First Term Lesson Note for Week Two
Class : Primary Five
Subject : Social Studies
Topic : Diversity in Culture
Duration : 40 Minutes
Period : Single Period
Reference Book :
- Social Studies for Primary Schools, Book 5.
- Lagos State Unified schemes of work for Upper Primary, (Primary 4 – 6).
- Online Resources
Instructional Material : Chart showing the meaning of diversity in culture.
Learning Objectives : By the end of the lessons, the learners will be able to :
i. Explain the words: culture, diversity and unity.
ii. Explain in simple terms what unity in cultural diversity means.
iii. Give examples of different ways of promoting unity in cultural diversity in
Building background connection to prior knowledge: pupils are familiar with the topic in their previous classes
CONTENT
Culture is the total way of life of a group of people.
It includes language, mode of dressing, way of greeting, music and dances, religious festivals and farming techniques.
Diversity refers to a variety or wide range of culture.
Unity, on the other hand, refers to oneness.
Unity in cultural diversity, therefore, refers to oneness, in spite of the differences in culture, i.e. customs, traditions and languages.
Customs and traditions in the community
Nigeria is a country of many cultures. Each of the many ethnic groups in Nigeria has a different culture. For instance, in Edo and Delta states alone, there are more than ten ethnic groups with different cultures, although certain things are common to all of them.
Differences in customs and traditions
The way of life of Nigerians is similar in many ways, but some differences can be seen among the different cultures. These differences include the following :
Language: Each ethnic group has its own language. For instance, the Fulani speak Fulfulde, while the Yoruba speak Yoruba.
Dressing: The Igbo men wear long shirts on trousers. Agbada and buba are two of the traditional clothes of Yoruba men. Many Hausa men wear long white clothes, while the Urhobo prefer brightly coloured clothes.
Music and dance: There are various types of drums all over Nigeria. These include the Yoruba talking drums and the Hausa kannago. Apala music is a traditional music of the Yoruba. Udje and opiri are two types of music in Urhoboland. The Edo people play ema music.
Music and dance go together. For example, Atilogwu dance and Nkwa umu agbogho dance among the Igbo are very important. Drums and music are played on important occasions only, and not just for mere entertainment.
These occasions include funeral, marriage and coronation ceremonies
Body beautification: Facial and other body marks differ from one place to another. By looking at the marks on someone’s face, one can tell the family or ethnic group of that person. For instance, three straight marks, on each cheek, identify the Oyo people. Also, hairstyles, especially among women, show differences from place to place.
Works of art: Local weaving, carving, sculpture, smiting, pottery and painting vary from place to place. For example, calabash carving in Yoruba land differs from calabash carving in Hausa land. Kano city is famous for leather works.
Ways of showing respect: Nigerians regard greeting as a sign of respect. There are also other ways of showing respect. Igbo young men bow before elders as a sign of respect. The elders tap the younger men on their shoulders in return. Yoruba young men prostate, while the women kneel before elders. Younger Hausa men crouch when greeting elders.
Respect for elders also includes not talking when elders are talking, not calling elders by their first names, and children running errands for their parents or elders.
Similarities in customs and traditions
There are things that are similar among the different cultures in Nigeria.
For instance:
All Nigerians have traditional religious practices.
Nigerians show respect to people because of their age and experience, and not because of their money.
The same types of clothes are worn by two or more ethnic groups.
All Nigerians have extended families. Everybody is his/her brother’s keeper. 5 All Nigerians are kind and friendly to everybody, especially strangers.
Some members of an ethnic group can speak the languages of their neighboring ethnic groups (apart from their own).
All ethnic groups have traditional chieftaincy institutions.
Some languages have certain words in common. For instance, certain words in Igbo and Yoruba, and Yoruba and Igala are the same, and have the same meaning .
Cultures we need to keep
Many things or factors have helped to bring about changes in our society. These include technology, religion, politics, education and the ways in which people make money.
Changes take place all the time in almost all aspects of Nigerian life.
However, we should still keep some of our customs and traditions. Those we should keep include the following:
1. Our extended families
2. Our mode of dressing
3. The way our houses are designed
4. Our hairstyles
5. Our kindness to visitors and strangers (hospitality)
6. Our respect for elders
7 Our music and dances 8 Our arts and crafts.
If we keep and preserve these customs, we would become special, and other countries would recognize our people anywhere in the world.
Presentation Steps :
Step 1 : The teacher revises the previous lesson with the learners by asking questions orally.
Step 2 : He /she introduces the new topic by explaining the meaning of culture.
Step 3 : The teacher then discusses the different customs and traditions of culture in Nigeria.
Step 4 : Identify and list the customs and traditions we must keep according to culture.
Evaluation :
Teacher asks questions from pupils based on the topic as follows :
1. What is culture?
2. What is diversity?
3. Define unity in cultural diversity.
4. List the element of culture found in Nigeria.
5. Mention the customs and traditions we must keep.
6. The Fulani speaks ____________ while the Yoruba speaks _____________.
7. Mention one type of music and dance of the following :
i. Igbo – ____________________
ii. Yorùbá – __________________
iii. Hausa – ___________________
8. Mention some work of art done by the Yoruba and Hausa people :
i. ______________________
ii. _____________________
iii. _____________________
Conclusion : Teacher goes over the topic for better understanding. Marks the learners
Assignment :
1. Mention four factors that affect or bring about changes in culture. _
i. __________________ ii. __________________
iii. _________________ iv. __________________