Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - KG 1

Lesson Video

This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.

For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.

Performance objectives

• Overview:
• This lesson introduces our young learners to one of the most important life skills: proper handwashing. In Ghana, where we enjoy playing outside in the soil and eating delicious meals like kenkey and banku with our hands, understanding how to keep our hands clean is crucial. This lesson will teach children that washing hands is not just about removing visible dirt, but about fighting off invisible "germs" that can make us sick with a running stomach or a cough. By making handwashing a fun and regular habit, we are empowering our children to take charge of their own health and wellbeing, helping them stay strong and active in school and at home.
• Learning Objectives:
• By the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to:
• State at least one reason why it is important to wash our hands (e.g., "to wash germs away").

Lesson summary

This lesson introduces our young learners to one of the most important life skills: proper handwashing. In Ghana, where we enjoy playing outside in the soil and eating delicious meals like kenkey and banku with our hands, understanding how to keep our hands clean is crucial. This lesson will teach children that washing hands is not just about removing visible dirt, but about fighting off invisible "germs" that can make us sick with a running stomach or a cough. By making handwashing a fun and regular habit, we are empowering our children to take charge of their own health and wellbeing, helping them stay strong and active in school and at home.

Lesson notes

Core Idea: Our hands touch everything, and they can pick up tiny, invisible things called germs. These germs can make us sick if they get into our bodies. Washing our hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of these germs and stay healthy. What are Germs? Explanation: "Germs are very, very tiny living things that are all around us. They are so small we cannot see them with our eyes. They are on the door handle, on the table, on our toys, and in the sand we play in. Some germs are okay, but some are 'bad guys' that can make us sick if they get inside our bodies. They can give us a cough, a fever, or a tummy ache." Analogy for Learners: "Think of germs like invisible 'nsikwan' (ants) or 'mmɔɔ' (dirt). You might not see them, but they are on your hands. When you eat, they can go into your tummy with the food and cause trouble." When Must We Wash Our Hands? It is important to create a routine. We wash our hands at key times during the day. Before Eating: "Before we touch our food, our hands must be clean. Whether it's your snack, your rice, or your fufu, we wash away the germs first." After Using the Toilet: "After you use the toilet or the potty, there are always germs. We must wash them off immediately." After Playing Outside: "When you play in the sand, with the football, or just run around, your hands get dirty with germs. Always wash them when you come back inside." After Coughing or Sneezing: "If you cough or sneeze into your hands, the germs from inside your body are now on your hands. Wash them so you don't give them to your friends." After Touching Animals: "If you play with the goat, chicken, or cat at home, wash your hands afterwards. Animals have their own special germs." The 5 Steps to Super Clean Hands: This is the practical skill. Use the "I do, We do, You do" model. Demonstrate it first, then do it with them, then let them try. Using a Veronica bucket is a perfect Ghanaian context. Step 1: WET (Yɛ de nsuo fɔw yɛn nsa) Action: Turn on the tap or press the spigot of the Veronica bucket. Let the clean water run over your hands. Explanation: "First, we wake up our hands with clean water." Step 2: SOAP (Yɛ de samina sra yɛn nsa) Action: Take a piece of bar soap (or 'alata samina') or pump some liquid soap into your hands. Put the bar soap back. Explanation: "Now, we get our 'superhero'—the soap! Soap is what fights the germs." Step 3: SCRUB (Yɛ hohoro yɛn nsa ho) Action: Rub your hands together to make lots of bubbles (lather). Scrub for about 20 seconds. Make sure to scrub: The palms (inside of your hands). The back of your hands. Between your fingers (lace your fingers together). Your thumbs. Under your fingernails. Explanation & Song: "This is the most important part! We have to scrub everywhere to chase the germs away. Let's sing our song to make sure we scrub for long enough." (To the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat") *Wash, wash, wash your hands,* *Play our happy game.* *Rub and scrub and scrub and rub,* *Germs go down the drain! HEY!* (Sing this two times). Step 4: RINSE (Yɛ de nsuo hohoro samina no firi yɛn nsa ho) Action: Put your hands back under the running water. Rub them together until all the soap and bubbles are gone. Explanation: "Now we wash all the soap and the trapped germs away. Bye-bye, germs!" Step 5: DRY (Yɛ de adeɛ pepa yɛn nsa ho) Action: Dry your hands with a clean, dry cloth or paper towel. If not available, you can shake your hands in the air until they are dry. Explanation: "Finally, we dry our hands. Germs like wet places, so dry hands are happy hands."

Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Activity 1: The Glitter Germ Game Task: The teacher puts a small amount of glitter in her palm and says, "Let's pretend this shiny glitter is the invisible germs." She then shakes hands with one or two learners. She asks the class, "Look at Ama's hand. What do you see?" She then encourages Ama to give a "high-five" to Kofi. "Now what do you see on Kofi's hand?" Solution/Commentary: The learners will observe that the glitter ("germs") has spread from the teacher to Ama, and then from Ama to Kofi. The teacher explains, "You see? This is how easily germs travel from one person to another without us even knowing. That's why we must wash our own hands often."

Activity 2: Picture Sequencing Task: The teacher has large, laminated cards with pictures for each of the 5 steps: (1) Hands under a tap, (2) A hand with soap, (3) Bubbly hands rubbing, (4) Hands rinsing, (5) Hands being dried with a towel. The cards are mixed up on the floor. "Can you help me put these pictures in the right order to show how we wash our hands?" Solution/Commentary: The teacher calls on different learners to pick a card and place it in order. For each step, the teacher asks, "What is happening here? Is this the first thing we do?" The class works together to arrange the pictures correctly: WET -> SOAP -> SCRUB -> RINSE -> DRY. This reinforces the sequence visually.