This Little Pig, Discipline and Why Unnecessary Crying Is Bad for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Second Term
Week: 10
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Songs and Rhymes
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Topic: THIS LITTLE PIG: DISCIPLINE AND WHY UNNECESSARY CRYING IS BAD
Subject Matter: THIS LITTLE PIG. Weekly focus: This Little Pig: Discipline and Why Unnecessary Crying Is Bad.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Recite the rhyme “This Little Pig” with actions.
• Identify the actions of each pig in the rhyme.
• Explain in simple terms what “discipline” means.
• Differentiate between situations where crying is necessary and unnecessary.

Affective Domain

• Listen attentively to the rhyme and discussions.
• Show willingness to follow simple classroom rules.
• Express understanding of why unnecessary crying is not helpful.

Psychomotor Domain

• Perform the actions associated with the “This Little Pig” rhyme.
• Participate in simple role-play scenarios demonstrating disciplined behaviour.

Social Domain

• Take turns when speaking or participating in activities.
• Interact respectfully with the teacher and peers during discussions.

Reference Materials

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

Instructional Materials

• Picture of three pigs
• Chart with the rhyme lyrics for “This Little Pig”
• Flashcards showing happy and sad faces
• Pictures of children showing good behaviour (e.g., sharing, listening) and bad behaviour (e.g., throwing a tantrum, crying over a small issue)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 5-year-olds as it uses a familiar rhyme to introduce the concepts of discipline and appropriate emotional responses. Understanding these helps children develop self-control, follow rules, and communicate their needs effectively, which are crucial skills for school and social interactions.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify common animals, know simple rhymes, and understand basic emotions like happy and sad.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

THIS LITTLE PIG: DISCIPLINE AND WHY UNNECESSARY CRYING IS BAD

The rhyme “This Little Pig” teaches us about different actions and their outcomes, including crying. It helps us think about being disciplined and when it’s okay to cry.

The Rhyme: This Little Pig

Lyrics:

This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none,
And this little piggy cried “Wee, wee, wee!” all the way home.

Actions: Wiggle each toe or finger as you say each line.

Meaning of the Rhyme

• The first piggy was busy, going to market.
• The second piggy was calm, staying home.
• The third piggy was lucky and ate well.
• The fourth piggy didn’t have food but didn’t cry.
• The fifth piggy cried a lot because it had nothing.

Discipline

Discipline means learning to follow rules, listen to adults, and control our actions. It helps us behave well and make good choices.

• Examples of disciplined behaviour: Listening to the teacher, sharing toys, waiting for your turn, saying “please” and “thank you.”

Why Unnecessary Crying Is Bad

Crying is okay when you are truly hurt, sad, or scared. But crying for small things or when you don’t get your way is unnecessary.

• Unnecessary crying: Crying because you want another child’s toy, crying because you don’t want to tidy up, crying over a small bump that doesn’t hurt.
• Why it’s bad: It doesn’t solve the problem, it can make others worried for no reason, and it shows you are not trying to be disciplined.

Key Words

• Discipline – Following rules and behaving well.
• Unnecessary – Not needed or not important.
• Cry – To shed tears, often because of pain or sadness.

Watch and Practise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_l2uWl739k

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and leads a short welcome song. The teacher then shows a picture of pigs and asks pupils if they know any songs about pigs.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, sing along, and share any known songs or ideas about pigs.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and ready to learn about the topic.

Step 2: Rhyme Presentation – “This Little Pig”

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Repetition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the rhyme “This Little Pig” and recites it clearly, demonstrating the actions (wiggling toes/fingers for each pig). The teacher repeats the rhyme two to three times, encouraging pupils to listen and watch the actions.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively to the rhyme and observe the teacher’s actions. Some may attempt to imitate the actions.

Learning Point: Pupils become familiar with the rhyme and its actions.

Step 3: Rhyme Explanation and Discussion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Questioning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher recites the rhyme again, pausing after each line to explain what each “little piggy” did in simple terms. The teacher focuses on the last piggy crying and asks pupils why they think it cried. The teacher then plays the video of the rhyme.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the explanation and answer questions about why the last piggy cried. They watch the video and sing along.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the literal meaning of each line in the rhyme and connect the last pig’s action to crying.

Step 4: Introducing Discipline

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Concept Introduction/Picture Talk

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the word “discipline” and explains it simply as “following rules and behaving well.” The teacher shows pictures of children sharing, listening, and waiting their turn, asking pupils if these are good behaviours.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the explanation of discipline and identify good behaviours in the pictures, saying “yes” or “no.”

Learning Point: Pupils begin to understand the concept of discipline and recognise examples of disciplined behaviour.

Step 5: Discussing Unnecessary Crying

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Discussion/Comparison

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses the example of the last piggy crying to discuss why unnecessary crying is bad. The teacher shows flashcards of happy and sad faces and asks when it’s okay to cry (e.g., when hurt) and when it’s not (e.g., not getting a toy). The teacher explains that unnecessary crying doesn’t solve problems.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in the discussion, distinguishing between necessary and unnecessary crying, and sharing their thoughts on why it’s not good to cry unnecessarily.

Learning Point: Pupils learn to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate reasons for crying and understand the negative impact of unnecessary crying.

Step 6: Role-play and Application

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Role-play/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents simple scenarios (e.g., a child wants another’s toy, a child is asked to pack up) and asks pupils to role-play a disciplined response versus crying unnecessarily. The teacher guides them to show good behaviour.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils take turns role-playing the scenarios, demonstrating how to handle situations with discipline rather than unnecessary crying.

Learning Point: Pupils practise applying the concepts of discipline and avoiding unnecessary crying in practical situations.

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. Can you recite the rhyme “This Little Pig” with actions?
2. Which piggy cried “Wee, wee, wee!” all the way home?
3. What does it mean to be disciplined? (Give a simple example).
4. Is it good to cry when you don’t get your way? Why or why not?

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: Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises pupils for their participation and reminds them to always try to be disciplined and only cry when truly necessary. The teacher leads a closing song.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to praise and sing the closing song.

Learning Point: Pupils leave with a reinforced understanding of the lesson’s key messages.

Lesson Keywords

• Pig – A common farm animal.
• Market – A place where people buy and sell things.
• Discipline – Learning to follow rules and behave well.
• Unnecessary – Not needed or not important.
• Cry – To shed tears, often because of pain or sadness.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle with the rhyme, provide one-on-one repetition and guide their hand/finger movements. Use larger pictures for visual cues. Simplify explanations of discipline and crying with fewer words and more direct examples.
• Extension: For pupils who grasp the concepts quickly, ask them to identify other situations where crying is unnecessary or to suggest other ways to show discipline in the classroom or at home. Encourage them to lead the actions for the rhyme.