Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - KG 2

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Overview:
• This lesson introduces our young learners to one of the most important life skills: proper handwashing. In Ghana, we use our hands for so many things – playing ampe and other games, helping at home, and eating delicious meals like fufu, banku, and kenkey. Because of this, our hands can easily pick up tiny, invisible germs that can make us sick with "running stomach" (diarrhoea), a cold, or other illnesses. This lesson will teach learners *why*, *when*, and *how* to wash their hands correctly to stay healthy and strong. It is a foundational skill for lifelong health and well-being.
• Learning Objectives:
• By the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to:
• State at least two reasons why we need to wash our hands.

Lesson summary

This lesson introduces our young learners to one of the most important life skills: proper handwashing. In Ghana, we use our hands for so many things – playing ampe and other games, helping at home, and eating delicious meals like fufu, banku, and kenkey. Because of this, our hands can easily pick up tiny, invisible germs that can make us sick with "running stomach" (diarrhoea), a cold, or other illnesses. This lesson will teach learners *why*, *when*, and *how* to wash their hands correctly to stay healthy and strong. It is a foundational skill for lifelong health and well-being.

Lesson notes

Core Idea: Our hands touch many things and can get dirty with tiny, invisible things called germs. Germs are like tiny, bad bugs that can get into our bodies and make us sick. Washing our hands properly with soap and water is the best way to get rid of these germs.

Concept 1: What are Germs? Explanation: "Class, today we are going to learn about secret agents called germs. We cannot see them with our eyes, but they are everywhere! They are on the door handle, on the toys we play with, on the ground, and even on our hands after we play outside. Some germs are okay, but some can make us feel sick. They can give us a cough, a fever, or a tummy ache. They love to hide under our fingernails and in the lines on our hands." Teaching Aid: Use a picture chart showing cartoon germs on different surfaces. You can also use a story about "Kofi the Germ" who likes to hide on hands.

Concept 2: When Must We Wash Our Hands? Explanation: "Since these germs are everywhere, we must wash them off at very important times to keep them from getting into our bodies. We must ALWAYS wash our hands:" Before Eating: "In Ghana, we love to eat waakye and kenkey with our hands. If we have germs on our hands, they will go into our food and then into our mouths. So, we must wash before we eat." After Using the Toilet/Washroom: "The toilet has a lot of germs. After we use it, we must wash our hands to clean them." After Playing Outside: "When you play 'ampe' or football outside, your hands touch the ground and get dirty. You must wash them when you come inside." After Coughing, Sneezing, or Blowing Your Nose: "When we cough or sneeze, germs from inside our body come out onto our hands. We must wash them off so we don't share them with our friends."

Concept 3: The Tools for Handwashing - Soap and Water Explanation: "To fight germs, we need two superheroes: Clean Water and Soap. Water alone can rinse off dirt, but it cannot fight the strong germs. Soap is special. It makes bubbles that catch the germs and help the water wash them all away. We can use any soap – 'alata samina', 'amɔnkye' (local soap), or liquid soap. We also need clean running water from a tap or a Veronica bucket."