Note for teachers using this lesson plan
Before the lesson, prepare clear pictures of a church, a mosque, and a traditional shrine or grove, and ensure you have a way to play the suggested video. The central idea for pupils is to recognise that people worship in different ways and places, and to respectfully demonstrate a simple action of worship. Observe pupils as they point to pictures and imitate simple worship gestures.
Class: Pre-School Level 2
Term: Second Term
Week: 2
Age: 3 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Social Habits
Curriculum Theme: Social Habits
Previous Lesson: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Topic: Three Major Religions in Nigeria
Subject Matter: Three major religions in Nigeria and their modes of worship.
Specific Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:
Cognitive Domain
- Identify pictures of a church, a mosque, and a traditional shrine.
- Name the three major religions in Nigeria (Christianity, Islam, Traditional African Religion).
- State the worship place for each religion.
Affective Domain
- Show respect for different ways people worship.
- Listen attentively as the teacher explains.
Psychomotor Domain
- Demonstrate a simple mode of worship (e.g., folding hands, bowing head, prostrating, dancing).
- Point to pictures of different worship places.
Social Domain
- Participate in group activities and discussions about different religions.
Reference Materials
- NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 2
- Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources
Instructional Materials
- Charts and posters showing pictures of a church, a mosque, and a traditional shrine/grove.
- Pictures of people praying, singing, or dancing in worship.
- Audio or video clips of simple worship songs or chants (optional).
- Play items for role-playing worship actions (e.g., small mat, toy book).
Rationale for the Lesson
This lesson introduces young children to the concept of different religions and ways of worship in Nigeria. It helps them understand and respect the diversity in their community from an early age, fostering social awareness and tolerance as they grow.Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Pupils can identify different people and places in their community. They know that people do different things.Lesson Content/Board Summary
Three Major Religions in Nigeria and Their Modes of Worship
In Nigeria, many people believe in God or a higher power, and they worship in different ways. The three main religions we see are: 1. Christianity: * Worship Place: Church * How they worship: Christians go to church to pray, sing songs, and listen to stories from the Bible. They might fold their hands, kneel, or bow their heads when they pray. 2. Islam: * Worship Place: Mosque * How they worship: Muslims go to the mosque to pray. They prostrate (bow down) on a mat and say their prayers. They also listen to teachings from the Quran. 3. Traditional African Religion (TAR): * Worship Place: Shrines or Sacred Groves * How they worship: People who follow Traditional African Religion worship in special places like shrines or sacred groves. They might offer things, sing, dance, and tell stories to their ancestors or spirits. No matter how people worship, it is important to respect everyone’s beliefs.Key Words
- Religion – How people believe in God or a higher power.
- Church – A place where Christians worship.
- Mosque – A place where Muslims worship.
- Shrine – A special place where followers of Traditional African Religion worship.
- Pray – To talk to God or a higher power.
Our Worship Song
Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
Lyrics:
People worship, big and small,
God is good, for one and all.
Some go church, some go mosque,
Some go shrine, to do their task.
Praying, singing, dancing too,
God loves me, and God loves you!
Actions:
- “People worship, big and small”: Make a big gesture, then a small gesture.
- “God is good, for one and all”: Point up, then sweep hands around.
- “Some go church, some go mosque”: Point left for church, point right for mosque.
- “Some go shrine, to do their task”: Make a circular motion with hands.
- “Praying, singing, dancing too”: Fold hands, then tap mouth, then wiggle body.
- “God loves me, and God loves you!”: Hug self, then point to a friend.
Watch and Learn About Worship Places
💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary
How to teach the content: Use the pictures of the church, mosque, and shrine to introduce each religion. Explain in simple terms where they worship and what they do there. Emphasize that these are different ways people show love to God or a higher power.
What to show or demonstrate: Display the pictures prominently. Demonstrate simple actions like folding hands for prayer, bowing the head, or a simple prostration gesture (without requiring pupils to actually prostrate, just show the action). You can also show a simple dance step for traditional worship.
How to use the rhyme/song: Sing the “Our Worship Song” multiple times with the actions. Encourage pupils to join in the actions and simple words. This helps reinforce the idea of different worship styles in a fun, engaging way.
How to use the video: Introduce the video as a way to see more places where people worship. Play the video “Places of Worship for Kids” (Kids Learning Tube). After watching, ask pupils to name some places they saw and what people were doing there. Encourage them to imitate simple actions they observed.
What to watch for: Observe if pupils can distinguish between the pictures of the worship places and if they can demonstrate a simple, respectful worship action. Correct any misconceptions gently and reinforce the message of respect for all beliefs.
Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques
Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Role-play, Imitation, Repetition.Instructional Procedures
Step 1: Introduction
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Engagement/Motivation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils, sings a familiar welcome song, and then introduces the topic by showing pictures of different worship places (church, mosque, shrine) without naming them yet. The teacher asks, “What do you see in these pictures? Where do you think people go to talk to God?”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher, sing along, and look at the pictures, making simple observations like “house” or “people praying.”
Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the idea that people go to different places to worship.
Step 2: Presentation – Christianity
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher holds up the picture of a church and says, “This is a church. People who are Christians go to church. They pray by folding their hands and singing songs.” The teacher demonstrates folding hands and bowing head.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the picture, listen to the teacher, and imitate folding their hands and bowing their heads.
Learning Point: Pupils learn about Christianity, the church, and a simple mode of worship.
Step 3: Presentation – Islam
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher holds up the picture of a mosque and says, “This is a mosque. People who are Muslims go to the mosque. They pray by prostrating on a mat.” The teacher demonstrates a simple prostration gesture (bowing low without touching the floor, or kneeling briefly).
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the picture, listen to the teacher, and try to imitate the simple bowing/kneeling gesture.
Learning Point: Pupils learn about Islam, the mosque, and a simple mode of worship.
Step 4: Presentation – Traditional African Religion
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Discussion
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher holds up the picture of a shrine or sacred grove and says, “Some people worship in special places like this, called a shrine or sacred grove. They might sing and dance to show respect.” The teacher makes a simple dancing motion.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the picture, listen, and imitate the simple dancing motion.
Learning Point: Pupils learn about Traditional African Religion, its worship places, and a simple mode of worship.
Step 5: Reinforcement – Rhyme and Video
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Repetition/Visual Aid
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Our Worship Song” with actions. Then, the teacher plays the short video “Places of Worship for Kids” to show more examples of different worship places and actions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the song with actions and watch the video, pointing to things they recognise.
Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of different worship places and actions through song and visual examples.
Step 6: Pupil Application/Demonstration
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Role-play
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils, “How do you worship at home or in your church/mosque?” The teacher encourages pupils to demonstrate a simple action of worship they are familiar with, reminding them to be respectful of others’ ways.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils take turns demonstrating a simple worship action (e.g., folding hands, bowing head, making a prostration gesture, or a simple dance step).
Learning Point: Pupils actively demonstrate their understanding of different worship modes.
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.
- “Point to the church.” (Teacher shows pictures of all three worship places).
- “Point to the mosque.”
- “Point to the shrine.”
- “Show me how someone might pray in a church.”
- “Show me how someone might pray in a mosque.”
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: Summarization
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises by saying, “Today we learned that people in Nigeria worship in different ways and places. It is good to know about them and to respect everyone’s way of worship.” The teacher leads a closing song.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and sing the closing song.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the importance of respecting different religions.
Lesson Keywords
- Religion – How people believe in God or a higher power.
- Church – A place where Christians worship.
- Mosque – A place where Muslims worship.
- Shrine – A special place where followers of Traditional African Religion worship.
- Pray – To talk to God or a higher power.
- Worship – Showing love and respect to God or a higher power.
Differentiation
- Support: For pupils who need extra support, use larger, clearer pictures and focus on identifying just one or two worship places. Provide more hand-over-hand guidance for demonstrating worship actions. Repeat key words and phrases slowly and clearly.
- Extension: For pupils who grasp the concepts quickly, ask them to identify other places of worship they might have seen or heard about. Encourage them to describe one action of worship in their own words.
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