You will learn
- Say what I can do.
- Say what I am learning.
- Use the words “not yet”.
- Name a friend’s strength.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- I can do many things.
- I am learning new things.
- Practice helps me improve.
- My friends have strengths too.
Words to know
something you can do
something you do well
to do something again and again to get better
I am still learning
1. Discover: I can!
Kadiatu can skip very well. Her friend Abu cannot yet. “Can you show me?” Abu asks. Kadiatu shows him slowly. After a week, Abu can skip too. “I can do it!” he shouts.
Think: What can you do now that you could not do last year?
2. Understand: What I can do
Idea 1: Abilities
An ability is something you can do, like running, singing, counting or helping. A strength is something you do really well.
Idea 2: Learning
When we cannot do something, we can say, “I cannot do it yet.” We learn by trying and practising.
Idea 3: Helping each other
Friends have different strengths. We can help each other and learn from each other.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): List what I can do
Tell three things you can do.
- Think.
- Say them.
- Draw one.
Answer: I can run, count and sing.
Example 2 (We do it together): Say not yet
Change “I can’t” to “not yet”.
- Say “I can’t swim”.
- Change to “I cannot swim yet”.
- Say what you will do.
Answer: I cannot swim yet, but I will practise.
Example 3 (You try): Find a strength
Name a friend’s strength.
Show the steps and answer
- Watch your friend.
- Say what they do well.
- Tell them.
Answer: Kadiatu is good at skipping.
Did you know?
When you were a baby you could not walk or talk, and now you can do both.
Why this matters
Knowing our strengths gives us courage to learn new things.
4. Explore: I can tree
Draw a tree. On each leaf write or draw one thing you can do. Add a seed for one thing you are learning.
- Draw a tree.
- Add leaves.
- Add a seed.
- Show a friend.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? I had many leaves and one seed.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- I can ___.
- I am learning to ___.
- I cannot ___ yet.
- My friend is good at ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Name one thing you can do.
Any ability.
Question 2. Name one thing you are learning.
Any.
Question 3. What do we say instead of “I can’t”?
Not yet.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Name one thing you can do.
- Name one thing you are learning.
- What do we say instead of “I can’t”?
- Name a friend’s strength.
- What helps us improve?
Level 2: Grow
- Why do we practise?
- Why do we help friends?
- Can everyone do everything?
Level 3: Stretch
- Make an I can tree.
- Teach a friend something.
- Tell what you will practise.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Your friend is sad because they cannot do a puzzle. What can you say?
Show a sample answer
You can say, “Not yet. I will help you.”
Another one. Choose one thing to practise this week.
Show a sample answer
I will practise …
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Everyone can do many things.
Fix: Practice helps. Not yet!
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what I can do.
- I can say what I am learning.
- I can use the words “not yet”.
- I can name a friend’s strength.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- I can do many things.
- I am learning new things.
- Practice helps me improve.
- My friends have strengths too.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: My feelings and emotions. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Write two things you can do. [2 marks]
- Say one thing you are learning and how you will practise. [3 marks]
- Say what “not yet” means. [3 marks]
- How can you help a friend? [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- One each
- Thing [1]; practice [1]; clear [1]
- Still learning [1]; hope [1]; example [1]
- Kind words or help [1]; clear [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Name one thing you can do.
- Name one thing you are learning.
- What do we say instead of “I can’t”?
- Name a friend’s strength.
- What helps us improve?
- Why do we practise?
- Why do we help friends?
- Can everyone do everything?
- Make an I can tree.
- Teach a friend something.
Homework
Teach someone at home something you can do.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Name one thing you can do. | Any ability. | 1 |
| 2. Name one thing you are learning. | Any. | 1 |
| 3. What do we say instead of “I can’t”? | Not yet. | 1 |
| 4. Name a friend’s strength. | Any. | 1 |
| 5. What helps us improve? | Practice. | 1 |
| 6. Why do we practise? | To get better. | 1 |
| 7. Why do we help friends? | To learn together. | 1 |
| 8. Can everyone do everything? | No. | 1 |
| 9. Make an I can tree. | Tree. | 1 |
| 10. Teach a friend something. | Friend learns. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Any ability.; 2 Any.; 3 Not yet.; 4 Any.; 5 Practice.. Level 2: 1 To get better.; 2 To learn together.; 3 No.. Level 3: 1 Tree.; 2 Friend learns.; 3 Plan..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what I can do | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Say what I am learning | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Use the words “not yet” | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Name a friend’s strength | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Some children can do nothing.” Everyone can do many things.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Choose one small skill. Break it into steps. Practise one step at a time and praise each step.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns that everyone has strengths and can learn more with practice. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Say “not yet” instead of “you can’t”.
- Ask “What did you learn today?”
- Praise effort.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what I can do; say what I am learning; use the words “not yet”; name a friend’s strength.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about themselves.
Materials. Paper, crayons. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Draw a sample tree.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Ask a child to show something they can do.
Explanation (10 min). Teach abilities and not yet.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners draw the I can tree.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners share.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What can I do? What am I learning?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Some children can do nothing.” Everyone can do many things.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Choose one small skill. Break it into steps. Practise one step at a time and praise each step. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 1, topic 4; NCSS C3 Framework, individuals and groups; Cambridge Primary Humanities, people; IB Primary Years Programme, who we are. These sources informed the lesson.