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Swahili Telling Time

Sixth graders learn to tell time in Swahili (saa) — ask saa ngapi? (what time is it?), and learn adhuhuri (noon) and usiku wa manane (midnight). A fascinating fact: the traditional Swahili clock counts hours from sunrise (~6 a.m.), so “hour one” (saa moja) is about 7 a.m.!

Grade 6Telling Time50 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…

  • ✓Ask the time.
  • ✓Learn noon & midnight.
  • ✓Discover the sunrise clock.
  • ✓Say your schedule.
Essential Question

Saa ngapi? How do you ask and tell the time 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
Explore · Interactive

Swahili Time Check

Project each item and have students answer about telling time in Swahili.

🕒 Understand telling time in SwahiliTry it
Answer each question about telling time in Swahili.
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 — What Time Is It?

6 min

How do you ask and tell time in Swahili?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Point to a clock.
  • Ask “saa ngapi?”
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Telling Time

12 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Swahili Time Check.
  • Note adhuhuri & usiku wa manane.
  • Discover the sunrise clock.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask the time.
  • Say noon & midnight.
  • Read a clock.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Ask.
  • Say.
  • Read.
4

Speak — Speak

13 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say when school starts.
  • Explain the sunrise clock.
  • Ask a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Explain.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask the time.
  • Say noon in Swahili.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Ask it.
  • Say it.
  • 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 1.1

Interpersonal: ask & tell time.

ACTFL
Cultures 2.1

Explore the Swahili sunrise clock.

ACTFL
Connections 3.1

Connect to math / clocks.

ACTFL
Communication 1.3

Presentational: state times.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Clock cards with times.
  • Frame: “saa ___.”
  • Use a demo clock.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with saa ngapi?
  • Use a clock model.
  • Repeat aloud.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Convert to the Swahili clock.
  • Say a daily schedule.
  • Compare the two clocks.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🕒Clock cards
  • 💻Swahili Time Check
  • 🕛Demo clock
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

saatime / hoursaa ngapiwhat time is itadhuhurinoonusiku wa mananemidnightdakikaminutesasanowasubuhimorningjionievening
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
How do you ask “What time is it?” in Swahili?
saa ngapi?
QUESTION 2
What does “adhuhuri” mean?
Noon.
QUESTION 3
The Swahili clock starts counting from what?
Sunrise (~6 a.m.), not midnight.

Reflect: telling time.

Have students ask “saa ngapi?” and describe the sunrise clock in Swahili. A printable Swahili time 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 Telling TimeFlip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Swahili Telling TimeQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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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 Telling TimePrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: adhuhuri, asubuhi, dakika, jioni, saa, saa ngapi, sasa, usiku wa manane
  1. midnight
  2. minute
  3. now
  4. time / hour
  5. morning
  6. noon
  7. what time is it
  8. evening

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. How do you ask “What time is it?” in Swahili?
  2. What does “adhuhuri” mean?
  3. The Swahili clock starts counting from what?
Answer key — Part A: 1) usiku wa manane · 2) dakika · 3) sasa · 4) saa · 5) asubuhi · 6) adhuhuri · 7) saa ngapi · 8) jioni
Part B: 1) saa ngapi? 2) Noon. 3) Sunrise (~6 a.m.), not midnight.