all around us that we breathe.
Invisible – Something that cannot be seen.
Feel – To sense something with your skin, like the wind.
Bubble – A thin film of soap enclosing air, made by blowing.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils who struggle to understand, provide more one-on-one demonstration of feeling air with the fan or blowing on their hands. Guide their hand-over-hand during the bubble-making activity. Use larger, more colourful pictures of objects that need air.
Extension: Encourage advanced pupils to describe in their own words how they know air exists. Ask them to name other things that move because of air (e.g., leaves on trees, clothes on a line). Challenge them to blow bubbles of different sizes.