Meaning of Simple Courtesy and How to Greet Politely for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 2
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Personal Development
Curriculum Theme: Personal Development
Previous Lesson: Understanding and showing respect to elders and peers.
Topic: SIMPLE COURTESY: GREETING POLITELY
Subject Matter: Meaning of simple courtesy and how to greet politely.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Define simple courtesy in their own words.
• Identify appropriate polite greetings for different times of the day.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the importance of greeting politely.
• Show willingness to greet others with courtesy.

Psychomotor Domain

• Demonstrate polite greetings for boys (bowing, shaking hands).
• Demonstrate polite greetings for girls (kneeling, shaking hands).

Social Domain

• Participate in role-play scenarios involving polite greetings.
• Interact respectfully with teachers and peers using courteous greetings.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
• Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources
• Picture charts showing children greeting

Instructional Materials

• Video clips on polite greetings
• Charts displaying different greetings (e.g., “Good morning,” “Good afternoon”)
• Pictures of children greeting adults and peers
• Flashcards with greeting words

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 5-year-olds as it teaches them fundamental social skills. Learning simple courtesy and polite greetings helps children develop respect for others, build positive relationships, and feel more confident in social interactions, which are crucial for their personal and social development.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils have some basic understanding of good manners and how to interact with people around them, such as saying “please” and “thank you.”

Lesson Content/Board Summary

SIMPLE COURTESY: GREETING POLITELY

Simple Courtesy means showing good manners and being kind and respectful to others. It is about treating people nicely.

When you are courteous, you make others feel happy and respected.

Greeting Politely means saying hello or welcome to someone in a kind and respectful way. It shows that you acknowledge them and respect them.

Examples of Polite Greetings:

• Good morning: We say this in the morning when we first see people.
• Good afternoon: We say this in the afternoon.
• Good evening: We say this in the evening.
• Hello: A general greeting.
• How are you? We ask this to show we care.

How Boys and Girls Greet Politely (Nigerian Context):

• Boys:
  • Can bow slightly, especially to elders.
  • Can offer a handshake (gentle, firm, not too strong).
  • Can say “Good morning, Sir/Ma’am” or “Good afternoon, Uncle/Aunty.”
• Girls:
  • Can kneel slightly (curtsy) when greeting elders.
  • Can offer a handshake (gentle).
  • Can say “Good morning, Ma’am/Sir” or “Good afternoon, Mummy/Daddy.”
• It is polite to look at the person you are greeting.

Key Words

• Courtesy – showing good manners and respect.
• Politely – in a respectful and kind way.
• Greet – to say hello to someone.
• Respect – showing honour and care for someone.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• A chart with “Good morning,” “Good afternoon,” “Good evening” written clearly, with corresponding pictures (e.g., sun rising, sun high, moon).
• Pictures of children bowing, kneeling, and shaking hands.

Greeting Song

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Good morning, good morning, dear friends,
Let’s greet each other, let’s make amends.
Good afternoon, good afternoon, too,
Polite greetings for me and for you.
Good evening, good evening, so bright,
Greeting politely, day and night.

Actions:

• “Good morning, good morning”: Wave hand, then point to friends.
• “Let’s greet each other”: Shake hands with a neighbour.
• “Good afternoon, good afternoon”: Point to the sky.
• “Polite greetings for me and for you”: Point to self, then to others.
• “Good evening, good evening”: Cup hands like a moon.
• “Greeting politely, day and night”: Bow/curtsy.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the song together, demonstrating the actions. Encourage pupils to sing along and perform the actions, especially the bowing/kneeling part, to reinforce the concept of polite greetings.

Watch and Practise

The teacher will show a short video clip demonstrating polite greetings and good manners.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Recalling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly, “Good morning, children! How are you all today?” and asks them how they usually greet people at home and in school. The teacher shows pictures of children greeting.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s greeting and share how they greet people.

Learning Point: Pupils recall prior knowledge of greetings and are introduced to the lesson topic.

Step 2: Explanation of Simple Courtesy

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Defining

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what “simple courtesy” means using simple language and examples. “Simple courtesy means being kind and respectful to others, like saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, and greeting people politely.” The teacher shows charts with courteous actions.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and repeat the phrase “simple courtesy” and some examples.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the meaning of simple courtesy.

Step 3: Introducing Polite Greetings

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstrating/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces different polite greetings: “Good morning,” “Good afternoon,” “Good evening.” The teacher demonstrates saying each greeting clearly and shows the corresponding pictures on charts. The teacher also plays the “Greeting Song” and leads pupils in singing and actions.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, repeat the greetings, and sing along with the song, performing the actions.

Learning Point: Pupils learn and practise different polite greetings.

Step 4: Cultural Ways of Greeting

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstrating/Guiding

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains and demonstrates how boys and girls typically greet elders politely in Nigerian culture (e.g., boys bowing, girls kneeling, gentle handshakes). The teacher uses pictures to illustrate.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the demonstrations and practise bowing (boys) and kneeling (girls) to the teacher and to each other in pairs, under supervision.

Learning Point: Pupils understand and practise culturally appropriate polite greetings.

Step 5: Video and Discussion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Visual Learning/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher plays the video clip on polite greetings. After the video, the teacher asks pupils what they observed and what new ways of greeting they saw.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video and share their observations and new things they learned about greetings.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding through visual aids and discussion.

Step 6: Role-Play and Application

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Facilitating/Applying

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher sets up simple role-play scenarios (e.g., greeting a visitor, greeting a parent, greeting a friend). The teacher encourages pupils to take turns demonstrating polite greetings.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in role-play, demonstrating polite greetings they have learned.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their knowledge of polite greetings in practical scenarios.

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 “simple courtesy” mean?
2. Say “Good morning” to your friend.
3. Show me how a boy/girl greets an elder politely.
4. Why is it important to greet politely?

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: Summarising/Reinforcing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them to always use polite greetings and show courtesy to everyone they meet. “Remember, good children always greet politely!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils acknowledge the teacher’s remarks and promise to practise polite greetings.

Learning Point: Pupils are encouraged to apply the lesson in their daily lives.

Lesson Keywords

• Courtesy – showing good manners and respect to others.
• Politely – doing something in a kind and respectful way.
• Greet – to say hello or welcome someone.
• Respect – showing honour and care for someone, especially elders.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle, the teacher will provide more one-on-one demonstration and guided practice, focusing on one greeting at a time. Use larger pictures and repeat the “Greeting Song” more often. Encourage peer support.
• Extension: For quicker learners, the teacher can ask them to identify other situations where courtesy is important (e.g., saying “excuse me,” “please,” “thank you”) or to demonstrate greeting more than one person at a time.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure all charts, pictures, and the video clip are ready. Practise the demonstrations of bowing and kneeling so you can model them clearly and correctly. Emphasize that polite greetings are a sign of respect and good manners. Encourage pupils to look at the person they are greeting. For the role-play, ensure a positive and encouraging environment. Observe pupils’ actions during the role-play and practice sessions, as their ability to demonstrate the greetings is the key indicator of understanding. Remind pupils that a gentle handshake is appropriate, not a firm grip. Repeat the “Greeting Song” throughout the week to reinforce the concept.