Common Illnesses, Preventive Measures Health Habits Nursery 1 Age 3 First Term Lesson Notes Week 1
Subject: Health Habits
Class: Nursery 1
Term: First Term
Week: Week 1
Topic: Common Illnesses/Diseases and How to Stay Healthy
Sub-topic: Understanding common illnesses, preventive measures, and healthy habits
Duration: 45 minutes
Behavioural Objectives:
- Students should be able to identify common illnesses like cough, fever, and diarrhoea.
- Students should understand basic preventive measures such as handwashing and covering coughs.
- Students should demonstrate knowledge of healthy habits like eating clean food and using clean utensils.
Key Words: Illness, Diseases, Cough, Fever, Diarrhoea, Handwashing, Vaccinations, Cleanliness
Entry Behaviour:
Students may have some basic understanding of feeling unwell, washing hands, and using tissues to wipe noses.
Learning Resources and Materials:
- Pictures of common illnesses
- Handwashing demonstration materials
- Clean fruits and utensils for demonstration
- Storybooks or songs related to health habits
- Whiteboard and markers
Building Background / Connection to Prior Knowledge:
- Begin by asking students if they have ever felt unwell or had a cough, fever, or tummy ache.
- Review basic hygiene practices like washing hands and covering mouths when coughing or sneezing.
Embedded Core Skills:
- Communication skills (listening, speaking)
- Cognitive skills (identifying, understanding)
- Social skills (sharing, cooperating)
Instructional Materials:
- Lagos State Scheme of Work for Nursery 1
- Pictures or flashcards of common illnesses
- Handwashing station or materials
- Clean fruits and utensils
- Storybooks or songs about health habits
Content:
- Wash your hands 🧼: Use soap and water to clean your hands after using the toilet and before eating.
- Eat clean food 🍎: Wash fruits and vegetables before eating them to remove germs.
- Use clean plates and spoons 🍽️: Eating with dirty plates and spoons can make you sick, so always use clean ones.
- Get vaccinated 💉: Visit the doctor to get shots that protect you from getting sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze 🤧: Use a tissue or your elbow to cover your mouth and nose to stop germs from spreading.
- Clean toys and things you touch 👐: Use a clean cloth with soap and water to wipe toys, phones, and other things you use a lot.
Illness and Diseases
- Illness: This means when something is wrong with our bodies, like when we have a cough or a fever. It makes us feel not so good and we might need to rest.
- Diseases: These are kinds of illnesses that can make us very weak and tired. Some diseases are like coughs, fevers, or tummy pains. Doctors help us feel better when we have diseases.
- Infections: Sometimes, tiny things called germs can get into our bodies and make us sick. Infections are when these germs make us feel unwell, like when we have a cold or a sore throat.
We can stay healthy by washing our hands, eating healthy food, and visiting the doctor when we feel sick.
Examples:
- Illness: When we have a cough and our throat hurts, it’s an illness. We might need to drink warm water to feel better.
- Diseases: Chickenpox is a disease that makes our skin itchy with red spots. We need to stay home and use special lotion to feel better.
- Infections: When we catch a cold, it’s because tiny germs got into our nose. We might sneeze and need to rest in bed to get better.
These examples help kids understand different ways our bodies can feel unwell and what we can do to feel better again.
Common Illnesses or Diseases:
- Cough: When you have a cough, your throat feels tickly, and you might cough a lot.
- Malaria: This is when a tiny bug called a mosquito bites you and makes you feel very sick.
- Fever: When you have a fever, your body feels very hot, and you might feel tired.
- Diarrhoea: When your tummy feels upset, and you need to go to the toilet often, it’s called diarrhoea.
- Headache: When your head hurts a lot, it’s called a headache.
How to Avoid Getting Sick:
- Wash Your Hands: After using the toilet or playing outside, wash your hands with soap and water.
- Wash Fruits: Before eating fruits, ask a grown-up to wash them with clean water.
- Use Clean Plates and Spoons: Eating with clean plates and spoons keeps germs away.
- Get Vaccinated: Visit the doctor to get a special shot that helps you stay healthy.
- Cover Coughs and Sneezes: Use a tissue or your elbow to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
- Clean Toys and Objects: Ask a grown-up to clean your toys, electronics, and things you touch often to keep germs away.
Common illnesses, diseases, and how to avoid them, along with their answers:
- What is an illness?
- An illness is when something isn’t right with our bodies, like having a cough, fever, or tummy ache.
- What are diseases?
- Diseases are serious illnesses that can make us very weak and tired, like malaria, chickenpox, or asthma.
- How can I avoid getting sick?
- You can avoid getting sick by washing your hands, eating clean food, and staying away from people who are sick.
- Why is it important to wash our hands?
- Washing our hands with soap and water helps get rid of germs that can make us sick.
- What should I do if I have a cough or sneeze?
- You should cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow to stop germs from spreading to others.
- How do vaccines help us?
- Vaccines are special shots that help our bodies fight off diseases. They make our immune system strong.
- Why should we eat clean fruits and vegetables?
- Eating clean fruits and vegetables helps us stay healthy because they don’t have harmful germs on them.
- What should I do if I have a headache or tummy ache?
- You should tell a grown-up how you feel, rest, and drink plenty of water to feel better.
- Why is it important to clean toys and objects we use?
- Cleaning toys and objects we use often helps get rid of germs that can make us sick when we touch them.
- Can I still play and have fun even if I’m feeling unwell?
- It’s important to rest and take care of yourself when you’re not feeling well, but once you feel better, you can go back to playing and having fun!
Evaluation :
- What should we do after using the toilet?
- a) Wash our hands
- b) Wash our feet
- c) Wash our toys
- d) Wash our clothes
- What can make us feel very hot and tired?
- a) Cough
- b) Fever
- c) Sneezing
- d) Headache
- What helps our bodies fight off diseases?
- a) Eating candy
- b) Drinking water
- c) Getting vaccinations
- d) Playing outside
- How should we cover our mouth and nose when we cough or sneeze?
- a) With our hands
- b) With a tissue or elbow
- c) With a hat
- d) With our toys
- Why should we wash fruits before eating them?
- a) To make them taste better
- b) To remove dirt and germs
- c) To make them shiny
- d) To make them bigger
- What can make our tummy feel upset and make us go to the toilet often?
- a) Fever
- b) Diarrhoea
- c) Headache
- d) Cough
- What helps us stay healthy and strong?
- a) Eating dirty food
- b) Drinking soda
- c) Eating clean food
- d) Eating lots of candy
- Why is it important to cover our coughs and sneezes?
- a) To make noise
- b) To spread germs
- c) To keep germs away
- d) To make others laugh
- What can bite us and make us feel very sick?
- a) Dog
- b) Cat
- c) Mosquito
- d) Rabbit
- What can we use to clean our hands?
- a) Water only
- b) Soap and water
- c) Toothpaste
- d) Juice
- What should we do if we have a headache?
- a) Play outside
- b) Tell a grown-up
- c) Eat more candy
- d) Ignore it
- What are vaccines?
- a) Special shots that make us sleepy
- b) Special shots that help our bodies fight diseases
- c) Special drinks that make us tall
- d) Special toys to play with
- How can we keep our toys clean?
- a) Wash them with soap and water
- b) Leave them outside
- c) Share them with friends
- d) Put them in the fridge
- What can we do to feel better when we are sick?
- a) Play all day
- b) Rest and drink water
- c) Eat lots of candy
- d) Watch TV all night
- What should we do if we feel unwell?
- a) Play outside more
- b) Tell a grown-up and rest
- c) Eat more junk food
- d) Hide and don’t tell anyone
- Introduction:
- Teacher revises the previous topic of basic hygiene practices and feeling unwell.
- Teacher asks students questions about times they felt unwell or had a cough, fever, or tummy ache.
- New Topic Introduction:
- Teacher introduces common illnesses such as cough, fever, diarrhoea, and explains what each one is briefly using pictures or flashcards.
- Interactive Session:
- Teacher asks students questions like “What do we do when we have a cough?” or “Why is it important to wash our hands?” and allows students to give their answers.
- Teacher corrects any misconceptions and reinforces correct answers.
- Demonstration:
- Teacher demonstrates proper handwashing techniques and explains why it’s important to wash hands after using the toilet or playing outside.
- Healthy Habits Discussion:
- Teacher discusses healthy habits such as eating clean fruits, using clean utensils, and covering coughs and sneezes.
- Story/Song Time:
- Teacher reads a story or sings a song related to health habits and staying healthy.
Assessment:
- Observe students during the interactive session and demonstration to see if they can identify common illnesses and remember preventive measures.
- Ask simple questions like “Why should we cover our coughs?” or “What do we do after using the toilet?”
Evaluation Questions:
- What is a common illness that makes us cough a lot?
- Why is it important to wash our hands?
- What should we do when we have a fever?
- How can we avoid spreading germs when we cough or sneeze?
- What are some healthy habits we talked about today?
- What do we use to cover our mouths when we cough?
- Why should we eat clean fruits and use clean utensils?
- What did the teacher demonstrate today about staying healthy?
- Can you name another common illness we discussed today?
- Why should we listen to grown-ups about staying healthy?
Conclusion:
- The teacher goes around to mark students’ participation and understanding during the lesson.
- Reinforce key points about staying healthy and encourage students to practice good health habits at home and in school.
