Grade 9 • Study Guide
Life Orientation
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Reg. No.: 2011/011959/07
Life Orientation
Study guide
Grade 9
CAPS aligned
LM van der Walt Í2)È-E-LIO-SG015Î
FOREWORD
This study guide is compiled to meet the CAPS requirements. Every lesson has a time allocation to help you plan your lessons. The time allocation for Life Orientation is two hours per week according to departmental prescriptions. The Physical Education section is at the back of the study guide You have to dedicate at least two hours per week to Physical Education
Each lesson has been divided into clear sub-sections. At the end of each lesson there are activities and exercises that you have to complete The assignments prepare you for exams and tests and give you an idea whether you have mastered the work.
No activity in the Study Guide is done for formal assessment. Please refer to the portfolio book for all formal assessments. Below is a short summary of the assessment.
Unit 5
1
Safety issues relating to fitness activities
Participation in activities that improve the level of physical health
2 Safety issues relating to participation in sport
Participation in and execution of a game plan for an individual or team sports
3 Safety issues relating to movement activities
Participation and finishing of own peer group’s execution of movement activities
4
Safety issues relating to outdoor recreation programme
Participation and execution of movement during an outdoor recreational programme: WALK AND HIKE
UNIT 1: Self-development in society and the world of work
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
After completing the unit, you must be able to:
Identify the influence of the media, environment, friends, family culture and religion on personal lifestyle choices.
Apply informed decision-making skills
Act with confidence and be assertive.
Identify risk factors that can lead to unhealthy sexual behaviour
Recognise the consequences of unhealthy sexual behaviour
Implement strategies to address unhealthy sexual behaviour.
Be aware of places where they can get help
Develop skills to manage their work and use their time efficiently
Read and write for different purposes.
INTRODUCTION
It is important that learners must be able to use the life skills they have learned to apply and develop their personal potential It enables learners to react efficiently to the challenges from the world around them. Adolescence is characterised by emotional and physical changes. It is important that learners should be able to build a positive self-image and to be accepted by their peers. This unit enables the learner to develop further life skills. It will also help learners to develop emotional intelligence that will empower them to deal with challenges The unit supplements the work done in the previous grade with new knowledge.
IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGY
New terminology used in every lesson is explained in the DEFINE box
Every lesson is compiled in such a way that you can work through it at your leisure and then answer the questions at the end of the lesson. The questions testyourcomprehension of the learning material. There are also questions after some of the lessons that test your insight, and there are application questions to help you master the required outcomes. Every lesson has a time allocation. This is the recommended length of time to work through the lesson and answeryourquestions.
1.1. Lesson 1: Goal-setting: Personal lifestyle choices (3 hours)
1.1.1 A healthy lifestyle
• What is a healthy life?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a condition of total physical, mental and social wellness. It is not only the absence of disease. The real definition of health is about the steps, actions and strategies that you put into place to achieve optimum health. A healthy lifestyle means taking responsibility for the choices you make regarding your body and making wise choices about your health for now and for the future. However, the choices you make regarding your health involve various aspects:
• exercise
• diet
• sleep
• emotional and mental health
• spirituality.
EXERCISE
Physical activity comprises all forms of muscle movement. It can range from everyday activities to sport. Purposeful exercise consists of exercises that are practiced at least three to five days per week. It is necessary to exercise for 20 – 60 minutes per session to gain optimal results. This includes activities such as, for example, walking, running, cycling or swimming. Benefits of regular exercise:
• improves your health
• makes you feel better about yourself.
• contributes towards your mental health
• improves your appearance and therefore your self-image.
• can improve your social life; you meet many new people if, for example, you join a sport club or gym.
• improves your stamina and endurance.
DIET/NUTRITION
Healthy eating doesn’t mean a strict dietary plan that deprives you of your favourite food. On the contrary, it is about feeling good, having more energy and keeping yourself as healthy as possible. Healthy eating is about clever eating. It’s not always about what you eat, but how much you eat. Moderation is the key: every person should maintain a balance between carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals.
The following basic guidelines about nutrition are provided by the South African Cancer Association:
SAMPLE
• Eat raw vegetables and fruit every day
• Eat at least five portions of vegetables and fruit per day
• Eat more fibre; eat your fruit and vegetables in the skin as far as possible
• Try to eat more whole grain foods such as Weetbix and oats.
• Limit your intake of processed food such as viennas and polony
• Avoid too much sugar and salt.
• Drink at least eight glasses of water every day
• Avoid carbonated soft drinks that contain a lot of sugar.
• Drink rooibos tea rather than coffee. (Information from: www.cansa.com)
It is good to learn about the basic nutrition principles and food groups:
NAME OF NUTRIENT FUNCTION OF NUTRIENT
CARBOHYDRATES
PROTEINS
HEALTHY FAT
FIBRE
MINERALS
VITAMINS A, B, C, D, E
Provides energy
Helps your body to grow and heal
Provides energy and builds up the body
FOODS IN WHICH THEY ARE FOUND
Potatoes, rice, grains, pasta, bread, fruit and vegetables
Red meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, and beans
SAMPLE
SLEEP
Assists with the digestion of food
Iron ensures healthy blood
Calcium is necessary for healthy bones and teeth
Magnesium helps to sustain your nervous system.
Vitamins sustain your skin, teeth, bones and general health
Dairy products, red meat, avocado, canola oil and canola margarine, nuts and seeds.
Grains, fruit, bread and vegetables
Fresh fruit and vegetables
Dairy products, eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables. Vitamin supplements
Sleep plays a vital role in our daily lives and functioning. It influences your physical, as well as your mental health. Adequate sleep will improve your ability to handle stress and challenges. The required amount of sleep varies from person to person.
Teenagers need at least nine hours sleep per day to function and grow optimally
Adults need six to eight hours sleep per day.
EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
The correct diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep all contribute towards a healthy emotional state You have to develop strategies to control and manage your stress levels. Make enough time for friends and family. Accept help and support from friends and family when you experience difficult times.
SPIRITUALITY
Spirituality has nothing to do with your particular religion. It is about your connection to other people and with life itself. It is important to have religious and spiritual values. It helps you to keep in touch with yourself and to cope with the knocks of life
DEFINE:
Spirituality: A person’s feeling of peace and connection with other people and the person’s belief in the meaning of life. (CANSA)
Peer group: People the same age as you.
Lifestyle choice: The way you choose to live your life.
1.1.2 The influence of certain factors on lifestyle choices
We look at how certain factors influence your lifestyle choices:
o THE MEDIA
SAMPLE
Mass media is a powerful source of communication. The role of the media in society is to spread information. TV, the Internet, magazines and newspapers reach millions of people every day. When we make use of media, we have to think critically about what we are looking at, what we read and what we hear We have to be able to identify how it affects our thoughts, attitudes and behaviour.
Teenagers are easily influenced by what the media dishes up to them. The media creates a fixed idea about people and characters. The media manipulates young people by what they serve. You may perhaps want to be like a certain famous movie star. This can lead to you making the wrong lifestyle choices. You may stop eating because your hero or heroine is very thin. You may start smoking because the person you admire does it!
It is important to know that the media targets your desires and not necessarily what you need. They want to sell their products and therefore adjust their strategies accordingly. Advertisements make you believe that if you buy a certain product, it will make you happy. But you have to realise they only create an illusion, which is not the truth
o THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE SOCIETY IN WHICH YOU LIVE
The environment in which you live determines the places and people you are exposed to every day. Research shows that teenagers who grow up in neighbourhoods where there is a lot of violence tend to get involved in violence. It is often not because they want to, but because they fear for their safety if they do not get involved. This is why they often belong to gangs.
Teenagers who grow up in more sheltered and more affluent environments have less frequent contact with unwise lifestyle choices. However, they are not exempt from it. The community you live in also has a defining effect on the choices you make. The people in your community serve as role models in your life. In the community where you live, there are certain preconceived norms and values that you have to comply with. In certain communities, behaviour such as pre-marital sex, alcohol and drug abuse and violence is acceptable. Children who grow up in such societies or communities are exposed to it every day. They therefore accept such behaviour as the norm. Children, who grow up in communities where such choices are considered as wrong, are therefore more likely to make good lifestyle choices. However, it depends on every person what their lifestyle choices would be.
SAMPLE
o FRIENDS AND PEERS
Your friends are a very important part of your life during your teenage years. They are the people who support you in difficult times and with whom you spend much of your time. Your friends have a defining influence on the choices you make. You want to please them at all times and fear that you may lose their friendship if you don’t want to be part of their activities. You have to decide for yourself whether you want to do the wrong things with them It is important to act assertively in your friendships.
Your friends have to know what is important to you. You have to live according to your own norms and values so that you can be a role model for your friends. Enrich yourself with knowledge regarding certain topics such as unhealthy sexual behaviour, smoking, the use of alcohol, and drug abuse. Tell your friends how dangerous they are
Your peers are those people who are the same age group as you They are usually the group of people from whom you choose your friends.
o YOUR FAMILY
Your family maintains a certain lifestyle Your parents may choose not to smoke or drink, they eat healthily and exercise regularly. Your parents’ lifestyle choices will have an influence on your lifestyle choices It is the example put to you and will guide you in the choices you make You should be grateful if you are exposed to healthy lifestyle choices within your family circle. Not all children have that privilege. Some children are exposed to violence, alcohol and drug abuse and sexual debauchery
o YOUR CULTURE AND RELIGION
Culture and religion go hand in hand. The culture that you belong to requires you to make certain lifestyle choices. What is acceptable in some cultures is not the norm in other cultures, for example pre-marital sex. It is especially considered unacceptable in Western culture However, there are cultures that call for it to establish a woman’s fertility
SAMPLE
The religion you practise influences your lifestyle choices. Different religions uphold different norms. The Christian religion, for example, holds that you may not harm your body. For this reason, they believe that excessive use of alcohol, drug abuse and pre-marital sex is sinful.
You can now see how many different factors there are that can influence your lifestyle choices for yourself and your future It doesn’t matter in what circumstances you grew up; you determine your own choices. You can use your background and experiences to make the correct lifestyle choices for yourself!
CORE CONTENT:
During this lesson you should learn what it means to make lifestyle choices. There are many factors that influence your choices and the way you live your daily life
It is important to be able to consider the different factors, analyse them and make the correct choices accordingly. You have to be able to make wise choices about your life and your future.
You have to act with self-confidence and be assertive in your relationships with other people. You can only act with confidence if you are actually sure who you are and what you want to achieve in life. Being assertive does not mean that you are arrogant. It simply means that you can make choices with confidence and determination and stick to your choices!
1.1.3 Decision-making skills
Even as a teenager you have to make choices about your future. This includes your lifestyle choices. You can only change your dreams into reality if you set goals for yourself. This helps you to know where your life is heading. How do I set goals for myself, especially regarding my lifestyle choices?
1. Make sure it is something you really want or want to do and not something that someone else expects of you For example, you don’t want to drink alcohol because you are convinced that people should look after their bodies. You don’t refrain from drinking alcohol only because your parents forbid it
2. Your goals have to be in agreement with your values and norms For example, you do not drink alcohol, because you value a healthy body.
SAMPLE
3. It must not contradict your other goals. For example, you don’t want to use alcohol, but you do smoke cigarettes.
4. You must approach your goals in a positive way. For example, don’t be negative about it and avoid parties because you are afraid that you may give in to the temptation to drink. Look at it as a positive step towards being a role model for your friends.
5. Write down your goals.
6. Revise your goals regularly:
• What are the benefits if you reach your goal?
• What obstacles do you have to overcome to reach your goal?
• Identify people who can help you reach your goals.
• Make a list of the abilities you have that will help you reach your goals, for example your perseverance
When you have worked through all the steps and established a goal for yourself, you can move on to the DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
The way in which you make decisions, influences your decisions. Making good decisions require a great deal of practise. Which strategies do you use to make decisions?
Do you make impulsive decisions, or do you consider the advantages and disadvantages?
Do you make your decisions alone, or do you ask for help from someone else?
When someone gives you guidance and advice, do you accept it?
If you take a decision methodically and approach decision-making less emotionally, you will make more informed decisions. To make more informed decisions, you have to think about the consequences of your decision before you make a decision.
The next four steps will help you to take informed decisions
STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. What is the decision you have to take? Focus on the specific problem.
STEP 2: IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS. What are the different choices that you can make?
Gather information about all the different options. Think about the different possible ways in which you can solve the problem
STEP 3: CONSIDER THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF EVERY OPTION. You should not only consider the consequences for yourself, but also how it would affect the people around you.
STEP 4: DECIDE WHICH OPTION IS THE BEST ONE. Discuss the options with your family, friends, relatives or anybody that you trust, before you take a final decision.
You have now taken a decision. It is sometimes difficult to share your decisions with others. Your decisions may not please everyone. However, you have to act with selfconfidence and be assertive, so that you will be taken seriously.
Steps that will help you to act with more self-confidence and to be assertive:
1. Identify a person whom you think radiates self-confidence. Use the person as a mentor. Watch how the person acts and learn from the example.
2. Speak with your body. Your physical attitude determines whether you appear self-assured. Don’t fidget or avoid eye contact. Maintain a good posture and move with confidence
3. Speak loudly and clearly.
4. See yourself as being filled with confidence It is important what you think of yourself. But guard against appearing arrogant.
5. Practise being self-confident. Practise your behaviour by using different situations in which you find yourself.
6. Make eye contact at all times with the person or persons you are talking to
7. Practise how you are going to process and deal with rejection. Teach yourself to accept it gracefully and don’t allow it to affect you negatively.
8. When you are having a conversation, choose your topic in such a way that everybody can participate in it. Choose a topic that is relevant.
9. Choose to forget negative comments
10. Choose people who have a positive attitude and surround yourself with people who have the same interests as you.
You now have enough information to make informed lifestyle choices!
FOR THE CURIOUS:
SAMPLE
The World Health Organization warns that tobacco will probably have taken the lives of more than 8 million people worldwide by 2030. Do research about the following aspects of tobacco:
• The history of tobacco
• Tobacco production
• The dangers of smoking
• Smoking and young people
There is information about the topic in the facilitator’s guide. When you have completed your research, you can update this information with your facilitator.
ACTIVITY 1:
Question 1:
The following question is about the effect of the media on your personal lifestyle choices. Choose any programme you watch regularly on TV Answer the following questions with reference to the programme:
1. What is the name of the programme? (1)
2. What are the names of the two main characters? (2)
3. How old are the main characters and how do they dress? (4)
4. Why is it your favourite programme? Give two reasons (2)
5. In which country or city does the story take place? (1)
6. Which age group do you think is the target group for the programme? Why do you say so? (2)
7. Which characters are your favourites and why do you say so? Name two characters (4)
8. Which characteristics of the character would you like to have? Name two characteristics. (2)
9. Which character is unpopular in the programme and why? (2)
10. Name two life lessons that you can learn from the programme. (2)
11. Do you think the programme influences the way in which you behave, think or dress? (3)
12. Who is your role model? (1)
13. Do you think all the exposure to movie stars and famous people have a positive or a negative effect on your way of thinking? Give reasons for your answer (2) [30]
1.2 Lesson 2: Sexual behaviour and sexual health (4 hours)
1.2.1 Unhealthy sexual behaviour
SAMPLE
Sexuality is part of being human. You have to establish healthy relationships with other people. Don’t be shy to talk about the things that you wonder about. It is important to maintain a healthy sexual lifestyle. It protects you against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
Adolescents’ risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS as a result of sexual behaviour, is high Starting early sexual relationships contributes towards teenagers having multiple sexual partners. Teenagers’ physical, emotional and social well-being is threatened when they are not equipped to sustain their sexual health.
Promoting sexual health is a serious issue. Ignorance about sexual health leads to health problems, which result in sexually transmitted diseases threatening people’s lives. Ignorance endangers lives
DEFINE:
Ignorance: The absence of knowledge about a specific topic.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Diseases that are transmitted from one person to another through sexual contact.
STDs – Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Aids – Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Risky behaviour: Behaviour that exposes you to dangers that can have bad consequences for you.
1.2.2 The undesired results of unhealthy sexual behaviour
• TEENAGE PREGNANCY
Teenage pregnancy is becoming increasingly prevalent, which is a major cause for concern It doesn’t matter what kind of home or community a teenager comes from; it can happen to anybody
Research has shown that teenage pregnancy is especially influenced by the following factors:
Girls who drop out of school, particularly as a result of economic problems and also because their school performance is poor.
Poverty – the girls are sometimes forced to offer sexual favours for financial gain.
Where the parents are either physically or emotionally unavailable to the girl.
An absence of open communication between the girl and her parents.
Teenagers who do not have access to family planning services and therefore do not receive the necessary advice and support
Teenagers feel there is a stigma attached to sex and do not want to talk about it.
Peer pressure to be sexually active
Sexual abuse and rape. It is important to identify someone whom you trust to discuss these issues.
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
Sexually transmitted infections are transmitted from one person to another through sexual contact. These infections eventually cause sexually transmitted diseases It is widespread and can have various serious consequences. If it is not treated, it can lead to infertility and even death.
The most common STDs are gonorrhoea, trigomoniasis, chlamydial infection and syphilis. Most of these diseases can be treated and cured. The diseases that cannot be cured are AIDS and HIV
HIV is transmitted by:
sexual contact
blood
a pregnant woman transmits it to her baby
transmitted during birth and with breast feeding. STDs like syphilis can increase your chances of contracting HIV. People with STDs do not always have noticeable symptoms
HIV AND AIDS
South Africa has the highest rate of people with HIV/AIDS in the world. At the end of 2007, it stood at an estimated 5,7 million people. (www.mieliestronk.com)
What is HIV/Aids?
It is called Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome The HI virus damages the immune system People who are infected with the virus, experience a gradual loss of the immunity function. This leads to various diseases, which, in a healthy person can be cured quickly However, the person with HIV cannot be cured so quickly, because the immune system is damaged.
SAMPLE
Various antiretroviral drugs are available to treat the virus. The drugs are unfortunately very expensive, which means many people cannot afford them. Aids is mainly transmitted through sexual contact. But there are activities that pose no risk:
normal touching such as a handshake
a normal kiss on the mouth where saliva is not exchanged
when you just hug someone
when you donate blood; all the needles are sterilized and safe
you cannot get the virus by, for example, sharing a drinking glass.
EMOTIONAL CONSEQUENCES
Teenagers who are sexually active at an early age, are not emotionally ready to deal with the consequences. It places unnecessary emotional pressure on them and can lead to a poor self-image. They enter adult life before they are ready for it.
CORE CONTENT:
It is important that you should educate yourself about the ways in which you can maintain a healthy sexual lifestyle. You also have to become aware of unhealthy sexual behaviour and its consequences.
In Lesson 1 we discussed lifestyle choices. Your sexual behaviour forms part of the lifestyle you choose for yourself. It is important that you should be able to use all the information to make informed decisions about your life.
1.2.3. Factors that influence your sexual behaviour YOUR FAMILY
They are the people who have the most significant influence on you. Your family’s attitude towards sexual behaviour will therefore have an influence on the sexual choices you make.
FRIENDS
The friends you choose influence you to behave in a certain way. Your friends’ sexual behaviour will also influence your sexual behaviour and thoughts. You must keep in mind that your friends don’t always have the correct information and therefore do not necessarily make the right decisions.
NORMS IN SOCIETY
SAMPLE
Some societies have clear norms regarding sexual behaviour. This can sometimes have a negative effect on teenagers. They may feel that they are not allowed to talk about sexuality. On the other hand, there are societies that do not give clear guidelines to their teenagers and there are no clear norms This can cause teenagers to have casual sexual relationships, which, in turn, lead to high occurrence of teenage pregnancies.
FOR THE CURIOUS:
Do research on the origin of HIV/Aids.
1.2.4. Strategies to deal with unhealthy sexual behaviour and protective structures
People who practise unhealthy sexual behaviour can change their behaviour. The first step is to apply a behavioural change. Abstaining means that you abstain from any sexual activities. Avoid situations where you are pressurised to be sexually active. Speak to someone you trust. It is also important to establish a support system, which will help you to uphold your goal
Where can you get help?
• clinics and sexual guidance clinics
• your parents, brother or sister
• your youth leader at the church
• any adult you trust.
1.2.5. Adverse consequences and implications of teenage pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy has very serious implications for the teenage parent, but also for children who have teenage parents.
Teenage girls who become pregnant often have to give up their schooling This leads to many girls never completing their school education, which contributes towards them not being able to get jobs. They then have to rely on a social grant from the government. It is more difficult for the girls if her family and friends do not support her. Many girls decide to give their babies up for adoption. In this way, they make sure that the baby will be cared for properly
Children who are brought up by teenage parents are sometimes adversely affected. Their parents are very young and usually not emotionally mature enough to be parents This often leads to emotional or physical neglect of the child. Children who are adopted can also experience feelings of rejection in later life.
ACTIVITY 2:
Answer the following questions:
2.1. Discuss the adverse effects of teenage pregnancies Mention three consequences. (3)
2.2. Discuss in your own words how you think your friends can influence your sexual behaviour. Mention three ways in which they can influence you (3)
2.3. Name four ways in which HIV/Aids can be transmitted (4) [10]
1.3 Lesson 3: Time-management skills (3 hours)
Time management gives you the opportunity to organise your work and use your time optimally.
Good time management has the following advantages:
• you are in charge of your time
• your stress levels are lower
• your energy levels are higher
• you make academic progress
• you maintain a healthy balance between your academic, social and sport activities.
1.3.1. How do I go about organising my work and using my time optimally?
1. Make a list of all the work you have to complete
2. Prioritise – which assignments have to be submitted first
3. Place the assignments in order of the due date, with those that have to be submitted first at the top of the list.
4. Compile a timetable according to which you will work.
5. Set yourself realistic deadlines
6. You can now relax, take one assignment at a time and complete it!
