Making Future Plans
Primary 6 · English
Making Future Plans
Lesson 1 of 4
45 min
Every year, visitors fly thousands of kilometres to see things that many Rwandans have never seen: a mountain gorilla chewing bamboo, or a rainforest from a bridge high above the trees.
Uwase's class is going to choose one place for their end-of-year trip. Before they vote, they must describe each place clearly and say what they would like to do there. Today you will learn how.
This text is adapted from the travel guide Wikivoyage. Read about each place and decide which one you would choose.
Volcanoes National Park is in the north-west, near Musanze. It is home to the mountain gorillas. Small groups of visitors follow expert trackers up steep, muddy slopes covered in bamboo, and spend one hour with a gorilla family. The walk can take from one hour to several hours, depending on where the gorillas are that day. Visitors must be at least 15 years old.
Akagera National Park is in the east. It is home to the “Big Five”: the lion, the black rhino, the buffalo, the elephant and the leopard. Visitors go on game drives and take boat trips on Lake Ihema. It is easy to reach in a day from Kigali.
Nyungwe National Park is in the south-west. It has some of the best-protected rainforest in the region. Visitors track chimpanzees, walk along forest trails and cross a canopy walk, a bridge that hangs high above the treetops. It is also one of the best places in Africa for watching birds.
Lake Kivu lies along Rwanda's western border. The lakeside towns of Rubavu, Karongi and Rusizi are popular places for swimming, kayaking and boat trips to nearby islands. The Congo Nile Trail, a route for walking and cycling about 227 kilometres long, follows the shore of the lake from Rubavu to Rusizi.
The King's Palace Museum in Nyanza is a rebuilt royal home of the old kings of Rwanda. It has a large palace with a grass roof and a herd of Inyambo, cows with very long horns. Not far away, the Ethnographic Museum in Huye keeps more than 10,000 objects that tell the story of Rwanda's culture.
Answer each question in your head or in your exercise book first. Then tap Show answer to check.
Which park would you visit to see lions and elephants?
Akagera National Park, in the east.
Why can't a P6 pupil go gorilla trekking yet?
Visitors must be at least 15 years old.
What is a canopy walk?
A bridge that hangs high above the treetops, so you can walk over the forest.
Your class loves history and culture. Which place would you choose, and why?
Possible answer: the King's Palace Museum in Nyanza, because we could see how the old kings lived and meet the Inyambo cows.
Useful sentence starters, all from or based on the text:
Good describing words: beautiful, peaceful, green, steep, misty, ancient, historic, popular, wild.
When a plan is already decided, use am / is / are + going to + verb.
| Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|
| I am going to visit Nyungwe. | I'm not going to swim. | Am I going to see a gorilla? |
| She is going to take photos. | She isn't going to buy a hat. | Is she going to come? |
| We are going to travel by bus. | We aren't going to walk. | Are we going to leave early? |
When you want something, say it politely with would like to + verb (short form: I'd like to).
Careful: I like swimming means you always enjoy it. I would like to swim means you want to swim now or soon.
tourist (a person who travels for pleasure) · destination (the place you are travelling to) · national park · tracker (a person who finds animals by following their signs) · museum · heritage (the history and culture a country passes on)
Tip
Going to = the plan is already on the calendar. Would like to = the wish is still in your heart.
Write your answers in your exercise book, then check.
Complete with going to: We ___ (visit) the King's Palace Museum on Friday.
Answer: are going to visit
Choose: I (would like / like) to see a gorilla one day.
Answer: would like
Which park is in the east of Rwanda?
Answer: Akagera National Park
Write one sentence about Lake Kivu with is famous for.
Answer: Example: Lake Kivu is famous for swimming, kayaking and boat trips to its islands.
Write your own plan: Next holiday, I am going to ... because ...
Answer: Example: Next holiday, I am going to visit Akagera with my uncle because I would like to see an elephant.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Which national park is home to the mountain gorillas?
