Keeping Clean
Primary 1 · Social and Religious Studies
Keeping Clean
Lesson 1 of 4
10 min
Let's begin
Mugisha plays football on the red earth at break.
The bell rings. He runs inside for his bowl of beans.
His hands still hold the dust of the field.
Today you will learn why we wash before we eat.
You touch many things every day.
You touch the soil, the ball, the goat and the door.
Each one leaves something on your hands.
Germs are tiny living things.
They are far too small for your eyes.
Germs sit on dirty hands. They sit in dirty water too.
When you eat with dirty hands, the germs go inside you.
Then your stomach hurts. You get sick and you miss school.
Careful! Your hands can look clean and still carry germs. Looking is not a test.
Say the four out loud. Count them on your fingers: one, two, three, four.
Uwase came home from the field. Her hands looked clean to her.
She ate without washing. That night her stomach hurt.
Now she washes first, every time. She does not wait to see dirt.
Washing takes a short moment. Being sick takes many days.
Isuku, a short Kinyarwanda song about keeping clean. Sing it while you wash.
Tip
You cannot see germs. Wash anyway
Before your hand touches food, let it touch soap and water.
If you hear yourself say but my hands look clean, you have slipped. Looking is not washing.
Answer each one, then tap Show answer to check.
Can you see germs with your eyes?
Answer: no. Germs are far too small to see.
Habimana comes back from playing. What should he do first?
Answer: wash his hands with soap and water.
You have just used the toilet. Do you wash your hands?
Answer: yes, always. This is one of the four washing times.
Name two of the four times we wash our hands.
Answer: any two of these — morning, after playing, before eating, after the toilet.
Tonight, count out loud how many times you washed your hands today.
Answer: any number you truly did. Try for more tomorrow.
What you learned today
Quick check
What are germs?
