Meaning of Our Neighbours and Living in Peace for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Second Term
Week: 5
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Social Habits
Curriculum Theme: Social Habits
Previous Lesson: Showing Respect to Elders
Topic: OUR NEIGHBOURS: MEANING AND LIVING IN PEACE
Subject Matter: OUR NEIGHBOURS – Meaning of neighbour – Why we should be at peace with our neighbours. Weekly focus: Our Neighbours: Meaning and Living in Peace.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Define a neighbour in simple terms.
• State at least two reasons why we should live peacefully with our neighbours.

Affective Domain

• Express positive feelings towards their neighbours.
• Appreciate the importance of living in peace with others.

Psychomotor Domain

• Mention the names of at least two of their neighbours.
• Demonstrate simple friendly gestures towards a “neighbour” during role-play (e.g., greeting, sharing).

Social Domain

• Participate in discussions about neighbours and peaceful living.
• Share ideas on how to be a good neighbour.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4.
• Early Childhood Care and Education resources on social development.
• Picture books illustrating community and friendship.

Instructional Materials

• Picture of a house with people living nearby.
• Flashcards showing children greeting, sharing, and playing together.
• Puppets or dolls for role-play.
• Chart with simple rules for living peacefully.

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 5-year-olds as it introduces them to the concept of community beyond their immediate family. Understanding who a neighbour is and why peaceful coexistence is vital helps children develop empathy, social skills, and a sense of belonging, preparing them for positive interactions in their wider environment.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify members of their immediate family and understand basic social greetings like “Good morning” and “Thank you.” They also know how to share toys and take turns.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

OUR NEIGHBOURS: MEANING AND LIVING IN PEACE

What is a Neighbour?

A neighbour is someone who lives very close to our house. They live in the houses next to ours or on our street.

• They can be children or grown-ups.
• We see them often.

Why Should We Live in Peace with Our Neighbours?

Living in peace means being friendly, kind, and not fighting with our neighbours. It is important because:

• We can help each other: If someone needs help, our neighbours can assist.
• We can play together: Children can have friends to play with.
• We feel safe and happy: When everyone is friendly, our community is a good place to live.
• We can share: Sometimes we share things like fruits or stories.

How to Live Peacefully with Our Neighbours

We can live in peace by:

• Greeting them: Say “Good morning” or “Good afternoon.”
• Sharing: Share toys or snacks when playing together.
• Helping: Offer to help with small tasks, like picking up something they dropped.
• Being kind: Use kind words and gentle hands.
• Having endurance and tolerance: This means being patient and understanding if a neighbour does something we don’t like, instead of getting angry or fighting. We can talk about it calmly or tell a grown-up.
• Playing nicely: Don’t make too much noise or disturb them.

Key Words

• Neighbour – Someone who lives close to us.
• Peace – Being friendly and not fighting.
• Greet – To say hello.
• Share – To give a part of something to someone else.
• Help – To do something useful for someone.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

The teacher should display the picture of a house with people living nearby. Point to different houses and explain that the people in them are neighbours. The teacher can also draw simple stick figures greeting each other or sharing on the board.

Our Neighbour Song

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

My neighbour, my neighbour, lives so near,
We greet each other, full of cheer.
“Hello friend!” and “How are you?”
Kind words we say, me and you.
My neighbour, my neighbour, lives so near,
We live in peace, no need to fear!

Actions:
Line 1: Point to a nearby imaginary house.
Line 2: Wave hand in greeting.
Line 3: Shake hands with an imaginary friend.
Line 4: Smile and nod.
Line 5: Point to nearby imaginary house again.
Line 6: Hug self, then make a peace sign with fingers.

How to use the rhyme: The teacher leads the song with actions, encouraging pupils to sing along and perform the actions. Repeat several times to reinforce the message of greeting and peaceful living.

Watch and Learn About Neighbours

The teacher will show a short video about neighbours and being friendly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Qx3d5oK90

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Recalling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly and asks them about the people who live in their homes. “Who lives with you at home?” Then, “Do you know who lives in the house next to yours?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond by naming family members. Some may mention people living next door.

Learning Point: Pupils recall family members and begin to think about people living nearby.

Step 2: Meaning of a Neighbour

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Identifying

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains simply, “A neighbour is someone who lives very close to our house, maybe next door or on our street.” The teacher displays the picture of a house and people. “Look at this picture. These people live close to each other, so they are neighbours.” The teacher then asks, “Can you tell me the name of at least two neighbours you know?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and point to the picture. They then try to mention the names of two of their neighbours.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the meaning of a neighbour and can identify their own neighbours.

Step 3: Why Live in Peace?

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Discussing/Reasoning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks, “Do you like to play with your neighbours? Do you like to be friendly with them or fight?” The teacher explains that it’s good to live in peace with neighbours because we can help each other, play together, and feel safe. “When we are peaceful, everyone is happy.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond if they like their neighbours and if they prefer playing or fighting. They listen to the reasons for peaceful living.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the benefits of living in peace with neighbours.

Step 4: Ways to Live Peacefully

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstrating/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows flashcards of children greeting, sharing, and helping. “We can live in peace by saying ‘hello’ (demonstrates a wave), sharing our toys (pretends to share), and helping them (pretends to pick something up).” The teacher emphasizes patience and understanding (endurance and tolerance) with simple examples like, “If a neighbour accidentally spills water, we don’t shout, we help them clean it.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the flashcards and imitate the teacher’s gestures for greeting, sharing, and helping.

Learning Point: Pupils learn practical ways to show kindness and live peacefully with neighbours.

Step 5: Song and Video Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Singing/Visual Learning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Our Neighbour Song” with actions. After the song, the teacher plays the short video about neighbours and being friendly, asking pupils to observe how the children in the video interact.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the song with actions and watch the video, pointing out friendly actions they see.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce the lesson through song and visual examples.

Step 6: Role-Play Activity

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Facilitating/Role-playing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses puppets or dolls to set up a simple scenario: “One puppet is a neighbour, and the other is you. What would you say or do when you see your neighbour?” The teacher guides pupils to practise greeting, sharing, or helping in a simple role-play.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils take turns using the puppets or role-playing with a classmate to demonstrate greeting, sharing, or helping a “neighbour.”

Learning Point: Pupils apply their understanding of peaceful neighbourly interactions in a practical way.

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. Who is a neighbour? (Point to the picture and ask)
2. Mention the name of one of your neighbours.
3. Why should we live in peace with our neighbours? (Give one reason)
4. Show me how you would greet your neighbour.

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

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarizes the lesson by reminding pupils, “Remember, our neighbours live close by, and it’s very important to be friendly, kind, and live in peace with them. Always greet them and be ready to help.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and repeat key phrases like “Be friendly to neighbours.”

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate the main message of the lesson.

Lesson Keywords

• Neighbour – Someone who lives near your house.
• Peace – Being friendly and not fighting with others.
• Greet – To say hello to someone.
• Share – To let someone else use or have a part of something you have.
• Help – To do something good for someone.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle to name neighbours, the teacher can ask them to point to a house near theirs and simply say “my neighbour lives there.” Use larger pictures and repeat the song and actions more frequently. Provide hand-over-hand guidance during role-play if needed.
• Extension: For quicker learners, the teacher can ask them to name more than two neighbours, or to suggest other ways they can be good neighbours (e.g., “What if your neighbour is sad? What can you do?”). They can also draw a picture of themselves with a neighbour.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have the picture of a house and people, flashcards, and puppets ready. Test the video link to ensure it plays smoothly. The main idea for children to grasp is that neighbours live close by and being friendly and peaceful makes everyone happy and safe. Encourage pupils to mention their actual neighbours’ names to make the lesson concrete. Observe how pupils interact during role-play to assess their understanding of friendly gestures. Repeat the song and actions often, as repetition aids memory in young children. For shy pupils, gently prompt them or allow them to participate in a small group. Emphasize that “endurance and tolerance” means being patient and understanding, and always telling a grown-up if there’s a problem, rather than fighting.