NOTES GRADE 8 T1 and T2

Self-concept - It is the idea or the way you feel and think about yourself.
Several internal factor that influence your self-concept , such as:
 Your self- image.
 The way you believe others see you
 Feedback you get from people around you.
 Your life experiences
External Factors
 Media
 Environment
 Culture
 Beliefs
 Religion
 Family, friends and peers interaction
 community
Self-mo�va�on - is the mo�va�on that come within yourself, where your own needs
and desire makes you to want more and to achieve your best.
Self-talk - is the moment where you find yourself talking to yourself. May be not
out loud, but in your head.
Personal poten�al - Your personal poten�al is your natural strength and ability that
you can develop and use to be successful.

Understanding your sexuality

 As you develop physically and emo�onally, you become more curious about issues
related to sexuality.
 This is completely natural and happens to everyone at some �me or another.
Sexuality is more than just being atracted to someone; it is a transforma�on which
takes place within you.

 Sexuality includes your sexual feelings, desires and your sexual iden�ty.
 How you deal with these issues will help you to understand your sexuality.
 There are hormonal changes that occur within your body – that you yourself!
 At �mes you may have unusual feelings within yourself – that’s normal. What should
I do?

 Feelings about your sexuality can be disrup�ve in your day and it can affect your learning.
Learn to stay focused in class.

 Get more informa�on, i.e. in books and magazines or on the internet about your growing
sexual awareness and the changes you are going through to help you to understand and deal
with your curiosity.

 If you are comfortable and have a trusted older person you can speak frankly to, go ahead and
see if they can answer some of your ques�ons.

 It is beter to know what is going on than to be in the dark.

Influence of friends and peers on your sexuality

 We all want people to like us and we want to feel part of a group.

 At �mes, friends will boast about their sexuality, but they forget that it is not only a physical
transforma�on, but an emo�onal one too.

 You and some of your friends and peers may not all necessarily share the same views on
sexuality and sexual behaviour.

 You should not let your friends sway your values if you do not share their views on sexuality.

 Remember that your values may not always match those of your friends.

 It will not make you feel very good about yourself if you want to impress your friends by
going against your values.

 Your responsibility in a rela�onship is to behave appropriately.

 In every rela�onship there are expecta�ons of the other person.
 When you are with your friend, you expect your friend to be suppor�ve.
 Likewise, you are with your parents or caregivers, you expect them to care for you
and give you more freedom as a teenager.

Development of the self in society– Family, cultural and community norms that impact on
society
Introduc�on:
 Genes from your parents and grandparents determine who you are.
 Apart from your genes, the people, your environment and culture have an influence
on your sexual behaviour and iden�ty.
 This includes how boys and girls should behave, the freedom they are allowed, what
clothes they should wear and what behaviour is acceptable to each person.

What impact do cultural values have on a person?

 Cultural values have an impact on your sexuality.
 Cultural values also dictate:
- What is masculine?
- What is feminine
- How do boys and men behave?
How do girls and women behave?

 Shaking hands – a kiss on the cheek – all mean different things to different cultural
groups.
  In the middle eastern cultures – girls and boys should not be taught in the same
classroom.
 Our new cons�tu�on has given us more freedom in the new South Africa and we are
allowed to express ourselves more freely.
 South Africa is well known throughout the world for this concept - ‘ubuntu’ – ‘I am
because we are. I can only be a person through others’.

Sexuality is a life – long learning curve: (as you mature you will see life from a different
perspec�ve)

 Maintain a posi�ve a�tude by upholding your values.

 Establish beliefs and values about your iden�ty

 Become aware of your physical development.

 Be cau�ous in personal rela�onships.

 Understand the support of your family and community.

 Be aware of the body image you project.

 Pay aten�on to how you dress.

 Respect gender roles.

 Increase your knowledge, especially regarding risk factors related to sexuality

D EVELOPMENTOFTHESELFINSOCIETY–SOCIALPRESSURESINCLUDI
NGMEDIAANDPROBLEMSOLVINGSKILLS

Introduc�on:
You might have established your values towards sexuality, but you will s�ll experience
social pressures from friends, society and the media.
Ignore requests to ‘experiment’ with sex. Be strong in your own beliefs.
Remember – you are in charge of your life – no-one else!!!
Partner pressure – do I want this – my partner does but I’m not so sure.

Abs�nence – I will abstain as it is my choice! School is important and I’m scared of

AIDS.

I must protect myself – not scared of what others say!

What impact does the media have on my sexuality?

Television, movies, music, magazines, the internet and chat rooms are just a few
examples of the ever-developing pla�orms you are exposed to.
 The media contains many sexual messages that influence sexual a�tudes and
behaviour.

Media does influence our lives and this is part of it.

70% of TV programmes contain sexual content.

Internet has chat rooms and instant messaging.
Pornographic sites exist!
Face book, twiter and ‘sex�ng’ exists.

Internet can be posi�ve as it does supply people with accurate and important informa�on
about their own sexuality.
Problem solving:

You will encounter problems about your sexuality but use these 4 steps to help you solve
your problems:

1 – Find out what the problem is?

2 – Find alterna�ves

3 – Select the best solu�on

4 – Evaluate how you handle the problem!

Problem solved now – try these steps!!!

Rela�onships and Friendships

• Relationship: the connection between two or more people and their involvement
with one another, especially the way in which they behave towards and feel about
one another.
• Friendship: the relationship between two or more people who are friends.
• Rela�onships at home include our family or caregivers.

• At school our rela�onships include peers, teachers, office staff, cleaning staff and any
other helpers or visitors to the school.

How do we ini�ate rela�onships with people in the community?

• By being helpful towards other people.

• Take an interest in your community. Atend community events and
• par�cipate in community ac�vi�es.
• Always respect other people.
• If you have to go to someone for help – for example, a doctor – always speak
respec�ully and be honest about your problems and needs.
• Respect other people’s opinions and ideas.
 • Be open to sharing things with other people.
• Try to learn about the different cultures of people who share your community.
How do we ini�ate friendships
• When you first meet someone - you think you would like as a friend - go up to them
and talk to them.
• Be confident, not pushy or cocky.
• Smile and laugh.
• Make eye contact with the person.
• Have an opinion and don’t be afraid to voice it.
• Ask others what their opinions are.
• Remember people’s names. Don’t say – ‘Hey you! That’s rude!’
• Always show respect for others and treat them the way you would want them to
treat you.
Learning styles
learning style shows how you learn best.
• Visual – prefer using pictures and images
• Aural - prefer using sounds and music
• Kinaesthetic - prefer using body, hands and sense of touch
• Reading and writing - prefer to learn by reading, writing and doing research.
I learn best if I have detailed facts and information.
like making lists and separa�ng informa�on into headings and subheadings
Six career categories
• There are six career categories to cover all possible fields of learning and interests.
• Within each category there are many diverse career paths and job opportunities.
School subjects related to each career category
The subject you choose at school will have an impact on your career.
In order to gain entry into higher educa�on a�er school, you need to have a
Na�onal Senior Cer�ficate (NSC) with at least:
● 40% in an official language at home language level.
● 30% in the other required language at first additional language level.
● 30% in Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy.
● 30% in Life Orientation.
● plus a choice of any three other subjects listed in the national curriculum.
In addi�on to having your NSC, you will also need to meet the public higher educa�on
ins�tu�on’s admission criteria for the par�cular programme you wish study.
You therefore need to ensure that you have selected the right subjects to meet the
minimum entry criteria.
How work can meet social and economic needs in South Africa

• Economic needs and social needs affect the working environment in South
Africa.
• The unemployment rate and lack of skills-based training have a huge impact on
the growth of the country.
• They also affect families and communities.
• It is important for you to realise that the value you can add to the world of work is
determined by your level of education and skills.
• The more skilled workers there are in the country, the stronger the economic
situation will be which, in turn, will help to meet the social needs of the country.
Why work?
• Work gives meaning to life & a sense of dignity.
• It helps to decrease the social issues of poverty, unemployment and crime
• Being able to work and earn an honest income, people feel good about themselves
and this helps them to have positive relationships with the people around them.
• Work gives people in communities dignity and independence.

The importance of work and the impact it has on the social and economic needs of the
country

• We need quality skills to drive our country’s economic growth and social
development. We also need people who will actively participate in and contribute
to economic and social development.
• In South Africa we have many serious social and economic problems, such as
unemployment poverty and the exclusion of a large percentage of the population
from the formal economy.
• The development of innovative skills and capabilities are important factors to
consider in improving the living standards of the population.
• Skilled people entering the world of work contribute to the growth of South Africa’s
economy.
• Economic growth is necessary for social development.
 • The more skilled workers there are in the country, the stronger the economic
situation will be which, in turn, will help to meet the social needs of the country.
SOCIAL NEEDS are income, educa�on, housing and social care.
ECONOMIC NEEDS are the things that we pay for such as food, clothing and shelter.
Having job provides security and the money to buy the things we need. A job provides the
income for a household to buy the food and clothing they need, as well as a shelter in
which to live. If a household has sufficient income, it will be able to provide for its own
housing and pay for the necessary educa�on for family members. It will also be in a
posi�on to pay for social services such as health and child care. Children that receive a
beter educa�on are generally able to find beter jobs and earn more money and in turn
provide beter for their family in the future. They also contribute to the tax base of the
country, which in turn enables the government to provide beter social services such as
clinics, hospitals, schools and basic services such as water, electricity and sanita�on.

Substance Abuse
• Substance abuse refers to the continued use of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs
despite their negative effects.
• In modern society there is a lot of pressure on people to use substances of various
kinds, some of which are legal and others that are illegal.
• Pressure may come from many places: work or family stresses, school, friends or
relationships within the community, or from the media.

Why teenagers end up using drugs – Drugs influences.

• Peer pressure
• Being accepted by their friends
• Absent parents, no responsible care giver
• Living with a family member who abuses drugs
• Accessible, available and affordable drugs
• Media encourages it- showing the fun side of drugs
• Our icons/ celebrities also influence positively and negatively the “coolness” of
drugs

Appropriate ways to avoid substance abuse.

• To avoid or stop abusing substances you need good decision making skills.
• Teenagers who are assertive and have a good decision-making skill are more likely
not to become substance abuser.
IDEAL decision making skills
 Identify: what is the problem or decision need to be taken.
 Decide: what are your options
 Evaluate: what are the consequences of each option
 Act: what is the best choice
 Learn: what can you lean from the experience.
Refusal Skills
• Say NO thanks
• Give a reason, fact or excuse.
 • Walk away
• Change the subject or give an alternative
• Repeated refusal
• Ignore
• Avoid the situation.

Consequences of substance abuse

People get addicted to all kind of substances such a s alcohol, cigaretes or illegal drugs, as
well as medica�on, glue.
Addic�on mean someone have an uncontrollable need for the substance. This interferes with
a person’s everyday life.
Signs of addic�on
• Mood change, feeling angry
• Getting very thin or putting on weight
• Keeping secrets
• Difficulty with school work
• Only hangs out with substance abusers
• Stealing or selling thing to get the drugs
• Tries to stop using but can’t.
• Feeling shaky or sick if trying to stop.
• Need to take more of the substance to get the same effect.
Short term consequences
• difficulty in concentrating
• sleepiness
• slurred speech
• headaches
• discipline problems
• disruption of classroom learning.
Long term consequences
• declining grades
• disrupts brain development in teens
• memory lapses – short-term memory is damaged, which leads to learning difficulties
• ability to think and speak clearly is affected
• constant health problems, which lead to absenteeism
• Truancy(stay away from school without permission) and dropping out of school
• discipline problems
• behavioural problems
• low motivation
• lack of interest
• disruption of learning for other learners.
Crime and violance
• Alcohol affects how the brain functions and one of the consequences of this is it
lowers inhibitions.
• That means that someone under the influence of alcohol (drunk) may do things
they would not normally do when sober.
• A person with a high blood-alcohol level cannot think clearly and cannot make
decisions or reason properly.
 • For example, they may drive a car believing that they are driving properly when
they are actually speeding or driving recklessly, endangering the lives of other
innocent people.
HIV and AIDS
Substances such as drugs and alcohol impair a person’s ability to make posi�ve decisions and
safe choices. Being under the influence of drugs and alcohol lowers a person’s
inhibi�ons(prevent from doing) leading to risky behaviour such as unsafe sex. Drugs users
sharing needles and solu�ons and other equipment may also contract HIV.
Rehabilita�on
Overcoming a problem and returning to normal life.
Rehabilita�on programmes
• Counselling,
• group therapy,
• family therapy,
• medication,
• support groups
Where to get help
• If someone needs help, they should:
1. Speak to a person they trust.
2. Be admitted to a treatment (rehabilitation) centre.
3. Do research and find out more, if they are able to:
• Support is essential to recovery from substance addiction.
• Support can come from your family members, relatives and your close friends.
• There are also many treatment and support centres and websites in South Africa,
which one can visit for advice.
PEOPLE YOU CAN APPROACH FOR HELP IN YOUR COMMUNITY
• school counsellor
• religious leader
• family friend
• trusted neighbour
• community clinic
• your family doctor
• any other person you trust and can talk to
Some of the organisa�ons that provide treatment and offer rehabilita�on
• South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA).
• SANCA is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to prevent, treat and
provide aftercare for alcohol and drug addicts.
• There are 32 SANCA societies in South Africa and at least one in every province.
• Every year SANCA runs a national drug-awareness campaign to increase public
awareness of the problem of substance abuse in South Africa.
• Contact details:
• 0861173422 or 011-673-0400
• www.sanca-jhb.org.za