MEDUMO YA SETSWANA

	ɑ	e	i	o	u	ê	ô
b	bɑ	be	bi	bo	bu	bê	bô
d			di		du
f	fɑ	fe	fi	fo	fu	fê	fô
g	gɑ	ge	gi	go		gê	gô
h	hɑ	he	hi	ho	hu	hê	hô
j	jɑ	je	ji	jo	ju	jê	jô
k	kɑ	ke	ki	ko	ku	kê	kô
l	lɑ	le	li	lo	lu	lê	lô
m	mɑ	me	mi	mo	mu	mê	mô
n	nɑ	ne	ni	no	nu	nê	nô
p	pɑ	pe	pi	po	pu	pê	pô
r	rɑ	re	ri	ro	ru	rê	rô
s	sɑ	se	si	so	su	sê	sô
t	tɑ	te	ti	to	tu	tê	tô
w	wɑ	we				wê
y	yɑ						yô

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Community Interdependence

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Community Interdependence

In every village, town, or city, people need each other. We all have different skills and jobs, but we work best when we work together. That’s what community interdependence means—helping each other so everyone benefits. 🤝🏡💪

👨‍🌾 Traditional Activities That Bring People Together

In the past, people didn’t do everything alone. They helped one another in many ways. These are some of the traditional activities that communities did together:

• 👰 Weddings – preparing food and decorating

• ⚰️ Phekolo – helping the family after a funeral

• ⛏️ Digging graves – done together before a funeral

• 🕯️ Funerals – all neighbours came to show support

• 🔥 Collecting firewood – people helped gather fuel

• 🛖 Thatching huts – building traditional homes together

• 💉 Vaccinating animals – taking care of livestock

• 👩‍🌾 Letsholo – coming together to farm a family’s field

• 🌾 Majako & Letsema – working in turns to help each other farm

• 🐄 Dehorning cattle – done with help from neighbours

• 👶 Mantsho a ngwana – preparing for a newborn baby

All these activities showed teamwork, care, and unity.

🪘 Traditional Groups That Helped the Community

In the past, special groups were formed to do certain tasks for the community. Here are some examples:

• ⛏️ Diphiri – dug graves before a funeral

• 🏹 Mophato – protected the village and hunted dangerous wild animals

• 🧹 Ward members – cleaned their area and built shelters

These groups helped make life easier and safer for everyone in the village.

🔁 How Community Task Groups Have Changed

Long ago, people used to:

• Mophato – plough the chief’s fields with oxen

• Mophato – guard the village from danger like wild animals or thieves

• Ward members – build shelters and maintain the ward

Today, things are different:

• 🚜 Tractors are used instead of men ploughing by hand

• 👮 Police now protect the village instead of Mophato

• 🏠 VDC (Village Development Committee) builds shelters, not ward members

Even though roles have changed, the spirit of helping remains strong!

🧑‍🔧 Modern Community Task Groups

Communities today still work together using organized groups. These groups do many helpful things:

• 🛠️ Village Development Committee (VDC) – builds houses and community buildings

• 🧍 Scouts – pick up litter, donate blood, help others, entertain

• 👩‍🏫 Parents Teachers Association (PTA) – raise school funds and support teachers

• 🏠 Home-Based Care – take care of AIDS patients at home

• 🚑 Red Cross – give first aid and help during emergencies

• 🐾 Wildlife Clubs – teach about nature and how to protect animals

• 📋 Board of Governors – help manage schools

• 🏫 Class Groups – help improve the classroom and support teachers

• 🌍 Girl Guides – help in the community, donate blood, and give first aid

• ⛪ Religious groups – support those in need and offer counselling

🏗️ Services Provided by the Community

Communities also help by providing services that make life better for everyone. These include:

• ⛪ Building churches and places of worship – for prayer and spiritual support

• 🛖 Building shelters at the kgotla – where village meetings and decisions happen

• 🚰 Digging boreholes or wells – to provide clean water for all

• 🧒 Helping orphans and the poor – giving food, clothes, and school supplies

• 👵 Caring for the elderly – making sure older people are safe and supported

• 🧹 Organizing cleaning campaigns – keeping the village clean and tidy

• 🚧 Building roads and footpaths – making it easier for people to travel

• 🎉 Planning events and festivals – bringing people together to celebrate

• 📚 Starting libraries or learning centres – helping children and adults read and learn

• 🛝 Creating playgrounds and safe spaces for children

• 🚑 Offering emergency help and first aid when someone is hurt or sick

• 👩‍🏫 Supporting schools – donating supplies and helping with repairs

• 🌿 Planting trees and community gardens – protecting the environment and growing food

• 🧵 Organizing skills training – like sewing or farming, to help people earn money

💬 Let’s Think About It:

• What activity have you seen people do together in your village or town?

• Can you name a group in your community that helps others?

• How can you help someone in your neighbourhood this week?

#Standard4 #CulturalStudies #Community #WorkingTogether #HelpingEachOther

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family

Families are meant to be places of love 💖, care 🤗, and support 💪. But sometimes, problems happen. People may argue, feel sad, or stop working together. In this lesson, we’ll explore the challenges families face and how they can find peace again.

🧾 Common Family Problems

Here are some issues that many families may experience:

• Quarrelling 😠 – frequent arguments or shouting

• Laziness 😴 – when someone avoids helping at home

• Unemployment 💼❌ – when no one has a job

• Financial problems 💸 – not having enough money for needs

• Lack of cooperation 🧍🧍 – family members refusing to work together

• Diseases 🤒 – sickness that makes life difficult

• Marital problems 💔 – when parents argue or stop loving each other

These problems can make the home feel sad or stressful. But families can work through them with care and support.

⚡ What Causes Family Conflicts?

A conflict is when two or more people disagree and argue. In families, it often happens because of:

• Laziness – one person avoids doing chores

• Rudeness – speaking badly or without respect

• Lack of cooperation – not helping each other

• Poor communication – not talking or listening properly

• Selfishness – only thinking about yourself

• Self-centeredness – believing you are more important than others

• Different opinions – when people think very differently and don’t agree

Understanding these causes helps us know how to prevent conflict before it starts.

💥 Effects of Conflict on the Family

Family fights and problems can cause a lot of damage, such as:

• Divorce 💔 – when parents separate

• Passion killing 😢 – serious violence that ends someone’s life

• Street children (bo bashi) 🚶 – kids who run away from home

• Violence 👊 – hitting or hurting each other

• Emotional problems 😞 – sadness, fear, or anger that lasts a long time

• Failing at school 📉 – children can’t concentrate on their studies

That’s why it’s important to solve problems early and respectfully.

🛠️ How Can Families Solve Conflicts?

Here are ways families can bring peace back home:

• 🗣️ Talk about the problem with everyone involved

• 🤝 Work together to find a solution

• 🧠 Understand each other’s feelings

• 🙋 Respect everyone’s ideas, even if you don’t agree

• 🚫 Avoid blaming others

• 👂 Listen to everyone’s side of the story

When family members talk kindly and listen well, problems can be solved easily.

🏘️ What Can the Community Do to Help?

Sometimes, families need help from outside the home. The community can support families by:

• 👴👵 Asking elders or village leaders to help solve problems

• 🧑‍⚕️ Giving counseling or advice to the people involved

• 🧓 Offering respectful and fair solutions

• 🤲 Creating safe spaces where people feel heard and helped

Communities work best when people care about one another and help families heal together 💞

💬 Let’s Reflect:

• What is one thing that causes conflict at home?

• How can you help your family solve a small problem?

• Who in your community helps families that are struggling?

💡 Remember: Every family has problems sometimes. What matters is how the problems are solved 💕🤝

#Standard4 #CulturalStudies #FamilyMatters #ConflictResolution #CommunityHelp

👦 Myself

Values

Every day, the choices we make and how we treat others show the kind of person we are. That’s where values come in! Let’s explore what values are and how they help us at home, at school, and in our community 🏠🏫🌍.

💡 What Are Values?

Values are the good beliefs and behaviours that guide how we act. They help us decide what is right and what is wrong. They are like a light 💡 inside us that helps us do good things every day!

❤️ Personal Values

Personal values are the good qualities that make you a good person. They help you treat others well and make good choices. Here are some examples:

• Kindness 😊 – being nice and gentle to others

• Helpfulness 🤝 – offering to help without being asked

• Caring 💕 – looking after others when they are sad or sick

• Trustworthiness 🗝️ – people know they can count on you

• Respect 🙇 – treating others politely and listening to them

• Honesty 🗣️ – telling the truth and not hiding it

• Patience ⏳ – staying calm when things take time

• Forgiveness 💧 – letting go when someone says sorry

• Bravery 🦁 – doing what is right, even when it is scary

• Responsibility 📚 – doing your work and keeping promises

These values help you become someone that others look up to 🌟

🎯 Why Personal Values Matter

Personal values are important because:

✨ They show who you really are
🤗 They help you make and keep friends
🏡 They help you live happily in your family and community
🌱 They help you grow into a better person
💪 They guide your actions every day
🌟 They help others trust and respect you

🏘️ Community Values

Community values help people in a village, school, or country live together in peace. They are values that everyone in the community shares. Here are some examples:

• Respect 🙏 – listening and being polite to others

• Kindness 🧡 – helping others with a warm heart

• Botho 🤝 – treating others with love and humanity

• Helpfulness 🧺 – working together and sharing

• Hospitality 🍽️ – making visitors feel welcome

• Self-reliance 💼 – doing things for yourself when you can

• Justice ⚖️ – making sure things are fair for everyone

• Compassion 💓 – caring when someone is hurting

• Teamwork 🤼 – working together to do something

• Unity 🌍 – standing together as one big family

⚖️ Comparing Personal and Community Values

Let’s look at the difference:

Personal Values	Community Values
About you 👦	About everyone 👥
Help you be your best self 🌟	Help everyone live in peace 🤝
Example: kindness, honesty 💌	Example: botho, teamwork 🕊️

Many personal values are also part of community values. When you are kind or respectful, you help the whole community!

How We Show Values in Daily Life

Here’s how we live out values every day:

• 👋 Respect: Greeting elders with a smile

• 🤲 Kindness: Sharing what you have

• 💪 Helpfulness: Helping someone carry heavy things

• 🧹 Responsibility: Cleaning your classroom without being told

• 💓 Compassion: Comforting a friend who is crying

• 🧒 Honesty: Telling the truth, even if you might get into trouble

When we do these things, we make the people around us feel loved and respected 💖

📖 A Short Story: “Lebo and the Lost Pencil”

One morning, Lebo found a pencil on the ground near her desk. It was colourful and new. She was tempted to keep it, but something inside her said, “What if someone is looking for it?”

Lebo raised her hand and gave it to the teacher.

“Thank you!” said Neo. “That pencil is mine!”

Later that day, Neo helped Lebo pack her books. They smiled at each other, and a new friendship began—all because Lebo chose honesty over selfishness.

Doing the right thing always brings something good! 🌈

💬 Let’s Think:

• What personal value do you use the most?

• Can you name a time you showed kindness or honesty?

• What new value would you like to start practicing today

#Standard4 #CulturalStudies #Values #Kindness #Botho #Respect #Honesty #Community

🌾 Plant Growth

🌾 Let’s Help Our Plants Grow!

Have you ever planted something and watched it grow?
Maybe beans, maize 🌽, or even flowers 🌸?

Growing plants is not just about putting seeds in soil and waiting. Plants need care, the right environment, and protection from harm. In this lesson, we’ll discover what plants need to grow well—and how we can protect them so they give us food, shade, and fresh air!

🪴 What Helps Plants Grow?

For a seed to germinate it needs five important things:

1️⃣ Water 💧 – Water softens the seed coat and helps it sprout. It also helps the plant carry nutrients from the soil to the leaves.
2️⃣ Air 🌬️ – Plants need air in the soil, especially oxygen, for the roots to breathe and grow.
3️⃣ Sunlight ☀️ – Plants use sunlight to make their own food through a process called photosynthesis.
4️⃣ Warmth 🌡️ – Most seeds won’t grow in soil that is too cold. Warmth helps them germinate quickly.
5️⃣ Nutrients from soil 🧂 – These are natural minerals found in soil that help plants grow tall and healthy.

🌿 Plants Help the Soil Too!

Plants are not only good for food—they help the land. Their roots hold the soil in place and prevent it from being blown away by the wind or washed away by rain. This is called soil conservation.

When we cut down too many trees and clear bushes carelessly, we increase the risk of soil erosion, where fertile soil is lost and crops cannot grow.

🌞 What Conditions Help Plants Grow Best?

Let’s do a little comparison:

Good Conditions	Poor Conditions
Moist soil with enough water 💧	Dry, salty, or flooded soil 🧂💦
Sunlight daily ☀️	Total darkness or deep shade 🌑
Loam soil rich in nutrients 🌱	Sandy or clay soil with little food for plants
Warm environment 🌡️	Too hot or too cold conditions 🥶🥵
Air in the soil 🌬️	Wet, tightly packed soil with no air 💦

🧪 Try this:
Plant 3 bean seeds in different containers—one in dry soil, one in salty water, and one in healthy loam soil. Water each the same and see which one grows best!

🐛 Common Pests That Harm Crops

Now let’s talk about pests. Pests are insects or animals that destroy crops by eating them, digging the roots, or carrying diseases. Here are some common examples:

🐜 Ants

• They dig tunnels near the roots and disturb the soil

• Sometimes carry aphids that damage leaves

🐛 Caterpillars

• They eat leaves, leaving large holes

• Can strip a whole plant of its leaves if not stopped

🐁 Rats and Mice

• Dig around plant roots and eat seeds

• Destroy storehouses and grain sacks

🦗 Locusts

• Come in large numbers

• Can destroy entire fields in just days by chewing leaves and stems

🪳 Aphids

• Very tiny insects found on the underside of leaves

• Suck the juices from the plant and weaken it

🕷️ Red spider mites

• Very small, often found in dry areas

• Leave tiny webs and suck the sap from leaves

🛡️ How Do We Protect Crops from Pests?

Here are safe and smart ways to defend our crops:

🧤 Keep the field clean – Remove weeds and plant waste that pests hide in
🧼 Remove damaged or diseased plants quickly
🪲 Use safe insecticides (only with an adult’s help)
🌿 Try natural methods like sprinkling ash or crushed garlic around plants
🚫 Don’t overwater—wet conditions attract many pests
🚜 Rotate crops – Change the kind of crops planted each season to confuse pests

🧠 Let’s Remember!

• 🌱 Plants need sunlight, water, air, warmth, and nutrients to grow well

• 🌳 Trees and grasses protect the soil from erosion

• 🐛 Pests destroy crops by chewing, digging, or sucking plant parts

• 🛡️ We can protect our crops using clean farming, natural methods, and safe pesticides

#BrainyBana #ProtectOurPlants #PestControl #Standard4Science #SoilAndGrowth #SmartFarming #PlantPower 🌾🌽🐛

⚡Energy

⚡ Let's Talk About Energy!

Energy is the power that helps us do work.
We use energy to cook 🍲, light our homes 💡, charge phones 🔋, ride cars 🚗, and even kick a football ⚽.

We may not see energy with our eyes, but we see what it does. It moves things, heats things, and powers everything around us!

🌞 Where Does Energy Come From?

The main source of all energy is the sun 🌞. Even wood, petrol, and wind get their energy from the sun in one way or another.

There are different types of energy sources:

• 🔥 Fuels (wood, paraffin, petrol, gas, coal, diesel)

• ⚡ Electricity

• 💨 Wind

• ☀️ Solar (from the sun)

🗺️ What Sources of Energy Are Used in Botswana?

Let’s travel around the country and see what people use for energy in different places!

1️⃣ In Villages 🏡

• 🔌 Electricity is used for lighting, TV, fridges, and charging phones

• 🔥 Wood, gas, paraffin are used for cooking and heating water

2️⃣ In Cattleposts (Meraka) 🐄

• 🔥 Wood and paraffin are used for cooking and heating

• 🛻 Petrol or diesel is used to power boreholes and water pumps

3️⃣ In Lands (Masimo) 🌽

• 🔥 Paraffin and wood are used for cooking and boiling water

• 🚜 Petrol and diesel power tractors and water pumps

4️⃣ In Towns and Cities 🌆

• 💡 Electricity is the main source—used for cooking, lights, fans, computers, etc.

• 🔥 Gas, paraffin, and solar power are also used in homes

• 🏙️ Some homes use solar panels to warm water

🤔 Why Are Some Fuels Used More Than Others?

Different places use different fuels based on:

💸 Cost: Is it cheap or expensive?
🛒 Availability: Is it easy to find or buy?
🚚 Transport: Is it easy to carry or deliver?
🌫️ Smoke/smell: Does it produce too much smoke or smell bad?
🧯 Safety: Is it dangerous to use?

📝 For example:
In towns, electricity is common because it’s already installed.
In cattleposts, people use paraffin or wood because it’s easy to get.

Encourage learners to ask at home:

“What kind of energy do we mostly use to cook here?”
“Why do we use it instead of something else?”

💡 Ways to Save Energy (Conserve Energy)

Energy is not free! We must not waste it. Here are ways we can save energy at home and school:

🛋️ Sit near the fire instead of lighting extra lamps
♻️ Switch off lights when not in use
💡 Don’t light fires or paraffin lamps in the daytime
🧥 Wear warm clothes in winter instead of using heaters
🚲 Walk or cycle to school instead of using a car
🔌 Use only the appliances you need

🧠 Let’s Remember!

• Energy is the power that helps us do work

• It comes from fuels, sun, wind, and electricity

• Botswana uses different energy sources in different places

• Some fuels are used more because they are cheap or easy to find

• We must save energy by not wasting it!

#BrainyBana #EnergyInBotswana #Standard4Science #SaveEnergy #SolarPower #ScienceIsFun #CleanEnergy

🪴 Soil

🪴 Soil: What’s Really Inside It?

Grab a spade and let’s dig into the world of soil! 🧑🏾‍🌾🪓
Have you ever touched soil in your garden or outside your classroom?

It may look like just brown dirt—but it’s actually made of many important parts that help plants grow! 🌱

In this lesson, we’ll explore what soil is really made of—and find out which soil is best for helping plants grow big and strong.

What Is Soil Made Of?

Soil isn’t just “dirt.” It’s a mix of four very special ingredients:

1️⃣ Inorganic Matter – Tiny bits of broken-down rock 🪨
2️⃣ Organic Matter – Rotten plants, leaves, and animal remains 🍂
3️⃣ Water – To keep plants alive and healthy 💦
4️⃣ Air – Found in the spaces between soil particles 🌬️

📊 Most soil is made of:

• 45% Inorganic matter

• 5% Organic matter

• 25% Water

• 25% Air

🔍 How Can We See What’s Inside Soil?

Let’s do a fun experiment:

🧪 Step 1: Scoop up some soil from your garden 🧑🏾‍🌾
🧪 Step 2: Pour it into a clear glass or jar
🧪 Step 3: Add water and shake it well
🧪 Step 4: Let it settle for a few hours

⏳ What do you see?

• Heavy bits (sand and rocks) sink to the bottom

• Water stays in the middle

• Rotten plant bits float on top

• Tiny bubbles may appear—showing air was in the soil!

💧 Does Soil Contain Water?

Even dry soil has a little bit of water in it! Here’s how to check:

🧪 Put dry soil in a glass bottle and heat it carefully (with a teacher or adult).
👀 You’ll see tiny droplets of water forming inside the bottle.

That’s proof—soil stores water! 💦

🌬️ Does Soil Contain Air?

Yes, it does!

Try this:

🧪 Fill a glass with dry soil
🧪 Pour water slowly over it
👀 Bubbles will rise to the top—those bubbles are air escaping!

The spaces between soil pieces hold air, and that’s good for plant roots!

🌱 Which Soil Helps Plants Grow Best?

Let’s meet the 3 soil types:

🥄 Sandy Soil – Feels rough, drains water quickly
🥄 Clay Soil – Sticky and heavy, holds too much water
🥄 Loam Soil – A perfect mix that keeps just enough water and air

When you plant the same seed in all three, which one grows best?

✅ Loam soil wins! It’s soft, rich, and full of nutrients—just what plants need to grow tall and healthy! 🌻

🧠 Let’s Remember!

• Soil is made of rocks, water, air, and organic matter

• We can explore what’s inside soil by using clear jars and water

• Even dry soil holds air and water

• Loam soil is the best for growing most plants

• Clay is too sticky, and sandy soil is too dry

#BrainyBana #SoilScience #Standard4Botswana #LoamSoilWins #SpadeAndLearn 🧑🏾‍🌾🪓 #PlantGrowthFun