Grade R Life Skills Lesson Plan: Keeping Me Safe

Lesson Plan Title:

Materials Needed:

Visual aids (pictures or flashcards showing safe and unsafe behaviours)
Storybook or video related to safety
Safety badges or stickers
Safety checklists for home and school
Colouring materials (crayons, markers, colouring sheets)
Interactive whiteboard or projector (if available)

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the lesson, students shall:
1. Identify safe and unsafe behaviours.
2. Understand the importance of safety rules.
3. Recognise individuals who help keep us safe (e.g., parents, teachers, police officers).
4. Demonstrate understanding through role-playing safe behaviours.

Vocabulary:

Safe: Free from harm or danger.
Unsafe: In danger or at risk of being hurt.
Stranger: Someone you do not know.
Emergency: A serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation.
Help: To assist someone in need.

Previous Learning:

Students have been introduced to basic personal hygiene and the importance of staying clean to avoid getting sick.

Anticipated Challenges and Solutions:

Challenge: Some students may struggle to understand abstract concepts of safety.
Solution: Use visual aids and role-playing to make these concepts concrete.
Challenge: Fear or anxiety about potential dangers.
Solution: Emphasise the positive aspects of safety and the presence of trusted adults.

Beginning Activities (4 minutes):

Introduction (2 minutes): Greet the students and introduce the topic of safety. Ask if they know what it means to be safe.
Brainstorming Session (2 minutes): Have a brief discussion where students share times they felt safe or unsafe.

Middle Activities (32 minutes):

Storytime or Video (8 minutes): Read a story or show a video about safety, focusing on characters making safe choices.
Class Discussion (4 minutes): Discuss the story/video, highlighting key safety behaviours shown.
Visual Aid Activity (5 minutes): Show pictures/flashcards of various behaviours. Have students identify whether each behaviour is safe or unsafe using thumbs up/thumbs down.
Role-Playing (8 minutes): In small groups, students practise role-playing scenarios like crossing the street safely, not talking to strangers, etc.
Safety Checklists (5 minutes): Distribute safety checklists for home and school. Discuss items on the list, and let students mark items they already follow.

End Activities (4 minutes):

Reflection and Sharing (2 minutes): Allow students to share one thing they learned about keeping safe.
Safety Badges (2 minutes): Hand out safety badges/stickers as a token of learning about being safe.

Assessment and Checks for Understanding:

Observations during discussions and brainstorming sessions.
Participation in identifying safe/unsafe behaviours using visual aids.
Performance and understanding in role-playing activities.
Completed safety checklists reflecting comprehension of safety rules.

Differentiation Strategies for Diverse Learners:

For visual learners: Use plenty of pictures and visual aids.
For auditory learners: Emphasise discussions and storytelling.
For kinesthetic learners: Incorporate role-playing and physical activities.

Teaching Notes:

Reinforce positive behaviours by praising correct identification of safe actions.
Be mindful of any students with anxieties about safety topics and offer reassuring words.
Encourage students to talk to trusted adults if they ever feel unsafe.
Use simple and clear language, repeating key points as necessary.
Ensure inclusion of all learners by allowing them to participate at their level of understanding.

Accessibility Considerations:

Ensure materials such as flashcards and colouring sheets are large enough for all students to see clearly. Provide additional support for students with hearing or visual impairments by ensuring they are seated at the front or near the teacher and using clear, loud articulation and relevant tactile aids.