This song is available on The Learning Station's "Literacy in Motion."
To celebrate Kwanzaa, we are going to learn together some words in Swahili and we're going to teach you the movements that go along with them, so follow the beat, clap along and follow our directions.
All right, now clap along. We¹re going to tell you a little bit about Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26th through January 1st and it celebrates the end of a harvest season and the beginning of a brand new planting season. Here we go:
All right, now we're going to tell you what those words mean in Swahili.
"Kwanzaa" means first, that's why we¹re holding up one finger on each hand
when we do the movement.
"Umoja" means unity, all of us being here together, sharing and caring for the holidays.
"Nee-a" means purpose and "Emonee" means faith that we'll have another
wonderful harvest and planting season. Here we go:
Actions:
Movements for Kwanzaa are holding up your pointer finger on each hand and pushing forward.
For Umoja you can use each arm like wings or make a hugging motion and end up
crossing them on your chest.
For Nee-a just dip your knees up and down slightly, and for Emonee hold your arms and palms out and make a circular motion while you balance on your heels.
This song is available on The Learning Station's "Literacy in Motion."
