Jobs and Roles in Home and Community
Primary 4 · English
Jobs and Roles in Home and Community
Lesson 2 of 5
40 min
In class, Teacher Umutoni asks, “What jobs do people in your family do?” Ishimwe says, “My mother is a tailor. She makes school uniforms.” Byiringiro says, “My uncle is a moto driver in Kigali.”
Today you will read about a man with a job that surprised the people at the market. Then you will learn to talk about the jobs people do.
Listen to the story (audio, read by Darshan Soni), or open the Storybooks Rwanda page.
Tom carries a tray of ripe bananas. Tom goes to the market to sell bananas.
People at the market are buying fruit. But no one is buying Tom's bananas. They prefer to buy fruit from women.
“In our community, only women sell fruit,” people say. “What kind of a man is this?” people ask.
But Tom does not give up. He calls, “Buy my bananas! Buy my sweet ripe bananas!”
One woman picks up a bunch of bananas from the tray. She looks at the bananas carefully. The woman buys the bananas.
More people come to the stall. They buy Tom's bananas and eat them. Soon, the tray is empty. Tom counts the money he earned.
Then Tom buys soap, sugar, and bread. He puts the things in his tray. Tom balances the tray on his head and goes home.
Why did nobody buy Tom's bananas at first?
Because people said only women sell fruit in their community.
What did Tom do when nobody bought his bananas?
He did not give up. He called, “Buy my sweet ripe bananas!”
What did Tom buy with his money?
Soap, sugar and bread.
Were the people right to say “only women sell fruit”? Why or why not?
Possible answer: no. Anyone can do a job well if they work hard. Tom's bananas were sweet and he sold them all.
Say what a person does with a … is a person who …:
| Job | What the person does |
|---|---|
| farmer | grows crops and keeps animals |
| trader | buys and sells things at the market |
| tailor | makes and mends clothes |
| carpenter | makes doors, chairs and tables from wood |
| mechanic | repairs cars and motos |
| nurse | looks after sick people |
| driver | drives a bus, a car or a moto |
| police officer | keeps people safe |
A tailor is a person who makes clothes.
Teacher: What does your mother do?
Ishimwe: She is a tailor.
Teacher: Where does she work?
Ishimwe: She works at the market in Muhanga.
Teacher: What does she do every day?
Ishimwe: She makes school uniforms and dresses.
With he or she, the verb takes -s: she works, he repairs, Tom carries (y → ies).
In Rwanda today, women and men work as drivers, engineers, nurses, farmers and pilots. Like Tom, anyone can do a job well if they work hard and do not give up.
Speak: Interview an adult at home or at school. Ask: “What do you do? Where do you work? What do you do every day? What do you like about your job?”
Write four sentences about that person's job. Example: My aunt is a nurse. She works at the health centre. She looks after sick children. She likes her job because she helps people.
Tip
Name it, then explain it: A carpenter is a person who makes things from wood.
He or she? Add -s: she sells, he drives.
Write your answers in your exercise book, then check.
Complete: A mechanic is a person who ___ cars and motos.
Answer: repairs
Complete: Tom ___ (carry) a tray of bananas.
Answer: carries (y changes to ies)
What do we call a person who makes clothes?
Answer: a tailor
Ask the question for this answer: She works at the hospital.
Answer: Where does she work?
Write one sentence about a job you would like to try.
Answer: Example: I would like to be a carpenter because I like making things.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Quick check
Match each job to what the person does.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
