Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade R

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Name at least five body parts.
• Describe three ways to keep clean.
• Tell the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods.
• Understand why exercise is important.
• Know how to protect your body from germs.

Lesson summary

This week in Life Skills, we are revisiting and reinforcing what we learned in Week

3. During Week 3, we focused on Our Bodies and Keeping Healthy. Understanding how our bodies work and how to keep them healthy is extremely important for young South Africans. This knowledge helps us to grow strong, learn well, and participate fully in our communities. It's about making good choices every day to take care of ourselves and each other. We'll be recapping things like identifying different body parts, understanding the importance of hygiene, and learning about healthy foods. These skills help children develop positive self-esteem and make informed choices about their well-being.

Lesson notes

Body Parts Identification: The human body is made up of many different parts, each with its own special job. Some parts are easy to see, like our head, eyes, nose, mouth, arms, hands, legs, and feet. Other parts are inside, but it's still good to know they are there! We use our eyes to see the beautiful colours of the South African flag and the animals in Kruger National Park. We use our mouth to eat pap and enjoy the taste of chakalaka. We use our legs to run and play soccer with our friends. Knowing these body parts helps us understand ourselves and how our bodies work.

Example: Draw a picture of yourself and label five different body parts.

Example: Play a game of "Simon Says" focusing on touching different body parts (e.g., "Simon says touch your nose," "Simon says touch your knees").

Personal Hygiene: Keeping our bodies clean is super important to stay healthy and stop germs from spreading. This is called personal hygiene.

Some basic ways to stay clean include: Washing our hands: We need to wash our hands with soap and water before we eat and after we use the toilet. Think about all the things our hands touch every day - doorknobs, toys, the ground outside! Washing removes any nasty germs that might make us sick. Imagine playing in the sand at Durban beach; you'd want to wash your hands afterwards!

Brushing our teeth: We need to brush our teeth at least twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed. This helps to remove food and germs that can cause cavities (holes in our teeth). Think of all the delicious things we eat like koeksisters! Brushing keeps our smiles bright and healthy.

Taking a bath or shower: Washing our whole body with soap and water helps to remove dirt and sweat. In South Africa, with our hot summers, it's especially important to shower regularly.

Keeping our nails clean: Dirt and germs can hide under our nails. Keeping them short and clean helps prevent them from spreading.

Example: Demonstrate the proper way to wash hands, including using soap and water and scrubbing for at least 20 seconds (singing "Happy Birthday" twice).

Example: Discuss the importance of sharing personal items like toothbrushes and hairbrushes.

Healthy and Unhealthy Foods: The food we eat gives our bodies the energy and nutrients they need to grow and be strong. Some foods are very good for us (healthy foods), while others are not so good for us (unhealthy foods).

Healthy Foods: These are foods that are full of vitamins, minerals, and other good things. Examples include fruits (like mangoes and bananas), vegetables (like spinach and carrots), whole grains (like brown bread and mielie-meal), and protein sources (like chicken, fish, and beans). Think about a plate of colourful vegetables and grilled chicken - that's a healthy and delicious meal!

Unhealthy Foods: These foods are often high in sugar, fat, and salt, but don't offer much in the way of nutrients. Examples include sweets, chips, sugary drinks, and fast food. While these foods might taste good, eating too much of them can make us feel tired and even make us sick. It's okay to have these sometimes as a treat, but we should mostly choose healthy foods.

Example: Create a chart with pictures of healthy and unhealthy foods and have the children sort them into the correct categories.

Example: Discuss the importance of drinking water and how sugary drinks can be harmful to our bodies.

Importance of Exercise: Moving our bodies and being active is very important for our health. Exercise helps us build strong muscles and bones, stay at a healthy weight, and feel good about ourselves. There are many fun ways to exercise! We can run, jump, skip, dance, play soccer, or even just go for a walk. Think about the games we play outside during break time – those are all forms of exercise! Even helping with chores at home, like sweeping the floor or gardening, can be a good way to move our bodies.

Example: Lead the class in a simple exercise routine, such as jumping jacks, stretching, and running in place.

Example: Discuss different ways to be active indoors and outdoors, even when the weather isn't good for playing outside. Protecting Our Bodies from Germs and Illnesses: Germs are tiny living things that can make us sick. They can spread through the air when we cough or sneeze, or by touching things that have germs on them. Washing our hands often, as we discussed earlier, is the best way to protect ourselves.

Other ways include: Covering our mouths and noses when we cough or sneeze: Use a tissue or your elbow to stop germs from spreading.

Staying home when we are sick: This helps prevent us from spreading germs to others.

Getting enough sleep: When we are well-rested, our bodies are better able to fight off germs.

Eating healthy foods: A healthy diet helps to strengthen our immune system, which is our body's defense against germs.

Example: Role-play coughing and sneezing into an elbow.