Healthy Living Life Skills GR 3

A partnership programme
for environmental learning

and teacher education
Teaching
Healthy Living
Life Skills Grades R–3
Nomsa Ngxinga & Mary Kerr
www.fundisaforchange.org environment * society * science * sustainability

This is a teacher education text. Its purpose is to expand educators’ knowledge of environmental topics to support the teach-
ing thereof in the curriculum. Teachers and teacher educators should consult CAPS documents and textbooks for specific
curriculum content, as these units are not a textbook, but rather a resource for teacher education.
VERSION 1 – January 2014
Reference:
Ngxingo, N. and Kerr, M. 2014. Teaching Healthy Living. Fundisa for Change Programme. Environmental Learning Research Centre,
Rhodes University, Grahamstown.
ISBN 978-1-919991-21-4
Printed by:
Share-Net
P.O. Box 394, Howick, 3290
Tel. 033-330 3931
[email protected]
Copyright:
This resource can be reproduced and adapted for research and educational purposes that are not-for-profit, provided the authors
(Nomsa Ngxingo and Mary Kerr) and the publisher (Fundisa for Change Programme) are duly acknowledged.
Acknowledgements:
World Vision for Appendix 2: Tippy Taps
Ann Johnson / www.my-kids-corner.com for Appendix 3: Christopher Crocodile and His Bad Tooth
www.childcarelounge.com for Appendix 5: Dental Care Songs
United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for Appendix 7: Water Filtration
South African Human Rights Commission for Appendix 8: Children Have Rights Too
Copy-editing: Kim Ward

Cover design: Francis Lotz
Layout: Dudu Coelho
Contents
ORIENTATION
Introduction 4
What is Healthy Living? 4
Why is it important? 4
How do these units support teaching and learning about Healthy Living? 4
These Healthy Living units and the CAPS 5

The Healthy Living units and their relationship to teaching the CAPS 5
UNIT 1 – Healthy eating and a healthy body
Subject Content Knowledge 9

The body and its parts 9
Healthy foods 10
Balanced meals 11
The food pyramid 11
Teaching Practice 12
Assessment Practice 18
1. Assessment ideas relating specifically to Teaching Activity 1 18
UNIT 2 – Healthy habits and a healthy environment

Understanding germs 26
Healthy hygiene habits 27
Taking care of our environment 28
Understanding pollution 29
Teaching Healthy Living 1

UNIT 3 – Personal safety and healthy relationships

Self and others 44
Safety at home, at school and in the wider environment 45
Rights and responsibilities 48
Responding to emergency situations 50
Key ideas 52
Teaching activities 54
Assessing knowledge of curriculum content 63
Conclusion 66
REFERENCES 67
APPENDICES
1. Masilwe ungcoliseko (Water pollution story – Xhosa) 70
2. Tippy taps 72
3. Christopher Crocodile and his bad tooth 73
4. Tooth care worksheet 75
5. Dental care songs 76
6. School litter survey 77
7. Water filtration 78
8. Children have rights too 80
9. Bloom’s taxonomy question starters 82
10. Useful stories for teaching personal safety and healthy relationships 83
11. Circle Time – Warm-up and End Games 85
12. Make your own storybook 87
13. Safety at home game 88
2 Teaching Healthy Living

Orientation

Introduction
What is Healthy Living?
According to CAPS Healthy Living involves looking after oneself and keeping oneself
healthy. Healthy Living “includes social health, emotional health and relationships with
other people and our environment including values and attitudes”.
Why is it important?
Teaching learners about healthy lifestyle choices is very important. Learners need to know
how to make sensible choices and take informed decisions about their health and environ-
ment. They need to learn about issues that may harm them and their surroundings and be
informed of options for making life better. In these Healthy Living units, we will introduce
you to a number of ways of teaching and learning about the body and its functions, healthy
lifestyles, keeping safe and personal relationships.
Within the topic of Healthy Living, learners will develop an understanding of their bodies,
how to look after themselves and how to keep healthy by adopting healthy habits. These
include maintaining a healthy environment, eating well, engaging in sport, keeping safe
and maintaining sound relationships. Learners need to know that healthy eating sustains
the body and that they in turn should sustain the Earth, so that it continues to yield food
for their well-being. Healthy individuals make healthy homes, and healthy homes make
healthy societies that will live from generation to generation.
How do these units support teaching and learning about

Healthy Living?
The three units here attempt to draw together aspects in the Foundation Phase curriculum
in order to develop a progressive understanding of the topic of Healthy Living.
The main issues covered include:
■ Enabling learners to know and understand the body and its parts together with
functions. Such knowledge helps them to develop laterality, awareness of body
image and spatial orientation. Also, when learners know themselves, they accept
themselves for who they are and develop confidence. This is very important for
Foundation Phase learners.
■ Knowing different kinds of foods and their nutrients, tastes, colours and textures.
■ Putting value on safety and knowing how to take care in the home, school and
playground.
■ Understanding the relationship between the learner and the environment and taking
care of it by being able to make critical decisions
■ Making informed judgements on safety issues.
The three units focus on:
■ Healthy Eating and a Healthy Body

■ Healthy Habits and a Healthy Environment
■ Personal Safety and Healthy Relationships

These Healthy Living units and the CAPS
Working through the three units we hope that, as a Foundation Phase teacher, you will be
able to answer the following key questions:
■ What does Healthy Living mean?
■ How can I promote awareness of Healthy Living among Foundation Phase learners?
■ How can I measure progress of knowledge, skills and understanding of concepts

relating to healthy living, i.e. healthy and well-kept bodies, sticking to a balanced
diet, keeping safe, sustaining a healthy human and physical environment?
At the start of each unit is a table summarising content to be covered according to the
CAPS. The sections do not follow the sequence as presented in the policy document;
instead we progress in the following way:
Knowing the body, its

parts and functions,
and understanding a
balanced diet
Adopting healthy
habits for self and
environment
Developing safe
personal relationships,
and awareness of
keeping self safe
In these three units, we offer support to you as a teacher and facilitator of learning or as an
interested reader so that you can:
■ Strengthen your subject content knowledge of Healthy Living,

■ Enhance your teaching practice, and
■ Support your assessment strategies and practice.
The Healthy Living units and their relationship to teaching

the CAPS
The Life Skills curriculum is divided into three major areas of study: Beginning Knowledge
and Personal and Social Well-being (2 hours per week in Grades R–2 and 3 hours per
week in Grade 3), Creative Arts (2 hours per week) and Physical Development (2 hours
per week). The following tables show how each unit of this Healthy Living module relates
to the ‘Beginning Knowledge and Personal and Social Well-Being’ area of study in each of
the Foundation Phase grades.

Unit 1: Healthy eating and a healthy body
The first Healthy Living unit focuses on the body and its parts, what the body needs to stay
healthy, nutrition and a balanced diet and the importance of exercise.
TERM GRADE R GRADE 1 GRADE 2 GRADE 3
1 My body Healthy habits What we need to live;

Healthy living
2 My body Healthy eating
3 Fruit; Food
Vegetables;
Dairy farming
4 Sport
Unit 2: Healthy habits and a healthy environment
The second Healthy Living unit focuses on developing important personal hygiene habits
and maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
1 Healthy Living Healthy Living What we need to live; Health protection;

Healthy living Rights and responsibilities
2 Sound; Keeping my body safe Recycling
Sight
3 Jobs people do My community Pollution
4 Water
Unit 3: Personal safety and healthy relationships
The third and final Healthy Living unit focuses on awareness of personal safety in home,
school and other key environments, as well as forming and maintaining healthy relation-
ships with others.
1 Me; Me; Myself and others; Feelings;

At school; At school Everyone is special Keeping my body safe;
In the classroom; Rights and responsibilities
My body
2 Safety; My family;
Sound; Safety in the home;
Sight; Keeping my body safe
Tastes and smells
3 My community; Road safety; Public safety
Manners and People who help us
responsibilities
4 Disasters and what we
should do

Unit 1
Healthy eating
and a healthy body

This Fundisa for Change Healthy Living unit focuses on basic nutrition requirements for a
healthy body, the body and its parts (relative to healthy eating and fitness) and the impor-
tance of regular exercise for a fit, healthy body.
The table below provides a list of topics found in the Life Skills (Beginning Knowledge and
Personal and Social Well-Being) subject area of the CAPS curriculum in the Foundation
Phase, listed by grade.
RELATED TOPICS IN THE CAPS – LIFE SKILLS GRADE TERM
My body R 1
u Functions of different body parts
u What my body needs to keep healthy (can be related to nutrition and exercise)
Fruit R 3
u Different types of fruit
u Tastes and textures of fruit
u Where fruit comes from
u Colours and shapes of fruit
Vegetables R 3
u Different types of vegetables
u Tastes and textures of vegetables
u Where vegetables come from
u Colours and shapes of vegetables
Dairy farming R 3
u Dairy products and the animals they come from
u How we get butter
Sport R 4
u Why playing sport is good for me
Healthy habits 1 1
u Eating healthy food
u Regular exercise and play
My body 1 2
u Different parts of my body
u Different parts of my body which move
u Parts of my body that I cannot see
u The five senses and their uses
Food 1 3
u Foods we eat
u Where different foods come from: fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat
u Healthy eating
u Storing food
What we need to live 2 1
u Different types of food – for growth, energy and health
Healthy living 2 1
u Protecting food we eat
u Good habits – such as regular exercise
Healthy eating 3 2
u Food groups
u Vitamins – fruit and vegetables
u Carbohydrates – bread, maize/ mielie meal
u Proteins – eggs, beans, meat, nuts
u Dairy – milk, cheese, yoghurt
u A balanced diet

Subject Content Knowledge
It is important for learners to know about the impact of healthy eating and exercise on the
body so that they are able to make good choices about their food and sustain a healthy
body. Learners need to learn about various kinds of vegetables and fruits, food groups,
nutrition and a balanced diet.
Human beings contribute directly to body illness by making bad eating choices. The World
Health Organisation states that obesity is on the rise and is one of the most serious health
challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low and
middle income countries. In 2010 the number of overweight children under the age of five
was estimated to be over 42 million and close to 35 million are in developing countries.
Obesity is caused by a shift in diet towards increased intake of energy-dense foods that
are high in unsaturated fats and sugars but low in vitamins, minerals, and other healthy
micronutrients. A trend towards decreased levels of physical activity is also a key factor.
Just as relevant to South Africa is the issue of malnutrition, with UNICEF listing malnutri-
tion as being among the top five causes of child deaths in 2003. Malnutrition is usually
either caused by a lack of essential nutrients – dietary energy, protein and micro-nutrients
(vitamins and minerals) – in the diet, or diseases such as diarrhoea that affect nutrient
uptake.
Prevention needs high priority. Teaching about healthy eating and healthy bodies is thus
invaluable as obesity is related to diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke,
while malnutrition is linked to impaired brain development, impaired physical growth and
motor skills development, low IQ and increased risk of mortality and morbidity (presence of
illness or disease). Knowledge of the risks, and steps that can be taken to overcome them,
will help learners to think critically and make informed judgements.
The body and its parts Eye Head

Ear
The body is made up of visible parts like the Nose
head, neck, face, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, Mouth
tongue, teeth, arms, hands, legs and feet, Shoulder Neck
as well as hidden internal parts such as the
brain, the oesophagus, blood and diges- Chest Stomach
tive organs which include the stomach and
Arm
intestines. Elbow
The body has upper and lower limbs, both

left and right. It is important to bring to learn- Wrist
ers knowledge of laterality and symmetry. Hand
Spatial orientation should also be introduced Fingers
while they learn about the parts of the body.
Knee
In order to be healthy the body needs Leg
exercise, the right balance of healthy foods,
good hygiene practices like a clean body Foot Toes
and teeth and clean, combed hair. The body
must be kept clean in order to stay healthy.

A healthy body is a well-nourished body with a normal Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure
of the amount of fat found in a human body. It is a body that eats healthily and keeps on
getting stronger, and is free from sickness. This can be achieved if a healthy lifestyle is
adopted for sustainable well-being.
Healthy foods
Carbohydrates release energy. We get carbohydrates from foods like mielies, bread,
samp, pasta, potatoes and rice. Wholemeal or brown breads, pastas and rice (‘unrefined’
carbohydrates) are better for the body as they contain fibre, vitamins and minerals that
release energy slowly and steadily throughout the day, whereas white (‘refined’) carbohy-
drates have been processed and do not contain the nutrients necessary for good health.
Proteins build, maintain and replace tissues in the body and thus can increase muscles
and maintain healthy bones, blood and organs. These come from meat, fish, dairy foods,
beans and pulses.
Vitamins are very important for maintaining a healthy body. Vitamin C helps protect the
body against illnesses such as colds and influenza as well as maintaining a healthy diges-
tive tract and assisting the body against infections. It cannot be stored in the body so needs
to be taken daily. Vitamin C is found in oranges, lemons, kiwi and watermelon, amongst
other fruits, as well as broccoli and potatoes. Vitamin A (carotene) helps maintain good
eyesight and immunity and can be found in carrots and other dark-coloured vegetables as
well as animal products. B-Vitamins (B1 to B12) are important for many things such as
stress and maintaining a healthy digestive system, and are found in brown bread and other
whole grains, dark green vegetables and animal proteins. Our bodies have the capacity to
generate Vitamin D if we are exposed to the sun (sunscreen is important though to prevent
skin cancer). Vitamin E helps to nourish the skin, and is found in nuts, seeds and cereals.
This is a brief introduction to certain essential vitamins; however, it is up to the individual to

research the vitamins he/she needs for the growth and development of their body, as this
changes with age. This means eating the right foods in order to be well-nourished and have
a strong immune system and a fully functional digestive system, which in turn supports the
nervous system (this occurs without stress if the right food products are taken in).
Minerals include calcium which strengthens bones and teeth as well as acting to alkalise
or excrete toxins from the body, amongst other functions. Calcium is lost during the day
through natural body waste and perspiration. Not having enough calcium can cause bones
to weaken resulting in osteoporosis (a bone disease) in later life. We get calcium mainly
from milk and other dairy products. Vegetables like spinach and broccoli also contain
calcium.

Other key minerals include iron (found in red meat, whole grains and dark green leafy
vegetables), potassium (found in bananas, tomatoes and the skin of potatoes) and zinc
(found in nuts, red meat and pulses). Minerals have a variety of important functions from
boosting the immune system and regulating heartbeat, to fighting infection.
Dairy foods include milk, yoghurt, cheese, maas and butter. These contain calcium and are
good for strong teeth and bones, particularly in children.
Balanced meals
A balanced morning breakfast is the most important meal of the day and is necessary to
equip the body for all the activities of the day to come. It ‘powers up’ the body with adequate
nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, calcium, vitamins and minerals, including vitamin
C and iron. Without breakfast, people (and children in particular) lack energy and the ability
to concentrate and retain information.
Having porridge with milk provides starch for energy and calcium for strong teeth and
bones; adding raisins or other fruit as an optional topping provides essential vitamins.
Other breakfast ingredients might include eggs, bacon, sausage or beans (containing pro-
teins), lettuce and tomatoes with cucumber (for vitamins) and brown bread for vitamin B,
to relieve stress and flush out toxins in the body. Drinking orange juice provides vitamin C,
and coffee gives a little bit of a morning kick-start of energy (caffeine), although caffeine
intake should be carefully regulated and is not really recommended for children. Breakfast
preferences differ around the world but a balanced breakfast is one that provides a variety
of nutrients (see below) and is not over-reliant on one thing.
Healthy eating involves eating a balanced diet. A balanced diet is one that includes a
variety of foods and drinks from each of the food groups, in the right amounts: carbohy-
drates, proteins, vitamins and minerals, dairy and fats. Healthy eating also implies eating
everything in moderation, with particular care being taken over fat, sugar and salt intake.
It is important to take in the right amount of nutrients that are needed by the body to keep
healthy. Each food group must be taken with moderation.
It is recommended that people have a doctor examine their state of health regularly (usu-
ally every six months) to check they are eating all the vitamins and minerals that they
require in their bodies.
The food pyramid

The ‘food pyramid’ shows the types of foods that a per- Fats,
oils &
son needs in their diet and the amount that should be sweets
eaten in relation to others. Most food in a person’s diet
Meat,
should come from foods in the bottom layer which is fish, beans,
the biggest part of the triangle (in the carbohydrate nuts & dairy
group), a slightly smaller amount from the second
layer (fruit and vegetables), still less from the
Vegetables Fruits
third layer (meat and dairy products) and finally
only very small amounts of the top layer (fats,
oils and sugars) – a certain amount of fat is Bread, cereal
necessary in a healthy body, but too much grains, rice & pasta
is very unhealthy.

Teaching Practice
In this section, we give examples of different activities for teaching Foundation Stage chil-
dren about Healthy Living, with a focus on encouraging healthy eating and regular exercise
in children in order to keep their bodies fit and healthy.
The aim is not to provide a set of prescribed activities. Rather, the ideas and approaches
given here are for you to adapt and build into your own existing practices.
Learning takes place in many different ways, and it is particularly important for young chil-
dren to be actively involved in their learning, under the careful guidance, questioning and
scaffolding of their teacher. You will find a range of teaching methods: these are discussed
before each activity, and there are also suggestions for developing your teaching practice.
The activities here illustrate how you can incorporate different aspects of learning – such as
creative arts, physical development, language and maths – into this topic area. The activi-
ties are suitable for particular grades, though the ‘developing your own practice’ sections
are relevant to all grades.
For more on these methods There are a range of methods in the following activities:
refer to the Methods &
Processes booklet, in particular
pages 14, 16 and 33. a) Guided Questioning: This has been used initially to probe prior knowledge from
learners, which can be followed by telling learners the information they have to
acquire. Through this method, learners feel increasingly involved in the learning pro-
cess: confidence and motivation to learn is developed when they are given a chance
to think things through for themselves and suggest answers. This method supports
a stimulating and interactive learning experience, and can also be spontaneous and
fun.
b) Games: As a follow-up activity, a game has been used to test the knowledge of
learners in a playful but structured manner. During the game there is a subtle com-
petition which stimulates motivation to learn. The game encourages participation by
all learners and also creativity.
c) Visual Art: This method is employed so that learners can give expression to their
ideas.
d) Stories: Stories are a wonderful teaching resource in the Foundation Phase. A good
story will capture learners’ imaginations. It is important to use phrases like ‘in the
beginning’, ‘in the middle’ and ‘in the end’ when narrating stories as this gives struc-
ture to children’s own stories later on. Learners develop critical thinking through use
of stories. Well-structured stories will allow learners to acquire new knowledge and
vocabulary. A story lends authenticity to environmental issues, giving learners a clear
picture of an often-abstract idea.

ACTIVITY 1
MY BODY
(Parts and functions)
Activity outcome/purpose
To teach learners to know and recognise their body parts and functions. The lesson forms
the basis for the rest of the activities in this unit.
Link to CAPS
• Life Skills: ‘Beginning Knowledge and Personal and Social Well-Being’ under My
Body (Grade R and Grade 1)
• Link to Mathematics: Learning about the symbols and names of numbers 1 and 2;
counting
• Link to Language: Names of body parts, functions and action words (verbs). Writing
Links to assessment
See ‘Assessment Practice’ section of this unit, p.18, for ideas about how to assess this
activity.
Resources
Poster of body; pictures of body parts glued on toilet rolls; flash cards with numbers 1 and
2, number names (one, two), names of body parts, names of learners; dice; paper plates;
cork; buttons; paper; crayons; dough; sand trays.
Activity outline
STEP 1: Display a labelled poster of the body on the wall above the theme table. On the
theme table put pictures of body parts glued on empty toilet rolls. Introduce the theme to
learners. Discuss the items on the table with learners. Encourage learners to talk about
their own bodies: What do they use their body parts for? How do the various parts of the
body help them? Then go through the labels on the poster and give learners time to identify
various parts of the body.
STEP 2: Hold up matching flash cards as the learners mention the parts. Ask the learners
how many heads/necks/faces/mouths/ tongues they have. Ask how many eyes/ears/arms/
hands they have. As they answer hold up the flash card with number symbol and name.
Let them count the body parts, for example one mouth, two eyes and five fingers on each
hand – ten altogether.
STEP 3: Ask them to write the number symbol in the air, on sand and using their bodies.
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES:
u Creative art: Let learners draw their faces on a paper plate with crayons, using
buttons for eyes and cork for the nose, then display the learners’ work. Learners
can make bodies with dough. Give learners puzzles of the body to assemble. Give
learners magazines to cut out body parts and paste them onto paper.
u Physical development: Play the game ‘Simon says’. Point to a part of the body,
like the nose, and say, ‘Simon says nose’. If you are actually pointing to your nose
children must clap three times; if you are pointing to a different body part, children
must stamp their feet three times. Then point to the eyes and say, ‘Simon says ears’,
children again either clapping or stamping depending on if the name of the body
part and the part you are pointing to match.

u Performing arts: Let learners form a circle. Put the body poster on the floor. Play
some music and tell the learners to dance around the poster, stopping when the
music stops. Then give one learner a dice to roll on the poster. When the dice lands
on one of the body parts, the learner must call out the part and show /do what the
part does, e.g. “feet – I walk/run with my feet”. Let all learners take a turn.
u Language: Learners sit in a ring. Encourage learners to tell the class how they have
changed since they were young. You may want to narrate your own story first while
learners listen. Then ask them to tell the class stories about themselves when they
were young.
u Outside play: Learners stand in a circle with hula hoops in front of them. Then tell
them to jump inside and twirl the hula hoops on different parts of their bodies, e.g.
arm, waist, wrist as you may instruct them to do.
Developing your teaching practice

Consider how you could use all the teaching methods described above to create a different
activity. You might choose to focus on healthy eating or the importance of exercise, or stick
with this subject area but create an activity for children in Grades 2 or 3.
ACTIVITY 2
This activity uses stories, EATING HEALTHY FOOD

games and visual arts. See
the Methods and Processes
booklet, pages 16 and 33. Activity outcome/purpose
To teach learners about the importance of healthy eating.
Link to CAPS
u Life Skills: ‘Beginning Knowledge and Personal and Social Well-Being’ under My
Body, Fruit, Vegetables and Dairy Farming (Grade R), Healthy Habits, My Body and
Food (Grade 1), What We Need to Live (Grade 2) and Healthy Eating (Grade 3)
u Mathematics: Graph illustrating foods eaten by learners
u Language: Types of vegetables and fruit, food values
Links to assessment
activity.
Resources
Theme poster of different vegetables labelled. Poster of different fruits labelled. Flash cards
with names of vegetables and fruits, mealie cobs, paint, cloths or paper; story.
Activity outline
STEP 1: Ask learners to bring in pictures of healthy foods. Paste these on the board. Ask
questions like ‘What should we do to keep our bodies healthy?’ Ask about healthy foods
they know. Why do you say they are healthy? Which foods are unhealthy? Why do you
think so?
STEP 2: Learners identify foods on the pictures and brainstorm healthy foods such as
green leafy vegetables, fruit, milk, fish, yellow vegetables, meat, and clean drinking water.
STEP 3: Narrate a story about a child who did not like to eat healthily, but instead enjoyed
sweets and drinks. Give learners pictures that depict the story to sequence and illustrate

understanding. Tell learners which are unhealthy foods, e.g. fat, chips, and sweets.
New knowledge: Teacher tells learners that vegetables and fruits nourish the body as they
give the body vitamins. We get vitamins from foods like: spinach, cabbage, carrots, broc-
coli, cauliflower, etc. Proteins come from meat, milk and eggs. Our eyes need carrots to
be strong. Our teeth need milk to be strong. Milk has calcium which is good for bones and
teeth, etc.
u Creative art: Give learners mealie cobs, cloth / paper and paint and tell them to dip
cobs in the paint and make prints. Give learners papers with outlines of healthy and
unhealthy foods and ask them to colour in healthy foods using crayons / paint
u Discussion: Find out what children eat during meals. Let them conclude if the food
they eat is healthy or not. Have an open discussion as to how they can make sure
they get healthy food during meals. Probe knowledge by asking questions and
lead them towards taking action and work towards a sustainable solution, perhaps
establishing a vegetable garden at school and running a soup kitchen. Make a graph
of the foods eaten.
u Physical development: Throwing balls. Teacher says ‘Vegetable’ and throws a ball
to one learner. They catch the ball and in turn call out a kind of vegetable and throw
back to the teacher. Teacher throws to another learner and the same procedure is
followed. The teacher may change to ‘Fruit’.
u Performing arts: Spatial orientation – learners assume different formations. The
teacher calls out ‘circle’ and the learners form a circle, then calls out ‘pumpkin’ or
‘carrot’ and they form the shape of a pumpkin or carrot, etc.
u Visual arts: Create 3D shapes – learners draw and paint healthy foods using paint
and crayons. Use papier mâché to make 3D shapes of fruits and vegetables. Then
discuss shapes.
u Learners count different foods, e.g. say how many leafy vegetables there are and
count them, show using flash cards the symbol and the number name.

Try writing your own story about healthy eating. This could be a fiction or non-fiction story.
Consider your learners’ interests when writing the story to make it engaging for them, and
think about what message you are trying to get across.
ACTIVITY 3
WHAT WE NEED TO LIVE This activity uses stories,

games and investigative. See
(Different kinds of food – for growth, energy and health) the Methods and Processes
booklet, pages 16, 23 and 33.
To teach learners to know the different kinds of foods for growth, energy and health.
Link to CAPS
u Mathematics: Counting, sorting
u Language: Telling stories, listening and responding.

Links to assessment
activity.
Resources
Poster with pictures of food (bread, pasta, mielies, fruit, vegetables, fish, fat, milk, cheese,
yoghurt, sweets, jam, water, ice cream), flashcards with pictures of foods, flashcards with
names of foods, boxes, paper, prestik, crayons, paint.
Activity outline
STEP 1: Ask learners the following higher-order questions:
u What do we get from food?
u What would happen if we did not get food for a long time?
u Do you think an athlete/ sports player would perform well without eating? Why?
u How would you feel if there was no food?
u Which food do you like most? Why?
STEP 2: New knowledge: Tell learners that food groups are divided into carbohydrates,
proteins, vitamins, minerals, dairy, and fats/ sugars. A person training for a strenuous
endurance activity needs more carbohydrates because carbohydrates provide energy.
Foods with carbohydrates are bread, pasta, mielies, potatoes, etc. A person who is doing
weight training needs more protein. Protein is the building block of muscle. Foods with
protein are meat, eggs, beans and fish, and dairy such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, maas etc.
Vitamins are found in vegetables and fruit. Calcium is found in milk. Vitamins and minerals
are good for growth and health. Spinach is rich in minerals. Sugar and fats give energy.
u Creative art: Learners tell stories using the topic, my favourite food, listening and
responding appropriately to others. Learners work in groups and make cuttings
of foods from magazines and newspapers, categorise these into food groups and
paste onto posters.
u Visual arts: create 3D shapes: Learners use recyclable boxes and paper to make
food containers, colour them in and label them using pens. Learners sort pictures of
different foods, counting how many foods give the body energy/ growth/ health.
u Investigation: Learners collect containers / boxes of foods they eat at home, cut the
pictures and labels and paste them on paper with title: The food I eat. This can be
done over a month. When the learners are finished the class discusses the research
results and see if they eat the foods in various groups.

Consider ‘Step 2’, above. How could you create a more interactive way of imparting new
knowledge to learners? Consider visual, auditory and tactile stimulation, including real-life
examples of foods, so that learners are actively involved in the learning of new knowledge
as opposed to being passive recipients of knowledge. Consider using data handling as an
entry-point.

ACTIVITY 4
HEALTHY EATING This activity uses role play,

investigative methods, talks
(A balanced diet) and presentations, and
demonstrations. See the
Activity outcome/ purpose Methods and Processes
booklet, pages 12, 13, 20
To teach learners to know the different kinds of foods for growth, energy and health. To and 23.
know what a balanced diet looks like and be able to design menus.
Link to CAPS
u Mathematics: Working on a graph, data handling
u Language: Writing menus
Resources
Food pyramid (see p.11), foods from all food groups, pictures of different foods, real food,
packages of foods, labels, paper, crayons, paint, brushes.
Activity outline
STEP 1: Revise food groups with learners. Write the food groups on the chalkboard and
ask learners to suggest various foods in each groups. Write them as they say them.
STEP 2: Creative art: Learners design menus for a day, ensuring that each dish contains a
good balance of all the different food groups.
u Investigation: Learners work in pairs and make an investigation about what the rest
of the class ate the previous day before they came to school, at school and before
they slept. Each pair can investigate each other. The learners give reports of their
investigations and these must be recorded on a graph on the board. The results
are discussed in class and the learners make deductions by answering leading
questions like these: Which food group was not eaten by Lamla? Are all the food
groups represented? What is lacking? What steps could we take to make sure this is
addressed?
u Physical Development: Perceptual motor skills (outdoor exercises) – Learners
stand in a circle. Do a warm-up focussing on posture. Then the teacher calls out
‘Growing children’ and they slowly stretch up and out, standing on toes to dem-
onstrate getting bigger. Then the teacher calls out ‘Energy’, and the learners show
muscles. When the teachers calls out ‘Healthy’ the learners jump on the spot five
times, then jump with feet astride and stretch arms sideways.
u Performing Arts: Spatial orientation – learners do a role play related to lesson.
u Visual Arts: Create 2D shapes – Learners use paper and crayons/paints to illustrate
menus by drawing and painting the dishes. Encourage them to use appropriate
colours. Learners then talk about the menus they have designed. Talk about the
availability of the foods they have in their menus and identify problems and how
such could be solved in order to sustain healthy eating.

Assessment Practice
In this assessment section, ideas for creating rubrics and checklists are given for both
formal (necessary for grading at the end of the year in the CAPS curriculum) and informal
assessment.
Each assessment activity relates directly to one of the activities in the Teaching Practices
section. However, they are designed as exemplars only, for you to take and adapt accord-
ing to the grade and subject content that you are teaching.
1. Assessment ideas relating specifically to Teaching Activity 1
In this unit, learners have been engaged in a variety of Life Skills activities that required
them to name and recognise body parts and act out what each part does. Learners were
also required to understand the concept of numbers 1 and 2 and to be able to write these
symbols.
Assessing knowledge of curriculum content

(emphasis on higher order questions)
These are examples of questions that could be asked:
■ How would you feel if you did not have eyes/ ears/ legs/ hands, etc?
■ Do you think that your body is special? Why?
■ If your friend lost an arm, how might it affect him/her?
HOW TO ASSESS: ORAL, WRITTEN

WHAT TO ASSESS AND RECORD?
LEARNERS (SKILLS TO BE ASSESSED) COMMENTS
ORAL WRITTEN
Is able to listen and understands instructions and talks
• when did s/he crawl, when did s/he start schooling

Can explain how they are the same / different to their
Talks about personal experiences, tells own stories
Matches name of body parts and tells its function

Answers questions such as those related to:
Knows the functions of different body parts

• naming and recognising body parts
Sequences ideas while telling a story

Takes turns and listens to others
about personal events such as:
friends

LEARNER
LEARNERS
Listens to and carries out instructions. Listens to and carries out instructions properly
Teaching Healthy Living

Uses different joints such as ankles, swinging and swaying
as when playing with hula hoops
Participates in locomotor movements such as walking,

LOCOMOTOR: Dancing skipping, gallop on own/partner forwards and backwards
Participates in non-locomotor activities such as bending

PERFORMING ARTS
knees, reaching and coordinating arms
Participates in cooling down and relaxation activities

PERCEPTUAL MOTOR: Jumping into hula hoops and
twirling them with body parts e.g. ankles, waist, arm, Handles crayons properly
WHAT TO ASSESS?
WHAT TO ASSESS?
neck, etc. Listens to and carries out instructions properly
(SKILLS TO BE ASSESSED)
(SKILLS TO BE ASSESSED)
2D Draws face using thick crayons. Uses a variety of
suggested resources e.g. buttons and cork
RYTHM: Dancing and following music. Stopping when the
TERM 1: EXEMPLAR CREATIVE ART CHECKLIST
music stops 3D Uses dough to make body models

VISUAL ARTS
How to assess: Observation, Oral and Practical activities

How to assess: Observation, Oral and Practical activities
TERM 1: EXEMPLAR PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT CHECKLIST

Understands modelling techniques: Model clay modelling
Identifies art elements

COMMENTS
COMMENTS
19
Holistic Rubric: Home Language Skills (score against 7 point scale)
Formative assessment activities which have been done, tracked and recorded in obser-
vation sheets, checklists, written recording class work books, worksheets and DBE work
books from the whole term should be used to determine the score each learner should be
given for each of the language skills that will inform the learner’s overall performance in
Home Language.
LANGUAGE SKILLS
Scoring against 7 point scale

Codes and Rating:
LEARNER 1 = Not Achieved 2 = Elementary Achievement 3 = Moderate Achievement 4 = Adequate Achievement
5 = Substantial Achievement 6 = Meritorious Achievement 7 = Outstanding Achievement
BKP&S/ Physical
Performing Arts Visual Arts
well being development
In Activity 2, learners engaged in Life Skills activities that required them to identify various
kinds of foods so as to make healthy food choices. They were taught to understand the
importance of drinking clean water.

■ Which of the foods mentioned are not healthy?

■ How can we make sure everybody eats healthy foods?
■ Who gets sick? Is it those who eat healthy foods or those who do not eat healthily?
A holistic rubric could be used to assess knowledge, skill and values acquired in Activity 2
above.

GRADE 1 – TERM 1
Name of Learner:
HOLISTIC RUBRIC
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Not achieved
Achievement
achievement
achievement
achievement
achievement
achievement
Outstanding
Meritorious
Elementary
Substantial
Moderate
Adequate
0-29% 30-39% 40-49% 50-59% 60-69% 70-79% 80-100%
1. Beginning Knowledge
Knows healthy foods
Knows kinds of
vegetables
Knows a variety of
fruits
2. Visual Arts
Able to create 3D
shapes – vegetables
and fruit using
recyclable material and
discuss shapes
3. Physical development
Can assume different
formations to illustrate
shapes of fruit/
vegetables
4. Creative Arts
Can paint in coloured
ink/paint
Able to use crayons
In the previous activities we provided an exemplar of formal assessment. For Activity 3 we

illustrate how you can use informal assessment in your class.

■ What would happen if you did not drink milk?

■ Is it good to eat one kind of food that you like all the time? Why?
■ What ways can you keep your body healthy?
■ Why are vegetables and fruit good for you?
■ How can we make certain that we get them?

Informal Assessment: Checklist
GRADE 2 – TERM 1
CHECKLIST FOR LIFE SKILLS ASSESSMENT
Name of learner: Date:

The learner is able to: Yes No
u Tell the various kinds of food.
u Tell which foods give energy.
u Tell which foods give growth
u Tell story, listen and respond.

■ How many learners eat a balanced diet?

■ Which food group is lacking?
Informal Assessment: Checklist
GRADE 3 – TERM 2
CHECKLIST FOR LIFE SKILLS ASSESSMENT
Name of learner: Date:

The learner is able to: Yes No
u Know what a balanced diet is
u Write a menu with all food groups
u Make colour paintings of food
u Participate in a role play
u Do an investigation and report
u Participate in a discussion

Unit 2
Healthy habits and
a healthy environment

This unit focuses on healthy personal habits related to basic hygiene. It explores how
keeping the environment clean and healthy contributes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The table below provides a related list of topics found in the Life Skills (Beginning Knowledge
and Personal and Social Well-Being) subject area of the CAPS curriculum in the Founda-
tion Phase, listed by grade.
Healthy living – good basic hygiene practices R 1

u Washing regularly 1 1
u Cleaning teeth, hair, nails
u Washing fruit before eating
u Good toilet habits
u Washing hands
u Sleep
u Regular exercise
Sound R 2
u Looking after my ears
Sight R 2
u Looking after my eyes
Jobs people do
u Health e.g. doctor, dentist
Water R 3
u Saving water
Healthy environment R 3
u The importance of a clean environment
u Ways in which people pollute the environment
u The importance of recycling
Keeping my body safe 1 2
u Protecting our bodies from illness:
u Covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
u Never touching another person’s blood
u Washing fruit and vegetables before eating
u Making water safe to drink
My community 1 3
u Keeping places clean – include using bins and not littering
Water 1 4
u Uses of water – home and school
u Ways water is wasted
u Ways of saving water
u Safe and unsafe drinking water
u Storing clean water
What we need to live 2 1
u Water
u Air
u Sunlight (protection from the sun)
Healthy living 2 1
u Simple ways of purifying water
u Things that harm us – smoking, alcohol, drugs
u Good habits such as regular exercise, limited television
Health protection 3 1
u Basic health and hygiene – include not touching other people’s blood

Rights and responsibilities 3 1
u In the environment
Recycling 3 2
u What happens to our waste
u Reusing
u Recycling
u Reducing
u What cannot be recycled
u Recycling at home and at school
u Making compost out of things that rot
u Reusing water
Pollution 3 3
u What pollution is
u Different types of pollution – water, land, air, noise
u Effects of pollution on people
u Effects of pollution on the environment

Having learnt about healthy eating and a healthy body in Unit 1, the focus now shifts to
healthy habits and a healthy environment. In Unit 2 we explore basic hygiene, washing
hands, fruit and vegetables, germs, what we need to live, rights and responsibilities towards
the environment, recycling and pollution. The aim is to help learners take responsibility for
their health and environmental well-being.
Understanding germs
Germs are tiny microorganisms that can invade our bodies and make us sick. They are so
small that they creep into our bodies unnoticed. They can only be seen through a micro-
scope. There are four major types of germs, namely bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa.
These germs multiply in an environment like the human body.
Bacteria can cause tonsillitis, ear infection, pneumonia, and tuberculosis (TB).
Viruses cause chicken pox, measles, flu, etc. HIV ultimately leads to AIDS.
Fungi cause, amongst others, athletes’ foot and ringworm.
Protozoa cause illnesses like malaria, and can also be responsible for diarrhoea, nausea
and stomach pain.
Germs enter the body in different ways. They may be eaten if they are living on food or
hands used for eating, which often causes diarrhoea. Germs can be contracted from dirty
Cholera is a serious bacterial water through drinking or swimming in it: cholera is passed on through eating or drinking
infection of the gut caused by
drinking contaminated water,
food or water contaminated with the cholera bacteria. Touching germs on another person
eating contaminated food or and then touching parts of one’s own body (mouth, eyes etc) can transmit germs from
ingesting germs from hands one person to another – fungal infections such as ringworm, and bacterial skin infections
contaminated by the Vibrio
cholera bacterium. It causes like impetigo, are passed through human to human contact. Certain germs can also be
acute diarrhoea and can kill transmitted through the air, such as cold and ‘flu viruses and TB, or via bodily fluids like
within hours if left untreated.
blood, as is the case with HIV. Infected animals can also transmit diseases: rabies (dogs
and monkeys) and malaria (mosquitoes) are transmitted through the bites of animals.
One well-known germ is E. Coli, short for Escherichia Coli. This often comes from under-
cooked beef (used for hamburgers). We may also get E. Coli from vegetables that have
been in contact with cow manure or washed in contaminated water. Fruit juice that is not
pasteurised may also have this germ (pasteurisation is a process that uses heat to kill
germs).
We must protect ourselves from germs as they cause sicknesses. Hand washing at key
times is the single most effective way of stopping germs from being spread. Covering the
mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, not touching other peoples’ blood, washing
fruit and vegetables and making water safe for drinking are other very important methods
of controlling infections and disease.
Cuts and other open wounds, such as pierced ears, can become infected by germs. We
may notice that the area becomes swollen, red, warm and painful. When infected the
wound may ooze a fluid called pus. Using disinfectants along with soap and clean water
will treat minor infections.

It is important to learn basic first aid skills to be able to assist a person in situations like
nose bleeds, severe cuts or wounds, asthma attacks and heart attacks. Learning to swim
is another important skill.
Healthy hygiene habits

Washing hands regularly ensures a person is kept safe from viral infections and diseases.
This is because germs on the hands may cause diarrhoea and cholera, when such germs
reach the mouth. You should develop the good habit of washing your hands with soap and
water every time you leave the bathroom. Hands must also be washed before eating, to
stop germs on hands from entering the mouth, as well as before and after visiting a sick
person. Hands need to be washed thoroughly after working or playing outside and after
touching animals, too.
Nails are at the tips of the fingers, and germs get trapped underneath them all the time:
shaking hands with other people, and playing and working outside in soil and grass, are
two ways of how germs get stuck behind fingernails. It is vital that nails are kept clean so
that germs don’t enter one’s mouth when eating. It is helpful to keep nails trimmed short
and use a nail brush with soap and water.
Washing the body every day keeps us clean and healthy. Hair needs to be washed regu-
larly too, particularly during puberty (teenage years) when the scalp often produces too
much oil. Contrary to popular belief, having dirty hair does not cause head lice, although
checking hair for lice and nits regularly is important. Head lice can be treated by apply-
ing conditioner daily and combing hair from the roots with a nit comb, using chemical
shampoos found in pharmacies or using traditional or home recipes that may involve using
certain plants or essential oils.
Fruit and vegetables must be washed before being eaten, because farmers usually spray
pesticides on their plants to protect the fruit from being eaten by bugs. E.coli from manure
may be present on food, as well as more general farm dirt and dust.
Covering the mouth when sneezing and coughing is essential as cold and flu viruses,
TB and other serious respiratory illnesses are spread in this way. Hands should always be
washed afterwards too, as germs will otherwise stay on the hands.
Sleep is recognised as a basic human need according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

theory. This is backed up by doctors and medical professionals around the world. Everyone
requires adequate sleep every day to prevent tiredness and fatigue. In the short term,
lack of sleep affects a person’s ability to concentrate and retain information, make sensible
judgements and regulate moods. Longer term, it can cause serious health problems such
as obesity, heart disease, stress, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Regular exercise has enormous health benefits. These include relieving stress, strength-
ening muscle, keeping the heart and lungs healthy, boosting the immune system, weight
control, increased brain function, inducing good quality sleep and reducing the risk of high
blood pressure, cancer, stroke and osteoporosis. Water is lost from the body through exer-
cise, so water intake should be increased when exercising.
Caring for teeth: It is important to keep clean at all times by brushing twice daily with
toothpaste. Strong and healthy teeth help us chew food which helps us grow. Teeth help
us speak clearly and look our best. Unclean teeth lead to cavities (holes in the teeth), bad

breath and even diseases. Taking care of teeth means that plaque bacteria, that sticks to
teeth, is prevented from forming. It is this plaque that causes gingivitis, a gum disease that
causes red, swollen and sore gums. Eating lots of sugar in the form of sweets and fizzy
drinks can cause teeth to decay. Using dental floss as well as brushing removes food and
plaque from between the teeth.
Caring for eyes is very important as we need healthy eyes to see well. Vitamin A/ carotene,
found in carrots, promotes good eyesight. Looking directly at the sun can cause severe
damage to eyes and even blindness. Protecting babies’ eyes in the first six months of life is
particularly important. Taking care of eyes involves only reading in good light, as reading in
bad light puts a strain on the eyes. Do not rub eyes too much. Never put sharp objects or
salt into your eyes. Wear sunglasses or a hat with a brim in bright sunlight. Visiting a doctor
or optician regularly helps to maintain healthy eyes and prevent blindness.
Caring for ears is also important as we need healthy ears to hear properly. When ears
have problems we have difficulty hearing, which can have an effect on personal safety, for
example not being able hear approaching traffic on the roads. Wax is found naturally in
ears, though a build-up of wax can cause blockage and infection. Cleaning ears gently on
the outside with a wash cloth and mild soap is helpful, though it is dangerous to put any-
thing (such as tissue or cotton swabs) into the ear canal itself. This can push wax in deeper
and cause infection, or leave behind traces of materials like cotton and tissue that build up
to form a blockage. Sharp objects inserted into the ear may lead to bleeding and serious
damage. Visit a doctor regularly to check for ear health. It is also not good to listen to very
loud music as it can damage ears and cause temporary and even permanent hearing loss.
Taking care of our environment

Water is needed for washing our bodies, cooking food, drinking, growing vegetables and
fruit on farms and at home, growing trees (for paper and furniture) and making steel and
glass, amongst other things. Water is therefore one of the most essential resources for
humans. Ideally, humans need to drink between six and eight glasses of water a day, and
can only survive for around five days without drinking water. If safe drinking water is not
available, water can be made safe by filtering (if cloudy or muddy), boiling and using water
purification tablets or a small amount of bleach (one teaspoon per 20 litres of water).
Our Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996, section 24, asserts that everyone
has a right to a healthy and clean environment. This right is entrenched in our Bill of Rights,
chapter 2 of the Constitution. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and any law
inconsistent with it will be deemed invalid for all purposes. Therefore the government has
a responsibility to provide such an environment for its people.
Humans also have a responsibility towards keeping their environments clean and healthy.
This includes disposing of waste properly by placing it in allocated dump sites, rather than
throwing litter on the ground where it ends up in rivers and oceans. Better still is to reduce
the amount of waste we consume, and reuse and recycle waste.
Keep home environments clean and healthy in the following ways. Keep lids on bins, and
clean bins regularly, so that disease-carrying rats and cockroaches are not attracted to the
home. Cleaning kitchen surfaces, tables where food is eaten and floors regularly has the
same effect. Keep food covered to stop flies from landing on them, protect water sources
and use clean water for washing and drinking. Keep animals away from community food

and water sources. Make sure toilets are kept clean and disinfect areas such as toilet
seats. Open windows daily to allow fresh air to circulate.
Understanding pollution
Pollution is the undesired, excess destruction of purity and happens when the environment
is contaminated with a substance that is harmful to it in some way. Pollution may be of
the land, water, air or noise and can bring about disease and even death (in poisonous
contaminated water) in animals and humans. Pollution disrupts fragile ecosystems and can
have long-lasting effects.
Humans pollute the environment by noise (loud music, drilling machines etc.), by emitting
harmful gases into the air (through burning fossil fuels and industrial activity) and by throw-
ing or dumping waste (which pollutes the land as well as dams, rivers and seas). In the
case of air pollution, holes are created in the ozone layer that protects the Earth from the
sun’s harmful rays, allowing these to enter the Earth’s atmosphere. This may be a factor in
global warming and climate change. Dumping waste and throwing away litter causes a lot
of flies which are in turn responsible for diseases.
Continuing to exploit the Earth’s natural resources will result in them being depleted in the
future. This applies to wood, metals, oil, coal and many other materials. Manufacturing
these commodities is very expensive and requires extraction of the Earth’s resources in
order to make steel, glass, plastic and paper. It is vital that humans reduce the amount
of waste they throw away, reuse materials when possible and recycle what they can to
protect the environment for the benefit of future generations. Recycling waste reduces
pollution and helps create clean surroundings. The environment should not be polluted by
pouring pesticides into drinking water and washing water.
Purifying water
Clear water is a sign of pure water. It is advisable to allow water from long standing water
pipes to drain for between 30 seconds and a minute before drinking.
There are various ways of purifying water. Household bleach can be safely used to purify
water. To a 5 litre bucket of water, add 8-16 drops or a quarter teaspoon of bleach. The
bleach effectively kills germs and viruses and stops bad smells.
Water can be boiled to kill bacteria and viruses. Boil for between 3 and 10 minutes to
ensure that it is properly sanitised and all germs are killed. The water can then be cooled
before drinking.
Chlorine or iodine tablets can be used to purify water. Wait 30 minutes before drinking.
A pinch of salt or a crushed Vitamin C tablet may be added to mask the chlorine/iodine A useful Water Pollution
booklet can be found at http://
flavour. www.dwaf.gov.za/Projects/
Dense/docs/Awareness%20
Materials/English.pdf and gives
If cloudy or muddy, water will need to be filtered before being purified as purification meth- information about minimising
ods only kill germs, they do not remove dirt. water pollution in settlements.

Teaching Practice
In this section, we provide examples of different ways in which you can teach Foundation
Stage children about Healthy Living, with a focus on encouraging good personal hygiene
habits and looking after the environment around them in order for them and others to stay
safe and healthy.
The aim is not to provide a list of pre-determined activities, but to suggest ideas and ap-
proaches for you to develop your own teaching activities, expanding on your existing use
and knowledge of different teaching methods.
Learning takes place in many different ways. Traditional transfer of information methods
can be enhanced by increasing subject knowledge in addition to what is to be taught in the
curriculum and providing opportunities for children to find out information for themselves
and transfer new knowledge to others.
In this unit you will find activities using active methods such as learning-by-doing and in-
vestigative methods, alongside more traditional information-transfer methods. Learning by
experiencing and finding out for oneself is more likely to be remembered, consolidated and
applied to the real world than by textbooks or telling alone.
■ Questions can be used to incorporate learning into daily routines. For example dur-
ing the toilet routine, ask children what they should do when they have finished going
to the toilet, why it is important to wash their hands and how to wash their hands
properly. It is also important to model these behaviours, as young children copy the
behaviour of adults around them.
■ Stories are a wonderful teaching resource in the Foundation Phase and can be
used to introduce children to a topic, consolidate existing understanding or introduce
a new element of a topic. To teach pollution in Grade 3 teachers could use stories
where other children have identified an environmental problem, investigated causes
An example of such a story
(in Xhosa) can be found in
of problems, created their own solutions and consequently took action to solve it.
Appendix 1. The setting could be a polluted river, a littered environment, polluted air, etc.
■ Drama and role play allow children to become actively involved in what they are
learning about and create opportunities for problem solving. Grade 1 learners could
role play a lesson about not touching someone’s blood when a friend falls and cuts
him/herself in the playground, for example.
■ Enquiry methods take learners out of the classroom to collect new information
for themselves. They get the opportunity to observe carefully and work with data.
Examples relating to this unit are given below.
The activities below are listed by teaching content (e.g. purifying water). They may be
more appropriate for some grades than others, depending on content requirements in the
Also see The Healthy Water
Healthy Habits booklet CAPS. Orientation to CAPS subject links are provided at the top of the activity, which will
for further information tell you how relevant the activity is to your grade. However, many concepts are covered
about healthy hygiene and
environmental practices across different grades, such as good hygiene habits, which is part of Grades R, 1 and 2.
with activities that you Therefore the activities have suggestions for differentiation between grades and you will
can adapt: http://www.
projectwet.org/pdfs/WASH/
need to adapt them to suit your learners. Suggestions are given at the end for how to adapt
HWHHHP_KIDs_V2_EN.pdf these ideas to teach different concepts and/ or grades.

ACTIVITY 1
UNDERSTANDING GERMS
To teach children about the presence of invisible germs and bacteria which can make us
sick; to show children how germs are passed from one person to another; to encourage
children to wash hands at key times.
Link to CAPS
Links to Life Skills: ‘Beginning Knowledge and Personal and Social Well-Being’ under
Healthy Living (Grade R), Keeping My Body Safe (Grade 1), Healthy Living (Grade 2) and
Health Protection (Grade 3).
Resources
Spray bottle filled with brightly coloured paint (that washes off surfaces easily!). Two bowls
of clean water, soap and nail brush, jug.
Activity outline
STEP 1: Fill a spray bottle with brightly coloured liquid and hide it from children. Tell
children you are not feeling well today, turn and pretend to have a sneezing fit. Spray the
liquid in the bottle onto your hands while you are facing away from the children.
STEP 2: Turn and hold your hands up to children and ask them to tell a partner what might
be on your hands.
STEP 3: Pick up a pencil or similar object and pass it to one of the children (ensure that the
object has the liquid on it). Shake hands with a child, walk to different parts of the room
touching various things (door handles are a good example) and ask individual children to
repeat your actions. They should also get some of the liquid on their hands.
STEP 4: Wash hands using soap and water. Exaggerate so children can see you washing
thoroughly, using soap and a nail brush to get your hands clean. Ask children what hap-
pened just before the liquid appeared on your hands. Show children the bottle but explain
that germs act exactly the same way, only they are not brightly coloured and we can’t see
them.
STEP 5: Discuss how the liquid came off and what the water in the bowl looks like now.
Ask where the germs went (in the water) and show children that it is cleaner to use running
water to wash and rinse hands.
STEP 6: Allow children to each have a turn spraying the liquid onto their hands, and
practise washing it off again. Have the last child washing their hands scoop water out of the
main bowl with a jug and pour it over the next child’s hands. Guide children to wash their
hands properly using soap.
Follow-up ideas
u Make a tippy hand washer with children (see Appendix 2).
u Teach children songs to sing while they wash their hands.
u Create a list of the most important times for people to wash their hands.
u Ask children to draw or act out possible consequences of a person not washing
their hands.
u This activity can be linked to safe and unsafe drinking water.

Differentiation through grades
Younger children can order pictures of the steps to take when washing hands while older
children might make information posters that can be put up in bathrooms and lunch halls
around the school. This provides purpose to the activity and encourages them to take
responsibility for sharing their knowledge with others.

Take another concept from this unit that is quite abstract for children to understand and
develop a similar activity that brings this concept to life or demonstrates the knowledge
practically.
ACTIVITY 2
GOOD HABITS vs BAD HABITS
To teach children about healthy and unhealthy habits.
Link to CAPS
topics ‘Me’ (Grades R and 1) and ‘Myself and Others’ (Grade 2).
Resources
Relevant story; worksheets prepared for children to collect data and represent data in a
pictogram.
Activity outline
See Appendix 3 for an STEP 1: Use a story as an introduction to introduce the idea of healthy habits. There are
example.
lots of books available, both fiction and non-fiction, or if you don’t have access to one
you can write one yourself. Perhaps choose a character with bad habits who couldn’t find
anybody to play with until another, friendly character suggested he stop his bad habits and
form good ones. Include a happy ending for the character when he stopped his bad habits
and formed new ones.
STEP 2: When reading the story to children, stop mid-way and ask why they think nobody
will play with Christopher Crocodile and what he could do to help himself.
STEP 3: Talk about the healthy habits that children in the class have. Set children a data
handling task to find out more information about the healthy habits of the class, using a
tally chart to collect their data.
STEP 4: Give children a blank pictogram and ask them to represent their data in a graph.
Follow-up ideas
u Give children pictures of people with good habits such as cleaning their teeth and
washing their hands. Have children write a sentence underneath about how this
habit helps to keep a person healthy.
u Create an action rhyme or song with each verse referring to a different healthy habit.
Try to include a line saying how that habit is healthy.
u Play charades, with one child acting out a habit (healthy or otherwise) and the rest
of the class or group guessing what they are doing. Decide whether it is healthy or
unhealthy and write it under the correct column on the board.

u Have children sort healthy and unhealthy habits into a Venn diagram.

Do a whole class survey with younger children asking them to put their hands up to answer
the questions and represent this in a pictogram for children to see. They can also sort
healthy and unhealthy pictures independently.

Write your own simple story for this activity or another one. Using stories as a way in to See Appendix 3 for an
example.
a teaching activity helps children to empathise with others and understand concepts in
context, not to mention improving literacy skills by regularly exposing learners to story and
language structures. Getting used to writing your own stories for use as teaching resources
addresses issues of finding available resources and allows you to tailor your story exactly
to what you want to teach. Furthermore, seeing their teacher as a writer will encourage
children to do the same.
ACTIVITY 3
CARING FOR TEETH
To teach children about the importance of cleaning their teeth, and how the acids and
sugars in fizzy drinks can destroy teeth.
Link to CAPS
Healthy Living.
Resources
An old baby tooth if possible. An old, dirty, copper coin will do if you cannot find a
tooth. A glass of coca-cola or a similar fizzy drink. Worksheet/writing frame to record See Appendix 4 – Tooth care
worksheet.
observations.
Activity outline
STEP 1: For this investigation you will need to be prepared in advance, preferably with an
old tooth. Ask children to save their baby teeth that fall out and bring it into school wrapped
in tissue. An old, dirty coin will also work.
STEP 2: At the start of the activity, show children the glass of fizzy drink. Ask them if
they think it is good or bad for their teeth and what is in the drink. Encourage them to
make predictions about what will happen when the tooth goes into the cola. Do not guide
children’s thinking at this stage. Write predictions on the board, or on a large piece of paper
that you can refer to later.
STEP 3: Allow children to have a good look at the tooth. Give them a worksheet (see
appendix) and ask them to draw the tooth carefully in the ‘Before’ box.
STEP 4: Over the course of a few days, observe what is happening to the tooth. Give
children back their worksheets and ask them to draw an ‘after’ picture when the investiga-
tion is over. Discuss what has happened to the tooth and why. Ask for suggestions for how
to keep their own teeth clean and healthy.

Differentiate this activity by outcome. Grade R learners might sing songs about keeping
teeth clean while older learners might write about their observations and draw/ write ways
to keep their teeth healthy.

Think about things children can ‘see for themselves’ related to the learning in this unit.
Design a similar observation activity, and a worksheet or writing frame for the children to
record their observations.
Further teaching ideas

u Have individual toothbrushes and toothpaste in the classroom. Build cleaning teeth
See Appendix 5 – after lunch into your daily teaching routine. Play or sing a song about cleaning teeth
Dental Songs.
to indicate that it is tooth cleaning time, and play/sing it again while children are
brushing their teeth. Encourage children to continue brushing until the song is over,
although you may have to sing/play it a couple of times if it is a short one!
u Link this activity with recycling by encouraging children to bring in their old tooth-
brushes when they have finished with them. Clean them thoroughly and use them in
creative arts for painting, creating patterns in the sand tray etc. Guide their creative
development by having children fold paper into four sections and experimenting with
different patterns they can make. Structure a painted picture by telling them to add
some green brushes for the grass, brown brushes for a thatched roof until they have
created a complete picture using a toothbrush (modelling your own on the board as
you go might be helpful for learners).
ACTIVITY 4
TAKING CARE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT
To encourage children to use bins for their rubbish and keep their environment clean; to
teach children that waste can be reused and recycled into new, useful objects.
Link to CAPS
Healthy Environment (Grade R), My Community (Grade 1) and Rights and Responsibilities,
Recycling and Pollution (Grade 3).
Resources
See Appendix 6 – School Litter Survey worksheet, pencils, clipboards or books to lean on. A selection of waste materials
Survey.
(plastic bottles, carrier bags, bottle tops) as well as construction materials like string, glue
and scissors to use for a creative arts lesson.
Activity outline
STEP 1: Provide children with a worksheet to conduct a survey around the school.
STEP 2: Take children outside to conduct their own environment survey. Ask children to
record on their worksheet what different types of waste they found and where they found it.
STEP 3: Discuss children’s findings back in the classroom. Give children an example of
how one of the pieces of rubbish can be reused or recycled, for example using a carrier

bag again or putting food waste into a compost bin to help plants grow. Ask for sugges-
tions of how other waste they found could be reused.
STEP 4: Teach children how to recycle old materials in different ways. These could include See http://www.
soapkidz.org/documents/
using an old plastic bottle to making a rain gauge, a bird feeder or a pencil holder or to
ThingsToMakeWithLitter.pdf for
plant seeds, using bottle tops to make a colourful hanging mobile or making musical instru- some ideas.
ments such as drums and musical ‘pipes’ (with glass containers and water).
Follow-up ideas
u Children could create a chart highlighting the most common areas of litter or most
common types of waste in the environment.
u Children could design a new style of rubbish bin that would encourage more
children to use the bins.
u Children could create posters to put up around the school encouraging other
children to keep their environment tidy.

Grade R/1 children can go on an environment walk to look for and collect litter in the school
environment. Ask children afterwards about the different ways that people pollute the
environment and how they can help to keep the environment clean. They can then draw a
picture of what a clean, healthy environment looks like.

Design a survey for your learners to investigate other concepts within this unit. Create a
worksheet for students to record their findings. Consider the following:
u Which aspect of this unit are you trying to teach your learners?
u How will you encourage children to think deeply about the issue and create their
own ways of solving problems?
u What follow-up activity/ies can they do that will consolidate their learning, allow
them to analyse and evaluate their findings and create new and better solutions?
ACTIVITY 5
UNDERSTANDING POLLUTION
To teach children about the effects of water pollution.
Link to CAPS
Healthy Environment (Grades R), My Community and Water (Grade 1), What We Need to
Live (Grade 2) and Rights and Responsibilities, Recycling and Pollution (Grade 3)
Resources
Clear container, mud or materials for ‘polluting’ the water including soluble materials (salt or
sugar) and insoluble materials (oil, paper, small stones etc).
Notes on this activity

This activity is known as ‘See, Think, Wonder’ and is a useful tool for getting children to
look more carefully and think more deeply about a picture. It follows a similar structure to

levels of reading comprehension. The ‘See’ part of the activity refers to literal observations,
the ‘Think’ refers to inferring information using clues in the picture and the ‘Wonder’ asks
children to question what is not seen or evident in the picture and to suggest answers to
those questions for themselves, creating and interpreting own meaning. It can be done as
a whole class activity with the teacher writing children’s ideas on the board or, for more
able writers, with children working in small groups on a large piece of paper with the picture
stuck in the middle.
Activity outline
STEP 1: Show children a picture of a polluted river. In groups, ask them to list what they
see in one colour (or write ideas on the board). This should be literal observations such as ‘I
see a lady standing by the river’ or ‘I see a plastic bottle floating in the river’.
STEP 2: Then ask children to say/ write what they think in another colour, inferring less
certain information such as ‘I think the lady is collecting water to drink at home’ or ‘I think
the lady has dropped her bottle in the river’ (there are no right or wrong answers here
though suggestions should be based on evidence and not completely random ideas – you
may have to guide learners at first).
STEP 3: Then get children to ask questions that they would like to find out about the
picture using ‘I wonder’ followed by a question word (if, why, what, where, when, how,
who) such as ‘I wonder if there is more rubbish in the river’ or ‘I wonder if the water in the
river is clean’.
STEP 4: Reflect on children’s ideas as a whole class, comparing similarities and differences
between the ‘Think’ sections. Then take some of the more interesting ‘Wonder’ questions,
possibly adding a couple of your own, and try to answer them together. Encourage children
to think about the effects of pollution on both humans and animals and what their responsi-
bilities are in preventing water pollution.

Younger learners could be given their own picture and asked to circle the objects that do
not belong in the water and guided to answer questions about how the items got there,
possible effects of water pollution on humans and animals that use the water and what we
can do to prevent water pollution.

Collect pictures that relate to the concepts in this unit and create your own ‘See, Think,
Wonder’ activity.

ACTIVITY 6
FILTERING AND PURIFYING WATER
To teach children how to making water safe for drinking.
Link to CAPS
Healthy Environment (Grades R), Keeping My Body Safe and Water (Grade 1), What We
Need to Live and Healthy Living (Grade 2) and Health Protection and Pollution (Grade 3).
Resources
Muddy water, clear container, mud or materials for ‘polluting’ the water including soluble
materials and insoluble materials (oil, paper, small stones, etc.).
Activity outline
STEP 1: Tell children a story about a child who had to collect water every day from the river
for their family to use for washing, drinking and cooking (you can make up your own story if
you do not have a book or news report available).
STEP 2: Ideally, take children to a nearby source of water to collect their own samples in
recycled containers (link to ‘Taking Care of Our Environment’, above). Use freshwater from
rivers and streams and not sea water as this is salty. Alternatively, collect rainwater using
recycled containers (you may need to cheat and contaminate this with soil and leaves, etc.
before using it in the classroom for the experiment below).
STEP 3: Observe the water carefully. Have children draw pictures of what it looks like
before filtering. Talk to children about the sorts of things that could contaminate river or rain
water.
STEP 4: Show children how they can filter their water using the diagram in Appendix 7
(this provides scientific explanations and terminology for your reference. You can simplify
explanations according to your children’s abilities).
STEP 5: Have children draw a picture of what the water looks like after filtering. Ask
children if they think the water is safe for drinking now. Link to ‘Understanding Germs’,
above, reminding children that germs exist that we can’t see. Ask children to suggest
ways of purifying water further. Lead children to suggest boiling the water or adding a tiny
amount of bleach.
STEP 6: Ask children to identify water in their home environments that need treating before
drinking or using with food to encourage children to apply their learning to their own lives.

This activity is suitable for Grades 1 and 2.

Find out about different ways of filtering water and their effectiveness, both traditional and
modern.
Develop a role play area in your classroom that provides children with a scenario where
water filtration is necessary.

Assessment Practice
This final section provides ways in which the knowledge, skills and understanding in this
unit might be assessed. These assessments can be used for end of year reporting to
parents, but should also be used to inform your own planning and target setting.
Ongoing observations throughout the unit can be recorded in individual record logs or class
record logs. Examples of written work can also be kept and used for assessment purposes.
The following table is an example of one area of knowledge in this unit – Healthy Habits
and Hygiene Practices. It suggests a checklist of criteria to assess for: achieving all five
criteria would give 100% in this content knowledge section. Suggested ideas for activity
tasks are given alongside, though these are by no means exhaustive and you may choose
to design your own.
CONTENT ASSESSMENT CRITERIA ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY

KNOWLEDGE
SECTION
Healthy habits Names some good hygiene habits Draw picture/talk/write about daily hygiene practices
and hygiene
practices Sorts habits into good and bad Sorting activity using healthy and unhealthy picture
prompts
Carries out good hygiene practices Observe good hygiene in practice (toilet, fruit and
most of the time lunchtime routines)
Explains why good hygiene is good Question children about their choices to assess for
for our bodies deeper understanding
Suggests possible consequences of Writing sentences underneath pictures explaining
poor hygiene and bad habits consequences of actions (oral for younger learners)
Subject content knowledge and assessment criteria will be dependent on the grade you
teach. For example, ‘Things that harm us’ does not appear in the CAPS curriculum until
Grade 2, so a Grade R teacher might leave out this criteria.
Use this example to develop your own rubric appropriate to the grade you teach. Do the
same for other content knowledge sections such as water or pollution.

Unit 3
Personal safety and
healthy relationships

This unit focuses on Healthy Living with a particular emphasis on keeping safe at home, at
school and in the wider environment. Developing healthy relationships with other children
and adults is an important element of this unit, as children learn how to interact with others
and their environment in a safe, healthy manner.
There are four broad concepts associated with this unit. The tables below detail CAPS
topics relevant to each of those broad concepts.
Unit 3 related topics within the CAPS, showing relevant grades and terms
Self and others
Me R 1
u Personal details – name, age, address, contact number
u What makes me special – include name, language/s, gender
u Abilities and interests
In the classroom R 1
u Classroom rules
u Working together in the classroom
u How to show my feelings in the classroom
u How to express what I feel
Me 1 1
u Personal details – such as name, address, telephone numbers and age
u We are special and unique
u Things I can do
u How I am the same as my friends
u How I am different from my friends
My family 1 2
u What a family is
u Members of my family – immediate and extended
u Caring for each other at home
Manners and responsibilities 1 3
u Greeting people we know and greeting strangers
u Waiting my turn
u Listening to others
u Sharing
u Showing kindness
u Being honest
u Respecting other people and what belongs to them
Myself and others 2 1
u Friends – quality of a good friend
u People at school and home – include sharing, helping, showing respect, dealing
positively with conflict, self-esteem and bullying
Everyone Is special 2 1
u People are similar and people are different
u Things that help people – such as reading glasses, guide dogs, walking frames,
hearing aids
u Caring for people with disabilities
u I can be a hero
People who help us 2 3
u People who help us in our community
u How different people help me

u How I ask for information and assistance 2 3
u Good manners
u How I ask for help in an emergency
u Who to contact
u What information to give
Feelings 3 1
u Things that make me happy and things that make me sad
u Recognising feelings – such as anger, fear, worry, loneliness
u Good ways to express what we feel
u Apologies – how to say sorry
Safety at home, at school and in the wider community
At school R 1
u Toilets and play areas
u Rules and routines at school
u Classroom rules
Safety R 2
u How to be safe at home
u Safe places to play
u Unsafe places to play
Sound R 2
u How hearing keeps us safe
Sight R 2
u How being able to see keeps us safe
Taste and smell R 2
u Safety when tasting
At school 1 1
u Classroom routines and rules
u How I get to school
Safety in the home 1 2
u Dangers at home
u When cooking
u When washing
u Lighting and electricity
u Outside areas
u Medicines
u Poisonous substances
u Keeping safe when home alone
u Emergency number card
My community 1 3
u Places in my community – include buildings and places where we meet
u People in my community – people who help me; people who sell things; other people
I know
Road safety 2 3
u Road safety rules
u Pedestrians
u Passengers
u Cyclists

u Road signs for pedestrians and cyclists 2 3
u Scholar patrol
u How traffic officers help us
u How I ask for information and assistance
u Good manners
u Who to contact

u At home
u At school
Public safety 3 3
u Dangerous places to play – include rubbish dumps, train tracks, roads, construction
sites
u Riding trains and taxis safely
u Dangers of electricity
u Poisonous and inflammable substances
u Signs that warn us of danger
Rights and responsibilities
At school R 1
u Rules and routines at school
u Classroom rules
My body R 1
u Who may or may not touch my body
At school 1 1
u Classroom routines and rules
My family 1 2
u Caring for each other at home
u Safe and unsafe situations and places – such as waiting for transport, alone in
shopping areas
u ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ feelings
u Practising saying ‘No’
My Community 1 3
u Looking after facilities in my community
Manners and responsibilities 1 3
u Greeting people we know and greeting strangers
u Waiting my turn
u Listening to others
u Sharing
u Showing kindness
u Being honest
u Respecting other people and what belongs to them
Myself and others 2 1
u People at school and home – include sharing, helping, showing respect, dealing
positively with conflict, self-esteem and bullying

u People who help us in our community
u How different people help me
u How I ask for information and assistance
u Good manners
u Who to contact

u We are not safe with everybody
u Rules to keep my body safe
u Trusting ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ feelings
u How to say ‘No’ to any form of abuse
u How to report abuse
u At home
u At school
u In our community
u In the environment
Responding to an emergency situation
Safety in the home 1 2

u Emergency number card
u Who to contact

u How to report abuse
Disasters and what we should do 3 4
u Types of disaster
u Floods
u Fires
u Other phenomena
u Lightning
u Earthquakes
u Storms and strong winds

Previous units focused on how eating healthily and exercising helps to keep a person fit
and well (Unit 1), and how developing good personal hygiene habits and maintaining a
clean, healthy environment contributes to a happy, healthy lifestyle (Unit 2). In this unit the
focus is on personal safety and our relationships with others.
Within this unit there are four broad concepts:
■ Self and others

■ Safety at home, at school and in the wider environment
■ Rights and responsibilities
■ Responding to emergency situations
This section explores their relevance to the CAPS curriculum and the wider context of
education for sustainable development in South Africa.
Self and others

Social-emotional development
For more information Brain development in children depends largely on a child’s environment. Being able to
about many children
development theories see A
form healthy relationships with others is one aspect of child development and is known
Basic Introduction to Child as ‘social-emotional development’ (alongside ‘physical’ development and ‘cognitive’, or
Development Theories, 2006, knowledge, development). Social development is the ability to relate to others and their
State of New South Wales,
Department of Education and environment, while emotional development refers to learning about feelings and emotions:
Training. Retrieved from http:// the two are linked because in order to relate positively with others, one must have an
lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/
lrrSecure/Sites/LRRView/7401/ awareness and understanding of the needs of others.
documents/theories_outline.pdf
Lack of nurture, sensory stimulation and/ or meaningful interactions with others can have a
negative effect on a child’s brain development, while an environment that allows for visual,
auditory and sensory stimulation as well as positive, nurturing interactions with others will
facilitate healthy brain development in children at an early age.
Applying this to teaching

The suggestions below will help to ensure that the learners in your school are having their social-emo-
tional learning needs met so that they are able to develop a healthy, positive sense of self and positive,
meaningful relationships with others. This is particularly important in the early years of schooling when
child development is still happening at a fast pace.
■ Be specific when giving praise. Tell children why, how or what they have done well. This
builds self-esteem and gives children language structures for talking about themselves
positively as well as an understanding of where their talents and strengths lie;
■ Daily praise, encouragement and reassurance leads to feelings of accomplishment and

success and encourages the idea of success coming after perseverance. Using circle
time or end-of-day times to talk about achievements and new things they have learned
fosters a healthy sense of self. This gives children the confidence to try new things and
cope with failure.

■ Give children vocabulary for talking about their feelings. Identifying their emotions is the
first step towards learning to manage them. Recognising feelings in others is the first step
towards developing empathy, a key building block in successful relationships with others.
Safety at home, at school and in the wider environment

Children must understand that rules are in place to help us stay safe, and be involved in
the rule-making process. Children are more vulnerable to accidents because they lack the
awareness to recognise danger, manage dangerous situations and look ahead to identify
possible consequences of their actions. Children tend to be impulsive, acting physically be-
fore thinking through their actions, and easily distracted, lacking the concentration required
for seeing through a task safely.
Accidents in the home have many causes. Most adults keep medicines, which can be
highly toxic if taken by small children or in too large a dose. Similarly, many common
household products such as detergents can be very toxic if ingested (eaten or drunk). The
graphic below shows the continent of Africa as being particularly vulnerable to these types
of accidents.
Deaths from accidental poisoning, per 100 000 children
3+
1.0–2.9
0.5–1.0
<0.5
No data
Source: WHO, 2013
Knives, tools and other sharp objects pose an obvious risk to young children. Open fires
and cookers, candles, matches, paraffin lamps and hot irons expose children to risk of
burns. Accidental drowning, electricity and construction areas are further safety risks to
young children, and as such it is necessary to teach children how to identify and manage
these risks carefully.

Road safety
The Arrive Alive website (http://www.arrivealive.co.za) highlights the

following as being particularly important in road safety education,
as learners tend to show less awareness of these aspects:
■ Wearing protective equipment and reflective clothing

when cycling (also relevant to walking at night);
■ The correct side of the road to walk (against the traffic) and cycle (with the traffic);
■ Laws about carrying additional passengers on a motorbike;
■ The importance of wearing seatbelts in a vehicle, even in the back;
■ The importance of using a footbridge, and safest places to cross the road.
The site has lots of information about all aspects of road safety, includ-
ing passenger, pedestrian, cyclist and driver information.
As well as learning how to cross the road safely, children need to

know how to be safe as a pedestrian. Always use a footpath
when there is one available. If there is no footpath, walk fac-
ing the direction of the traffic so approaching vehicles can
be seen. Train children to step well back from the roadside
when they see or hear a vehicle and stay well back until
the vehicle has passed. If walking with an adult, children need to be on the inside furthest
from the road as they are less able to judge distances and speeds and therefore respond
to potential danger. Wearing light, reflective clothes is particularly important when walking
at night so that drivers are easily able to see pedestrians.
Train safety
Hazards at stations and near train tracks include:
■ Moving trains. Even trains travelling at low speeds take a long time to stop when
the brakes are applied, much longer than a car or truck. Many modern trains are
designed with quiet engines so it is not always possible to hear them coming.
■ Electrification from tracks or overhead wires. These are dangerous and can be dead-
ly if stepped on or touched in person or when holding another object, for example
flying a kite or dangling something from a bridge. Electricity can ‘jump’ so people can
be electrocuted by getting too close to electrical power lines.
■ Trains sometimes carry loads that overhang the side of the carriage so it is important
to stand well back until a train has passed.
Train surfing is an illegal activity that is common in South Africa as people try to avoid (or
cannot afford) paying fares, or because of overcrowding. Hanging from a doorway or side
of the train, and sitting on the roof, causes accidents, serious injuries and death.

Electricity
Eskom found that many people didn’t understand the actual risks associated with electric-
ity, though they understood that it could be dangerous. The following are safety measures
to avoid accidents involving electricity:
■ Never touch an electrical appliance with wet hands or use an electrical appliance in
the bathroom;
■ Never leave electrical appliances unattended;
■ Never play near electrical power lines or fly kites near cables – if a kite gets stuck in
a power line, do not try to retrieve it;
■ Do not overload plug points;
■ Switch off all electrical appliances when they are not being used.
As well as explicit teaching about electricity, teachers can model behaviour such as switch-
ing off electrical appliances daily with children. Children also need to become familiar with
hazard signs (see side bar), warning of electrical danger nearby.
Water safety
Water can be lots of fun, especially in the hot summer months when it is fun to cool off. But
children need to develop a respect for water and understand that it can pose safety risks.
Swimming lessons in schools help children to enjoy water safely, and may one day even
save a life. The following tips will help prevent accidents or injuries related to water, and
should be passed on to children:
■ River and sea currents can be very strong, even if the water looks calm.
■ River conditions, such as river banks and currents, can change dramatically after
heavy rains. Banks might crumble or be washed away, and currents become very
fast.
■ Stay away from water areas if you cannot swim unless with a responsible adult.
■ Do not play near dams or rivers. Try to take a friend or family member with you if you
have to go to collect water, or stay close to others who are also collecting water.
■ Never swim alone. On beaches, only swim when there is a lifeguard present and
swim between the safety flags.
■ If you find yourself in water, don’t panic. If in the sea, swim with the current (not
against it) along the shoreline; in a river, float on your back with the current, keeping
feet forwards.
Dump sites/construction sites
Dump sites and construction sites are not places children should be playing in, under any
circumstances. Dump sites carry health risks such as gas emissions from decomposing
materials, bacteria and germs from rubbish and disease-carrying creatures like rats that
are attracted to the sites, injury from sharp objects that can lead to infection, and serious
illnesses like diarrhoea if germs come into contact with the mouth.

Hazards in a construction site include dangerous machinery, falling objects, falling from
heights and into things, electrical and chemical dangers, being hit or trapped by objects or
machinery.

Look at pictures of safe and unsafe places to play, including dump sites. Ask children to identify any that
they play in and talk about safe and unsafe features of each, explaining their choices. Generate a list
of features of a safe, happy place to play and ask children to draw a picture of their ideal play environ-
ment. Older and more able writers can add captions explaining their choices, or write a paragraph to
accompany the picture.
Busy areas/stranger awareness
Busy places such as bus and train stations or shopping malls can result in children being
separated from parents or carers and becoming lost, and when a young child is lost and
alone they become vulnerable.
Preventative measures include holding hands with an adult, never walking off alone and
arranging a meeting place in case they become separated. If a child does find themselves
lost, they need to know where to go to get help. Being alert to the surroundings is important,
and children need to learn to trust their instincts: if they feel afraid in a certain place or near
a certain person, they must move away from it and go to a place with more people.
Official statistics show that children are more at risk from harm caused by people they know
than by total strangers. It is important for children to know how they can keep themselves
safe:
■ Make sure children know what a stranger is. They can be young, old, male or female,
but strangers include anybody that is not known personally to the child.
■ Reassure children that most people are good. However, because it is often difficult
to tell a safe person from an unsafe one, it is safer to be careful and keep the same
rules for all strangers.
■ Give children strategies for if they are approached by a stranger, such as walking
away towards another adult (preferably female, or somebody working in the area) or
saying/shouting ‘No!’ in a loud, firm voice. Children need to know that they have the
right to say no in a situation that makes them feel unsafe.
Rights and responsibilities

Teaching children about their rights can empower learners to campaign for change if their
rights are violated. These include the right to basic nutrition, shelter, education, health care
services and social services; the right to family or other appropriate care; the right to a
name and nationality from birth; and the right to be protected from maltreatment, neglect,
abuse and exploitation. Young children need support to understand these rights, so it is
necessary to define them in easy-to-understand, child-friendly language.

Look at the leaflet included in Appendix 8 on Children’s Rights. This leaflet has been designed for chil-
dren to help them understand their rights under constitutional law. Create your own leaflet or information
poster suitable for the learners in your class that you can use as a resource for your teaching (suitable
for Grade 3 teachers).
Teaching children about their rights can also help address issues like child abuse, currently The following websites have
more information about child
a sad reality for one quarter of South Africa’s children. Knowing that not everybody can be protection, preventing and
trusted and that children do not have to be nice to everybody is important, as is being able responding to child abuse:
to say ‘no’ assertively, confidently, firmly and without guilt. By developing awareness of and www.childlinesa.org.za/ ; www.
childlinekzn.org.za/ ; www.saps.
respect for their bodies early on, children are more likely to be able to recognise abuse, gov.za/children/child_abuse.
respond assertively and report abuse towards them or others. Opening up a dialogue early htm ; www.tygerbear.org.za/
safety.htm
on helps children to understand what is right and wrong in the behaviours of others, and
also in their own behaviours.

Draw around the outline of each other’s bodies. Use a traffic light colour code to colour in safe touching:
green for hands/ feet/ head, orange for places like upper legs and red for ‘no go’ areas. Practise as-
sertiveness in a role-play situation: expressing wishes and saying ‘No’ assertively. Talk to children about
exceptions like falling ill when it may be necessary for a parent or doctor to examine them. Older children
can create safety posters using rules to keep their bodies safe and/ or responding to abusive situations.
Children’s responsibilities
A responsibility is something that a person has a duty to do or to think about, and that Examples of children’s
responsibilities might include:
directly affects that person and/ or others. These change and grow as children get older
and more mature. Being a responsible citizen enables people to participate in society hap- ■ To follow rules
■ To try to look after
pily and comfortably. Those who do not take responsibilities seriously may find themselves
themselves
isolated, unhappy, unhealthy, less educated and less successful than they might otherwise ■ To learn as well as they can
have been. ■ To look after their belongings
■ To look after their home and
school environment
■ To consider and look after
the environment
Teaching children about their roles and responsibilities, using rules and regular discussion about how ■ To treat other people and
their belongings with respect
their actions are positively affecting the well-being of themselves and others, is an important step to
■ To help people who are less
them becoming responsible, successful citizens. Likewise, asking (older) children to imagine a world able.
where nobody had responsibilities helps them to understand their role within the ‘bigger picture’.
Children can be given special jobs to do around the classroom and during tidy-up time. Older children
could create a class rhyme or song with actions. Use positive language and include how taking respon-
sibility for their actions helps everybody to be healthy and happy. This can then be performed in an
assembly in order to spread the message to other children in the school.

Responding to emergency situations
House fires are often caused by open flames such as paraffin lamps, cooking stoves and
fires, candles and discarded matches or cigarettes and overloaded electricity points. Light-
ning also causes house and veld fires. Prevention includes installing smoke alarms and fire
extinguishers, having gas bottles checked regularly for leaks, unplugging and switching off
electrical appliances that are not being used, keeping flammable items away from children
and never leaving cookers or fires unattended. Make sure you have a fire procedure in your
school and that it is practised regularly.
The National Disaster
Management Centre
publication Flood Awareness Floods are a recurring feature of life in South Africa. This is usually due to sudden, heavy
is a comprehensive guide to
floods in South Africa, how
rain that cannot drain or persistent rain in one area, though they also occur because of
to identify flood risk and what storm surges, river or dam blockages or dam wall failure.
to do in the event of a flood.
See http://www.ndmc.gov.za/
portals/0/docs/publications/ Droughts, along with floods, are the most prominent natural disaster affecting South Africa.
Flood_Awareness.pdf South Africa is classed as a ‘water scarce’ country, with most regions relying on summer
The National Disaster rainfall for water supplies and growing crops. If rainfall falls below expected levels for suc-
Management Centre publication
Drought Awareness gives
cessive years, drought occurs. The effects of drought are felt both on a personal level and
information about causes and nationally, as water supplies become scarce and crops for commercial and personal use fail.
effects and, risk reduction.
See http://www.ndmc.gov.za/
portals/0/docs/publications/ Storms are characterised by thunder, lightning, strong winds, heavy rainfall and some-
Drought_Awareness.pdf times hail. Severe thunderstorms can blow roofs off houses, cause flooding and cause
The National Disaster wildfires and house fires from lightning strikes. Meteorologists are able to predict approach-
Management Centre publication
ing thunderstorms, and physical indicators of thunderstorms include a sudden change in
Thunderstorm Awareness
gives more information about wind direction and temperature, and large, grey cloud formations.
the types and life cycle of a
thunderstorm, as well as useful
safety tips. See http://www. Earthquakes are usually caused by movements in the Earth’s tectonic plates, which the
ndmc.gov.za/portals/0/docs/ Earth’s crust, or outer layer, is divided up into. Scientists believe that when these plates shift
publications/Thunderstorm_
Awareness.pdf
it creates tension and causes the crust to break. When this happens energy is released in
the form of ‘waves’, and these waves are known as earthquakes. The reason South Africa
has so few earthquakes is because the country does not sit on any of the major boundaries
of the Earth’s crust, although human activity (mining) has been known to trigger earth-
quakes. Linked to this is the risk of tsunami caused by earthquakes (or volcanoes) in the
oceans. These are large, powerful waves – up to 30 metres – that travel at high speeds and
get bigger as they get closer to the shore. Often if a tsunami is approaching, water along
the coastline gets sucked out to sea. This is an important warning sign and typically gives
people around five minutes to get to safety (higher ground) before the wave hits the shore.
In the case of an earthquake, typical advice is to take cover under a desk or table if pos-
sible, stay away from windows, loose objects and furniture that might fall, remain indoors
until the tremors have stopped and, if outside, lie on the floor in a safe place away from
buildings and power lines.
Teaching about disasters

The National Geographic Teaching children about disasters is explicit in Grade 3. Newspaper reports and news clips online (if
website (www.
nationalgeographic.com) has
available) can be used as an entry point for talking about disasters and the way they affect humans and
lots of interesting pictures and landscapes. Using a real life story makes these situations ‘real’ for children, and encourages learners to
videos of different weather
empathise with people in the news report, particularly if the main focus is a child. Use real-life events,
conditions and natural
disasters. newspaper articles and news clips to talk to children about significant events that occur as they happen.
This encourages interest in news stories and events that are happening across the country. Teach chil-
dren to check the weather forecast in a newspaper or online and note any interesting weather patterns.
Link knowledge about drought to the importance of water conservation, covered in Unit 2.

Teaching Practice
Personal safety involves children learning about and recognising dangers around them,
potentially unsafe people and situations, and how to deal with such instances. Young chil-
dren do not, however, need to be taught statistics about accidents and deaths on the road,
and nor should they learn to be frightened about being home alone or being approached
by a stranger. Ultimately it is about making good choices. Learning how to build positive
relationships and how to make sensible choices about personal safety at this age should
be done through fun, enjoyable and age-appropriate activities. Examples of how you might
do this are given below.
Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why?

– Bernard Baruch
This unit lends itself particularly well to developing higher order knowledge, skills and val-
ues. The diagram below shows Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised 2001), which suggests six
types of questioning, from ‘lower order’ questioning (basic recall of information and facts)
at the bottom, to ‘higher order’ questioning (creating and evaluating) at the top. In this unit
children are encouraged to think about qualities and characteristics that are not concrete
(that cannot be seen or touched), and to think about possible consequences of actions that
are not immediate. Therefore examples of higher order questioning are a key feature of
these activities, as are drama and role play situations that require a child to imagine them-
selves in a particular scenario. See Appendix 9 for some examples of question starters to
use for each of the levels below.
Creating
Evaluating
Analysing
Applying
Understanding
Remembering
Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy (2001)

The aim of this section is not to provide a fixed set of activities for you to use in the class-
room. Rather, it is intended as an ideas base for you to draw on in your own practice. It
is well known that in any one classroom there are a range of preferred learning styles,
and that learning is acquired through a variety of ways. For a child to fully understand
something they need the opportunity to see, hear, touch, try out, question and reflect on
the concepts being taught. For a practitioner, this requires a creative approach to teaching,
often using more than one method or approach at a time. The activities suggested here
cover a range of teaching methods and are there for you to adapt and change to suit your
purpose, depending on the knowledge, skills and understanding being taught.
Key ideas
Incorporating literacy and mathematics
Literacy and numeracy are crucial aspects of a child’s education and opportunities for
developing these skills must be exploited as often as possible across the curriculum. Some
examples of how to incorporate literacy and numeracy into this unit are as follows:
■ Use specific vocabulary often in your daily interactions with children. For example,
model using key vocabulary in context using sentence structures like, “Well done, it’s
great to see you sharing nicely/ showing kindness/ listening to your friend”; “Look,
Maya is feeling sad because you took her toy”; “I can see that you are feeling excited
about home time / play time…” etc.
■ Have key vocabulary related to the topic displayed around the classroom. This
helps to increase learners’ vocabulary whilst also developing phonetic awareness
and spelling skills. Pictures of faces representing different feelings and emotions
accompanied by the word for naming the feeling are an example of this.
■ Use stories as a starting point or illustrative tool as often as possible (see below).
■ Use talk to help children understand, analyse and question concepts. Encourage
learners to ask questions, describe and act out different scenarios.
■ Build in opportunities for writing skills at every opportunity. For younger children this
may involve drawing simple pictures for representing their ideas and ‘mark making’
using squiggles to represent letters, while older children can write simple stories,
letters, newspaper articles, posters and leaflets, poems etc. related to the learning,
Scaffold children’s writing by creating writing frames for them to follow (a Google
search of ‘writing frames’ will give you some good ideas).
■ Use mathematical language at given opportunities, for example using ordinal lan-
guage when teaching about road safety (listing the steps to take when crossing the
road as ‘first’, ‘second’ and so on); vocabulary such as ‘more’, ‘less’, ‘same/ equal to’,
‘taller’, ‘shorter’ when comparing families; etc.
■ Incorporate numeracy strands at given opportunities, such as number work (recalling,

reading and writing telephone and emergency numbers, including house numbers
on a picture of a child’s house, counting members of a child’s family), sorting and
data handling (characteristics of friends and family, safe/ unsafe situations), date and
time (celebrating children’s birthdays) etc.

Using stories
It is helpful if you have a range of books in the classroom that relate to different aspects of http://nalibali.org has some
lovely stories about friendships
healthy relationships and keeping safe. These can be fiction or non-fiction. A good quality, that are available in English,
relevant fiction book might have a character finding themselves in an unsafe situation, Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa and
experiencing a conflict with a friend or family member, being involved in a situation that Sesotho.
See also Appendix 10 for some
brings about a negative emotion (loneliness, fear, anger, etc.) or experiencing an emergency suggestions of good children’s
situation. When reading the story, stop at key points and use questioning to encourage books that are relevant to this
children to think critically about the message/ situation, and to assess for understanding. teaching unit.
Ask children to reflect on what is happening and why, and how the character is feeling. Ask
them to identify good and bad choices made by characters in the story, and suggest ways
to resolve problems (see Red Riding Hood teaching activity below). You could also choose
any story that has characters with obvious character traits, good or bad, and ask children to
reflect on what makes them a good or bad friend, for example. Alternatively, write your own
story to read to the children – this way you can tailor your story to your learners’ needs and
the knowledge and skills that you are teaching.
Developing esteem
Develop esteem in children using activities like ‘star of the week’ and circle time games
(see Appendix 11), where children are encouraged to identify positive attributes in others.
The star of the week might take home a certificate after being recognised by the teacher
or their classmates for doing an activity well or playing nicely with others (note: ensure
that every child in the class has a turn at being star of the week if chosen by the teacher;
if voted for by their classmates they will need to be trained to choose somebody based
on merits rather than friendships). If cameras and printers are available, a photograph of
the child doing what they are being commended for (e.g. sharing) helps younger learners
understand the reward, while older children can be encouraged to write positive comments
about the ‘star of the week’ around the child’s name or picture on a piece of paper that is
either displayed in the classroom or given to the child to take home. Similarly, each child
could be given a star and asked to write one thing that makes that person a ‘star’, which
they can then take home to keep.
Developing empathy
The ability to empathise with somebody means to understand how another is feeling in a
particular situation – to ‘put oneself in another’s shoes’. For a child to be able to empathise,
they first need to understand and recognise certain feelings and emotions. Empathy is a
learned skill, and can be developed alongside teaching children about feelings: carefully
choose (or write your own) stories that illustrate a character experiencing an emotion that
you are working on, and ask children to identify how the character is feeling and what
is causing that particular emotion. When a child upsets another child, quietly and gently
explain the effects of their behaviour on the other child, signalling obvious responses such
as crying, and provide tools for that child to make it better. This encourages empathy and
in turn positive relationships with others. Planned activities can also be used to develop
empathy. For example, when learning about caring for others or understanding disability,
try blindfolding a child and allowing them to (safely) feel their way around the classroom
trying to locate hidden items. The teacher can then ask them how it feels to be blind. This is
also a relevant activity to show Grade R learners the importance of looking after their eyes
(not looking directly at the sun, having regular eye checks, etc.).

Teaching activities
Using art as a stimulus for discussion
ACTIVITY 1
ALL ABOUT ME
To encourage learners to identify physical characteristics and personal qualities, and talk
positively about themselves to others.
Link to CAPS
u Links to Life Skills: ‘Beginning Knowledge and Personal and Social Well-Being’
under topics ‘Me’ (Grades R and 1) and ‘Myself and Others’ (Grade 2)
u Links to Life Skills: ‘Creative Arts’ – Create in 2D
u Links to Language under Listening and Speaking Skills, Writing and Handwriting
u Links to Mathematics: Space and Shape
Resources
Mirrors, paper, selected drawing/ painting materials (pencils, crayons, paints, pens),
vocabulary relating to skills, talents and qualities displayed on the board.
Higher order questioning ideas

u Did you notice any similarities/ differences between you and your partner?
u Why do you think your partner described you as ‘kind’/ ‘friendly’etc?
Activity outline
STEP 1: Model drawing your own face on the board. Ask children to suggest rough shapes
to use for different parts (this will encourage them to look closely at the features of the face
and develops mathematical skills) and where to place them (use positional language to
further develop maths skills).
STEP 2: When finished, model saying or writing (dependent on grade/ level of children) your
skills and qualities – things that make you special – using vocabulary on the board as a
prompt. Ask children to make suggestions also.
STEP 3: Provide children with mirrors and ask them to look closely at their faces, then talk
to a partner about what they see. Support them to identify features, positions and colours,
and similarities and differences between them and their partner.
STEP 4: Provide children with paper and drawing/ painting materials of your choice (check
Creative Arts topics for cross-curricular links). Ask them to draw/ paint a portrait of their
faces – refer to your modelled example on the board.
STEP 5: Once children have finished their pictures, ask them to share their work with a
partner. Instruct each child to tell their partner things they like about themselves, and things
they like about their partner (see ‘Differentiation’ section below).
STEP 6: Use circle time at the end of the activity to allow children to share their pictures
and relate their qualities to the class. Use this time to assess children for their ability to
describe themselves, talk about themselves positively and note similarities and differences
between them and others. Note that less confident children may not be ready to talk in

front of such a large group. Allow them to pass and talk to them individually after the
session.

u Children new to school (in Grades R and 1) may need support to access this activity
in a guided, small-group work setting, while whole-class teaching may be more
suitable for older children.
u Include literacy skills relevant to your learners’ grade and level. In Grade R, pictures
representing their ideas, possibly with some attempt at writing letters or squiggles,
is adequate, while Grade 3 teachers may need to extend their higher achieving
learners by writing several captions in full sentences.

Develop an activity for the learners in your class that uses drawing or painting as a way
into group or class discussion about Personal Safety and Healthy Relationships. Focus on
a concept different to the one used in the example above (self and others). Your activity
should encourage children to come up with their own ideas and think creatively about the
concept, and include examples of higher order questioning to develop their thinking further.
Using drama and role play
Drama and role play have great educational value. They contribute to the development
of imagination in children, important for problem solving and creating solutions for futures
scenarios. It is active, allowing children to participate in a ‘real’ situation and practise for the
real world. Assuming a different persona encourages empathy for others, and interactions
during role play activities enhance interpersonal skills.
ACTIVITY 2
KEEPING MY BODY SAFE
To teach learners to recognise and respond appropriately to unwanted interactions with
others.
Link to CAPS
under topics ‘My Body’ (Grade R), ‘Keeping My Body Safe’ (Grades 1 and 3) and
‘Myself and Others’ (Grade 2)
u Link to Life Skills ‘Creative Arts’ – (Improvise and interpret)
u Link to Home Languages (role play)
Resources
Pictures of children in different situations.

u How do you think s/he is feeling? Why?

u What do you think s/he should do in this situation? Why?
u What would you do in this situation?
Activity outline
STEP 1: Find and show pictures of different scenarios (textbooks should provide some
examples). Ask questions such as “What do you think is happening in this picture?”, “Is it a
safe or unsafe situation?”, “How do you think s/he is feeling?”, “What might the child say?”,
“What would you do in this situation?”
STEP 2: Divide children into small groups and allocate each group a picture. Ask them to
assume the role of a character in the picture and role play the situation.
STEP 3: While children are working, go round and listen to each group’s ideas. Encourage
them to come up with appropriate responses to the situation they are role playing, and
ensure that children are using assertive body language, facial expressions and tone of
voice.
STEP 4: Bring the class back together and write some key questions on the board so
that the audience members can assess their peers (relate these questions to appropriate
responses, body language, tone of voice and facial expression).
STEP 5: Ask each group to perform their role play to the class. Call on the audience to give
feedback relating to the questions on the board (‘3 stars and a wish’ is an effective peer
assessment tool whereby audience members suggest three things that the group did well,
and suggest one ‘wish’ that would improve their performance the next time).
STEP 6: Give immediate feedback yourself, highlighting appropriate responses to the
scenarios and using leading questions to encourage children to think about alternative/
more appropriate responses.

u A teacher or teacher assistant may need to lead the role play with younger learners
or children less familiar with group work.
u Use the language of ‘yes and no’ feelings for younger children.

Develop a similar role play activity, this time focusing on ‘Rights and Responsibilities’.
Consider what questions you might ask in order for learners to empathise with characters
in the pictures, and develop appropriate responses. Ensure that you have a range of ques-
tion types that include higher order thinking skills.
Using real life contexts/environmental learning
The value of using real-life experiences for learning is huge. Children learn best by doing:
seeing, sensing and exploring the world around them and making learning ideas ‘real’ gives
them the opportunity to link up ideas from the classroom and the real world, and construct
meaningful ideas of their own.

ACTIVITY 3
PLAY IT SAFE
To give learners the opportunity to put into practice what they have learned about safe and
unsafe places to play, by identifying such places in the real world.
Link to CAPS
under topics At School and Safety (Grade R), Safety in the Home, Keeping My Body
Safe and My Community (Grade 1), Road Safety and People Who Help Us (Grade 2),
and Rights and Responsibilities and Public Safety (Grade 3)
u Link to Home Languages (see extension task)
u Link to Mathematics (see extension task)
Resources
Extra adult helpers, fluorescent bibs if available, mobile phone.

u What makes this place safe/unsafe?
u What might happen if a child played here?
u Can you suggest a better place to play?
u If you saw another child playing here, what could you say to them?
Activity outline
STEP 1: Before doing this activity, make sure children have a good awareness of safety
and behaviour expectations on a school trip, if leaving the school grounds. Plan a route in
advance that will generate a good discussion back at school.
STEP 2: Pair up children and assign them an adult. Give each child a florescent bib if your
school has them. Walk around your planned route, stopping at various places to allow
children to reflect on different environments. Encourage children to talk to their partners
about their ideas, and ask children to explain their ideas as fully as they can.
STEP 3: Once back at school, discuss children’s ideas as a class. Make a list of safe and
unsafe places to play in the area.
EXTENSION TASK 1: Ask children to create an information or safety poster for younger
children in the school. Include some safety rules that you have talked about together.
EXTENSION TASK 2: Use data handling objectives from the Maths curriculum to design a
sorting activity related to safe and unsafe places to play.

u Plan your route according to your learners’ age. Children in Grade R might do a
‘walk around’ the school grounds in small groups with an adult, while older children
might venture further from the school grounds.
u Use an age/ stage appropriate extension task (see above). Older children might also
be asked to do some follow-up homework, for example asking them to identify safe
and unsafe places to play.

1) Plan a route for your own teaching environment. Try to include as many examples
of safe and unsafe places that you can. Compare with a partner - how does your
environment differ to theirs? How will your learners’ experiences be different to
theirs?
2) Design an extension task for your learners that would consolidate their understand-
ing of the topic, and provide evidence for your own assessments. Choose either a
maths or literacy outcome relevant to the grade you teach.
3) Consider your local environment – how could you use real life situations and people
to teach your learners about different concepts in this unit? Plan an activity based
around your ideas. Include health and safety issues in your plan.
Using circle time/puppets
Circle time is a forum that allows children to raise and resolve issues and discuss feelings
in an open, safe and democratic way. It is widely understood to be successful in developing
relationships amongst classmates and promoting positive behaviour.
ACTIVITY 4
MANAGING FEELINGS
To encourage empathy towards others’ feelings; to introduce/ reinforce vocabulary related
to feelings and emotions; to encourage problem solving in relationships with others; to
promote acceptance and tolerance of others and their interests.
Link to CAPS
Links to Life Skills: ‘Beginning Knowledge and Personal and Social Well-Being’ under top-
ics In the Classroom (Grade R), Manners and Responsibilities (Grade 1), Myself and Others
(Grade 2), and Feelings (Grade 3).
Resources
Puppet (made from a sock).

u Why might s/he be feeling scared?
u Can you help him/ her to solve the problem?
Activity outline
See Appendix 11 for ideas. STEP 1: Arrange children in a circle. Play a warm-up game.
STEP 2: Recap circle time rules (one speaker at a time, the person holding the ball (or
similar) has the right to speak, respect for everybody, no criticisms/ put-downs).
STEP 3: Introduce the puppet. Hold it in a way that makes it look sad/ forlorn. Ask the
children how they think he is feeling and why he might be feeling this way – choose children
to respond by passing them the ball. Have the puppet shake its head slowly after an incor-
rect suggestion.

STEP 4: Make the puppet ‘whisper’ in your ear. Tell children he is feeling sad/ upset/
miserable. Invent a reason that reflects either a topic you are working on, or an issue that is
currently a problem in your classroom.
STEP 5: Ask children for suggestions about how to deal with the problem. Write a list of
ideas for children to refer to. Finish with a game.
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY: Ask children to draw a picture showing how to help somebody that
is feeling sad. If appropriate, ask them to write sentences to accompany the picture.

u Adapt new vocabulary and scenarios to suit your learners.
u Keep circle time activities short for younger learners.
u Choose an age-appropriate follow-up activity, linked to literacy if possible.

1) Make your own puppet out of a sock. Give it a name and a personality. Introduce it
to your class in your next circle time session so that children start to become familiar
with it and see it as a ‘friend’.
2) Consider other ways that circle time could be useful in teaching the concepts
covered in this unit and develop an activity to address it. Remember to start with
a game, and include a recap of the rules (if you have not used circle time in your
teaching before you will need to generate these together. For more on circle time
see http://www.twinkl.co.uk/. Circle Time rules can be found at http://www.twinkl.
co.uk/resource/t-m-512-circle-time-rules-display-posters.
Using stories
ACTIVITY 5
PERSONAL SAFETY/STRANGER DANGER
To teach children to identify safe and unsafe choices and situations, and stranger danger.
Link to CAPS
under topics Safety (Grade R) and Keeping My Body Safe (Grades 1 and 3)
u Link to Home languages: listen and respond to stories and questions, talk about
personal experiences, give opinions, identify main ideas, characters and key details
in a story; make own books and write stories using pictures and/ or sentences
u Link to mathematical language (vertical, horizontal) and ordinal language
Resources
The story of Little Red Riding Hood (or a similar story to suit your purpose).

u Was that a good or bad choice? Why?

u What would you do differently?
u What advice would you give?
Activity outline
STEP 1: Start to read the story of Little Red Riding Hood, stopping at key points in the story
to ask children to predict what might happen next.
STEP 2: Refer to Appendix 9 (Blooms Taxonomy Question Starters) to elicit key information
from children. Where/ why/ how did the problem occur? What choices did the character
make? How would you feel if you were his/her mother? Can you think of a real life situation
that is similar to this one? What could she have done differently?
STEP 3: Ask children to suggest different choices that the character could have made and
write them on the board. How would these have changed the outcome? Agree on the best
alternative choice and choose some children to help you act out the ‘new’ story.
STEP 4: Show children how to make a story book (see Appendix 12). Have children make
their own little books and write a story with an alternative ending, this time showing the
character making ‘good’ safety choices.
STEP 5: Evaluate a selection of the children’s stories, comparing them to the original and to
each other’s ideas. Keep drawing attention to good choices that the characters made and
how these help them to keep safe.

Younger children will need to have books made for them, and will require guided support to
orientate their own books correctly. Older children can follow ordered, written instructions
independently after a teacher demonstration (with support given where required).

1) Do an Internet search for ‘Writing frames red riding hood’ and look at some of the
ideas given. Create a writing frame for your own learners that gives a different writ-
ten outcome to the activity above.
2) Design a similar activity that uses a different story for another of the concepts
covered in this unit.
3) Look at the storybook ideas listed in Appendix 10 and how these convey an
important message to children about personal safety, feelings and emotions or
relationships with others. Write your own short story that conveys a different mes-
sage that you can use in your own teaching.
4) Think about how you could use real-life stories, such as newspaper articles, to teach
about disasters such as floods or storms.
Using games
Board games develop crucial maths skills in young children such as number recognition,
Subitising is the ability to one-to-one correspondence (moving one space at a time), subitising skills (through use of
recognise small amounts
a dice) and ordering (following a track of numbers accurately). They can be used do teach,
without having to count them
each time, for example knowing reinforce or assess learning, and above all they make learning fun!
the dot patterns on a dice
instantly without counting them.

ACTIVITY 6
SAFETY IN THE HOME
To teach children about making safe choices in the home.
Link to CAPS
under topics At School, In the Classroom and Safety (Grade R), At School, My
Family and Safety in the Home (Grade 1), People Who Help Us (Grade 2) and Rights
and Responsibilities (Grade 3)
u Links to literacy: reading skills – and numeracy: using a dice, following a numbered
track
Resources
Board game (see below), counters, dice, worksheet (age/ stage dependent).
Preparation
Take a number line, 100 square or simple traditional board game (such as snakes and
ladders).
Block out several of the squares in two different colours, red and green for example.
Make up some ‘consequence’ cards using the colours on the board. Make more cards than
there are blocked out squares. If you don’t have coloured paper matching the consequence
colours, use coloured pens/ pencils to mark a spot on the back of each card.
Write good and bad safety choices on each card. For example, the green consequence
cards might state positive choices like ‘Well done, you told your parents where you were
going to play’ while the red cards are bad choices ‘Bad choice – you answered the door to
a stranger while home alone’.
Add onto the cards a reward/ forfeit. Positive choices might go forward 1, 2 or 3 steps,
while bad choices move backwards.
Try to draw and colour some simple, relevant pictures around the board to add interest to
the activity. A simple example is attached in the Appendix 13.
Activity outline
STEP 1: Introduce the game to learners and read the instructions.
STEP 2: Allow the learners to play this game independently or guided by an adult, depend-
ing on age, familiarity with this kind of game and purpose – you may want to supervise a
group for assessment purposes.
STEP 3: Learners can play this game in pairs or small groups (up to 4 people).
STEP 4: Talk to children during or after the activity. Ask them what examples of good
choices there were and what examples of bad choices they encountered. Ask children to
suggest alternatives to the bad choices, and/ or more good choices that could be added
into the game.

A similar board game can be done with younger children using pictures instead of sen-
tences to read. Draw simple pictures of children making good choices on green cards
and bad choices on red cards, and write +1/ -1 etc underneath so children can read their

consequence easily. Use this activity for a guided group session so you can talk to children
as they play about what the pictures show and why they are good/ bad choices. This can
be used as part of your planned assessment in this unit.

u Choose a theme covered in this unit. Design and make a board game that your
learners can play that will teach them about that theme. Be sure to include examples
of higher order thinking that require children to analyse and evaluate ideas or
situations.
u Keep a board game template handy for photocopying to create new games.

Assessment Practice
So, how will you know the extent to which your learners have understood Healthy Living? In
the final section of Unit 3 some assessment ideas are provided. These are largely informal
and based on ongoing observations, as stipulated in the CAPS, but also include some
written task ideas that can be used as evidence of progress and shown to parents during
the reporting phase or passed to the child’s next teacher. The assessments can help you
to determine the overall score that the learner has achieved at the end of each school year.
However, equally importantly they should also be used to inform the child’s ‘next steps’ and
in turn your own teaching, to ensure a continuous, progressive cycle of planning, teaching
and assessment.
Observation records take different forms. You may have a class folder with every child on
a separate sheet (folders are often better than bound books in these cases because you
can add in pages when one is full). Keep a stack of Post-It notes handy to make notes on
when you observe a child demonstrating achievement or progress in one of the areas.
Alternatively each child may have their own book or folder that you can stick observation
notes into (include the date on each observation to show progression). There is scope in
both of these examples for including copies or evidence of children’s work, too. For records
of whether or not children have achieved set learning intentions, you may have a class list
with the week’s learning objectives written along the top which you can tick or date when
achieved, or a code to say whether the child has fully, partially or not achieved the target
(see below). This will help inform your planning for the next stage, set appropriate individual
targets for the children and inform report writing and parent consultations.
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
NAME Describes likes Compares

States personal Describes self Names family
and dislikes home to
details positively members
about home another place
Sibonise / / /// /// ///

Pamela /// /// /// // /
Michael /// // /// /// //
Code: / = not achieved // = partially achieved /// = fully achieved
Your code may be different – some teachers use smiley, straight and sad faces for example
– but keep in mind that children are inquisitive! It may upset a child if s/he sees sad faces
drawn next to their name.

The ideas in the section below are intended to assess both factual recall of knowledge and
higher order understanding of concepts. While it is important for children to remember facts
(safety when crossing the road, safe and unsafe places to play, qualities of a good friend,
etc.), it is just as important to assess for deeper knowledge, understanding and values,
though this often seems more difficult. Below are some ways that this can be achieved.

Knowledge to be assessed includes:
■ Identifying qualities and attributes of self and others;

■ Understanding and demonstrating positive values (positive interactions with others
and good manners);
■ Identifying and dealing with feelings and emotions constructively;
■ Distinguishing between safe and unsafe situations and people; and
■ Responding appropriately to unsafe situations.
Assessing factual recall
These assessments focus on what learners can remember. Examples include
■ Steps to take when crossing the road

■ Identifying hazard signs
■ Emergency phone numbers
■ Identifying trusted adults
■ Describing self, home, school and community
■ 5 Golden Rules for the classroom/keeping safe
The following are ideas for factual recall assessment activities, both observed and as a
written task:
■ When on school trips, observe learners’ understanding of road safety rules in con-
text. Ask children to help you cross the road safely by giving you numbered steps to
follow. Alternatively, create a role play situation outside.
■ Use emotions faces on a washing line, giving each children a personalised peg
to clip onto the appropriate emotion. Ask individual children to explain how they
are feeling (to see if they relate vocabulary to the appropriate picture), or ask how
many children are feeling a certain emotion today and watch to see which face they
choose to count the pegs on. You can also use simple pictograms within a maths
activity that include pictures of three or four different emotions and ask children to
respond to questions such as “How many children are feeling upset today?” This
type of activity serves as a written record of assessment.
■ Ask children to write down steps to follow in case of an emergency in a numbered

list (a flood or a fire, for example). Less able writers could draw pictures in ordered
boxes.
■ Use spontaneous situations such as another teacher coming to the classroom to

ask children how they respond to visitors (make sure children know the difference
between visitors to the home or school, and strangers on the street). Ideally, children
should be welcoming and respectful, but not over-friendly.
■ Give learners a wordsearch with key vocabulary hidden inside. As children find each
word, ask them to define it/ use it in a sentence/ give an example (real life or made
up) / draw a picture of it.

■ Ask children to write a short list of their rights in one column, and an equal number
of their responsibilities in another.
■ Give children a picture of a situation (a busy kitchen, a roadside etc.) Ask children
to find and circle examples of hazards in a picture. This idea can be used for any
environment, from safety in the kitchen to water or road safety. If you can’t find a
suitable one in a textbook, try looking in newspapers or doing an internet search.
Older children could be asked to explain their choices.
Assessing higher order learning/ understanding
These assessments require children to apply learning to their own experience, analyse
cause and effect, evaluate decisions and situations and create meaning or responses. The
teaching activities within this unit with written outcomes can be used as evidence of higher
order thinking skills, and responses to key questions in the activities can be documented
and included as part of ongoing observations. Further ideas are given below.
■ Expand on the example given above by asking children to write a short sentence (or
tell you if they are younger learners) about the hazards in the picture, for example
explaining why it is a hazard, or suggesting ways to make the situation safe again.
They could even draw their own simple picture of a safe environment and explain
why it is safer than the original.
■ Give children a large piece of paper with an assessment question written in the
middle, “A good friend is…”, for example. Ask them to brainstorm all the qualities
they can think of. Follow up with questions asking them to explain their ideas (‘Why?’
or ‘What does that look like?’).
■ Give children a list of incorrect sentences about the knowledge and skills that you
have been teaching, for example ‘If a stranger offers you a lift in their car, it is polite to
say yes’. Ask children to rewrite the sentences correctly. Use a ‘forgetful puppet’ with
younger children who gives them incorrect information, and ask them to correct his
ideas verbally. Noting individuals’ responses on the board with their names printed
next to their ideas will encourage more children to respond.
■ Ask children to write a diary entry as an assumed character. For example, you might
read a story about a child who experienced a drought and ask them to write an
entry as that child. This not only assesses their understanding of disasters such as
droughts, but also assesses their ability to empathise with somebody else.
■ Use the ‘3 stars and a wish’ peer assessment format to assess the audience’s re-
sponses to other children’s ideas. Asking a child to explain how well another group
responded to a task gives a good idea about that child’s understanding of the task,
too.

Conclusion
This unit has explored how developing positive self-esteem and healthy relationships with
others contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Linked to this, personal safety in terms of safe and
unsafe environments, trusted adults, making good choices and responding to emergency
situations was examined. Subject knowledge was expanded upon to give educators ad-
vanced knowledge of what they are teaching in line with, and extending, what must be
taught under the CAPS curriculum. Teaching ideas and activities have been provided as
exemplars for educators to use and adapt. Similarly, ways in which the knowledge and
understanding covered in this unit can be assessed have been profiled, to include both
factual recall of knowledge and deeper understanding and assimilation of knowledge.

McCarthy, T., 2009. How on Earth? Cape Town: Struik Nature.
References
RSA. (2001). Education White Paper 5 on Early Childhood Education. Pretoria: Govern-
ment printers.
http://www.childlinekzn.org.za/myths.html
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/earlyyearsmatters/h/genericcontent_tcm4674202.
asp Education Scotland: Blooms Taxonomy (revised 2011)
http://nalibali.org
http://www.ndmc.gov.za/portals/0/docs/publications/Flood_Awareness.pdf
http://www.news24.com/Travel/South-Africa/SA-ranked-worst-in-global-road-safety-
report-20130524
http://www.primaryresources.co.uk
http://www.projectwet.org/pdfs/WASH/HWHHHP_KIDs_V2_EN.pdf
http://www.safekids.org/safetytips/field_venues/home
http://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/eskom-spreads-electricity-safety-message
http://www.soapkidz.org/documents/ThingsToMakeWithLitter.pdf
http://www.twinkl.co.uk
http://www.unicef.org/southafrica/SAF_publications_mrc.pdf
http://www.who.int/ceh/risks/cehinjuries2/en/index.html
https://www.worldvision.org.nz/media/115816/worldbuddies_activity_15_tippy-taps.pdf

Appendices

Appendix 1
Masilwe ungcoliseko
(Water Pollution story – Xhosa)
Kwingingqi yakwaSonti kwakukho umzi wakwaDidiza owawunamawele angamantombaza-

na. Amagama ala mawele yayinguNontsomi noNtsomikazi. Babeneengqondo ezikrelekrele
nezikhawulezayo. Babengabokugqibela kokwabo besiza emva kwamakhwenkwe amabini.
Iititshala zawo la mawele zazizingca ngabo ngenxa yale ngqondo iphaphileyo.
Ezantsi komzi wakowabo kwakukho umlambo. Lo mlambo wawusoloko umdaka. Le nto

yobu bumdaka yayidalwa yinto yokuba abantu babelahla inkunkuma, ukutya okubolileyo,
iibhotile nabo bonke ubuchofu-chofu obumdaka kuwo. Kwakuqhelekile ukubona abantu
behlamba ngeentelezi zabo kwakulo mlambo.
Amawele kwakukudala eyibukele le nto. Yaba ngathi ngoku ithatha olunye unyawo.
Kwasekunzima nokuqubha oku xa kushushu. Amanzi ayemdaka kangangokuba kwakunz-
ima ukuhlamba nkqu impahla ngawo, andithethi kona ukusela nokupheka. Kuyatheleleleka
ukuba nendalo ehlala emanzini enjengoononkala, amasele, iintlanzi nezinye zasezafa
ngenxa yobumdaka bamanzi alo mlambo.
“Uyayibona na le ngxaki yala manzi alo mlambo, Nontsomi?” wabuza uNtsomikazi, ngenye
imini ebukruquka. “Ewe, iyandikhandikhathaza le nto. Sithini?” Wabuza uNontsomi. “Le
ngxaki yenziwa ngabantu. Mna ndicinga ukuba masibize intlanganiso ukuze kuqaliswe
ukucocwa umlambo sibe nomlambo onika impilo.
“Unyanisile, elinye icebo endilicingayo lelokuba senze umbhalo omkhulu siwubeke phaya
ngasemlanjeni, sinqande abantu ekulahleni inkunkuma. Mawube nje……… Waphendula
ngelicebisayo uNontsomi. Kwa-oko bafuna amaqweqwe babhala. Tyhini! lasebenza msinya
iqhinga labo. Kungoku bayakwazi ukuqubha emlanjeni.
NQANDA UNGCOLISEKO LWAMANZI! MUSA UKULAHLA APHA INKUNKUMA!
Bakhawuleza babiza oontanga kwimizi yonke yelali. Zange ibe ngumsebenzi onzima lo
kuba yayingenkulu kuyaphi ilali yabo. Balusabela ubizo phantse bonke abantwana balo
ngingqi. Bakuba beqokelelene emva kweencoko ezingephi, uNtsomikazi waphakama
wathetha:
“Besifanele ukuba siyazidla ngalo mlambo udlula kule lali yethu. Lithamsanqa lobom kuthi
loo nto. Asikwazi kwenjenjalo kuba sithi singekafiki kuwo sibuliswe livumba. Asisakwazi
nokuhlamba iimpahla, andithethi ngokusela nokupheka ngamanzi alo mlambo. Asisakwazi
nokuqubha kuwo. Sicinga ukuba into yoniwa ngumntu iphinde ilungiswe kwangumntu.
Ndisaphosa kuni!”
UGqagqanisa wakhwaza into eyothusa wonke umntu esithi: “Masibhinq’ omfutshane

kwathina, yilali yethu le, sazalelwa apha kwaye akukho apho siyayo!”“Tyhini! Kukho ne-
ziqhwala apha? Ziza kuyichola njani inkunkuma? ”Waphoxisa uTapile. Baqubuda iintloko
abanye ziintloni. “Bekubizwe wonke umntu nje!” Wafane wamthethelela uXolani ephelile

ziintloni. Waphendula uNontsomi ngelithi,“Wonke umntwana walapha eSonti unelungelo
lokuba lapha kule ntlanganiso, nonjani nonjani. Ukuba akakwazi kuyichola inkunkuma
ikhona enye into aza kukwazi ukuyenza. Zininzi izinto zokwenziwa.” Shwaca, akaphinde
athethe.
“Mxelele Nontsomi, mxelele,” waqokela watsho uSimthembile.“Akukho sizathu saluband-

lululo nalucalulo apha. Ibalulekile le nto siyibizelwe ngamawele apha. Masimanyane
silungise ingxaki yongcoliseko lomlambo qha!” Watsho uFezile. Kwaxoxwa kwaxoxwa
kwagqitywa ekubeni wonke umntu aye kucoca umlambo. Zaxhonywa iipowusta ezithintela
olunye ungcoliseko

Appendix 2

Appendix 3
Christopher Crocodile and his bad tooth

A story for children aged 3–7
by Ann Johnson (http://www.my-kids-corner.com/christophercroc.html)
Christopher Crocodile was a mean old bully. He thought that all the children at school
were afraid of him. What he didn’t know, was that the other children wouldn’t play with him
because his breath was really smelly.
Now, on this particular day, Christopher Crocodile saw Piggy Peter walk through the school
gates. Piggy Peter actually was scared of Christopher Crocodile. All Piggy Peter noticed
was a mouth full of sharp teeth, not the foul smell of Christopher Crocodile’s breath.
As soon as Piggy Peter got through the school gates, Christopher Crocodile walked over
to him.
“Where’s your sweets then?” he asked in a menacing tone.
Piggy Peters knees began to knock as he replied, “I haven’t got any sweets…honest.” He
cried.
“What do you mean, you ain’t got no sweets?”
Christopher Crocodile saw the head teacher, Mrs Panther walking over to them, so he
mumbled under his breath, “I’ll get you later.” And he walked off to the other side of the
playground.
He loved it when all the children scattered in different directions as he walked up to them.
Christopher Crocodile put his hand into his pocket and pulled out some chewy sweets. As
he put the third one onto his mouth, a pain shot through his tooth. He winced, but carried
on eating his sweets. He just rubbed his mouth and thought it would get better on its own.
His mummy had told him that he would have to visit the dentist if he had any more pain.
Christopher Crocodile didn’t like the dentist, so he made sure he didn’t tell his mummy that
his tooth was still hurting.
The previous day, his tooth had stopped hurting, but now, it was really beginning to ache.
It was so bad that he actually started crying.
Hillary Hippo, saw him crying and told the head teacher, Mrs Panther.
In her posh voice Mrs Panther asked, “Oh dear, Christopher Crocodile. What ever is the
problem?”
Christopher Crocodile was in too much pain to lie about it, so he told her about the pain in
his tooth.
Before long, his mummy arrived at school. “Oh Christopher, why didn’t you tell me your
tooth was hurting so much?”
“Mummy, I don’t want to go to the dentist. I’m really scared.”

His mummy looked at him and said quietly, “But Christopher, if you had always brushed you
teeth you wouldn’t have any pain with them. Now you don’t have a choice, you will have to
go to the dentist.”
Christopher Crocodile cried all the way to his mummy’s car and didn’t stop crying as they
walked into the dentist’s room.
Christopher Crocodile’s mummy smiled at the dentist and said, “Can you have a look at his
bad tooth. I think it might need a filling.”
The dentist said, “Of course. Now Christopher, just sit back and relax.”
Christopher Crocodile was so nervous, he wouldn’t let go of his mummy’s hand. He lay
back on the big chair as the dentist shone a bright light onto his mouth.
As the dentist looked into Christopher Crocodile’s mouth, he said, “Oh yes, you do need a
filling. I’ll do it right now.”
Christopher Crocodile started to cry again, and held onto his mummy’s hand. Two minutes
later the dentist had finished and started to move the chair back to its upright position.
“There! All done.” The dentist said.
Christopher Crocodile looked at his mummy and said, “But that didn’t hurt!”
His mummy looked at him and smiled. “I know, that’s what I was trying to tell you.”
The dentist turned to Christopher and said, “Now, in future, make sure you brush your teeth
every day and night, and you won’t have to have another filling.”
The dentist then passed a sticker to him for being brave.
And you know what?
From that day on Christopher Crocodile always brushed his teeth and was never afraid of
visiting the dentist again.
THE END

Appendix 4
Tooth Care Worksheet
Draw a picture of the tooth before and after it has been in the fizzy drink.
Before After
Write a sentence to explain what happened to the tooth.
Write a sentence to explain why you think this happened.
Write a sentence to tell others how to look after their teeth.

Appendix 5
Dental Care Songs

Brush, Brush, Brush Your Teeth
(Tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
Brush, brush, brush your teeth.

At least two times a day.
Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning,
Fighting tooth decay.
Floss, floss, floss your teeth.
Every single day.
Gently, gently, gently,gently,
Whisking plaque away.
Rinse, rinse, rinse your teeth
Every single day.
Swishing, swishing, swishing, swishing,
Fighting tooth decay.
Brush Your Teeth

(Tune: Jingle Bells)
Brush your teeth,

Brush your teeth,
Give your teeth a treat.
Brush up and down and all around,
To keep them clean and neat!
Brush them once,
Brush them twice,
Brush three times a day.
Brush up and down and all around,
Keep cavities away!
Got My Toothpaste
(Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
Got my toothpaste, got my brush,

I won’t hurry, I won’t rush.
Making sure my teeth are clean,
Front and back and in between.
When I brush for quite a while,
I will have a happy smile!
– From http://www.childcarelounge.com/general-themes/dental-tooth.php

Appendix 6
School Litter Survey
Litter I found Where I found it

Appendix 7

Appendix 8

Appendix 9
Bloom’s Taxonomy Question Starters

Remembering
(find, name, describe, tell)
■ Who did…?
■ When did…?
■ What did…?
■ True or false: …?
Understanding
(explain, predict, discuss, relate)
■ Give me an example of…
■ Tell me in your own words…
■ Describe what…
■ What is the main idea…?
Applying
(apply, show, complete, examine)
■ Would you have done the same?
■ Have you ever felt like that/ had a similar experience?
■ Can you think of another time when…?
■ What would you change if…?
Analysing
(sort, differentiate, examine, categorise)
■ What caused (this) to happen?
■ What was the problem with…?
■ What other ways could…?
■ How is this similar to…?
Evaluating
(decide, choose, recommend, decide)
■ How would you feel if…?
■ What do you think about…?
■ Can you think of a better way to (solve the problem)?
■ Was that a good or bad choice? Why?
Creating
(imagine, design, plan, create)
■ Create/design a…?
■ How would you…?
■ What would have happened if…?
■ What would it be like to…?

Appendix 10
Useful Stories for Teaching Personal

Safety and Healthy Relationships
The following are picture book stories that have a message about friendships, relation-
ships, and keeping safe. They are nicely illustrated which will engage young learners, and
use simple language (English). All are available on Amazon.com. Alternatively, particularly
if English is not your learners’ first language, use these book ideas to write your own story
with a message, or use a traditional folk tale with a moral to the story.
Tortoise’s Dream
(African folk tale)
Folk tales usually have a moral or message that can be used for
teaching children important moral messages. The African folk tale
‘Tortoise’s Dream’ is about staying on the right path and not looking
back.
The Old Woman and the Red Pumpkin

(Bengali traditional tale)
The old woman in this story encounters danger on her way home,
and cleverly escapes being eaten using quick thinking and wit.
Little Red Riding Hood

(European traditional tale)
A fairy tale about a little girl who goes into the woods alone and
encounters a wolf. Red Riding Hood ignores her mother’s advice to
stay on the path and not to talk to strangers.
Hansel and Gretel

(European traditional tale)
Themes in this fairy tale include family relationships (weak father,

abusive step mother, loving children), bad choices (made by the
father), sensible choices (made by the children) and safety (not get-
ting lost). Also touches upon poverty and famine as a cause of their
problem.

Rama and Sita
(Hindu story of Divali)
Use cultural or religious stories to illustrate messages, feelings, per-

sonality traits or safety rules. One such example is the Hindu story
of Divali, Rama and Sita. Children will be able to identify very clear
‘good’ and ‘bad’ characters and choices and explore values such as
truth and loyalty.
Beegu
(Alexis Deacon)
An alien called Beegu crashes into Earth by accident. Beegu is

very different to the Earthlings she meets. Some humans are kind
to her and some are unkind. Lovely use of body language to show
emotions.
Albert le Blanc
(Nick Butterworth)
Albert is the newest toy in the toy shop. He looks very sad so the
other toys try hard to cheer him up.

Appendix 11
Circle Time – Warm-up and End Games

1. Fruit bowl: to mix children up
Each child is given the name of a fruit, when their fruit is called they change seats.
2. Clapping
Going round the circle one clap continues the direction, 2 changes the direction back.
3. Keys
One child stands in the middle of the circle blindfolded. The other children pass something
noisy around the circle. When the child in the middle thinks they know where the keys are
they shout ‘stop!’ and point in that direction.
4. Shopping
‘I went to the shops and bought…’ each child remembers the previous items and adds one
of their own.
5. Birthdays
Call a month of the year, children whose birthdays are in that month, run around the circle
back to their original chair.
6. Words
Start with a word and 2 claps in between, the next child must say a word associated to the
start, e.g. tree, clap, clap, leaf, clap, clap, caterpillar…
7. Squeeze
Hold hands around the circle, and pass a gentle squeeze from hand to hand.
8. Smile
A smile is passed around the circle.
9. I know your name

Take turns to call someone’s name and swap seats, continue until everyone has been
called.
10. Dracula
A child is Dracula, they say a victim’s name and start to walk towards them, the victim must
say another name to change the victim, and Dracula changes direction towards the new
victim, if a victim is caught, they become Dracula.
11. 99
A child leaves the room while someone is nominated. When the child enters the room they
stand in the middle of the circle, the nominated child says ‘99’, trying to disguise their voice.
The first child tries to guess who spoke.
12. Chinese mimes

All stand facing the back of the person in front, with eyes closed. The leader taps the

person in front on the shoulder, when they turn around mime an action. The mime is passed
around the circle to see if it changes much.
13. Follow the leader

The leader begins miming and action; clapping, etc. the others in the circle must copy.
Change leader after 2 or 3 actions.
14. Introductions
Introduce yourself and the person sitting next to you. Continue around the circle.
15. What am I?
Choose a positive adjective to describe yourself, go around the circle in turn.
16. Who are we?

One child says their name and points to another child, who stands up and repeats until all
are standing.
17. Colours
If I were a colour, I would be … because…
18. Listening
All close eyes, listen for 2 minutes, then go around the circle to say what sounds were heard.
19. Instruments
If I were an instrument, I would be… because…
20. Storm
Leader starts by wiggling fingers for the rain, this passes around the circle until everyone
is wiggling their fingers. The leader then changes the action to other aspects of the storm,
e.g. wind – arms waving, thunder – slap knees. End with the sun - mime a circle.
21. Changes
Someone goes outside, 2 people in the circle swap places, and the outsider tries to guess
who has moved.
22. A sticky situation

One person in middle calls out ‘Help, help! Others reply ‘What’s the matter?’ The first
person makes up a situation: e.g. stuck up a ladder, chased by killer bees. Others reply
‘Who do you want to help?’ first person makes up random criteria: e.g. tallest, kindest, best
at tables. Others nominate person to help, they swap places with one in middle. All good at
different things, we can all help each other.
23. Feelings
Child takes a feelings card and an action card, e.g. eating dinner – excited. Child acts in
appropriate manner, others guess. Children could make up on feelings and actions.
24. Hello, how are you?

One child crosses the circle to shake hands and ask a question, then returns to their place.
The questioned child then crosses the circle and repeats.
– Ideas taken from http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/

Appendix 12
Make Your Own Storybook
1. Take a piece of paper

and fold it in half
widthways.
2. Fold it in half again.
3. Now fold it
in the other
direction.
4. Unfold the paper

so it is half its
original size. Keep
the folded edge at
the bottom. Cut
from the fold to
the centre.
5. Unfold the paper all the way
so it looks like this, then fold
it in half lengthways.
6. Push the two sides in so

that you have a square
hole in the centre.
7. Continue to push the two

sides together until they meet
in the middle. You should
now be able to see the pages
of the book. Fold along the
creases and get writing!

Appendix 13
Safety at Home Game
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90
91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
DESIRABLE UNDESIRABLE
CONSEQUENCE CONSEQUENCE
CARDS CARDS
HERE HERE

A partnership programme
for environmental learning
and teacher education
Teaching
Healthy Living
Life Skills Grades R–3
Nomsa Ngxinga & Mary Kerr
www.fundisaforchange.org environment * society * science * sustainability

Healthy Living Life Skills GR 3

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A partnership programme

for environmental learning

Nomsa Ngxinga & Mary Kerr

www.fundisaforchange.org environment * society * science * sustainability

VERSION 1 – January 2014

Copy-editing: Kim Ward

These Healthy Living units and the CAPS 5

UNIT 1 – Healthy eating and a healthy body

Subject Content Knowledge 9

UNIT 2 – Healthy habits and a healthy environment

Subject Content Knowledge 26

Teaching Healthy Living 1

Subject Content Knowledge 44

2 Teaching Healthy Living

Teaching Healthy Living 3

How do these units support teaching and learning about

The main issues covered include:

The three units focus on:

■ Healthy Eating and a Healthy Body

4 Teaching Healthy Living

■ What does Healthy Living mean?

■ How can I measure progress of knowledge, skills and understanding of concepts

Knowing the body, its

■ Strengthen your subject content knowledge of Healthy Living,

The Healthy Living units and their relationship to teaching

Teaching Healthy Living 5

TERM GRADE R GRADE 1 GRADE 2 GRADE 3

1 My body Healthy habits What we need to live;

Unit 2: Healthy habits and a healthy environment

TERM GRADE R GRADE 1 GRADE 2 GRADE 3

1 Healthy Living Healthy Living What we need to live; Health protection;

Unit 3: Personal safety and healthy relationships

TERM GRADE R GRADE 1 GRADE 2 GRADE 3

1 Me; Me; Myself and others; Feelings;

6 Teaching Healthy Living

Teaching Healthy Living 7

RELATED TOPICS IN THE CAPS – LIFE SKILLS GRADE TERM

8 Teaching Healthy Living

The body and its parts Eye Head

The body has upper and lower limbs, both

Teaching Healthy Living 9

This is a brief introduction to certain essential vitamins; however, it is up to the individual to

10 Teaching Healthy Living

The food pyramid

Teaching Healthy Living 11

12 Teaching Healthy Living

Teaching Healthy Living 13

Developing your teaching practice

This activity uses stories, EATING HEALTHY FOOD

14 Teaching Healthy Living

Developing your teaching practice

WHAT WE NEED TO LIVE This activity uses stories,

Teaching Healthy Living 15

Developing your teaching practice

16 Teaching Healthy Living

HEALTHY EATING This activity uses role play,

Teaching Healthy Living 17

1. Assessment ideas relating specifically to Teaching Activity 1

Assessing knowledge of curriculum content

These are examples of questions that could be asked: