You will learn
- Name languages.
- Greet in different ways.
- Say language carries culture.
- Respect others.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- People speak many languages.
- Sierra Leone has many languages.
- We can greet in different ways.
- We respect all languages.
Words to know
words people use to talk
words used to meet someone
a widely spoken language in Sierra Leone
to say in another language
1. Discover: Good morning, everyone
On Monday, Ms Smith says, “Good morning!” Fatmata says, “Kushe!” (a Krio greeting). Carlos says, “Buenos días!” Mei says, “Zǎo shàng hǎo!” Ibrahim says, “As-salamu alaykum.” Everyone smiles. “Languages are like a rainbow of words,” says Ms Smith.
Think: How do you greet in your language?
2. Understand: Languages
Idea 1: Many languages
A language is the words and sounds people use to talk to each other. The world has thousands of languages. In Sierra Leone people speak Krio, Mende, Temne, Limba, English and many others.
Idea 2: Greetings
A greeting is how we meet someone. People greet with words, bows, handshakes and smiles. In Krio, “Kushe” is a common greeting. In Spanish, “Hola”. In French, “Bonjour”.
Idea 3: Respect
Language carries culture: songs, stories and jokes. We respect people who speak differently, help them kindly and never laugh at their accent or words. We can learn words from each other and translate for friends.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Greet
Greet in two ways.
- Think.
- Say.
- Smile.
Answer: Hello and Bonjour.
Example 2 (We do it together): Translate
Teach a word.
- Choose a word.
- Say it.
- Say meaning.
Answer: Gracias means thank you.
Example 3 (You try): Respect
Be kind.
Show the steps and answer
- Listen.
- Help.
- Say thanks.
Answer: I help a friend find a word.
Did you know?
Many people in Sierra Leone speak two or more languages, and Krio, a language that grew from English and African languages, helps different communities talk with each other.
Why this matters
Knowing about languages helps us make friends and understand each other.
4. Explore: Greeting circle
Sit in a circle. Each child offers a greeting in any language they know. Everyone repeats it. Make a greetings chart.
- Sit.
- Greet.
- Repeat.
- Chart.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? We could say hello many ways.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A language is ___.
- Krio is ___.
- A greeting is ___.
- I respect ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a language?
Words to talk.
Question 2. Name a language in Sierra Leone.
Krio.
Question 3. What is a greeting?
Meeting words.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a language?
- Name a language in Sierra Leone.
- What is a greeting?
- Say hello in two languages.
- What does translate mean?
Level 2: Grow
- Why many languages?
- Why respect all?
- Why greetings?
Level 3: Stretch
- Make a greeting chart.
- Teach a word.
- Say a kind sentence.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Name three languages.
Show a sample answer
Answers vary.
Another one. Ask someone to teach you a greeting.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: All matter.
Fix: Accents are normal.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name languages.
- I can greet in different ways.
- I can say language carries culture.
- I can respect others.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- People speak many languages.
- Sierra Leone has many languages.
- We can greet in different ways.
- We respect all languages.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Foods and traditions. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Name three languages. [3 marks]
- Say hello in two ways. [2 marks]
- Say why we respect all languages. [3 marks]
- Say what translate means. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Three [3]
- Two [2]
- Reason [1]; culture [1]; kind [1]
- Meaning [1]; example [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a language?
- Name a language in Sierra Leone.
- What is a greeting?
- Say hello in two languages.
- What does translate mean?
- Why many languages?
- Why respect all?
- Why greetings?
- Make a greeting chart.
- Teach a word.
Homework
Learn a greeting from a family member and teach it to the class.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a language? | Words to talk. | 1 |
| 2. Name a language in Sierra Leone. | Krio. | 1 |
| 3. What is a greeting? | Meeting words. | 1 |
| 4. Say hello in two languages. | Hello and Bonjour. | 1 |
| 5. What does translate mean? | Say in another language. | 1 |
| 6. Why many languages? | Many peoples. | 1 |
| 7. Why respect all? | All matter. | 1 |
| 8. Why greetings? | Be friendly. | 1 |
| 9. Make a greeting chart. | Chart. | 1 |
| 10. Teach a word. | Word. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Words to talk.; 2 Krio.; 3 Meeting words.; 4 Hello and Bonjour.; 5 Say in another language.. Level 2: 1 Many peoples.; 2 All matter.; 3 Be friendly.. Level 3: 1 Chart.; 2 Word.; 3 Sentence..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Name languages | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Greet in different ways | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Say language carries culture | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Respect others | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Only one language matters.” All matter.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a greeting chart.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns about languages and greetings. Please teach one greeting in your home language. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Teach a greeting.
- Value all languages.
- Read stories in your language.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: name languages; greet in different ways; say language carries culture; respect others.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: family traditions and respect for others.
Materials. Chart paper, markers. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Prepare a greeting chart.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Start with greetings.
Explanation (10 min). Teach languages.
Guided activity (10 min). Greeting circle.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What languages do we know? Why respect them?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Only one language matters.” All matter.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Make a greeting chart. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 9, topic 2; NCSS C3 Framework, culture and diversity; Cambridge Primary Humanities, people and cultures; IB Primary Years Programme, who we are. These sources informed the lesson.