Covid-19: Lesson Plans for Schools in MeghalayaPrimary Classes (1-5)

“We are very grateful to you, our teachers, for the critical work youare doing to educate our young people. Now, more than ever, wedepend upon you to ensure that our children understand thispandemic, and how to protect themselves and their families. Ifchildren understand, even their parents can better understand. Ourcommunity will be safer.”

- Conrad K. Sangma, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Meghalaya

General Instructions● This module has been divided into 2 units. Each unit is further divided into 3 lesson

plans and is designed to be taught in one session on any given day of the week assuitable. Schools are free to alter duration, or add relevant lessons as they see fit.

● This lesson plan is designed for Primary Classes: 1-5.● Each lesson plan can be covered within 2 hours . We encourage schools to include a

snack break or washroom break as required.● Each lesson plan covers 4-5 key topics. These topics are accompanied by suggested

talking points and a video-learning aid.● Each unit has 2 designated activities for each age group. We highly encourage

schools to conduct all 4 activities (2/unit) over the course of this curriculum.● Schools will be expected to fill out a ‘Covid-19 Lesson Plan Schools Tracker’ every week

to update their progress status. You can find the tracker here.

Learning ObjectivesThe children will be:

● Informed about Covid-19, how quickly it spreads and how staying home is key toprotecting themselves & their loved ones.

● Aware of how to seek medical help and how to report symptoms through thestate Covid-19 helpline (14410)

● Encouraged to follow & practice all Covid-19 appropriate behaviours such as wearinga double-mask, hand-washing and maintaining distance from others while talking,eating and drinking

● Motivated to speak to their parents, family, neighbours and community about theimportance of getting vaccinated, and how the vaccine is safe & essential toprotecting oneself from the virus.

● Learn how to identify fake news on Whatsapp & YouTube and refer to trustedsources of information for anything related to Covid-19.

● Equipped with the necessary Covid-19 information to be the influencer &gatekeeper of every household. This means that students will be able to identifycommon symptoms of Covid-19, encourage their family to get tested if they see thosesymptoms, and encourage those around them to practice Covid-19 appropriatebehaviours.

Facilitation Guidelines● These are unprecedented & difficult times. Try to begin each session with a quick

meditation or check-in exercise: ‘How are you feeling today’. Watch this video to seehow.

● Make yourself available to listen and to talk. Let children know they can come toyou when they have questions or concerns.

● Avoid language that might blame others and lead to stigma. For example, ensurethat children don’t go away with the idea that the Chinese are the carriers/face of thevirus. In many countries there has been discrimination and even hate crimes againstpeople who look Chinese because of such stigma - and this must be avoided.

● Provide information that is truthful and appropriate for the age and developmentallevel of the child. Discuss any rumours or myths surrounding Covid-19 and counter anymisinformation. This is a necessary step to ensure that everyone is well-informed.

● Don’t be afraid if you don’t have all the answers. Let the children know that thisvirus is relatively new and there maybe many unknowns. Get back to them withrelevant information that answers their questions.

● Teach children everyday activities that prevent the spread of germs to make it partof their daily routine.

Curriculum

WEEK 1 | Unit A: Introduction to Covid-19 & Preventative Measures

Duration Topics/Themes Talking Points SuggestedResources/Video Aid

25-30minutes

Lesson 1: What is coronavirusdisease or Covid-19 virus?What do some commonsymptoms look like?

❏ Begin with the question -‘Have you noticed thateveryone around you iswashing their hands moreoften, wearing masks andstaying far apart from eachother lately?’ Why is that?

❏ What is the Covid-19 virus?❏ How is it spreading from

person to person?- Explaining it is an

air-borne illness, suchas the flu or thecommon cold, but ismore dangerous.

- Remember tomention that the viruscan stay on surfaces,and is often spread viadroplets whensomeone sneezes orcoughs. These tinydroplets float in theair. Others can breathethem in, gettinginfected.

❏ What are some signs that youor your loved one has Covid?(eg: fever, difficulty breathing,cough, loss of taste & smell)

❏ The common preventionpractices are mask-wearing,washing hands & maintainingdistance. By doing so, youprotect yourself from germs,and therefore the virus.

What is Covid-19Virus?

How is Covid-19spreading fromperson-to-person

Common symptomsof Covid-19 virus

25-30minutes

Lesson 2: What can I do toprotect myself and my lovedones from the Covid-19 virus

Cover the following topics:❏ The importance of

double-masking❏ Explaining the 3 Ws:

Wear your mask | Washyour hands | Watchyour distance

❏ How staying home cankeep us safe & preventspread of virus

❏ Explain that we can protectourselves and our familiesfrom the virus by doing thesesteps:

❏ Following the 3 Ws laid out byWHO

- Wearing“double-mask’ -layering a medicalmask + cloth mask

- Washing hands withwarm water & soap forat least 20s (singhappy birthday!)

- Watching yourdistance even whenyou eat/drink tea

❏ Explaining how to wear twomasks (double-masking)correctly

❏ Importance of staying home& social distancing

- Make sure to wear amask whenever youare in the same roomwith someone outsideyour family

- Keep your distancefrom others when youare eating meals ordrinking tea.

- Make sure to washyour hands frequentlyand avoid coming inclose contact with anyfamily member who issick.

Explaining the WorldHealth Organisation’s(WHO) 3 Ws

Double-Masking● How do masks

work?● How to

double-maskcorrectly

Staying Home toprevent spread of theCovid-19 virus

25-30minutes

Lesson 3: Taking the Covid-19pledges❏ Explaining the 3

pledges of‘Mask-Wearing’, ‘GetVaccinated’ & ‘FollowHome-Care Guideline’

❏ Encouraging students &their families to takethe “Mask-Wearing’pledge by capturing on

❏ Explain that the only way toprevent the spread of thevirus is if we all do our part

❏ Encourage students to takeall 3 pledges and explain thevalue of each one.

❏ Share the document with thepledges and ask students toshoot a video of themselves +at least 2 family membersreading the ‘Mask-Wearing’pledge on a mobile phone

Covid-19 pledgesdocument

video using mobilephone

❏ Giving students theoption to take the other2 pledges

❏ While the ‘Mask-Wearing’pledge is mandatory, givestudents the option to takethe other 2 pledges

End of Unit 1 Message‘What Covid-19 is teaching us’

❏ Importance of Family Time: With school closures & lockdown, we all have more time to connectand engage with our loved ones.

❏ To be more mindful of our actions: Covid-19 has taught us that all our actions haveconsequences, and that we should be mindful & aware of the role we play in people’s lives. Forexample, something as simple as wearing a mask or getting vaccinated can save lives!

❏ Opportunity to learn: The pandemic has shown us the value of taking the time to reflect on ouractions & learn from our mistakes.

❏ Ask students of some of the lessons they have learned during this time- Empathy for others who are suffering- Being thankful for the family & support they have- Compassion by helping out others through simple acts of distributing food or helping out

Suggested Activities for Unit AApproximate Time: 30 mins

● Covid-Pledge Activity❏ Create a video of yourself + 2 family members taking the mask-wearing pledge! If you

like, you can also do the other COVID pledges❏ Document link for Covid-19 pledges with instructions:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gqle2vCH3g3OTBAQ-5SQwPBpyym9tC6i/edit

● How We Protect Ourselves from Covid-19’ Poster based on the 3 Ws❏ Have students create their own poster based on their own experience.❏ Image Inspiration:

WEEK 2 |Unit B: Covid-19 Vaccination & Key Information on Treatment at Home

Duration Topics/Themes Talking Points SuggestedResources/Video Aid

25-30minutes

Lesson 1: Explaining theneed & concept of‘Vaccination’: Anessential practice toprotect ourselves fromgetting infected as wellas help us to lower therisk of falling seriouslyill if we get Covid-19

Covering the topics of:❏ What is a

vaccination?❏ Who is eligible

for the vaccine❏ I have read about

the vaccine andits harmfulafter-effects. Canyou tell me more.

❏ Talking to yourparents aboutgettingvaccinated

❏ Open with the question - “Whatcomes to your mind when youthink of a vaccine?” or “Who hasheard the word ‘vaccine’?”

❏ Do a short explainer on ‘why weget vaccines’ using the video here,and explain how the Covid-19vaccine can protect your family

❏ Explain that while currently onlythose above 45 can getvaccinated, it will open soon forthe 18-45 age group. Encouragestudents to ask their older familymembers to get vaccinated.

❏ Inform students of possible sideeffects like fever, body ache &emphasize how these arecommon after any vaccine

❏ If possible, have a teacher narratehis/her account of getting thevaccine and assure students thatit is safe & necessary to beat thevirus

❏ Assuring students that thevaccines are safe and have beencreated by scientists to keep us allsafe & protected. Clearlycommunicate that vaccine savelives.

❏ Encourage students to have thisconversation with their family. Ifpossible, invite parents &households to attend.

Optional Video: Howdoes Covid-19 vaccinework, for Primary

Listen to your leadersencouraging you andyour parents to getvaccinated:

Reverend Cunville ,Presbyterian ChurchLaitumkrah

Experience of gettingvaccinated byrestaurant owner ofShillong restaurant, TheWok

25-30minutes

Lesson 2: Explainingthe concept of ‘HomeTreatment of Covid-19’:

Covering the topics of:❏ Explaining the

differencebetweenlow/moderate &high-risk cases

❏ Importance ofgetting tested ifyou havesymptoms or ifyou travel

❏ Basics ofhome-isolation

❏ Explain the difference betweenlow/moderate vs high-risk cases

- Low/moderate cases arethose where individualsexperience mild fever,bodyache, cough & loosestools.

- High-risk cases are thosewhere individualsexperience high fever,difficulty in breathing,persistent chest pain &mental confusion.

❏ Communicate clearly that mostcases can be managed at home

❏ Encourage students to be awareof the symptoms and importanceof getting tested early

❏ Motivate students to encouragetheir family members to gettested if they show any COVIDsymptoms

❏ Brief students on some of the‘must-dos’ of home isolation

- The infected individualmust isolate / keep distancefrom other family members,

- The infected person + allhousehold memberswearing a ‘double-mask’ oran N-95 mask

- Monitoring symptoms suchas fever and oxygen levels atleast 3 times a day

- Hydrating frequently withwarm liquids and eatinglight nutritious meals

- Disinfecting commonlyused surfaces regularly

❏ Remind students, that all of usare in this fight together

Basics of homeisolation if you getCovid-19

25-30minutes

Lesson 3: Counteringmisinformation &myths surroundingCovid-19.

Covering the topics of:❏ Concept of

‘disinformation’or‘misinformation’

❏ List of verifiedresources to bereferred to forCovid-19information

❏ Remindstudents thatWhatsapp &YouTube are notalways trustedsources ofinformation

❏ Ask students what rumours/newsthey have heard about Covid-19

❏ Assign 10 minutes for answeringany question, concerns or doubtsthat the students may have

❏ Explain to the class that very often,there is false information spreadthrough various platforms likesocial media, Whatsapp, YouTubeword of mouth and so on

❏ Use a locally relevant example toexplain the concept (for eg: Aftertaking the Covid-19 vaccine, I nolonger need to wear a mask. Thisis a myth that has been spreadingthrough social media, and it isfalse. It is still possible to catchCOVID-19, though the illness willlikely be much milder.)

❏ Give them a list of Covid-19 verifiedsources to refer to

- World Health Organisation(WHO) & Centres forDisease Control &Prevention (CDC) are theglobal authorities onCovid-19

- The students can also referto trusted governmenthealth websites such ashttp://www.nhmmeghalaya.nic.in/ for information ontesting centres &vaccination

- In addition they can alsofollow the social mediahandles of NHM Instagram& Facebook as well asMeghalaya Covid-19Response TeamFacebook &Instagram

What ismisinformation andhow to spot fake news

Primary (for class 3above)For teachers

Document of verifiedsources of information

End of Unit 2 Message‘The silver lining through this all’

While things may seem bleak and disheartening, the new normal has some key positives!

❏ Importance of Taking Care of Ourselves: Eating right, regular exercise and investing in ourimmunity has become the #1 priority!

❏ Value of time : Covid-19 has taught us that time is precious, and to make every second count!❏ Pursuing Our Passions: Taking a step back from the daily hustle-bustle, means we have time to

think and act on the things that bring us joy and happiness. So if that means reading yourfavourite book, cooking up a storm or painting with your favourite colours, now is the time!

❏ Us & the Environment! : Missing human presence has translated into clear skies, reducedpollution and fresher air. Going forward, we are aware of our impact on the environment and howwe can help keep our planet healthy & safe

Suggested Activities for Unit BApproximate Time: 30 mins

Begin with asking students to share their work/completed activities, especially the Covid-19, ‘Wear aMask’ pledge video from Unit 1

● Create your own guide to Covid-19 treatment at home.❏ Feel free to personalize it - for instance, add drinks that your family likes that can help

someone stay hydrated and healthy, foods/recipes that your family likes, and add thingsthat will make it easier for your family to care for loved ones at home.

❏ Share basic information on home isolation such as monitoring symptoms, maintainingdistance from household members, hydration, nutrition tips and so on

❏ Links for inspiration: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/RevisedGuidelineshomeisolation4.pdf

● Create a video of you + your family members displaying Covid-19 appropriate behavioursusing your mobile phone❏ These can include hand-washing, mask-wearing & social distancing❏ Include any additional practice that you feel will keep you & your family safe from Covid-19