This Grade 3 Life Skills lesson supports the CAPS topic Keeping my body safe. Learners practise recognising safe and unsafe situations and places, noticing yes and no feelings, saying no calmly, telling a trusted adult, and simple ways to protect our bodies from illness. The tone stays practical and age-appropriate — no scare stories and no graphic detail.
CAPS topic (naming only): Foundation Phase Life Skills — Personal and Social Well-being — Keeping my body safe (Grade 3). Topic bullets to follow: safe and unsafe situations and places; ‘yes’ and ‘no’ feelings; practising saying ‘no’; protecting our bodies from illness (e.g. covering mouth/nose when sneezing or coughing; never touching another person’s blood; washing fruit and vegetables; making water safe to drink). Match timing to your ATP. CAPS123 is a practical aid. It is not an official DBE publication.
Materials (teacher-prepared)
- Simple picture cards or posters of everyday places/situations (waiting for transport with an adult; busy shop; playground with a teacher nearby; alone in an unfamiliar shopping area — keep images calm)
- Flashcards: safe place, unsafe situation, yes feeling, no feeling, trusted adult, say no
- Whiteboard and markers
- Optional: short calm story or scenario cards about places and feelings (teacher-chosen, non-graphic)
- Paper for a trusted-adult list or yes/no-feelings sort (teacher-made)
No hosted worksheet download on this page. Do not promise a CAPS123 PDF that is not linked here. Optional calm trusted-adult card only if you create one yourself.
Learning objectives
By the end of the lesson, learners should be able to:
- 1. Give examples of safe and unsafe situations or places (e.g. waiting for transport with a known adult vs being alone in a busy shopping area).
- 2. Describe yes feelings (comfortable, okay) and no feelings (uncomfortable, unsure, want to stop).
- 3. Practise saying “No” clearly and respectfully in everyday classroom role-play.
- 4. Name at least one trusted adult they can tell if they feel unsafe.
- 5. List simple ways to protect our bodies from illness (cover sneezes/coughs; do not touch another person’s blood; wash fruit and vegetables; use safe drinking water).
Vocabulary
| Term | Calm meaning for Grade 3 |
|---|---|
| Safe place / situation | A place or moment where you feel looked after and rules help you stay okay |
| Unsafe situation | A place or moment that does not feel okay — tell a trusted adult |
| Yes feeling | A feeling that says “this is okay for me” |
| No feeling | A feeling that says “I want this to stop” or “I need help” |
| Trusted adult | A grown-up you can talk to (parent/caregiver, teacher, family member you trust) |
| Say no | Use a clear voice and words to refuse something that does not feel right |
| Hygiene | Everyday habits that help stop germs and illness |
Previous learning
Learners have usually met general safety (road, playground) and know some trusted adults at school and home. Activate those ideas without asking for private or distressing stories.
Anticipated challenges
| Challenge | Classroom move |
|---|---|
| Shyness talking about feelings | Use pictures and group examples; no one is forced to share personal stories |
| Mixing “unsafe place” with scary stories | Stick to calm, everyday CAPS-style examples |
| Illness rules feel separate | Link as “keeping my body safe from germs and harm” in one short block |
Beginning (about 4 minutes)
- 1. Introduction (2 min): “Today we talk about keeping my body safe — safe and unsafe places, yes and no feelings, how to say no, who to tell, and simple ways to stay healthier.”
- 2. Prior knowledge (2 min): Ask for one everyday safety rule they already know (e.g. crossing with care). Affirm: rules and trusted adults help us stay safer.
Middle (about 32 minutes)
- 1. Direct instruction (10 min):
- Places and situations: Using calm pictures, sort examples into safer / need-an-adult (waiting for a taxi or bus with a known adult; staying with your group in a shop; not wandering alone in a large shopping area).
- Yes / no feelings: Explain that bodies and feelings give clues — yes = okay; no = uncomfortable or unsure. Learners do not have to explain private details.
- Saying no + trusted adults: Practise short phrases: “No, thank you.” “I need to ask my teacher.” List trusted adults as a class (teacher, parent/caregiver, principal, relative you trust).
- Illness protection (short block): Cover mouth/nose when sneezing or coughing; never touch another person’s blood — tell an adult; wash fruit and vegetables; drink water that is safe (boiled/treated/known clean source as your school teaches).
- 2. Guided practice (12 min):
-
Scenario talk (6 min): Read or show 2–3 calm everyday scenarios (waiting for transport; getting separated from your group in a shop). Ask: Is this safer or do we need help? What yes/no feeling might you notice? Who do you tell?
-
Role-play (6 min): In pairs, practise saying no and then telling a trusted adult. Keep prompts everyday and non-frightening. Teacher models first.
- 3. Independent practice (10 min): Learners draw or write (1) one safe place/situation, (2) one trusted adult, (3) one illness-protection habit. Optional teacher-made yes/no-feelings sort. Circulate with supportive, calm language.
End (about 4 minutes)
Exit ticket: Each learner shares one thing they will remember about keeping their body safe (a place idea, a saying-no phrase, a trusted adult, or a hygiene habit). Thank the class for careful listening. Remind them: if something ever feels not okay, tell a trusted adult at school or home.
Assessment
- Observe scenario talk and role-play for clear “no” + help-seeking language.
- Review drawings/lists for a trusted adult and at least one safe-place or hygiene idea.
- Listen to exit tickets for understanding without probing personal trauma.
Differentiation
- Support: Picture cues; oral answers; sentence frames (A trusted adult is ___. / I can say ___.).
- Stretch: Extra calm scenario: what to do if you feel a no feeling in a busy place — still no graphic content.
- Access: Large print; simplified English with Home Language support; allow drawing instead of writing.
Teaching notes (teachers only)
Keep learner-facing talk on situations, feelings, saying no, trusted adults and illness protection. Do not expand into graphic abuse content in the activity text. If a learner discloses distress, follow your school’s child-protection / counsellor protocol quietly — do not handle disclosures in whole-class discussion. Soft-link only (keep distinct): Grade 1 and Grade 2 Keeping my body safe posts, and the Grade 3 isiZulu sibling if useful for language — do not merge those URLs into this English Grade 3 page. Optional related Grade 3 Life Skills: Me / Our country South Africa if those pages remain live.
CAPS and ATP reminder
Subject: Life Skills, Grade 3. Study area: Personal and Social Well-being. Topic: Keeping my body safe. Confirm hours (CAPS allocates time to this topic), week and assessment on your ATP. CAPS subject files: DBE CAPS hub.aspx). ATPs: DBE ATP hub (2023ATPs) (2023/24 retained with exclusions — Circular S19 of 2025).
Disclaimer
CAPS123 is independent and not an official DBE publication. This page is a classroom planning aid. It does not replace school safeguarding policy or professional support.