Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, prepare a chart of the “Sing a Song of Sixpence” rhyme, pictures of children performing duties (e.g., tidying, helping parents), and pictures illustrating safety rules (e.g., looking both ways, not talking to strangers). The central idea for pupils is to understand that children have duties at home and school, and that being careful helps keep them safe. Observe pupils as they sing the rhyme, discuss duties, and identify safety practices.

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 7
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Songs and Rhymes
Curriculum Theme: Songs and Rhymes
Previous Lesson: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Topic: SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE: CHILDREN’S DUTIES AND SAFETY AWARENESS
Subject Matter: SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE. Weekly focus: Sing a Song of Sixpence: Children’s Duties and Safety Awareness.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Recite the rhyme “Sing a Song of Sixpence” with some accuracy.
Identify and mention at least two duties children can perform at home or school.
State at least two reasons why it is important to be careful and safety-conscious.

Affective Domain

Show enthusiasm while singing the rhyme.
Appreciate the importance of helping others and staying safe.
Listen attentively to discussions about duties and safety.

Psychomotor Domain

Perform simple actions related to the rhyme.
Demonstrate how to be careful in a given situation (e.g., walking, sitting).

Participate in group discussions about children’s duties and safety.
Take turns to share their ideas.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
Early Childhood Care and Education curriculum resources

Instructional Materials

Chart of “Sing a Song of Sixpence” rhyme
Pictures of a bird, money, bread (as mentioned in the rhyme)
Pictures showing children performing duties (e.g., tidying toys, helping set the table)
Pictures illustrating safety rules (e.g., looking both ways, not talking to strangers, not touching hot objects)
Real objects like a toy bird, play money, a slice of bread

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 5-year-olds as it uses a familiar rhyme to introduce concepts of responsibility and self-preservation. Understanding children’s duties helps foster a sense of belonging and contribution within the family and school, while safety awareness equips them with basic knowledge to protect themselves from common dangers, promoting their overall well-being and development.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify common objects, follow simple instructions, and have heard simple rhymes or songs before.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE: CHILDREN’S DUTIES AND SAFETY AWARENESS

The Rhyme: Sing a Song of Sixpence

Tune: Traditional Nursery Rhyme Tune

Lyrics:

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds,
Baked in a pie.

When the pie was opened,
The birds began to sing;
Wasn’t that a dainty dish,
To set before the king?

The king was in his counting-house,
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlour,
Eating bread and honey.

The maid was in the garden,
Hanging out the clothes,
Along came a blackbird,
And pecked off her nose.

Actions:

“Sing a song of sixpence”: Pretend to sing.
“A pocket full of rye”: Pat pocket.
“Four and twenty blackbirds”: Hold up fingers to count.
“Baked in a pie”: Make a round shape with hands.
“When the pie was opened”: Open hands wide.
“The birds began to sing”: Wiggle fingers like birds flying, make singing sounds.
“The king was in his counting-house”: Pretend to count money.
“The queen was in the parlour”: Pretend to eat.
“The maid was in the garden”: Pretend to hang clothes.
“Along came a blackbird”: Flap hands like a bird.
“And pecked off her nose”: Point to nose.

Children’s Duties

Children have important jobs to do at home and at school, just like the maid in the rhyme was hanging out clothes. These are called duties or responsibilities.

At Home:
- Helping Mummy/Daddy with simple chores (e.g., tidying toys, putting shoes away, helping to set the table).
- Keeping their room neat and clean.
- Being polite and respectful to elders.
At School:
- Keeping their classroom tidy.
- Putting away learning materials after use.
- Listening to the teacher and following rules.

Safety Awareness

Being safe means being careful and knowing how to protect ourselves from danger. Even though the blackbird pecked the maid’s nose in the rhyme, it reminds us to be aware of our surroundings and potential dangers.

Be Careful:
- Look where you are going when you walk or run.
- Do not play with sharp objects or fire.
- Do not run with scissors or pencils.
- Do not play near hot stoves or electrical sockets.
Know What to Do:
- Always tell a trusted adult (Mummy, Daddy, Teacher) if you are hurt or see something unsafe.
- Do not talk to strangers or accept things from them.
- Look both ways before crossing the road (even with an adult).
- Do not touch animals you don’t know.

Watch and Sing Along

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4t_xGg5QeA

Key Words

Sixpence – An old type of coin.
Duties – Jobs or responsibilities that children have to do.
Safety – Being protected from danger or harm.
Careful – Paying attention to avoid danger or mistakes.

💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary

How to teach the content: Introduce the rhyme by showing the pictures of the bird, money, and bread. Read the rhyme from the chart slowly, pointing to the words. Explain unfamiliar words simply. After singing, discuss the characters and their actions. Use the “maid hanging clothes” as a springboard to discuss children’s duties. Use the “blackbird pecking nose” part to transition into general safety awareness, emphasizing being careful and knowing who to tell if there’s danger, rather than focusing on the violence of the rhyme. Use the key words to reinforce vocabulary.

What to show or demonstrate: Show the chart of the rhyme. Demonstrate the actions for each line. Show pictures of children performing duties and following safety rules. Use real objects (toy bird, play money, bread) to make the rhyme more concrete.

How to use the rhyme/song: Sing the rhyme multiple times with pupils, encouraging them to join in with the actions. Repeat lines that are difficult. Use it as a fun way to start and end discussions on duties and safety.

How to use the video: Introduce the video as another way to see and hear the rhyme. Play the video once for pupils to watch. After watching, encourage pupils to sing along with the video, paying attention to the actions and words. Discuss what they saw and heard, linking it back to duties and safety.

What to watch for: Observe if pupils are able to follow the actions and sing along. Check for their understanding of “duties” by asking for examples they do at home. Listen for their ability to mention simple safety rules and the importance of telling an adult.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning
Demonstration
Guided Practice
Songs and Rhymes
Picture Talk
Question and Answer
Discussion
Imitation

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and starts with a warm-up song or chant. The teacher then shows pictures of a bird, money, and bread, asking pupils to identify them. The teacher tells pupils they will learn a fun rhyme about these things and more.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, participate in the warm-up, and identify the pictures shown by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and introduced to the lesson’s theme.

Step 2: Presentation of the Rhyme

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Recitation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays the “Sing a Song of Sixpence” chart. The teacher reads the rhyme aloud clearly, line by line, pointing to the words. The teacher then sings the rhyme with simple actions, modelling for the pupils.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively to the rhyme and watch the teacher’s actions.

Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the rhyme and its tune.

Step 3: Discussion on Children’s Duties

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils about the characters in the rhyme, especially the maid. “What was the maid doing?” (Hanging out clothes). The teacher explains that this was a duty. The teacher then shows pictures of children performing various duties at home and school and asks pupils to mention some duties they do.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the maid’s activity and mention duties they perform at home (e.g., tidying toys, helping Mummy).

Learning Point: Pupils understand the concept of duties and can identify some of their own.

Step 4: Discussion on Safety Awareness

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Awareness/Problem-solving

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly mentions the blackbird pecking the maid’s nose in the rhyme (without dwelling on the violence) and uses it to discuss being careful. The teacher shows pictures of various safety scenarios (e.g., crossing the road, not touching hot objects, not talking to strangers) and discusses why it’s important to be careful and what to do in each situation.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils discuss the importance of being careful and suggest simple safety rules (e.g., “Don’t touch fire,” “Tell Mummy”).

Learning Point: Pupils understand the importance of safety and can identify basic safety rules.

Step 5: Guided Practice – Singing and Actions

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Repetition/Imitation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher plays the verified YouTube video of “Sing a Song of Sixpence.” The teacher then leads the pupils in singing the rhyme again, encouraging them to perform the actions together. The teacher provides support and correction as needed.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video, sing along with the teacher, and perform the actions for the rhyme.

Learning Point: Pupils confidently recite the rhyme with actions.

Step 6: Application – Identifying Duties and Safety Rules

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils to individually mention one duty they will do at home today and one safety rule they remember. The teacher gives positive feedback.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils individually mention a duty and a safety rule.

Learning Point: Pupils apply the learned concepts to their daily lives.

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 sing the first verse of ‘Sing a Song of Sixpence’?”
“Mention one duty you have at home.”
“Why is it important to be careful?”
“Show me how you would look both ways before crossing a road.”

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: Summarization

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the lesson by reminding pupils that singing rhymes is fun, and that we all have duties to help others and must always be careful to stay safe. The teacher encourages them to practice the rhyme and their duties at home.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and repeat key messages.

Learning Point: Pupils recall the main points of the lesson.

Lesson Keywords

Sixpence – An old type of coin.
Duties – Jobs or responsibilities that children have to do.
Safety – Being protected from danger or harm.
Careful – Paying attention to avoid danger or mistakes.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils struggling to remember the rhyme, the teacher can use hand-over-hand actions, repeat lines slowly, or have them focus only on the actions. For understanding duties and safety, use more concrete examples and larger, clearer pictures.
Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the concepts, encourage them to identify more duties they can do or suggest additional safety rules for different situations (e.g., playing in the park, at the market). They can also lead the class in singing the rhyme.