Civics and Governance
Primary 4 · Social and Religious Studies
Civics and Governance
Lesson 3 of 5
14 min
It is the day of a big football match on TV. At break, Mugisha's friends whisper, "Let's jump over the fence and watch it at the shop. Come on, Mugisha, don't be a baby!" Mugisha's heart beats fast. He wants his friends to like him. But he also knows that skipping class is wrong. What should he do?
Behaviour is the way we act. Acceptable behaviour is behaviour that our family, school and community approve of, because it respects other people and keeps everyone safe. Unacceptable behaviour hurts people, breaks rules or puts people in danger.
| Acceptable behaviour | Unacceptable behaviour |
|---|---|
| Greeting people and saying "please" and "thank you" | Insulting or bullying others |
| Telling the truth | Lying and cheating in tests |
| Returning things you find to their owner | Stealing |
| Arriving on time and obeying school rules | Skipping school or class |
| Helping and sharing | Fighting |
| Keeping yourself and your surroundings clean | Dropping litter and damaging property |
| Respecting everyone, whatever their religion or home area | Laughing at people or leaving them out because they are different |
| Staying away from alcohol, cigarettes and drugs | Children drinking alcohol, smoking or taking drugs |
Good behaviour earns people's trust and helps you learn and grow. Bad behaviour can lead to punishment, lost friends, injuries and a poor future.
Your peers are people of your own age or in your own group, like your classmates and friends. Peer pressure is the feeling that you must do what your peers do, so that they will like you and let you stay in the group.
Mugisha said, "No, I'm staying. Let's find out the score after school." One of his friends stayed too.
Tip
A real friend never asks you to do something wrong. If a "friend" says you must do something bad to stay in the group, that is a group worth leaving.
Answer: Behaviour that family, school and community approve of, because it respects others and keeps everyone safe.
Answer: Any two of: bullying, lying, cheating, stealing, skipping school, fighting, littering, damaging property.
Answer: The feeling that you must do what your friends or classmates do so that they will accept you.
Answer: Positive, because it pushes her to do something good.
Answer: Any two of: say no firmly, give a reason, suggest something better, walk away, choose good friends, talk to a trusted adult.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
The table of behaviours and the rest of the lesson are written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Mugisha's friends want to jump over the fence to watch football at the shop. What does Mugisha do?
