Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 1

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• This week, we revisit and strengthen our understanding of the most important person in the world: YOU! We will consolidate key concepts from the Grade 1 Life Skills curriculum focusing on personal identity, our bodies, and how to keep ourselves safe. In South Africa, a country rich with diverse people and communities, knowing who you are and how to stay safe is a vital skill. Whether you are playing with friends in your neighbourhood, walking to the spaza shop, or meeting new people at school, these skills help you to be confident and secure. This lesson reinforces the foundation of personal and social well-being, which is a core component of the CAPS curriculum.
• By the end of this week's lessons, learners should be able to:
• State Personal Information: Confidently state their full name, age, and gender.
• Identify Body Parts: Identify and name the main parts of the body (head, torso, arms, legs, hands, feet) and key facial features (eyes, ears, nose, mouth).
• Understand Body Safety: Explain in simple terms two fundamental rules for keeping their body safe, such as road safety and not going with strangers.

Lesson summary

This week, we revisit and strengthen our understanding of the most important person in the world: YOU! We will consolidate key concepts from the Grade 1 Life Skills curriculum focusing on personal identity, our bodies, and how to keep ourselves safe. In South Africa, a country rich with diverse people and communities, knowing who you are and how to stay safe is a vital skill. Whether you are playing with friends in your neighbourhood, walking to the spaza shop, or meeting new people at school, these skills help you to be confident and secure. This lesson reinforces the foundation of personal and social well-being, which is a core component of the CAPS curriculum.

Lesson notes

This section covers the core knowledge learners need to revise. It is essential to use simple language, repetition, and engaging activities like songs and stories.

All About Me: My Identity Knowing about yourself is the first step to being confident. What is my full name? Every person has a name, and often a surname (family name). It's important to know your full name, not just your nickname. For example, your name might be 'Thabo' at home, but your full name is 'Thabo Molefe'. Knowing this helps your teacher find your books and helps grown-ups find your parents if you are ever lost. How old am I? Your age tells people how many years you have lived. When you have a birthday, you turn one year older! Most of you are 6 or 7 years old. Am I a boy or a girl? This is your gender. It's a part of who you are.

Example: The teacher asks a learner, "Please tell the class about yourself." The learner stands up and says, "My name is Amahle Zungu. I am 6 years old. I am a girl." My Wonderful Body Our bodies are amazing! They help us to learn, play, and explore the world. We must know our body parts and what they do.

Head: This is on top of your body. It holds your brain, which helps you think and learn. On your head, you have hair, eyes, ears, a nose, and a mouth.

Eyes: We use our eyes to see the beautiful colours of the South African flag.

Ears: We use our ears to listen to our teacher and the sound of the hadeda.

Nose: We use our nose to smell delicious vetkoek cooking.

Mouth: We use our mouth to talk, sing our national anthem, and eat.

Torso/Body: This is the middle part of you. It connects your head, arms, and legs. It holds important parts inside like your heart and tummy.

Arms and Hands: We have two arms. At the end of our arms are our hands. We use our hands to write, draw, wave to friends, and hold things.

Legs and Feet: We have two legs. At the end of our legs are our feet. We use our legs and feet to walk to school, run on the playground, and kick a soccer ball. Keeping My Body Safe Your body belongs to you. It is your job to help keep it safe.

Here are the most important rules: Private Parts (The Bathing Suit Rule): Some parts of our body are private. These are the parts that are covered by your underwear or bathing suit (bathers). No one should touch your private parts, except maybe your mom, dad, or a doctor who is helping you stay healthy, and they should always ask first. It is never a secret. If someone touches your private parts, you must tell a trusted adult immediately. Your private parts belong only to you. Good Touch vs.

Bad Touch: Good Touch: This is a touch that makes you feel happy and safe, like a hug from Gogo, a high-five from a friend, or your parent holding your hand.

Bad Touch: This is a touch that makes you feel sad, scared, or uncomfortable. It can be a hit, a push, a kick, or someone touching your private parts. It is never okay for someone to give you a bad touch.

Road Safety: Our roads can be busy with cars, taxis, and buses. We must be very careful. Stop, Look, Listen, and Think! STOP at the edge of the road. LOOK right, look left, and look right again. LISTEN for any cars coming. THINK if it is safe to cross. Only cross when the road is clear. Always walk, don't run. Always hold a grown-up's hand when crossing the road. At a traffic light (we call it a robot in South Africa), only cross when the green man is showing.

Strangers and Trusted Adults: A stranger is anyone you do not know. Most strangers are nice, but some are not. To be safe, we follow the rule: Never take anything from a stranger and never go anywhere with a stranger. If a stranger tries to talk to you, you should run away to a safe place and tell a grown-up you trust. A trusted adult is a grown-up who you know and trust to keep you safe. This can be your parents, grandparents, teacher, or auntie. If you ever feel scared, sad, or confused, you must tell one of your trusted adults. They will help you. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: The Body Parts Song Sing the song "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" with the class. After the song, ask a learner to come to the front and point to their shoulders.

Ask them: "What do we use our shoulders for?" Solution: The learner points to their shoulders.

The teacher helps with the answer: "We use our shoulders to carry our school bags. They help our arms to move so we can reach for things! Well done!"

Commentary: This activity uses a familiar song (kinaesthetic learning) to reinforce knowledge and then asks a simple application question to check for understanding.

Question 2: Safe or Unsafe? Show the learners two pictures.

Picture A: A child holding their mother's hand to cross at a zebra crossing.

Picture B: A child running into the road to chase a ball.

Ask the learners: "Which picture shows a child making a safe choice? Why?" Solution: "Picture A shows the safe choice. The child is holding a grown-up's hand and crossing at a special place for walking, the zebra crossing.