Yoruba People, Dress, Language and Cultural Identity for Pre-School Level 2

Class: Pre-School Level 2
Term: Second Term
Week: 8
Age: 3 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Social Habits
Curriculum Theme: Social Habits
Previous Lesson: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Topic: YORUBA PEOPLE: DRESS, LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL IDENTITY
Subject Matter: IDENTIFYING the THREE MAJOR ETHNIC GROUPS IN NIGERIA (Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo). Weekly focus: Yoruba People: Dress, Language and Cultural Identity.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify Yoruba people on a chart.
• Name one or two items of traditional Yoruba dress.
• Recognise and repeat a simple Yoruba greeting.

Affective Domain

• Show interest in learning about Yoruba culture.
• Appreciate the diversity of people in Nigeria.

Psychomotor Domain

• Point to Yoruba dress on the ethnic groups chart.
• Participate in a simple Yoruba song with actions.

Social Domain

• Discuss with peers about different types of dress.
• Participate in group activities related to cultural identity.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 2.
• Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) resources.

Instructional Materials

• Chart showing men and women wearing attire of the major ethnic groups in Nigeria (Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo).
• Pictures of Yoruba food (e.g., Amala, Eba).
• Pictures of Yoruba musical instruments (e.g., talking drum).

Rationale for the Lesson

Learning about the Yoruba people helps 3-year-olds understand that Nigeria is made up of different groups of people with unique ways of dressing and speaking. This lesson fosters an early appreciation for cultural diversity and helps children begin to understand their community and national identity in a fun and engaging way.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils are aware that there are different people in their community and may have seen different types of clothes worn by people around them.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

YORUBA PEOPLE: DRESS, LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL IDENTITY

Nigeria’s Major Ethnic Groups

• Nigeria is a big country with many different groups of people.
• The three biggest groups are the Yoruba, the Hausa, and the Igbo.
• Yoruba people live mostly in the South-West part of Nigeria.

Yoruba People

• They are known for their rich culture and traditions.
• They are friendly and welcoming people.

Yoruba Dress

• Yoruba men often wear a big gown called Agbada and a cap called Fila.
• Yoruba women wear a wrapper called Iro, a blouse called Buba, and a headtie called Gele.

Yoruba Language

• The language spoken by Yoruba people is called Yoruba.
• Some simple Yoruba greetings:
  • Ẹ kaarọ (Eh kah-ah-roh) – Good morning
  • Ẹ nle (Eh n-leh) – Hello (used when greeting adults or elders)

Yoruba Cultural Identity

• Food: Popular Yoruba foods include Amala, Eba, and Iyan (pounded yam).
• Music: They have special musical instruments like the talking drum (Gangan) and Sekere.
• Festivals: They celebrate many festivals, like the Eyo Festival and Osun Osogbo Festival.

Key Words

• Yoruba – A group of people in Nigeria.
• Agbada – A large gown worn by Yoruba men.
• Iro – A wrapper worn by Yoruba women.
• Gele – A headtie worn by Yoruba women.
• Ẹ kaarọ – Good morning in Yoruba.

Yoruba People Song

Tune: “Are You Sleeping, Brother John?”

Lyrics:

Yoruba people, Yoruba people,
Dress so fine, dress so fine,
Agbada and Iro, Agbada and Iro,
“Ẹ kaarọ”, “Ẹ kaarọ”!

Actions: Point to self, then to the chart for dress, then bow slightly for “Ẹ kaarọ”.

Watch and Learn Yoruba Greetings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa-xI9o-x8Q

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

• Play-based Learning
• Demonstration
• Picture Talk
• Songs and Rhymes
• Question and Answer
• Guided Practice
• Video Presentation

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them if they know that Nigeria has many different kinds of people. “Today, we will learn about some special people in Nigeria!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings and show excitement for the new topic.

Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the idea of different people in Nigeria.

Step 2: Introducing Major Ethnic Groups

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Visual Recognition/Identification

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays the chart showing the three major ethnic groups (Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo). “Look at this chart! These are some of the big groups of people in Nigeria. We have Yoruba people, Hausa people, and Igbo people.” The teacher points to each group.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the chart and listen as the teacher names the groups. They may point along with the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise the visual representation of the three major ethnic groups.

Step 3: Focus on Yoruba Dress

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Description/Naming

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher focuses on the Yoruba section of the chart. “Today, we will learn about the Yoruba people! Look at their beautiful clothes. Yoruba men wear Agbada (points), and women wear Iro and Gele (points). Can you see the Agbada? Can you see the Gele?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the chart, point to the Yoruba dress items as guided, and try to say the names like “Agbada” and “Gele”.

Learning Point: Pupils identify and name basic Yoruba traditional dress items.

Step 4: Learning Yoruba Language (Greetings)

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Oral Repetition/Pronunciation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces a simple Yoruba greeting. “Yoruba people speak Yoruba language. When they say ‘Good morning’, they say ‘Ẹ kaarọ’. Let’s all say ‘Ẹ kaarọ’!” The teacher demonstrates the pronunciation clearly and encourages repetition.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen carefully and repeat “Ẹ kaarọ” several times, trying to imitate the teacher’s pronunciation.

Learning Point: Pupils learn and practise a simple Yoruba greeting.

Step 5: Singing the Yoruba People Song

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Musical Reinforcement/Movement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Yoruba People Song” with actions. “Let’s sing a song about Yoruba people and their beautiful clothes!” The teacher sings and demonstrates the actions, encouraging pupils to join in.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing along with the teacher and perform the simple actions related to the song.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their learning about Yoruba dress and greetings through song and movement.

Step 6: Video on Yoruba Greetings and Culture

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Audio-Visual Learning/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces a short video about Yoruba greetings and culture. “Now, let’s watch a short video to hear more Yoruba words and see more about Yoruba culture!” After the video, the teacher asks pupils what they saw or heard.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video attentively and try to repeat words or actions shown. They respond to the teacher’s questions about the video.

Learning Point: Pupils gain further exposure to Yoruba language and cultural elements through a video.

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. “Point to the Yoruba people on the chart.”
2. “What is the name of the big gown Yoruba men wear?” (Agbada)
3. “What do Yoruba women wear on their head?” (Gele)
4. “How do Yoruba people say ‘Good morning’?” (Ẹ kaarọ)

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: Summarisation/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and good learning. “You all did so well learning about the Yoruba people today! We learned about their clothes and how to say ‘Good morning’ in Yoruba. Well done!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond happily to the teacher’s praise.

Learning Point: Pupils feel encouraged and remember the main points of the lesson.

Lesson Keywords

• Yoruba – A group of people in Nigeria.
• Agbada – A large gown worn by Yoruba men.
• Iro – A wrapper worn by Yoruba women.
• Gele – A headtie worn by Yoruba women.
• Ẹ kaarọ – Good morning in Yoruba.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who need extra help, the teacher can provide one-on-one guidance, allow them to sit closer to the chart, or use hand-over-hand gestures to help them point to the correct items. Repeat the greetings more slowly and frequently for them.
• Extension: For pupils who grasp the concepts quickly, the teacher can ask them to name another item of Yoruba culture (e.g., a food from the picture) or try to teach them another simple Yoruba greeting like “Ẹ nle” (hello).