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Swahili Sentences

Swahili, also known by its local name Kiswahili, is a Bantu language spoken by the Swahili people in countries in East Africa. Students will learn about the people and language and create mini book that illustrates some words in this rich language.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

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  • Paper
  • Stapler and Staples

Steps

  • Step 1

    The Swahili coast is a region of East Africa that includes areas of Uganda, Zanzibar, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique. In fact, "Swahili" means "coastal language." The language is rooted in Bantu and borrows words mainly from Arabic but also from Farsi and Portuguese. Display a map of East Africa and point out these countries. Then have students look up some words in Swahili (also known as Kiswahili) and write them down.

  • Step 2

    Have students create an illustrated mini book using some of the words they researched. Ask students to write sentences with both the English and Swahili words and to illustrate their writing.

  • Step 3

    Have students present their books, and then display them.

Standards

LA: Add drawings or other visual displays to written text to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

SS: Individual Development and Identity: Describe factors important to the development of personal identity and the context of identity within families, peer or affinity groups, schools, communities, and nationalities.

Adaptations

Have students read a book such as "Happy Within: Furaha ndani" by Marisa J. Taylor, Vanessa Balleza, and Simon Kigamba or "Njiro and Mshumaa" by Martin M. Mwanyika and Naseem Makange. Both books are in both English and Swahili.

Have students find out what other languages are in the Bantu language group, such as Lingala, Zulu, Xhosa, and others.