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- 1Recall common hazards associated with using computers and ICT devices
- 2Show learners a photo on the Projector of a messy computer workspace with a cup of water near the keyboard, tangled power cables on the floor, and incorrect seating posture. Ask: What problems do you see in this picture? Learners call out hazards they notice. List their responses on the board (e.g., spilled water, tripping wires, bad posture).
- 3Ask learners to think-pair-share: Turn to your partner and tell them about one time you saw someone use a computer or phone unsafely at home, school, or a cyber café. What went wrong? Select three pairs to share their stories with the class. Affirm each response and add the hazard to the growing list on the board.
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- IDENTIFYING ELECTRICAL AND LIQUID-RELATED HAZARDS
- 1Display the Computing Textbook page on health and safety (or write on the board): Hazard 1 — Spilling liquids on computers; Hazard 2 — Touching wet power cables; Hazard 3 — Overloaded power sockets. Use the Projector to show a short scenario: Kofi brings his water bottle to the computer lab and accidentally spills it on the keyboard. Ask the class: What could happen to Kofi? What could happen to the computer? Learners respond chorally. Write the consequences: electrocution, device damage, fire risk. Then explain: When liquid touches electrical parts, it conducts electricity and can cause serious injury or damage.
- 2Learners work in pairs. Distribute the Learners Resource Pack worksheet on ICT hazards (or draw a simple two-column table on the board: Hazard | Consequence). Pairs identify one electrical hazard and write what could happen. Call on the pair that finishes first to share Hazard 2 — touching wet cables. Confirm: Wet hands + electrical device = electric shock, which can be fatal.
- 3Fast finishers: Design a warning poster on A4 paper using words and pictures showing "Do Not Spill Liquids on Computers." Struggling learners: Copy the three hazards from the board into their exercise books and draw a simple picture next to each one. Provide a sentence starter: "This is dangerous because..."
- 4Struggling learners work with the teacher or a peer to identify hazards verbally before writing. Advanced learners create warning posters with labelled diagrams. Emphasize real-world Ghanaian context: cyber cafés in Accra and Kumasi often have poor electrical setup and water damage.
- APPLYING CABLE SAFETY AND ERGONOMIC PRACTICES
- 5Using the Projector, display an image or video clip (from Internet connection) showing a computer workstation with cables properly organised in cable trays and a person sitting with correct posture. Compare it to a messy workspace with tangled cables on the floor. Ask learners: Which setup is safer? Why? Discuss: Tripping over cables can cause falls, injury, and damage to equipment. Poor posture causes back pain and neck strain. Demonstrate correct sitting position: feet flat, back straight, monitor at eye level. Have learners practise the correct posture at their desks.
- 6Learners in groups of three use the Computer/Laptop (if available) or the Textbook to identify three cable safety rules. Group task: Create a poster showing "Cable Safety Rules" (e.g., keep cables away from walkways, use cable ties, don't pull cables, keep power sockets clear). Groups draw their rules on chart paper. Assign roles: one learner draws, one writes labels, one explains to the class.
- 7Invite one group representative to present their Cable Safety poster to the class. Other learners give thumbs up or thumbs down to show agreement. Extension task: Fast finishers calculate how many computers in the school computer lab and estimate how many power cables need to be managed safely. Challenge: Design a cable management system for the school's lab using cardboard tubes or clips.
- 8Struggling learners: Work with a partner and use the Textbook picture to copy one cable safety rule. Average learners: Complete the full group poster task. Fast finishers: Add numbered safety steps and present to the class as "cyber café safety advisors."
- EVALUATING AND CREATING PERSONAL SAFETY GUIDELINES
- 9Present a scenario on the Projector or read aloud: Ama uses a laptop at home for homework. Her younger brother runs past and trips on the power cable, pulling the laptop off the desk. The screen cracks and the charger breaks. Using the Internet connection, search for laptop repair costs in Ghana (or provide: screen replacement GH₵300–500, charger GH₵80–150). Ask learners: How could Ama have prevented this? What safety rules would have helped? Learners discuss in pairs and write one idea in their books.
- 10Learners create a personal "ICT Safety Contract" — a list of five safety rules they will follow when using computers at home or school. They write: "I will... [safety action]." Rules must include: liquid safety, cable management, electrical safety, posture, and device care. Examples: "I will not eat or drink near the keyboard," "I will keep cables away from pathways," "I will sit up straight when using the computer." Learners sign their contract and keep it in their exercise book.
- 11Learners who finish early: Teach the safety rules to a family member or friend at home and ask them to sign as a witness. Create a family "ICT Safety Agreement" showing how many people in the household will follow safe practices. Struggling learners: Choose three pre-written safety rules from the board and copy them into their contract with one picture each.
- 12This section moves from Apply (identifying rules) to Evaluate (justifying why rules matter) to Create (designing personal safety contracts). Differentiation: Provide struggling learners with a template with blanks to fill in. Advanced learners write explanations for why each rule is important (e.g., "I will not eat near the keyboard because crumbs can damage the keys and attract insects").
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- 1Computer/Laptop
- 2Projector
- 3Textbook (Computing Curriculum page on Health and Safety in ICT)
- 4Internet connection
- 5Chart paper and markers
- 6Learners Resource Pack worksheet on ICT hazards
- 7A4 paper for posters
- 8Images or video clips of proper and unsafe computer workspaces
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- 1Conduct a quick-fire safety quiz on the Projector: Show five images or scenarios (spilled water, tangled cables, incorrect posture, overloaded socket, carrying laptop unsafely). Learners hold up fingers 1–5 to rank the danger level. Ask: Why is this dangerous? Call on learners to justify their rating. Confirm correct responses: all five are serious hazards.
- 2Learners stand in a circle. Call out a safety rule (e.g., "Keep water away from computers"). The first learner to respond says one consequence (e.g., "It causes electrocution"). Rotate around the circle with different rules: cable safety, electrical safety, ergonomics, device care. Learners who contribute get a verbal affirmation. End with: "Everyone has learned how to stay safe with ICT tools."
Exercise
- 1Write the answer to this question in your exercise book: Describe three safety measures you must follow when using a computer or laptop. For each measure, explain one danger it prevents. Example: Measure 1: Keep liquids away from the keyboard. Danger prevented: Electrical shock or device damage. (Learners must identify three measures and three dangers — assessed against Phase 1 objective: recall and describe hazards.)
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