Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v3 - Primary 2
Sources of danger and insecurity
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Sources of danger and insecurity
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Nigeria 2025 app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Security Education
Class: Primary 2
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 5
Theme: Elements Of Security
This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.
For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.
Watch on YouTubeFurther identify the various sources of in security List how to keep away from dangers and seek for help
A. Definition of Danger and Insecurity: Danger: A situation, person, or thing that could cause harm, injury, or loss. It is something that can hurt someone.
Example: A sharp knife left on the table is a danger because it can cut someone.
Insecurity: The state of not being safe or protected. It is the feeling or reality that one is not safe from harm, threat, or danger.
Example: Walking alone in a dark, quiet place might make a child feel insecure because they are not protected.
B. Sources of Danger and Insecurity: Sources of danger and insecurity can be categorised based on location or type. For Primary 2, the focus should be on tangible and relatable examples.
1. Dangers in the Home: These are common household items or situations that can cause harm if not handled properly or if safety rules are ignored.
Sharp Objects: Knives, broken glass, razors, scissors, needles.
Explanation: These can cause cuts and serious injuries if played with or left within reach of children. Nigerian Context
Example: A child trying to cut yam with a sharp knife unsupervised.
Fire/Heat Sources: Open fires (e.g., firewood stove, charcoal pot), cooking gas cylinders, matches, lighters, hot water, electric irons, candles.
Explanation: These can cause burns, fire outbreaks, and suffocation (from smoke). Nigerian Context
Example: A child getting too close to a local adogan (charcoal stove) or unattended kerosene stove.
Electrical Appliances/Outlets: Exposed wires, faulty sockets, wet hands touching electrical devices.
Explanation: Can cause electric shocks, which are very dangerous and can be fatal. Nigerian Context
Example: Playing with a damaged extension cord or trying to plug in a phone charger with wet hands.
Chemicals/Poisons: Kerosene, detergents, insecticides, medicines, bleach, rat poison.
Explanation: These are harmful if swallowed, touched, or inhaled. They should always be kept in their original containers, out of reach, and clearly labelled. Nigerian Context
Example: A child mistaking kerosene for water or juice.
Unsafe Structures/Objects: Wobbly chairs, broken stairs, heavy objects placed on high shelves, dark corners.
Explanation: Can cause falls, head injuries, or provide hiding spots for unsafe people or animals. Nigerian Context
Example: A child climbing on an unstable stool to reach something high.
2. Dangers in School: These are hazards found within the school environment, especially during play or movement.
Playground Equipment: Broken swings, slides with sharp edges, rusty climbing frames.
Explanation: Can cause cuts, falls, or entrapment. Nigerian Context
Example: A child using a swing with a broken chain or playing on a rusty seesaw.
Bullying: Older or stronger students hurting or scaring younger/weaker ones.
Explanation: Causes emotional distress, physical harm, and fear. Nigerian Context
Example: A bigger child snatching food or pushing a smaller child during break time.
Strangers Loitering: Unfamiliar adults hanging around school gates or premises without a clear reason.
Explanation: Poses a risk of abduction or other criminal activities. Nigerian Context
Example: An unknown person trying to offer a child a ride home or sweets near the school gate.
Unsafe Classrooms/Toilets: Broken windows, slippery floors, dark or isolated areas.
Explanation: Can lead to accidents, falls, or make students vulnerable. Nigerian Context
Example: Slipping on a wet floor in the school toilet or tripping over loose floor tiles.
3. Dangers in the Community/Environment: These are risks encountered outside the home and school, in public spaces.
Busy Roads/Traffic: Vehicles, motorcycles (okada), bicycles.
Explanation: Can cause road accidents if children are not careful when crossing or playing near roads. Nigerian Context
Example: A child running across a busy street in Lagos or Ibadan without looking.
Open Drains/Gutters/Wells: Uncovered drainage systems, abandoned wells.
Explanation: Can cause falls, drowning, or provide breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects. Nigerian Context
Example: A child falling into an open gutter while playing near the street.
Stagnant Water: Puddles, discarded tires, open containers holding water.
Explanation: Breeding ground for mosquitoes which transmit malaria and other diseases. Nigerian Context
Example: Playing near a stagnant pool of water after rainfall. * *Dangerous roads. Nigerian Context
Example: A child running across a busy street in Lagos or Ibadan without looking.
Open Drains/Gutters/Wells: Uncovered drainage systems, abandoned wells.
Explanation: Can cause falls, drowning, or provide breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects. Nigerian Context
Example: A child falling into an open gutter while playing near the street.
Stagnant Water: Puddles, discarded tires, open containers holding water.
Explanation: Breeding ground for mosquitoes which transmit malaria and other diseases. Nigerian Context
Example: Playing near a stagnant pool of water after rainfall.
Dangerous Animals: Stray dogs, snakes, scorpions.
Explanation: Can bite, sting, or attack, leading to injury, poisoning, or disease. Nigerian Context
Example: Encountering a stray dog while walking to the market or a snake in a bush path in a village.
Unfamiliar People/Strangers: Adults who are not known to the child or family members, especially those offering gifts, rides, or asking for help.
Explanation: Poses a risk of kidnapping, abuse, or other exploitation. Nigerian Context
Example: An unknown adult asking a child to follow them to help find a lost pet or offering gala and coke.
Abandoned Buildings/Construction Sites: Unfinished buildings, sites with construction materials.
Explanation: Can have dangerous materials, unstable structures, or unsafe holes. Nigerian Context
Example: Children playing in an abandoned building site.
C. How to Keep Away from Dangers and Seek Help:
1. Avoidance: Do not play with sharp objects, matches, or lighters. Stay away from open fires, hot stoves, and electrical outlets. Do not touch strange chemicals or medicines. Do not play near busy roads, open drains, or abandoned buildings. Never talk to or go with strangers, even if they offer gifts. Report bullying immediately.
2. Seeking Help (The "Run, Tell, Yell" Strategy): Run: If a stranger tries to take a child or if a situation feels dangerous, the child should run away quickly.
Tell: Immediately tell a trusted adult about the dangerous situation or person.
Trusted adults include: Parents Guardians Teachers Older siblings Community leaders Police officers * Yell: If someone tries to harm or take a child, the child should yell loudly for help (e.g., "Help! This is not my mummy/daddy!" or "Help! He's trying to take me!"). --- Materials: Pictures of various dangers (e.g., sharp knife, open fire, busy road, stranger, open drain), flashcards with "Safe" and "Unsafe," storybooks about safety.
A. Introduction (10 minutes)
Recall/Engagement: The teacher initiates a brief discussion by asking students to share one thing that makes them feel safe at home or school. This helps to connect to their existing knowledge about security.
Problem Statement: The teacher presents a scenario (e.g., "Imagine you see a small fire in the kitchen when no adult is around. What should you do?"). This leads to the idea that there are things that can harm us and we need to know what they are and what to do.
Introduce Topic: The teacher explicitly states the topic: "Today, we will learn about different things that can cause danger or make us unsafe, and what we can do to protect ourselves."
B. Lesson Development (30 minutes)
Activity 1: Identifying Dangers at Home (10 minutes)
Teacher Activity: The teacher displays pictures of common household dangers (e.g., a knife, a stove with a pot, electrical socket, a bottle of insecticide). For each picture, the teacher asks: "What is this? Can it be dangerous? How?" Student Activity: Students identify the objects and explain how they can be dangerous. They discuss in pairs or small groups what makes each item a danger. The teacher guides them to categorize items as sharp, hot, chemical, or electrical.
Activity 2: Identifying Dangers at School and in the Community (10 minutes)
Teacher Activity: The teacher shows pictures of dangers outside the home (e.g., broken swing, open drain, busy road, a stranger talking to a child, a stray dog).
The teacher asks similar questions: "Where might you see this? Can it be dangerous? How?" Student Activity: Students identify the locations and explain the associated dangers. They share personal experiences (if any) or observations of such dangers in their local environment.
Activity 3: Learning to Keep Away and Seek Help (10 minutes)
Teacher Activity: The teacher introduces the "Run, Tell, Yell" strategy. The teacher explains each step with simple examples. The teacher then lists common trusted adults (parents, teachers, police, older siblings) and explains why they are reliable sources of help.
Student Activity: Students practice saying "Run, Tell, Yell" together. They name at least three trusted adults they can go to for help.
The teacher leads a brief role-play: Scenario 1:* A stranger offers a child sweets.
Scenario 2:* A child sees a fire. Students take turns demonstrating what they would do (run, tell, yell).
C. Conclusion (5 minutes)
Recap: The teacher quickly reviews the main points of the lesson, asking students to name one source of danger and one way to stay safe.
Assign Homework: The teacher assigns a simple task related to the lesson. --- Objective Addressed: Further identify the various sources of insecurity; List how to keep away from dangers and seek for help.
Question 1: Look at the picture below (Teacher draws or shows a simple picture of a kitchen with an open kerosene stove and a child playing near it). What is dangerous in this picture? How can the child stay safe?
Solution 1: Danger: The open kerosene stove and the fire on it are dangerous. They can cause burns or a fire outbreak.
How to stay safe: The child should move away from the stove, not play near it, and tell an adult that the stove is on and they are too close.
Commentary: This question assesses the identification of a common household danger in Nigeria and the immediate action of avoidance and seeking help.
Question 2: Your friend wants to play near a big, uncovered gutter on the street. What should you do? Name two trusted adults you can tell about this danger.
Solution 2: What to do: Tell your friend that playing near the uncovered gutter is dangerous because someone can fall inside and get hurt. You should both move away from the gutter.
Trusted adults: Mother, Father, Teacher, Guardian, Aunt, Uncle, Police Officer. (Any two are acceptable).
Commentary: This question focuses on peer influence in dangerous situations and reinforces the concept of seeking help from trusted adults in the community.
Question 3: An unfamiliar person comes to your school gate and offers you a new toy, asking you to follow them to their car to get more toys. What are the three things you should do immediately using the "Run, Tell, Yell" strategy?
Solution 3: Run: The child should immediately run away from the unfamiliar person.
Tell: The child should quickly tell a teacher or any trusted adult in the school what happened.
Yell: The child should yell loudly for help (e.g., "Help! Stranger danger!").
Commentary: This directly tests the application of the "Run, Tell, Yell" strategy in a critical scenario involving strangers, a common security concern. ---
Home Safety Checks: Students can be encouraged to identify potential dangers in their own homes (with adult supervision) and report them to their parents or guardians. This could include checking for exposed wires, ensuring chemicals are stored safely, or helping to clear pathways to prevent falls. This integrates the lesson with practical home management and personal responsibility.
Community Hazard Awareness: During walks to and from school or market, students can be prompted to observe and identify community dangers discussed in class, such as open drains, busy intersections, or unfamiliar people. This fosters critical observation skills and awareness of their immediate Nigerian environment.
Stranger Danger Protocols: The "Run, Tell, Yell" strategy is directly applicable to Nigerian children who might encounter unfamiliar individuals making inappropriate advances or attempts to lure them away, particularly in areas with higher security concerns. The lesson teaches them concrete, actionable steps to take in such critical situations, reinforcing the importance of trusting their instincts and seeking help from local trusted adults or authorities. ---