Grade 3 is the final year of the Foundation Phase. The 2026 Life Skills curriculum is designed to consolidate the emotional, social, and physical skills learned in previous years, preparing learners for the more formal subjects of Grade 4. Themes expand to include broader world concepts like pollution, space, and history, while maintaining a strong focus on personal health and creative expression.
This guide outlines the 2026 Life Skills Annual Teaching Plan (ATP), providing a structured weekly roadmap to help teachers navigate topics from rights and responsibilities to life cycles and recycling.
Life Skills Grade 3 ATP 2026
The curriculum is divided into four terms, integrating Beginning Knowledge (BK), Personal and Social Well-being (PSW), Creative Arts (CA), and Physical Education (PE).
Term 1: Identity, Rights & Safety
Focus: The first term focuses on self-awareness, emotional health, and understanding rights and responsibilities in a democratic society.
- Weeks 1–2: Orientation
- Establishing rules, procedures, and baseline assessments.
- Weeks 3–4: About Me
- Timeline: Creating a timeline of one’s own life (birth, starting school, important events).
- History: Understanding that personal life events are part of history.
- Show and Tell: Sharing an interesting object from the past.
- Week 5: Feelings
- Emotions: Recognizing feelings like anger, fear, worry, and loneliness.
- Expression: Good ways to express feelings and how to apologize.
- Week 6: Health Protection
- Basic First Aid: Treating nosebleeds, animal bites, cuts, and burns.
- Hygiene: Understanding health practices and not touching other people’s blood.
- Weeks 7–8: Keeping My Body Safe
- Safety: Rules to keep the body safe, trusting “Yes” and “No” feelings, and saying “No” to abuse.
- Reporting: How to report abuse (focus on prevention).
- Weeks 9–10: Rights and Responsibilities
- Learners’ Rights: Right to nutrition, shelter, health care, and protection from neglect/abuse.
- Responsibilities: Responsibilities at home, school, and in the community.
Term 1 Creative Arts & PE
- Creative Arts: Drawing self-portraits in action, clay modeling (animals/dragons), and creating 3D box sculptures.
- Physical Education: Locomotor movements, rhythm games, and balance activities.
Term 2: Health, Insects & Recycling
Focus: The second term explores nutrition, the natural world (insects/life cycles), and environmental responsibility.
- Weeks 1–4: Healthy Eating
- Food Groups: Vitamins (fruit/veg), Proteins (meat/beans), Dairy, and Carbohydrates.
- Nutrition: Importance of a balanced diet for energy and growth.
- Science: How to make bread (why it rises) and cheese.
- Weeks 5–6: Insects
- Characteristics: Body parts, movement, and identifying different insects (e.g., fly).
- Impact: How insects help us vs. how they harm us.
- Week 7: Life Cycles
- Stages: Life cycle of the frog (amphibian) and the bird/chicken.
- Weeks 8–11: Recycling
- Concepts: Reduce, Re-use, Recycle.
- Waste: What happens to our waste, sorting rubbish, and making compost.
- Project: Making a useful object from recyclable materials.
Term 2 Creative Arts & PE
- Creative Arts: Drawing insects, constructing recycling projects, and performing rhythm games.
- Physical Education: Simulation activities (running like a horse, jumping like a frog) and ball skills.
Term 3: Safety, Pollution & Space
Focus: The third term investigates public safety, environmental issues (pollution), and introduces the exciting topic of Space.
- Weeks 1–4: Public Safety
- Danger: Dangerous places to play (rubbish dumps, train tracks, construction sites).
- Hazards: Electricity, poisonous substances, and warning signs.
- Transport: Riding trains and taxis safely.
- Weeks 5–7: Pollution
- Types: Water, land, air, and noise pollution.
- Effects: Impact of pollution on people and the environment.
- Week 8: How People Lived Long Ago
- History: Stories from older family members and comparing life “then vs. now”.
- Weeks 9–10: Space
- The Universe: Stars, planets, and satellites.
- Observation: Telescopes, space travel, and the names of the planets.
- Earth: Viewing Earth from space (land, sea, clouds).
Term 3 Creative Arts & PE
- Creative Arts: Pattern making, printmaking with found objects, and creating space-themed artwork.
- Physical Education: Locomotor sequences (leaping, galloping) and balance exercises.
Term 4: Disasters, Animals & Products
Focus: The final term covers natural disasters, the role of animals in society, and manufacturing processes.
- Weeks 1–3: Disasters
- Types: Floods, fires, lightning, earthquakes, and storms.
- Response: What we should do during a disaster and how it affects people.
- Weeks 4–6: Products and Processes
- Plants: What we get from plants (medicine, food, wood).
- Processes: From sugar cane to sugar; from clay to brick.
- Weeks 7–9: Animals That Help Us
- Service Animals: Guide dogs, watch dogs, and sniffer dogs.
- Food/Clothing: Animals that provide food (cows, chickens) and wool (sheep).
- Work: Donkeys and horses working for people.
Term 4 Creative Arts & PE
- Creative Arts: Shadow imitations, mime, and creating art related to disasters or animals.
- Physical Education: Shadow imitation games and rhythmic sequences.
Assessment Guidelines
- Format: Assessment is informal and continuous. Formal recording happens once per term (SBA) covering all four study areas.
- Weighting:
- BK & PSW: 40%
- Physical Education: 30%
- Creative Arts: 30%
FAQ: Life Skills Grade 3
Q: What is the “Recycling” project? A: In Term 2, learners must understand the concepts of Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle. They are often tasked with a practical project, such as making a pencil holder or toy from waste materials to demonstrate “Re-using.”
Q: How is Space taught in Grade 3? A: The focus is on basic astronomy concepts: identifying planets, understanding what stars and satellites are, and discussing space travel. Visiting a planetarium is a suggested activity if possible.
Q: What is “Public Safety”? A: This topic covers safety outside the home. Learners identify dangerous places (like train tracks) and learn how to use public transport safely and interpret danger signs (e.g., high voltage).