Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, gather a good quantity of clean, smooth stones of various sizes for pupils to handle safely. The central idea is for pupils to understand that stones have practical uses like counting and building, and to learn about the historical use for making fire, while strictly observing safety rules against throwing stones or playing with fire. Successful learning will be observed when pupils can use stones to count, mention a use of stones, and state the safety rule about not throwing stones.

Class: Pre-School Level 3
Term: Third Term
Week: 7
Age: 4 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Basic Science and Technology
Curriculum Theme: Basic Science and Technology
Previous Lesson: Identifying and naming common objects around us.
Topic: Stones
Subject Matter: Uses of stones for counting, building and making fire.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Identify stones.
Count objects (stones) up to 10.
Perform simple addition and subtraction with stones.
Mention at least two uses of stones (e.g., counting, building).

Affective Domain

Appreciate the usefulness of stones.
Listen attentively to safety instructions.

Psychomotor Domain

Manipulate stones for counting and sorting.
Demonstrate how stones can be arranged to represent building.

Participate in group activities involving stones.
Understand and adhere to safety rules regarding stones.

Reference Materials

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

Instructional Materials

A collection of clean, smooth stones.
Picture cards showing houses built with stones.
Picture cards showing fire being made (e.g., flint and steel, or traditional fire-making).
Number cards (1-10).
A small mat or tray for counting activities.

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson introduces young children to the practical uses of common natural objects like stones, fostering an understanding of their environment. It helps develop early numeracy skills through hands-on counting and basic operations, while also instilling crucial safety awareness regarding potentially dangerous objects.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify common objects and have some basic understanding of counting small numbers.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Stones: What They Are and Their Uses

Stones are hard, solid pieces of rock found on the ground, in rivers, or by the sea. They come in different sizes and shapes.

Uses of Stones

For Counting:
- We can use stones to count how many objects we have.
- Example: Put 3 stones here, then add 2 more stones. How many stones altogether? (3 + 2 = 5 stones).
- Example: Start with 5 stones, take away 1 stone. How many stones are left? (5 – 1 = 4 stones).
For Building:
- Stones are strong and are used to build houses, walls, and roads.
- They make buildings very strong and last a long time.
For Making Fire:
- A long, long time ago, people used to rub two special stones together very fast to make sparks.
- These sparks could start a fire for cooking and warmth.
- Important Safety: Making fire with stones is dangerous and only for adults. Children must never try to make fire.

Safety with Stones

Never throw stones at people or animals. It can cause serious injury.
Never throw stones at windows or cars.
Only play with stones when an adult is watching and tells you it is safe.

Key Words

Stones – Hard pieces of rock.
Count – To find out how many there are.
Build – To make something like a house or wall.
Fire – Hot flame that gives light and heat.
Safe – Not in danger, protected from harm.

Stone Counting Rhyme

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Lyrics:

Stones, stones, big and small,
We can count them, one and all.
One, two, three, four, five,
See how many stones arrive.
Stones for building, strong and grand,
But never throw them from your hand!

Actions:

“Stones, stones, big and small”: Show different sizes with hands.
“We can count them, one and all”: Point to stones.
“One, two, three, four, five”: Count on fingers or touch stones.
“See how many stones arrive”: Open hands.
“Stones for building, strong and grand”: Make building motion with hands.
“But never throw them from your hand!”: Shake head and wag finger.

Watch and Count

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_n7xR8Wf_E

💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary

How to teach the content: Introduce the stones by letting pupils touch and observe them. Explain what stones are simply. For uses, demonstrate counting with actual stones, moving them into groups for addition and taking them away for subtraction. Use picture cards to show houses built with stones. When discussing fire-making, emphasize that it’s a historical use and strictly an adult activity, stressing the danger for children. For safety, clearly explain and demonstrate what not to do with stones.

What to show or demonstrate: Show different sizes and textures of stones. Demonstrate counting out stones, adding them together, and taking them away. Show pictures of stone houses and historical fire-making. Physically demonstrate the ‘no throwing’ action.

How to use the rhyme/song: Teach the “Stone Counting Rhyme” by singing it slowly first, then repeating it with the actions. Encourage pupils to join in the counting and actions. Repeat the rhyme several times throughout the lesson to reinforce the uses and safety message.

How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to practice counting with stones. Play the video, encouraging pupils to count along with the numbers shown. After watching, ask pupils what they saw and have them practice counting their own stones again.

What to watch for: Observe if pupils can correctly count stones, perform simple addition/subtraction, and if they understand the safety warnings. Correct any attempts to throw stones immediately and gently.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Manipulation of Objects, Repetition, Practical Activity.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Motivation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and shows them a basket of stones. “Good morning, children! Look what I have here today! What are these?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings and identify the stones. “Stones!”

Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the lesson topic and become familiar with the instructional material.

Step 2: Exploring Stones and Counting

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Observation/Numeracy

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes a small handful of stones to each pupil. “Touch the stones. Are they smooth or rough? Can you count how many stones you have?” The teacher guides pupils to count their stones, helping with number recognition.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils touch and observe the stones, then attempt to count the stones they have, with teacher’s help.

Learning Point: Pupils develop sensory awareness and practice basic counting skills with concrete objects.

Step 3: Stones for Addition and Subtraction

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates simple addition and subtraction using stones. “If I have 2 stones and I add 1 more stone, how many do I have now? (Count together). Now, if I have 4 stones and I take away 2 stones, how many are left?” The teacher guides pupils to do the same with their own stones.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the teacher’s demonstration and then practice simple addition and subtraction with their stones under guidance.

Learning Point: Pupils begin to understand basic addition and subtraction concepts using physical objects.

Step 4: Other Uses of Stones (Building and Fire)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Picture Talk

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows pictures of houses built with stones and explains how stones are used for building. The teacher then shows a picture of fire-making with stones, explaining its historical use but strongly cautioning that it is dangerous for children and only for adults.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the pictures, listen to the explanations, and verbally acknowledge the safety warning about fire.

Learning Point: Pupils learn about other practical and historical uses of stones and understand fire safety.

Step 5: Safety First!

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Safety Education

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher firmly explains the dangers of throwing stones. “Stones can hurt people and break things. We must NEVER throw stones at anyone or anything.” The teacher leads the “never throw them from your hand” action from the rhyme.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the safety instructions and practice the safety action, repeating “Never throw stones!”

Learning Point: Pupils learn and internalize the important safety rule regarding stones.

Step 6: Rhyme and Video Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Auditory/Visual Learning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the class in singing the “Stone Counting Rhyme” with actions. Then, the teacher plays the short video on counting with stones and encourages pupils to count along.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions and watch the video, counting along with the visuals.

Learning Point: The rhyme and video reinforce the uses of stones for counting and the safety message in an engaging way.

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.

“Show me 3 stones.”
“If you have 2 stones and I give you 2 more, how many do you have?”
“What is one thing we can use stones for?”
“What should we NEVER do with stones?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate by showing stones or giving answers.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Summarizing/Dismissal

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them that stones are useful but must be handled safely. “Well done, everyone! Remember, stones help us count and build, but we must always be safe with them.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and tidy up their stones, placing them back in the basket.

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and understand the importance of safe handling of objects.

Lesson Keywords

Stones – Hard pieces of rock found in nature.
Count – To say numbers in order to find the total quantity of something.
Build – To construct something, like a house or a wall.
Fire – Heat and light produced by burning.
Safety – Being protected from danger or harm.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils struggling with counting, provide fewer stones (e.g., 1-3) and offer hand-over-hand guidance. Use larger, more distinct stones. Repeat counting exercises slowly with individual attention.
Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the concepts, challenge them with slightly larger numbers (e.g., counting up to 10 or 12), or ask them to create simple patterns with their stones. Ask them to name another place where they might see stones being used (e.g., in a garden, for decoration).