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Swahili Descriptions

Sixth graders learn describing words in Swahili (maelezo) — kubwa (big), ndogo (small), nzuri (beautiful), safi (good/clean), mpya (new). With adjectives, they can describe people, places, and things.

Grade 6Descriptions50 minutes1 class periodACTFL / World LanguagesExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Learn adjectives.
  • ✓Match words to meanings.
  • ✓Describe things.
  • ✓Describe a friend.
Essential Question

kubwa, nzuri, mpya… how do you describe things in Swahili?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Match It · Interactive

Match the Description

Project this and match each Swahili adjective to its meaning — tap the word, then tap the meaning.

✨ Match each describing word to its meaningTry it
Swahili
Meaning
Now tap the meaning!
The Lesson · Language Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Describing Things

6 min

How do you describe things in Swahili?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Point to something big.
  • Ask the Swahili word.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Descriptions

12 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Match the Description.
  • Match each one.
  • Say them aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Say.
  • Repeat.
3

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Describe your bag.
  • Say kubwa & nzuri.
  • Describe a friend.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Describe.
  • Say.
  • Describe.
4

Speak — Speak

13 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say “paka ni ndogo” (the cat is small).
  • Describe two things.
  • Ask a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Describe.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name an adjective.
  • Describe one thing.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Describe.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Novice-High).

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand adjectives.

ACTFL
Communication 1.3

Presentational: describe things.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare adjective use.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: describe & react.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Adjective cards with words.
  • Frame: “hii ni ___.”
  • Use opposites.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with kubwa & ndogo.
  • Match one pair at a time.
  • Use pictures.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add refu, kuukuu.
  • Note adjective agreement.
  • Describe five things.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • ✨Adjective cards
  • 💻Match the Description
  • 🖼️Picture prompts
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

maelezodescriptionskubwabigndogosmallnzuribeautifulsafigood / cleanmpyanewrefutallkuukuuold
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What does “kubwa” mean?
Big.
QUESTION 2
What does “mpya” mean?
New.
QUESTION 3
What is the opposite of kubwa?
ndogo (small).

Reflect: descriptions.

Have students describe two things in Swahili using adjectives. A printable Swahili descriptions sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Swahili DescriptionsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Swahili DescriptionsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Swahili DescriptionsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: kubwa, kuukuu, maelezo, mpya, ndogo, nzuri, refu, safi
  1. small
  2. beautiful
  3. new
  4. old
  5. good / clean
  6. big
  7. tall
  8. descriptions

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does “kubwa” mean?
  2. What does “mpya” mean?
  3. What is the opposite of kubwa?
Answer key — Part A: 1) ndogo · 2) nzuri · 3) mpya · 4) kuukuu · 5) safi · 6) kubwa · 7) refu · 8) maelezo
Part B: 1) Big. 2) New. 3) ndogo (small).