Swahili Teacher Resources

Create and illustrate individual books that aid young learners in learning to count 1-10 in Swahili. They discuss and appreciate a different culture, and find out about Africa through illustrating individual books. 

Third graders learn about other cultures.  For this Swahili lesson, 3rd graders discuss if they know any other languages, read the book Jambo Means Hello, discuss why it is important to learn about other cultures, learn a few words...

Study African culture and learn the origins of Kwanzaa with an artistic lesson plan. Learners recognize that Kwanzaa is Swahili for "first fruits of the harvest." They identify and comprehend the values and meanings of the...

Delve into the world of Malian ruler Mansa Musa, the development and culture of African kingdoms such as the Swahili civilization, the use of oral tradition, and the spread of Islam across trade routes. The narrator does an...

Students compare their culture to the Swahili culture of Africa and make counting book. For this Swahili counting book lesson, students listen to the book Mojo Means One by Muriel Feelings. They discuss how the African culture compares...

Young scholars gain an appreciation for Swahili as a language spoken in many parts of Africa. They share and illustrate words from their own culture using English and Swahili and others to create a word quilt.

Students investigate the African language of Swahili by translating vocabulary words.  In this foreign language lesson, students write 26 English words that define Africa and utilize the Internet to translate them into Swahili....

Students listen to the book Moja Means One. They orally state examples of similarities and differences between Swahili culture and their culture. They create a Swahili counting book and identify Swahili as a language spoken in Africa.

Students make Swahili flash cards. In this African culture lesson, students study Swahili words. Students make flash cards with the English word and the Swahili word and pronunciation written on it. Students take turns practicing the words.

Students study Kenya's culture and see how people and things can be different and similar at the same time. They create a pictograph of objects from each culture that are used in similar ways and examine a few Swahili words.

Students say hello in five different languages (Spanish, Swahili, French, Portuguese, and Japanese). They are introduced to the countries of these languages (Mexico, Tanzania Africa, France, Brazil, and Japan).

Students consider how recent historical events have impacted Kenya. In this global studies lesson, students visit selected websites to discover information about President Mwai Kibaki, Kenya's statistics, and Swahili. Students share...

Students give oral examples of similarities and differences between another culture and their own, then create a Swahili counting book using pictures from their own culture. Finally, students identify Swahili as a language spoken in Africa.

Hahidi, which is testimony or witness in Swahili, is a concept, a program, a community of people. This free and open-source software was developed by Juliana Rotich. A poster celebrates her vision and accomplishments and deserves an...

Kwanzaa is the focus of a three-part lesson that celebrates the history and traditions of the holiday. Before lighting the Kinara, scholars listen to a read-aloud of Seven Candles of Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Learners express...

A lesson shines a spotlight on what makes Kwanzaa special by taking a close look at its seven principles. Gift ideas encourage scholars to make and give one to their family members. Class members celebrate heroes and role models of...

Sixth graders gain an appreciation for the different cultures that inhabit the Earth by focusing on the people of Africa

In this counting to ten mini book, learners cut out and color a book that shows the numbers from 1-10 and the words for the numbers. The languages in this book are: English, Spanish, French, Swedish, Japanese and Swahili. Pronunciation...

It's time to celebrate Kwanzaa in the classroom! After studying the traditions of the holiday, learners design a menu decorated in the colors and symbols associated with Kwanzaa.

Prepare yourself for a top-notch presentation on colonialism in Africa! Discussed are the reasons for African multilingualism. Maps and a country-by-country look at various colonists that made their mark on the African continent are...

Triskaidecaphobia is an extreme superstition to the number 13—and ironically the answer to the word problem is 13! Presented with a series of descriptive data, individuals analyze the data to determine the population size. They...

Heart of Darkness can challenge even the best readers. Here's a pre-reading strategy that will engage class members and provide background and context for Conrad's study of racism, savagery and imperialism. Class members brainstorm,...

Teach English language learners about the week-long holiday of Kwanzaa that is celebrated around the world during December. It includes holiday-themed reading comprehension passages, phrase matching, fill-in-the-blanks, and journaling...

Use pictures and manipulatives to develop vocabulary with your beginning language learners. This plan can be used with foreign language learners (although you'll have to provide the vocabulary), English language learners, or a young...