General
Unit 3 Reciting and Composing Icyivugo / Self-Praise Poem
My goals
By the end of this unit, I will be able to:
Explain what the ibyivugo are.
Explain the structure of ibyivugo and the rhymes in them.
Identify the themes in the selected ibyivugo.
Respect people and protect the environment.
Compose my own ibyivugo following the examples learnt in this unit.
Work with determination and perform ibyivugo with others in public with confidence.
Make a difference between icyivugo and ordinary song.
Let us share
1. Do you know of any Self-praise poem? (Icyivugo) What is it about?
Do you know who composed it?
2. Say it to your friend and you will realise that it is also an interesting form of art that we can compose and perform. Our first icyivugo to recite is about patriotism just as we already sung about this
theme in unit 1: Do you remember what patriotism means?
Let us recite
Ndi intwari isumba izindi
Yo kwa KANYARWANDA
Intore isanga izindi, mu mico n’iterambere
Mpora ku isonga mu mihigo.
Iki gihugu cyanjye, nkunda kandi nshima,
nzagikorera iteka, kandi kwitanga ubu nabigize intego
Nkundira Abanyarwanda ko twese turi bamwe,
Kuko ni umuco wacu watugize indasumbwa. Ubububu…
Hardwork and success
We need to work in order to succeed
Activity 5
Let us share
1. Have you ever done some work? What kind of work was it? Say what you understand by work.
2. When we work we succeed. Suggest the things that show that someone is successful after work.
3. What happens to people who do not want to work?
What should be done to people who do not want to work?
4. In pairs, think of icyivugo about work. Recite it to your friends.
Identify the message in it.
Activity 6
1. Look at the picture below and describe what these
2. How does the type of work benefit them?
Environmental sustainability
Our environment is important to us because it provides us with the necessary things we need to live such as food, medicine, trees for timber, fresh air and water among others.
Activity 10
Let us share
Look at the picture of the natural environment and say what you would miss if you destroyed it.
Activity 11
1. Suggest who the speaker is in this icyivugo. Give reasons to support your answer.
2. Who is being praised in this poem and why?
3. What are the good things that were created for Rwandans to use and enjoy life?
4. Name what we would do if we were to destroy our environment.
5. The speaker advises us to protect our environment. How can wedo this?
6. Suggest what would happen to us if we failed to protect the environment.
Gender equality
Though men and women are physically different, we can all do the same work, eat the same food, fall sick, become happy or annoyed. However, our societies have made us think that we are not the same even in certain things.
Activity 13
Let us share
1. Look at the picture below and say what the people are doing.
2. Do you support what they are doing? Yes or No. Support your answer.
Inclusive Education
Education is good. Through it we get knowledge and understanding.
It is the key to success so everybody needs to go to school to get education.
Activity 19
Look at the picture below and identify the different people you can
see. Mention other people who are not in the picture yet they should be at School?
Activity 20
Discuss the following questions:
1. Education should be for all. Some children may not be going to school? Why?
2. Is it good for the lame, blind and deaf to go to school where you also go? Why?
3. What are the problems that pupils face at school?
4. How can these problems be solved?
Recite the icyivugo below about inclusive education and then compose yours after.
Activity 21
Reciting ikivugo
1. Practice the poem Education by heart, use some facial expression, gestures and dance movements to add meaning to your message and make the presentation interesting.
2. Say out the ikivugo Education to your friend, then exchange so that your friend may do the same to you.
3. Talk about what is interesting in your presentation (recitation) and what can be improved.
4. Organise the stage and perform to the rest of the class.
5. Give them a chance to tell you what is interesting about your ikivugo and what you should improve. You will do the same for
the other groups with an aim of helping them improve.
Activity 22
1. Suggest who the speaker is in this icyivugo. Give reasons to support your answer.
2. This poem is in praise for education. What are the things that the speaker mentions to show that education is good?
3. Name the jobs that educated people can do.
4. Inclusive education means giving chance to the lame, blind, deaf and other disabled children. Why is it good to allow these children to go school?
5. What are the problems faced by young people who go to school?
6. Suggest how these problems can be solved.