Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, prepare pictures or real objects like a nail clipper, comb, soap, and a clean towel. The central idea for pupils is to understand that keeping their body parts clean and safe helps them stay healthy and avoid injuries. Ensure a clear space for any movement activities. Successful learning will be observed when pupils can identify simple safety rules for their fingernails, hair, legs, and hands, and demonstrate some of these practices.

Class: Pre-School Level 3
Term: First Term
Week: 9
Age: 4 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Health Habits
Curriculum Theme: Health Habits
Previous Lesson: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Topic: Personal Safety Rules
Subject Matter: Personal Safety Rules for Fingernails, Hair, Legs and Hands

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Define safety in simple terms.
Identify safety rules for fingernails.
State safety rules for hair.
List safety rules for legs and hands.

Affective Domain

Appreciate the importance of keeping their body parts safe.
Show willingness to follow safety rules.

Psychomotor Domain

Demonstrate how to wash hands properly.
Show how to keep fingernails clean.

Discuss with peers how to maintain good healthy practices.
Participate in group activities related to personal safety.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 3
Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources

Instructional Materials

Chart showing pictures of children following safety rules for fingernails, hair, legs, and hands
Posters illustrating good hygiene practices
Real objects: nail clipper, comb, soap, small towel
Video clip on personal safety for children

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 4-year-olds as it teaches them fundamental personal safety rules for their body parts. Understanding these rules helps children prevent common injuries and illnesses, fostering a sense of responsibility for their own well-being and promoting healthy habits from an early age.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify some parts of their body and may have basic knowledge of keeping clean, such as washing hands before eating.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Personal Safety Rules for Fingernails, Hair, Legs and Hands

What is Safety?

Safety means keeping ourselves away from harm or danger. Safety rules are things we do to stay safe.

1. Safety Rules for Fingernails:

Keep your fingernails short and clean.
Do not bite your fingernails.
Do not use sharp objects near your nails.
Always tell an adult if your nail gets hurt.

Why? To stop germs from spreading, avoid scratches, and prevent pain.

2. Safety Rules for Hair:

Keep your hair neat and clean.
Do not pull your own hair or other people’s hair.
Do not put sharp things like pencils or sticks in your hair.
Always tell an adult if your hair gets tangled or hurts.

Why? To avoid tangles, pain, and injury to your head.

3. Safety Rules for Legs:

Walk carefully, especially indoors. Do not run inside the classroom.
Look where you are going to avoid bumping into things or people.
Do not kick your friends or other people.
Always tell an adult if your leg gets hurt from a fall.

Why? To avoid falling, getting bumps, and hurting others.

4. Safety Rules for Hands:

Wash your hands often with soap and water.
Do not put your hands in your mouth, nose, or eyes, especially when they are dirty.
Do not hit your friends or other people with your hands.
Do not touch hot things or sharp objects like knives or broken glass.
Always tell an adult if your hand gets hurt.

Why? To stop germs from spreading, avoid getting sick, and prevent cuts or burns.

Key Words

Safety – keeping away from harm or danger.
Rules – things we must do.
Clean – free from dirt.
Injuries – harm or damage to the body.

Our Safety Song

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Lyrics:

Keep our nails all short and neat,
Wash our hands, a happy treat.
Hair so clean, no pulling, no,
Safe with hands, where e’er we go.
Legs walk gently, don’t you run,
Safety rules are lots of fun!

Actions:

“Keep our nails all short and neat” – Pretend to clip nails.
“Wash our hands, a happy treat” – Rub hands together as if washing.
“Hair so clean, no pulling, no” – Pat head, then shake finger “no.”
“Safe with hands, where e’er we go” – Hold hands out safely.
“Legs walk gently, don’t you run” – Gently march in place.
“Safety rules are lots of fun!” – Clap hands happily.

Watch and Learn About Safety

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm_D9a1s1bE

💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary

How to teach the content: Explain “safety” simply using examples like “don’t touch hot stove.” Discuss each body part’s safety rules one by one, using the pictures and real objects. Emphasize why each rule is important in child-friendly language. Encourage pupils to share their own experiences or ask questions.

What to show or demonstrate: Show a nail clipper and explain its use (only with an adult). Demonstrate how to comb hair gently. Model careful walking and gentle hand use. Show how to wash hands properly using soap and water.

How to use the rhyme/song: Introduce the “Our Safety Song” after discussing all the safety rules. Sing it together several times with actions to reinforce the message. Encourage pupils to join in the actions and repeat the lines.

How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to learn more about keeping safe. Play the video and encourage pupils to watch for examples of good safety habits. After watching, ask simple questions about what they saw and what they learned about keeping safe.

What to watch for: Observe if pupils understand the concept of “safety” and can connect specific actions to keeping safe. Watch for their participation in discussions and demonstrations. Correct any misconceptions gently and reinforce positive safety behaviours.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Discussion, Practical Activity.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Recalling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets pupils and asks them what they do to stay healthy (e.g., eat food, sleep). The teacher then introduces the idea of “safety” by asking, “What does it mean to be safe?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings and share their ideas about staying healthy. They listen and try to answer what “safe” means.

Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the concept of safety.

Step 2: Explanation of Safety Rules

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Illustrating

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains “safety” in simple terms as “keeping ourselves from harm or danger.” The teacher then introduces the topic: “Today, we will learn safety rules for our fingernails, hair, legs, and hands.” The teacher uses a chart to show pictures of safe and unsafe actions.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively to the explanation and observe the pictures on the chart, pointing to safe actions.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the simple meaning of safety and the topic of the lesson.

Step 3: Safety Rules for Fingernails and Hair

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstrating/Guiding

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows a nail clipper and a comb. The teacher explains and demonstrates safety rules for fingernails (keep short, clean, don’t bite) and hair (keep neat, clean, don’t pull). The teacher guides pupils to discuss why these rules are important.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the demonstrations, discuss the rules, and practice showing how to keep their nails clean and hair neat.

Learning Point: Pupils learn and discuss safety rules for fingernails and hair.

Step 4: Safety Rules for Legs and Hands

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Facilitating

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains and models safety rules for legs (walk carefully, don’t kick) and hands (wash hands, don’t hit, don’t touch hot/sharp things). The teacher uses a bar of soap and a small towel to demonstrate handwashing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, observe the demonstrations, and practice gentle walking and handwashing gestures.

Learning Point: Pupils learn and practice safety rules for legs and hands.

Step 5: Rhyme and Video Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcing/Engaging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing “Our Safety Song” with actions. Then, the teacher introduces and plays the short video on personal safety, asking pupils to watch for good habits.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the song with actions and watch the video, identifying safety actions.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their learning through song and visual media.

Step 6: Group Discussion and Application

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Encouraging/Applying

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher divides pupils into small groups and asks them to discuss one safety rule they learned and how they can follow it at home or school. The teacher walks around to facilitate discussions.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils discuss in their groups and share one safety rule they will try to follow.

Learning Point: Pupils apply the safety rules to their daily lives.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.

What does “safety” mean?
Show me how you keep your fingernails clean.
What should you do instead of running inside the classroom?
Why should we wash our hands often?

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/Encouraging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises pupils for their participation and reminds them to always follow safety rules to stay healthy and happy. The teacher ends the lesson with a final safety chant.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to praise and repeat the safety chant.

Learning Point: Pupils are encouraged to practice safety rules daily.

Lesson Keywords

Safety – keeping away from harm or danger.
Rules – things we must do.
Clean – free from dirt.
Injuries – harm or damage to the body.
Fingernails – the hard covering at the end of our fingers.
Hair – the strands growing on our head.
Hands – body parts used for holding and touching.
Legs – body parts used for standing and walking.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils who need extra help, the teacher can use larger pictures, repeat explanations more slowly, or provide hand-over-hand guidance for actions like pretending to wash hands. Focus on one or two key safety rules at a time.
Extension: For pupils who grasp the concepts quickly, the teacher can ask them to identify other body parts that need safety rules (e.g., eyes, mouth) or to suggest another safety rule for one of the body parts discussed. They can also lead the class in singing the safety song.