Term: Second Term / Term 2
Week: Week 4
Class : Primary 4/ Basic 4/ Grade 4
Subject : Civic Education
Topic : National Consciousness (A Nation)
Duration : 40 minutes
Previous Knowledge : Learners have been taught
Reference Materials : Civic Education for Nigerian Primary schools, Book 4, UBE Edition
Instructional Materials :
Behavioural Objectives : By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to :
i. Define a nation
ii. State the characteristics of a nation
iii. identify reasons why we must build a nation
Content:
A nation is a body of people sharing a spirit of unity and living together under the same government. It can also be defined as a group of people who have the same citizenship under one government regardless of their ethnic background. For example, Nigeria, Ghana, England, America.
In Nigeria, for example, there are many ethnic groups with different languages and culture but they all are Nigerians.
Characteristics of a nation
Every nation has certain features that make it possible to identify that nation as one. The following are the characteristics that all nations must have:
i.) Government: No nation can exist without a government. It is the agent that directs the affairs of people to ensure peace abd orderliness.
ii.) Territory: All nations permanently occupy a land area that is clearly separated by boundaries from other nations.
iii.) Equality: Common to all nations is the belief that they are equal and independent in spite of their military power, size and wealth
iv.) Population: The characteristics of a nation can not be complete without people. It must have people within its boarders. These people are regarded as its citizens.
v.) Lingua franca: Every nation has a lingua franca which is the common language spoken in the nation that everybody is expected to understand. For instance, the lingua franca of Nigeria is English language.
vi.) Sovereignty: This is the power that a nation has to govern itself without external control.
vii.) Common Economy: A nation has a particular way of producing and distributing its goods and services. Also, it has a common currency which it uses.
viii.) Common customs and traditions: A nation has various customs and traditions which are interrelated and only common among its citizens. Some examples of common customs in Nigeria are burial ceremony, naming ceremony, masquerades, etc.
Reasons for nation building
Nation building is a deliberate intention to develop our society. In this regard,
i. Peaceful co-existence
ii. Common use of resources
iii. Unity against external aggression
iv. mutual benefit
v. National consciousness and patriotism
vi. Good neighbourliness
Presentation Steps:
Step I: The teacher revises the previous topic with the learners.
Step II: He/ She introduces the new topic to the learners
Step III: He/ She defines a nation and state characteristics of a nation
Step IV: identify and mention reasons for building a nation.
Evaluation: The teacher reviews the lesson by asking the following questions :
1. Define a nation
2. List five characteristics of a nation
3. State five reasons why we build a nation.
Conclusion: At the end of the lesson, learners were able to answer the questions correctly.
Assignment:
1. What is ethnicity?
2. Mention 20 ethnic groups in Nigeria.