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LIFE SKILLS STUDY GUIDE Grade 6

Life Skills Study guide

CAPS aligned

LM van der Walt

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Í5&È-E-LFS-SG01>Î

Grade 6

G06 ~ Life Skills

Contents

Lesson elements.......................................................................................................................................... 6 Preface............................................................................................................................................................ 7 Year plan........................................................................................................................................................8 Unit 1: Personal and social well-being..............................................................................................11 Lesson 1: Positive self-image – body image...................................................................................................... 12 Lesson 2: Abilities, interests and potential........................................................................................................20

Lesson 3: Peer pressure............................................................................................................................................. 25 Lesson 4: Problem-solving skills in conflict situations.................................................................................29

Unit 2: Performing arts...........................................................................................................................36

Lesson 5: Warm-up and play................................................................................................................................... 37 Lesson 6: Improvise and create..............................................................................................................................42

Lesson 7: Read, interpret and perform................................................................................................................ 45 Lesson 8: Appreciate and reflect............................................................................................................................48

Unit 3: Visual arts.....................................................................................................................................51

Lesson 9: Visual literacy............................................................................................................................................ 52

Lesson 10: Create in 2D.............................................................................................................................................. 55

Lesson 11: Design in 3D............................................................................................................................................. 57 Unit 4: Physical education.................................................................................................................... 58

Lesson 12: Safety measures during striking and fielding games.............................................................59

Lesson 13: Performing movements in striking and fielding games........................................................ 62

Lesson 14: Participation in striking and fielding games .............................................................................68 Unit 5: Personal and social well-being............................................................................................. 70

Lesson 15: Self-management skills....................................................................................................................... 71

Lesson 16: Bullying...................................................................................................................................................... 76 Lesson 17: Cultural rites of passage.....................................................................................................................80

Lesson 18: Dignity in religion.................................................................................................................................. 86

Study Guide

Unit 6: Performing arts...........................................................................................................................94

Lesson 19: Warm-up and play................................................................................................................................. 95

Lesson 20: Improvise and create........................................................................................................................... 96

Lesson 21: Read, interpret and perform............................................................................................................. 97

Lesson 22: Appreciate and reflect.......................................................................................................................101 Unit 7: Visual arts.................................................................................................................................. 103

Lesson 23: Visual literacy....................................................................................................................................... 104

Lesson 24: Create in 2D............................................................................................................................................107 Lesson 25: Design in 3D.......................................................................................................................................... 108

Unit 8: Physical education.................................................................................................................. 111

Lesson 26: Safety measures during physical fitness activities............................................................... 112 Lesson 27: Performing movements in a physical fitness programme ............................................... 112 Lesson 28: Participation in a fitness programme........................................................................................ 118

Unit 9: Personal and social well-being........................................................................................... 119

Lesson 29: Caring for animals.............................................................................................................................. 120

Lesson 30: Caring for people................................................................................................................................ 125

Lesson 31: Nation-building and cultural heritage....................................................................................... 130 Lesson 32: Gender stereotyping, sexism and abuse................................................................................... 140

Unit 10: Performing arts..................................................................................................................... 147

Lesson 33: Warm-up and play.............................................................................................................................. 148

Lesson 34: Improvise and create........................................................................................................................ 150

Lesson 35: Read, interpret and perform.......................................................................................................... 152

Lesson 36: Appreciate and reflect...................................................................................................................... 155 Unit 11: Visual arts................................................................................................................................ 159

Lesson 37: Visual literacy....................................................................................................................................... 160

Lesson 38: Create in 2D........................................................................................................................................... 162

Lesson 39: Design in 3D.......................................................................................................................................... 163

G06 ~ Life Skills

Unit 12: Physical education................................................................................................................ 165 Lesson 40: Safety measures during rhythmic movements...................................................................... 166 Lesson 41: Performing rhythmic patterns/movements with coordination and control............ 166 Lesson 42: Participation in rhythmic patterns/movements with coordination and control.... 170

Unit 13: Personal and social well-being......................................................................................... 171

Lesson 43: Basic first aid ....................................................................................................................................... 172 Lesson 44: Food hygiene......................................................................................................................................... 178

Lesson 45: Communicable diseases................................................................................................................... 186

Lesson 46: HIV/Aids education............................................................................................................................191 Unit 14: Performing arts..................................................................................................................... 195

Lesson 47: Warm-up and play ............................................................................................................................. 196

Lesson 48: Improvise and create.........................................................................................................................197 Lesson 49: Read, interpret and perform.......................................................................................................... 200

Lesson 50: Appreciate and reflect.......................................................................................................................201 Unit 15: Visual arts................................................................................................................................ 202

Lesson 51: Visual literacy....................................................................................................................................... 203

Lesson 52: Create in 2D........................................................................................................................................... 205

Lesson 53: Design in 3D.......................................................................................................................................... 206

Unit 16: Physical education................................................................................................................ 207

Lesson 54: Safety measures during gymnastics or swimming activities........................................... 208

Lesson 55: Performing gymnastics or swimming activities.................................................................... 208

Lesson 56: Participation in gymnastics or swimming activities........................................................... 213 References................................................................................................................................................ 214

Colour addendum.................................................................................................................................. 217

Study Guide

Learning objectives What learners should

know at the end of the

lesson according to CAPS requirements.

Lesson elements

Important terminology

Tips

New terminology to assist

Any information other

with the understanding of the subject as part of the lesson.

than the content, to guide learners through the learning process.

Activity Define Definitions of concepts to understand the content.

Questions to complete to

test learners’ knowledge of the completed lesson.

For the curious Encouragement to do

in-depth research about the content. Expand the

activity and exercise to such an extent that learners are

encouraged to explore. For gifted learners: expanded

Core content

Study/Revision

Emphasise the core of

Time spent studying the

the content; in-depth

explanation of a specific section of the lesson;

learners must understand

content at the end of the

unit and to prepare for a test or examination.

exercises. For Learners with Special Educational Needs

(LSEN): Explain the need to

complete the basic questions to achieve a pass mark.

this content.

*All lesson elements are not necessarily used in this guide. 6

G06 ~ Life Skills

Preface

Welcome to Grade 6!

The subject of Life Skills contributes to your overall development. It is the centre of your

holistic development. It equips you to reach their full potential on a physical, intellectual,

personal, emotional and social level. You will be equipped with knowledge and skills to help

you to function as a well-rounded individual in society. The subject encourages you to develop life skills that will enable you to effectively deal with the onslaughts of society. You are also encouraged to play an active and responsible role in society.

Life Skills the subject comprises three sections:

● ● ●

Personal and Social Well-being (PSW) Physical Education (PE)

Creative Arts (CA) – Performing Arts (PA) and Visual Arts (VA)

In this study guide, the three sections flow together. The PE activities are not found at the back of the study guide, but are included in each term’s work. You can adjust the lesson content at

your own discretion, but you have to ensure that ALL the work is completed during the term.

You and your facilitator can adapt the lesson content as you see fit, but you have to ensure that ALL the work is covered during the term. If you, for example, want to do PE more than once a week, you can.

Personal and Social Well-being teaches you how to behave in the relationship between yourself and your environment and your community. It gives you the life skills to make informed

decisions regarding everyday life. It includes decision about your personal lifestyle, health and social well-being.

It will help you deal with difficult situations. It mainly focuses on three topics:

● ● ●

Self-development

Health and environmental responsibility Social responsibility

Physical Education, on the other hand, focuses on physical development. You will learn about healthy eating and exercise habits to boost your health and fitness.

Study Guide

The last part is Creative Arts. This exposes you to dance, drama, music and visual arts. It helps you develop and expand your creativity. Visual Arts focuses on the following three aspects: ● Visual literacy ● Create in 2D ● Design in 3D All the formal assessments can be found in the portfolio book.

Year plan

Keep the following in mind when planning your year:

● ● ●

Be realistic and flexible

Keep your other subject timetables in mind

Allow for enough time to study for tests and examinations

Term

Unit & lesson

Date started

Date completed

Unit 1: Personal and social well-being Lesson 1: Positive self-image – body image Lesson 2: Abilities, interests and potential Lesson 3: Peer pressure

Lesson 4: Problem-solving skills in conflict situations Unit 2: Performing arts

Lesson 5: Warm-up and play

Lesson 6: Improvise and create 1

Lesson 7: Read, interpret and perform Lesson 8: Appreciate and reflect Unit 3: Visual arts

Lesson 9: Visual literacy Lesson 10: Create in 2D

Lesson 11: Design in 3D

Unit 4: Physical education

Lesson 12: Safety measures during striking and fielding games Lesson 13: Performing movements in striking and fielding games Lesson 14: Participation in striking and fielding games © Optimi

G06 ~ Life Skills Unit 5: Personal and social well-being Lesson 15: Self-management skills Lesson 16: Bullying

Lesson 17: Cultural rites of passage Lesson 18: Dignity in religion Unit 6: Performing arts

Lesson 19: Warm-up and play

Lesson 20: Improvise and create 2

Lesson 21: Read, interpret and perform Lesson 22: Appreciate and reflect Unit 7: Visual arts

Lesson 23: Visual literacy Lesson 24: Create in 2D

Lesson 25: Design in 3D

Unit 8: Physical education

Lesson 26: Safety measures during physical fitness activities Lesson 27: Performing movements in a physical fitness programme Lesson 28: Participation in a fitness programme Unit 9: Personal and social well-being

Lesson 29: Caring for animals Lesson 30: Caring for people

Lesson 31: Nation-building and cultural heritage

Lesson 32: Gender stereotyping, sexism and abuse Unit 10: Performing arts

Lesson 33: Warm-up and play

Lesson 34: Improvise and create

Lesson 35: Read, interpret and perform Lesson 36: Appreciate and reflect Unit 11: Visual arts

Lesson 37: Visual literacy Lesson 38: Create in 2D

Lesson 39: Design in 3D

Study Guide

Unit 12: Physical education Lesson 40: Safety measures during rhythmic movements Lesson 41: Performing rhythmic patterns/ movements with coordination and control Lesson 42: Participation in rhythmic patterns/ movements with coordination and control Unit 13: Personal and social well-being Lesson 43: Basic first aid Lesson 44: Food hygiene

Lesson 45: Communicable diseases Lesson 46: HIV/Aids education Unit 14: Performing arts

Lesson 47: Warm-up and play

Lesson 48: Improvise and create 4

Lesson 49: Read, interpret and perform Lesson 50: Appreciate and reflect Unit 15: Visual arts

Lesson 51: Visual literacy Lesson 52: Create in 2D

Lesson 53: Design in 3D

Unit 16: Physical education Lesson 54: Safety measures during gymnastics or swimming activities Lesson 55: Performing gymnastics or swimming activities Lesson 56: Participation in gymnastics or swimming activities

Unit 1

Personal and social well-being

Learning aims After completing this unit, you must be able to do the following: ● ● ● ● ●

● ●

Understand and respect changes in your body.

Identify the influence of the media and the community on your body image.

Accept yourself for who you are.

Identify your own abilities, interests and potential.

Create opportunities to make the most of your own abilities, interests and potential.

Identify and cope with peer pressure.

Apply problem-solving skills in conflict situations.

Important terminology Abilities: Features you have that enable you to fulfil certain tasks; something you can do well, e.g. a skill or a talent.

Body image: How you see your body.

Interests: Things in which you are interested and in which you like to participate or which

you like doing.

Peer pressure: When a group puts pressure on an individual/group to participate in a particular action, irrespective of whether it is right or wrong.

Potential: A quality that helps you achieve a certain objective or to do best in the things in

which you excel.

Problem-solving: Certain actions carried out to resolve problems. Self-image: What you think of yourself as a person.

Study Guide

Introduction

We will cover a number of themes in this unit and learn more about each. The following is a brief introduction to these themes.

Your self-image determines what you will think of yourself and also affects the successful

achievement of your ideals. Self-image also concerns your body image. This is what you think about your body. You need to respect your body and those of other people. It is important to accept yourself for who you are.

Every person has certain interests, abilities and potential. It depends on you how you use your abilities and interests to reach your full potential. It is important for you to know what your

interests, your abilities and your potential are. You need to create opportunities to use these qualities to your own advantage.

Peer pressure is not an unfamiliar concept. You see it happening every day. You need to handle

peer pressure correctly. Negative peer pressure may have adverse consequences for a person.

Finally, we will consider problem-solving skills and how to apply them in conflict situations.

Lesson 1 Positive self-image – body image

1.1

Understand and respect changes in your body

You have probably noticed that your body has started changing over the past few years. We

call this stage puberty. Puberty starts around age nine and ends at around age 17. In this stage,

your body will undergo various changes. You will also experience emotional changes. It is a

difficult stage of growing up and it is therefore extremely important to talk to someone if you

feel uncertain about what is happening to your body.

Take anyone close to you into your confidence – your mom, your dad, an older sibling or anyone

else you trust and feel comfortable with enough to share things. We need to respect the changes

in our body as well as the differences between various people. You are a unique person and must identify your own uniqueness and self-awareness. Try to look at yourself properly when standing in front of a mirror.

G06 ~ Life Skills

Do the following activity to test whether you have good self-awareness.

Activity 1 1.

Write down two characteristics of yourself. Describe your personality.

Do you know yourself? How do you deal with challenges?

Are you self-assured and self-assertive?

How do you act when you are in a conflict situation?

What are your weaknesses and your strengths?

Name at least two ways in which you deal with stress and pressure at school and at home.

If you were able to answer the activity honestly, then it means that you have a great idea of who

you are. This is an excellent quality! Activity 2 1.

Find a photograph of yourself when you were eight years old and a recent photo (when

you are 11 or 12 years old).

Paste the photos in your workbook.

Study the photos with a friend or your facilitator.

Do you still look the same as when you were eight years old?

How did your body change in the past three to four years?

How do you think you need to respect your friends when their bodies start changing?

How do you think you need to respect the changes in your own body?

Various changes take place in the bodies of boys and girls during puberty. Girls:

●

Put on weight and become taller.

●

Hair starts growing under the arms and on the genitals.

● ● ● ●

Shape of the face changes.

Skin changes – the skin produces more oil and may cause pimples/acne.

The heart enlarges and becomes heavier, and blood pressure changes. Breasts grow and hips become wider.

Study Guide Boys:

●

Put on weight and become taller.

●

Voice becomes deeper.

● ● ● ●

Shape of the face changes.

Skin changes – the skin produces more oil and may cause pimples/acne.

Hair starts growing under the arms, on the genitals, face, back, arms and legs.

The heart enlarges and becomes heavier, and blood pressure changes.

Image 1.1

Activity 3 1.

Do you think we need to respect the changes in our friends’ bodies, or can we make jokes about them?

How would you feel if someone made negative comments about your changing body?

How do you think we can help our friends feel comfortable about their changing bodies?

What can you do to make the changes easier for yourself?

G06 ~ Life Skills

Image 1.2

1.2

Other influences on body image: media and community

Communication involves sending and receiving messages. Communication takes place through

the media, e.g., newspapers, magazines, television, the internet, social media, movies and radio.

We are all affected by what we see, hear and read. In many cases, your decisions are influenced by what you read in magazines or see on television.

Messages broadcast by the media are extremely powerful and reach many people. They may be

positive, for instance the importance of good eating habits; or negative, such as advertisements creating a need to have a certain product. Television advertisements show that young people

abusing alcohol are very cheerful and seem to lead a happy life. Unfortunately, they do not also

demonstrate the dire consequences of alcohol abuse; instead, they give us a deceptive image of

life. Television programmes also often create a distorted view of life. People forget that stories on television are not real and try to live like some of the characters depicted on television.

The media puts a great deal of pressure on people, especially on teenagers, to have a certain

look. When you watch all the pretty models and film stars, you want to look exactly like them.

The media uses different techniques such as Photoshop to ensure the photos are perfect. It creates a misperception among young people of what is regarded as ‘perfect’. Teenagers are easily influenced, as they are in a stage of life where they are uncertain of themselves and are still learning about themselves. The media uses this fact to target and influence teenagers.

Study Guide Activity 4 Study the photos and answer the questions that follow.

(See the colour copy in the colour addendum.)

Image 1.3

Can you notice any differences between these two photos?

What do you think this process of improvement is called?

Why do you say that?

Do you think it reflects a true image of the person?

Do you think it may create a wrong impression of beauty among teenagers?

The media especially features movie stars and models in their advert campaigns. These people

are usually held up as role models for teenagers. Teenagers want to be like them and look like

them. This may cause problems if the person is not a positive role model. The model may be

extremely skinny, or he or she may smoke and drink excessively. It may lead to the teenager

imitating that person and doing the very same things to be like this person. 16

G06 ~ Life Skills

Let us look at two examples:

Image 1.4

Activity 5 1.

Write down everything you like about your body.

Do you think that most people have perfect bodies?

Which things about your body do you dislike? How will you describe the perfect body?

What will influence your idea of a perfect body?

When you page through magazines and see all the ‘perfect’ people, how does it make you

What do you think is more important – what you look like or how you behave?

Do you think it is more important to be beautiful on the inside than on the outside? feel about yourself?

Do you think you have a good body image? Give a reason for your answer.

The community in which you live may also influence the way you see your body. You may be

different from the majority of people in your community and may feel that you are not accepted.

In some African cultures, it is acceptable to be overweight; it is even regarded as a status symbol.

In many Western cultures, however, it is more acceptable to be slender and even extremely thin.

1.3

Accepting yourself

The most important step anyone can ever take in his/her life is to accept himself/ herself. You may decide to accept yourself just as you are without changing anything, or you may decide to learn certain skills to enable you to grow and develop.

Study Guide

Image 1.5

All of us are different, with different personalities and different body shapes. Some people are

tall and slim, while others are short and plump. Perhaps you would like to change a few things

about your body. You may want to lose weight or become fitter; however, some things you

cannot change, for instance, the shape of your nose or ears. You may choose to be sad and

self-conscious about it, or you may accept it and love yourself, irrespective of your ‘defects’. By

taking care of your body and looking after it well, you can be proud of who you are.

Strategies to help me accept myself for who I am:

●

Always focus on your positive qualities, like your shiny hair.

●

Do not compare yourself to others – you are unique.

● ● ● ●

Change whatever you can, for instance, by losing extra weight.

Laugh at yourself and accept yourself, “defects” and all.

Take care of your body and love it every day. Take pride in your appearance. Activity 6

Make a self-acceptance list. This list should contain all the qualities you like about yourself.

Include things about your body and your personality.

Put your list on the wall where you can see it every day. Read it every day.

G06 ~ Life Skills 1.4

Read about a positive body image

Read the following passage. Accept yourself and focus on things that make you happy Do you like your body? Many children and teenagers are unhappy with their body image.

They admire film stars, models and sports stars and want to look like them. What they don’t realise is that photos and videos of famous people are often ‘corrected’ to hide bad skin, less than perfect bellies and legs and other ‘problems’ Sometimes actors even use

body doubles to hide their flaws. The images we see are not realistic – it is how people in the film, magazine and advertising world dictate how a person should look.

Pressure from the media, friends and family may make you feel unhappy about the way you

look. You may try unhealthy diets or become shy and uncertain of yourself. It is important to talk to your parents and friends when you feel this way, so that they can help you create a positive body image.

You have a positive body image when you realise and accept that:

●

human bodies come in different shapes and sizes.

●

your body size and weight does not predict whether you will be happy, successful or

●

images in the media is unrealistic and is used to sell products (such as clothes).

●

healthy.

each person is unique, with different talents, abilities and skills.

Compare yourself with people in your family. Do you have your dad’s nose or smile? Or

your grandmother’s lovely voice and curly hair? When you were conceived, your mother

and father each passed down some of their genes to you, so that you inherited some of their

characteristics or even some from your grandparents. You cannot change most of these

characteristics, but you can choose to focus on what you like about yourself and work on

that – a good voice can be trained to sing well or strong legs run fast.

It is also important to look after yourself and take good care of your body. Eat healthy food; maintain good personal hygiene and put on clean clothes; get enough sleep; play and do

activities you enjoy; care for and share with others; avoid unhealthy cigarette smoke and alcohol, and be positive and happy.

Study Guide Many different types of beauty have been appreciated and celebrated through the ages

people, for example very small feet, long necks, thick bottom lips, very fat bodies, very thin

bodies, no hair or lots of hair. In some cultures being plump is even considered a sign of health and wealth. Perceptions about beauty and ideal body shapes change constantly and

it is anybody’s guess what the definition of beauty will be in the future!

You may believe more people would like you if you were prettier or thinner or stronger. But a smiling, friendly person will always have more friends than an unhappy, rude one, no

matter what they look like. Learn to accept yourself and find things that make you happy.

Lesson 2 Abilities, interests and potential 2.1

Identify your own abilities, interests and potential Not everyone does everything equally well. It is important to

know what you are good at and what makes you feel good about yourself. People tend to remember their mistakes and

forget about the things they do well. You must be brave and

start trying out new things, even if you don’t know whether

you will succeed. This is the only way to find out in what you excel. You must become more aware of your own interests

and abilities to develop and improve yourself and reach your

full potential. You can figure out what these things are by

identifying the things that make you happy and help you relax.

● Image 1.6

● ●

What sports do you like and in which sports do you excel?

What school subjects do you like and do well in? What other activities do you like?

Activity 7 1. 20

Make a list of all your interests and abilities. © Optimi

G06 ~ Life Skills 2.

Draw columns with the following headings and write notes in each of them on what you think about yourself:

● ●

Things I do well.

●

Things I do not like doing.

● ●

2.2

My dreams.

●

Things I have already done: school/sports/others. Things I like doing.

Things that are difficult to do.

Relationship between abilities, interests and potential

Your abilities and interests will determine your potential to do something. Your interests are

all the things you like doing, such as playing sports. Your abilities are all the things in which

you excel. You may like rugby and be good at it. How you use these two qualities in relation to each other will determine whether you will reach your full potential.

Image 1.7

If you are intensely interested in something, it normally means that you will also have the

ability to do it. These two qualities go hand in hand. You may also learn some skills if you really

like doing something at which you are not that good. In this way, you will rely on your interest

to improve your ability to reach your full potential. You cannot do the one without the other.

Therefore, if you are seriously interested in rugby and you are good at it, you will use these

qualities to practise hard and grow your potential. And one day, you will be able to use your full

potential to become Springbok!

Study Guide Activity 8 1.

Draw two columns in your book, one for your interests (what you like doing) and one for

your abilities (what you are good at).

Fill each column with your thoughts about your interest and abilities.

Study the columns and see if you can identify any relationship between what you like doing and what you are good at. Activity 9

Use the list of interests in Activity 8.

Find pictures depicting these interests in a magazine and cut them out. Use the pictures to make a colourful A4 poster showing your interests.

2.3 Create opportunities to make the most of your own abilities, interests and potential

You may wonder why it is so important to determine your interests and abilities. You are now at

an age where you will have to start deciding which subjects you would like to choose and what

job you would like to have one day. This decision will influence all other decisions you will take

in the future, especially about your career. You will also have to decide which sports or any other activities you want to do. You would not want to do things that you do not like – or would

you? This is why you need to start to figure out what your interests are and which things you are good at. It will also help you start developing and improving these qualities to enable you

to reach your full potential later on. Activity 10

What would you like to do for a living one day?

Give reasons for your answer in 3.

Do you know which subjects to take to study this in future?

Does your proposed occupation match your interests and abilities?

G06 ~ Life Skills 2.4

Action plan to make the most of own interests and abilities and develop own potential

By now, you should have formed a definite idea of your interests and abilities and should now

start focusing on improving these qualities to help you when you become older. It is usually

easy to improve performance in something if you like doing it. You may be a bit scared at times

to take the risk of trying to do better and expand your boundaries, as it is so much easier to

stay with what you know and where you feel comfortable. Perhaps you simply do not know how

to improve! You may therefore need assistance, advice and guidance to help you develop and

improve. Sometimes you just have to make that decision to improve and develop your talents, and then take the necessary steps to achieve it.

How can you develop your interests and abilities?

●

I need to remind myself regularly of the things I am good at.

●

I must focus on improving the things I am good at.

● ●

I must enjoy everything I do.

I need to get more information about my interests.

Activity 11 1.

What do you think you can do to develop and improve your interests and abilities? Discuss it with your friends or your facilitator.

What must my plan of action look like to develop my abilities and interests?

You need to take action now and design a plan to develop and improve your interests and abilities. Only then will you reach your full potential. You will never develop your skills unless

you try to improve them. The easiest way of implementing your plan is first to draft a plan. Let’s work in terms of the following 10 steps that you can implement.

These 10 steps may look as follows:

Step 1: Remind yourself of your goals every day. Step 2: Believe in yourself.

Study Guide

Step 4: Take small steps – do only one thing at a time to help you achieve your objectives. Step 5: Accept responsibility for your decisions.

Step 6: Even though the task seems difficult, do not lose heart; keep on going forward!

Step 7: Do not become impatient. Remember, you will not be able to accomplish everything in one day.

Step 8: Evaluate your plan regularly. Change your plan, if necessary. Step 9: Try to enjoy the process at all times.

Step 10: Give feedback to yourself and your friends on what you have accomplished. Activity 12 1.

2.5

Design an A4 poster with your own plan of action. Discuss it with your friends or facilitator.

Put your plan of action up somewhere so that you can see it every day. Read about development of interests, abilities and potential

Read the following passage. Optimise your interests and abilities for a better you Do you like athletics or maths? Are you good at building things or drawing? Would you like

to be a doctor or a pilot? The things we enjoy doing and care about are called our interests.

The things we are good at, are our abilities. Often, we like to do things we are good at, and

because we do enjoy it and do it often, we become even better at it. It is a good idea to know

your interests and abilities, so that you can develop these to their full potential.

You can identify your interests by asking the following questions: What is your favourite

subject? Why? What is your favourite game? What television programmes do you like to

watch? Do you have any hobbies? What do you like about these hobbies? Do you like team sports or doing things on your own.

Now try to identify your abilities. What subjects are you best at? What sports are you good

at? What games are you good at? Ask your friends and parents to tell you what they think

you are good at – you might be good at following maps and finding your way home or explaining difficult sums so others can understand them.

G06 ~ Life Skills

Once you know what your interests and abilities are, you can identify how these may help you in life. You may use these interests and abilities to develop general skills, such as

working in a team or improving your vocabulary. You can also choose what school subjects to take and start thinking about what careers you may like.

If you are good at chess, you have the ability to plan well ahead and concentrate for long periods. If you develop your chess skills, you may have the potential to become a champion chess player, or you may use your abilities to become a doctor or a surgeon. If you are

interested in how machines work and you do well in maths and science, you may become

an engineer. If you love writing or telling stories, and your friends enjoy listening to them,

then you may have the potential to become a writer or an actor. If you are good at drawing,

possible careers include being an artist, a graphic designer or an architect.

Once you have also identified things you are not as good at, consider finding ways to

improve or work around those abilities. If you don’t like team sports, consider swimming

or dancing to improve your fitness and strength. If you are shy, why not join a choir or drama group to help you grow more confident in front of people.

Lesson 3 Peer pressure 3.1

Examples of peer pressure in different situations: School and community

All teenagers want to fit in. A group of friends will wear the same type of clothes or listen to the same music. That is how they identify with one another and form part of the group

dynamic. Group and peer influence affect each of us in some way, irrespective of age or gender.

Unfortunately, not all influences are good for us. Owing to peer pressure, people will sometimes change their behaviour, even though they may feel uncomfortable about it. Friends may make

demands on you, which you know are not right, but you will give in to this pressure because

you simply do not want to feel left out.

Study Guide Activity 13 1.

Think about someone who might have influenced you recently.

Which influences do you think are the most difficult to resist?

Do your friends influence the music you like listening?

What types of influence are there? Try to identify a few. Divide these into good and bad influences.

How does your peer group influence your decisions? Do your friends influence your appearance?

Do your friends influence what you do in your spare time?

Your peer group comprises friends more or less your age. They go to the same school as you do

or move in the same social circles. This group has a much greater impact on you than you may ever realise and often determine your behaviour in certain circumstances. Your peer group’s

influence may be positive or negative; therefore, it is of utmost importance that you understand

your own feelings and trust your own decisions.

Peer pressure may occur at school and even in your community. At school, your group may put pressure on you to miss classes or to treat the teacher badly. You may do so because you do not

want to lose your friends, but you are not thinking about the consequences. In your community, there may be groups or gangs that will put pressure on young people to do all kinds of wrong things like smoking marijuana. It will always be your own choice whether you will give in to their pressure.

However, not all peer pressure is negative. Your friends and peer group may also give you

excellent advice and encourage you to do your homework and participate in sports. This will

have a positive impact on your actions. Negative group pressure will have an adverse effect on

you. It will change you, which may have severe consequences later on in life. Young people often

give in to peer pressure, as they desperately want to be part of the group. Other children may

just be curious or may have a poor self-image and want to be accepted by others at all costs. Activity 14

Make a list of the good and bad influences your friends have had on your life and decisions. Make a list of positive peer pressure.

Make a list of negative peer pressure.

G06 ~ Life Skills 3.2

Appropriate responses to peer pressure in different circumstances

You can say “no” and walk away from peer pressure. However, it is not always that easy. You

need to have sound self-knowledge and must be able to distinguish between right and wrong.

You have to remember what your parents have taught you. You need to understand your own feelings and emotions. You must always think of the consequences of your actions. For a little

while, you may not be popular with the group, but in the long run it will be to your benefit. You must always choose the right friends. Choose friends who have the same values and the same education that you have. It will help you make the right choices in future. If you have made

wrong choices, you need to talk to someone you can trust.

It is important always to feel good about yourself. It will help you resist peer pressure. If your friends make you feel bad about yourself, they are not the right friends for you. Isn’t it wonderful to hear someone say good things about you? It helps develop a positive self-image. A negative

self-image is when you are unsure of yourself and do not feel good about yourself. This is why

it is important for you to develop a positive self-image. Positive people are happy people who draw other happy people to them.

How to be positive every day:

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Be yourself. Do not try to be like other people.

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Spend lots of time with friends who make you feel good about yourself.

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Focus on the things in which you excel. Learn new skills.

Be optimistic and surround yourself with positive people. Stay away from people who do wrong things.

Learn from your own mistakes. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. We all make them!

Always take responsibility for everything you do. Activity 15

Describe any situation in which you have felt some pressure from your peer group.

What decision did you have to make in the situation?

What did you decide, and what were the consequences of your decision?

Now that you think about it again, would you have approached it somewhat differently?

Study Guide 3.3

Read about peer pressure

Read the following passage. Clever strategies to deal with peer pressure

Do you ever feel that you have to dress a certain way, listen to certain music or talk in a certain way to be ‘cool’? That feeling is the result of peer pressure. Your peers are the

children who are of the same age as you, in the same grade or glass as you or who you

socialise with after school. We all want to be accepted and liked and to feel like we belong.

It is important, though, to know yourself and to be able to say no when your peers try to get

you to do something that is wrong or that you don’t like, for example to smoke or to bully someone. Listen to your body in such a situation. How do you feel? Is your heart beating

fast? Do you have butterflies in your stomach? Is your mouth dry? Stop to think why you

feel that way. Will you get into trouble? Is it worth it? Are you breaking the law or school

rules? Is it safe? Will your teachers or parents be angry or disappointed? Will someone get hurt? Do you feel good about it?

There are a number of ways to deal with negative peer pressure. If someone in your peer

group suggests something you don’t want to do, simply say, “No, thanks” in a friendly way.

Another option is to make an exit. You can come up with an excuse to make it sound less

awkward or simply walk away, depending on the situation. You can also say “No, thanks” and change the subject or start laughing, as if the person made a joke.

If you are brave and confident, try to convince your friends in a friendly manner that what

they are doing is dangerous or wrong. You can say, “I thought you were smarter than that” or ask, “How would you feel if someone called you names?”

At first, your friends may try to make fun of you. But if you keep smiling and remain friendly but firm, they will start to respect you as someone who has self-confidence and can think

for yourself. You can also put positive peer pressure on your friends, by supporting them

when they are unsure, or when they are made fun of or bullied.

G06 ~ Life Skills

Positive peer pressure may help you to become a better person and to improve your marks, for example, when you and your friends decide to donate food and money for a good cause

or help each other prepare for a test. Make friends everywhere – in your sports team, in

the choir or in a book club. There you will find people who think like you and share your

interests. You will also learn that there are people who think differently from you, and that

you can learn from them too. You can have fun with friends, learn new things and take safe risks with the support of your peer group.

Lesson 4 Problem-solving skills in conflict situations 4.1

Acting as a mediator

Most people experience conflict as something negative. However, conflict can bring about good changes and new opportunities. In such instances, conflict can actually have a positive

outcome. It often happens in a conflict situation that people say or do something which may

intensify the conflict.

Conflict may be verbal (insulting someone) or physical (hitting or kicking someone). It is critical that conflict be resolved appropriately. You need to know where the conflict started to be able to propose plans to resolve it.

What does negotiation involve? Negotiation is a process whereby people in conflict are brought together to try to settle their differences. Each person gets a chance to speak about his or her grievances and propose a solution. Negotiation normally consists of the following steps:

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Identify the problem and decide on a solution.

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Have a brainstorming session. It means that everyone’s proposed solution is discussed

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Give each person a chance to tell his/her side of the problem.

Respect each other’s opinions. and considered.

Decide on one solution that will meet the approval of each person.

Study Guide

How should I behave in a conflict situation?

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Stop and cool down. Wait a while before speaking.

Identify the real cause of the conflict. Use “I” statements, such as “I feel …”

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Talk about your feelings and about what has happened.

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Make a plan and decide on how you will implement it.

● ●

Have a brainstorming session.

Choose solutions that will satisfy everyone.

Image 1.8

Activity 16 1.

Think of any problem that you’ve had to deal with recently.

Tell your side of the story.

Identify the real reason for the conflict.

Tell the other person how you feel.

Have a brainstorming session to try to find a possible solution. Choose one of the proposed solutions.

Implement it.

Evaluate the solution and determine if it has resolved the differences.