Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - KG 2

Lesson Video

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.

Performance objectives

• Learn three ways to keep our bodies healthy.
• Practice how to wash our hands.
• Understand why playing is good for us.
• Know the difference between safe and unsafe actions.

Lesson summary

This lesson introduces our young learners to the very important topic of personal hygiene. In Ghana, keeping clean is essential for staying healthy and preventing common illnesses like diarrhoea ("running stomach"), cholera, and skin infections. By learning how to care for their bodies, children can attend school more regularly, play happily with their friends, and grow up strong and confident. This lesson will use songs, demonstrations, and practical activities to make learning about hygiene fun and memorable.

Lesson notes

This lesson focuses on three main areas of personal hygiene: Handwashing, Bathing, and Brushing Teeth.

A. What is Personal Hygiene? Personal hygiene simply means all the things we do to keep our bodies clean and healthy. Teacher's explanation: "Class, today we are learning how to be clean! Just like we sweep our classroom to make it neat, we also have to 'sweep' our bodies to keep them clean. When we keep our bodies clean, we are practising personal hygiene. This helps us fight tiny, invisible things called germs (you can call them 'chichirichiri') that can make us sick."

B. Why is it Important to Stay Clean? To Remove Germs: Germs are tiny living things that are everywhere – on the floor, on toys, on our hands. We cannot see them, but if they get into our bodies, they can cause sickness like coughs, colds, and running stomach. Washing with soap and water removes these germs. To Stay Healthy and Strong: When we are clean, we are less likely to get sick. This means we have more energy to play, learn, and grow. To Look and Smell Good: A clean body and clean clothes help us to look smart and feel good about ourselves. People enjoy being around us when we are clean and smell fresh.

C. Key Hygiene Practices and Tools Handwashing: This is one of the most important habits. When to Wash Hands: After visiting the toilet or latrine. Before eating any food. After playing outside, especially in the sand or with animals. After coughing or sneezing into your hands. Tools Needed: Clean water and soap (bar soap or 'alata samina'). A Veronica bucket is excellent for this. Step-by-Step Method (The "Washy-Washy Dance"): WET: Get your hands wet with clean water. SOAP: Take soap and rub it all over your hands. LATHER/SCRUB (for 20 seconds): Rub your hands together to make plenty of bubbles. Rub the palms together. Rub the back of each hand. Rub between your fingers. Rub your fingertips on your palm. (Sing a song like "Wash wash wash your hands, wash the germs away..." to the tune of "Row, row, row your boat" to time it). RINSE: Wash all the soap and bubbles away with clean water. DRY: Dry your hands with a clean cloth or let them air dry. Bathing: Why we Bathe: We bathe every day (at least once!) to wash away sweat, dirt, and germs from all over our body. Tools Needed: Water: Clean water. Soap: To kill germs. Sponge ("Sapɔ"): To help scrub the dirt off our skin. Towel: A clean towel to dry our body after bathing. Teacher's explanation: "When you run and play, you sweat and get dirty. Bathing with soap and your 'sapɔ' washes all that dirt away, leaving you fresh and clean for school or for bed." Brushing Teeth: Why we Brush: To remove food particles that stick to our teeth. If we don't, germs ("mmoa") will eat the food and make small holes in our teeth, which can cause pain (toothache). It also makes our breath smell fresh. When to Brush: At least twice a day – in the morning after waking up, and at night before sleeping. Tools Needed: Toothbrush: Your very own toothbrush, not to be shared. Toothpaste: A small, pea-sized amount is enough. Teacher's explanation: "After you eat kenkey or rice, small pieces can hide in your teeth. Your toothbrush is like a small broom that sweeps these pieces away so the 'mmoa' don't get them!"