Meaning of Sickness, Types and Symptoms for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: First Term
Week: 7
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Basic Science and Technology
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Understanding different parts of the body and their functions.
Topic: SICKNESS: MEANING, TYPES AND SYMPTOMS
Subject Matter: SICKNESS Definition, types and symptoms. Weekly focus: Sickness: Meaning, Types and Symptoms.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Explain the simple meaning of sickness.
• Identify at least two common types of sickness.
• Name at least two symptoms of sickness.

Affective Domain

• Share their experiences of when they were sick.
• Understand the importance of telling an adult when they feel unwell.

Psychomotor Domain

• Point to pictures showing different sickness symptoms.
• Act out simple symptoms like coughing or holding their stomach.

Social Domain

• Listen respectfully when others share their experiences.
• Participate in discussions about feeling unwell.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
• Early Childhood Care and Education curriculum resources
• Relevant early-years science workbook

Instructional Materials

• Charts showing healthy and sick children
• Posters with pictures of common sicknesses (e.g., fever, cough, stomach ache) and their symptoms (e.g., vomiting, hot body, runny nose)
• Pictures of children exhibiting different symptoms (e.g., holding head, lying down, coughing)
• Clean water, soap (for hygiene discussion)

Rationale for the Lesson

Understanding sickness is important for young children to recognise when their bodies are not feeling well and to communicate their discomfort to adults. This lesson helps pupils learn about common illnesses and their signs, promoting self-awareness and the habit of seeking help, which are crucial for their health and safety.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify different parts of their body and have a basic understanding of feeling good or bad.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

SICKNESS: MEANING, TYPES AND SYMPTOMS

Meaning of Sickness

Sickness means when our body does not feel well or strong. It means we are not healthy. Sometimes we feel pain, or our body feels hot, or we feel tired.

• When we are sick, we cannot play or learn well.
• It is important to tell Mummy, Daddy, or Teacher when we feel sick.

Types of Sickness

There are many types of sickness. Some common ones for children are:

• Fever: When the body feels very hot.
• Cough: When we make a sound from our throat and chest.
• Stomach Ache: When our tummy hurts.
• Headache: When our head hurts.
• Malaria: A sickness that makes us feel hot, tired, and sometimes makes our head hurt.

Symptoms of Sickness

Symptoms are signs that our body shows when we are sick. They tell us what is wrong.

• Hot Body (Fever): The body feels very warm to touch.
• Coughing: Making a “cough, cough” sound.
• Runny Nose: Water or mucus coming from the nose.
• Vomiting: Throwing up food from the stomach.
• Dizziness: Feeling like the room is spinning or you might fall.
• Loss of Appetite: Not wanting to eat food.
• Body Pain: Feeling aches in different parts of the body.
• Tiredness: Feeling very sleepy and having no energy to play.

Key Words

• Sickness – when our body does not feel well.
• Symptoms – signs our body shows when we are sick.
• Fever – when our body is hot.
• Cough – a sound from our throat.
• Vomiting – throwing up food.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Display charts and pictures of children looking sick with different symptoms.
• Point to the parts of the body affected by symptoms (e.g., head for headache, tummy for stomach ache).

Tell an Adult Rhyme

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Oh, my tummy hurts, oh dear!
Mummy, Daddy, I feel queer.
Body hot and head feels bad,
Feeling weak and very sad.
Tell an adult, don’t delay,
So they can help me feel okay!

Actions:
Oh, my tummy hurts, oh dear! (Hold tummy, frown)
Mummy, Daddy, I feel queer. (Point to self, look confused)
Body hot and head feels bad, (Touch forehead, then head)
Feeling weak and very sad. (Slump shoulders, look sad)
Tell an adult, don’t delay, (Point to an imaginary adult)
So they can help me feel okay! (Give a thumbs up, smile)

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme together, encouraging pupils to do the actions. Emphasize the importance of telling an adult when they feel unwell.

Watch and Learn About Sickness

Let’s watch a short video about what happens when we get sick and how to feel better.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Role-play, Discussion, Visual Aids.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Greeting

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them how they are feeling today. The teacher introduces the topic of sickness by asking, “Has anyone ever felt sick before? How did your body feel?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the greeting and share brief answers about feeling well or unwell.

Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the topic of sickness and recall personal experiences.

Step 2: Meaning of Sickness

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Concept Building

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the simple meaning of sickness: “Sickness means when our body is not feeling well or strong. It means we are not healthy. When we are sick, we might feel pain or very tired.” The teacher shows pictures of healthy children playing and sick children resting.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the explanation and observe the pictures, pointing to the healthy and sick children.

Learning Point: Pupils understand that sickness means not feeling well.

Step 3: Discussing Types of Sickness

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Identification/Categorization

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces common types of sickness using simple language and pictures. “Sometimes we have a fever (hot body), sometimes we cough, or our tummy hurts (stomach ache), or our head hurts (headache).” The teacher points to relevant pictures on charts.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the pictures and repeat the names of the sicknesses after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils can identify common types of sickness.

Step 4: Identifying Symptoms

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Observation/Description

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what symptoms are (signs our body shows when we are sick). The teacher then describes and demonstrates common symptoms, guiding pupils to point them out on charts: “When we have a fever, our body feels hot (touch forehead). When we cough, we make a sound (demonstrate cough). If we vomit, food comes out of our mouth (make a ‘bleh’ sound). Dizziness means feeling like the room is spinning.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, point to symptoms on the charts, and try to act out simple symptoms like coughing or holding their head/stomach.

Learning Point: Pupils connect symptoms to specific sicknesses and can describe what they mean.

Step 5: Rhyme and Video Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the “Tell an Adult Rhyme” with actions. After the rhyme, the teacher plays the short educational video about sickness and feeling better, encouraging pupils to watch carefully.

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

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of sickness and the importance of telling an adult through song and visual media.

Step 6: Pupil Sharing and Discussion

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Discussion/Sharing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher encourages pupils to share their experiences when they were sick. “Who remembers a time they felt sick? What happened? What did Mummy or Daddy do?” The teacher emphasizes that it is good to tell an adult when they don’t feel well.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils share their personal experiences of sickness with the class, listening to their peers.

Learning Point: Pupils practice communicating about their health and understand the importance of seeking help.

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 does it mean to be sick?
2. Mention two types of sickness common in your community (e.g., fever, cough, stomach ache).
3. Name two signs or symptoms that show someone is sick (e.g., hot body, coughing, vomiting).
4. What should you do if you feel sick?

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate (e.g., pointing to a symptom on a chart).

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Summarization

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the lesson by reminding pupils that it’s important to keep clean, eat good food, and always tell an adult if they feel sick so they can get help and feel better quickly.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and repeat the key message about telling an adult when sick.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the importance of hygiene and seeking help for sickness.

Lesson Keywords

• Sickness – when your body is not well.
• Symptoms – signs that show you are sick.
• Fever – when your body feels very hot.
• Cough – a sound you make when something is in your throat or chest.
• Vomiting – when food comes out of your mouth from your stomach.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle, use larger, clearer pictures. Provide more one-on-one repetition of key terms like “sickness” and “symptoms”. Guide their hands to point to symptoms on charts. Focus on identifying just one type of sickness and one symptom.
• Extension: For pupils who grasp the concepts quickly, ask them to suggest simple ways to prevent sickness (e.g., washing hands, eating fruits). Ask them to name more symptoms or types of sickness they know. Encourage them to draw a picture of themselves feeling sick and then feeling better.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Prepare the charts, posters, and pictures beforehand to make the lesson visual and engaging. When discussing sickness, use a calm and reassuring tone to avoid scaring the children. Emphasize that feeling sick is normal sometimes, and the most important thing is to tell a trusted adult (parent, guardian, teacher) so they can help. Encourage pupils to share their experiences but ensure they feel safe and comfortable doing so, without pressure. Observe pupils’ non-verbal cues for understanding, such as pointing correctly to symptoms or acting them out. The goal is for children to understand what sickness means, recognise common signs, and know to seek help.