Uganda Senior One Kiswahili Curriculum

This curriculum for Kiswahili Language is part of the Lower Secondary School Curriculum. It aims to develop learners into confident individuals, responsible and patriotic citizens, lifelong learners, and positive contributors to society. It emphasizes knowledge, application, and attitudinal change, incorporating a set of values to be instilled in students.

Core Competencies and Cross-Cutting Issues

At the heart of the curriculum are core competencies that enable students to become lifelong learners. These are developed within the curriculum subjects, and Kiswahili provides a rich context for their development. These competencies include:

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Planning and conducting investigations, filtering and analyzing information, identifying problems and solutions, predicting outcomes and making informed decisions, and evaluating different solutions.
• Creativity and Innovation: Using imagination to explore possibilities, collaborating to generate ideas, proposing and developing new solutions, experimenting with alternative innovations, and observing patterns and making generalizations.
• Communication: Listening attentively and with understanding, speaking confidently and expressing ideas clearly, reading accurately and fluently, writing and presenting effectively, and using a variety of ways to present thoughts.
• Collaboration and Learning: Working effectively in diverse teams, communicating effectively with others, taking responsibility for one's own learning, working independently and with perseverance, managing goals and time.
• Digital Literacy: Using numbers and measurements accurately, interpreting and questioning mathematical data, using mathematics to justify and support decisions, using technology to create, manage, and present information, and using technology to collaborate and improve work.

In addition to the core competencies, cross-cutting issues are integrated throughout the curriculum to enable students to understand the interconnectedness of subjects and the complexities of life. These include:

• Environmental awareness
• Health awareness
• Diversity and inclusion
• Socio-economic challenges
• Citizenship

Kiswahili provides a rich context for studying and discussing these issues.

Senior One Kiswahili Topics

The Kiswahili curriculum is an elective subject from Senior One to Senior Four, with two periods per week in Senior One and Two, and three periods per week in Senior Three and Four. The curriculum is designed to enable learners to communicate with people in neighboring countries and globally, expanding their horizons and opportunities. The following topics are covered in Senior One:

Term One:

• 1.1 People at Home (Watu wa Nyumbani): Focuses on vocabulary related to family members, greetings, and polite expressions. Includes the use of specific language elements to enhance communication.
• 1.2 Community (Jamii): Develops vocabulary related to important places in the community, giving directions, using a compass, and utilizing specific language elements.
• 1.3 Mathematics (Hesabu): Covers vocabulary related to numbers, days of the week, months of the year, and the use of specific language elements.

Term Two:

• 1.4 Animals and Birds (Wanyama na Ndege): Focuses on vocabulary related to animals and birds, both domestic and wild, and the use of specific language elements.
• 1.5 Plants and Fruits (Mimea na Matunda): Develops vocabulary related to plants, food, and fruits, and the use of specific language elements.
• 1.6 Business (Biashara): Covers vocabulary related to trade and commerce, and the use of specific language elements.

Term Three:

• 1.7 Home (Nyumba): Focuses on vocabulary related to the home and its various parts, and the use of specific language elements.
• 1.8 At School (Shuleni): Develops vocabulary related to school, people at school, and their roles, and the use of specific language elements.
• 1.9 Sports (Michezo): Covers vocabulary related to different sports, famous sports personalities, sports equipment, and the use of specific language elements.

Assessment

Continuous assessment is a key part of the learning and teaching process. Teachers are expected to make professional judgments about student learning regularly, based on how students are progressing towards the stated learning outcomes. This involves observing how students perform in class, engaging in conversations with them, and evaluating their work. Records of these assessments should be kept, focusing on the overall achievement of learning outcomes for each topic or unit. This summative teacher assessment contributes to the final grade.