Senior Phase
Grade 8
Coffee Chats (‘Coffee Cat’ and ‘Coffee Plant’)
In this set of coffee-related texts, two stories are told, the first about a cat that wondered what coffee tastes like, and the second about a coffee seedling that travelled from Europe to a completely different part of the world (and stayed there). The two texts expose learners to two different styles of narration.
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Miss Helen’s Magical World
Helen Martins was an artist who made her imaginary world real. She lived an unconventional life, one that was not always easy. She had fears and limitations, and she had little support to overcome them. She thus had to make her own plans to cope with her problems. Some of these plans were very creative and beautiful – and visible to other people. It is on these plans that this story focuses.
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Petrus goes to Sea
This story is about a boy, Petrus, of about the same age as the learners for which this text is intended. It speaks to topical themes which will be familiar to many learners (e.g. financial hardship, unemployment, and alternative family structures) but it also shows Petrus’ bravery, sense of adventure, and willingness to grab opportunities that come his way.
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Ludwig Van Beethoven
The composer Ludwig van Beethoven is not only remembered for his musical genius, but sadly also for the troubled life that he led. His tumultuous personal life and hearing loss culminated in increasing antisocial behaviour and solitude – nevertheless, he produced music of the highest quality. Contrary to popular assumptions, Deaf people can also appreciate music and make music.
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Love (Handshape)
A handshape poem about love – not sentimental love, but love that remains standing as circumstances change. Handshape poems are sometimes seen as light entertainment (almost as rhymes are in spoken languages), but this poem demonstrates that serious themes can also be addressed in handshape poems.
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Soundlessness
The poem “Soundlessness” indicates that beauty is to be found in a soundless world. Although the dramatizer of the poem cannot hear the environmental sounds referred to in the poem, he finds beauty in his experience of the sources of these sounds.
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The Judge’s Decision
The poem is set in a courthouse and portrays three different accused men and their three different sets of expectations, emotions and reactions to the judge’s announcement. In each case, the public sitting behind the accused man have made up their minds and cast their verdicts before the judge does so.
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The Dating Game
This drama is set in a high school where various teenagers are dating or wanting to date various other teenagers, not always with pure intentions. In the drama, one of the main characters shares with her friend how and why she avoids the possibility of mistreatment that often follows when giving in to the norms and expectations of the crowd; she refuses to play “the dating game”.
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The Tattoo Parlour
In this drama, a man convinces his friend to get a tattoo as a symbol of his undying love for his girlfriend. The man treats the decision to get a tattoo as a light one and, predictably, things go wrong for the friend. The drama contains lively dialogue and a mixture of humour, drama, fact and fiction.
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Screen vs Paper (+Addendum)
A brief text reporting on a research study on children’s reading behaviour on screens. The report is contextualized in other observations about the topic. The text is followed by an addendum in which the advantages of reading are discussed.
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Usher Syndrome
The signed text is based on a blog which appears on the BBC News site. It deals with Usher Syndrome, a condition which affects hearing and sight. This topic was chosen in order to introduce Deaf learners to the challenges faced by this group of Deaf persons who also have other sensory challenges.
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“I Love Coffee”
The hearing reporter who compiled this text paid an unannounced visit to a coffee shop which employs only Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people and makes use of a range of ways to enable communication between the Deaf employees and hearing clientele. This text is a report of her investigation into the workings of the coffee shop.
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Human Right’s Day
This speech on human rights was filmed during assembly at a hearing school on the day before Human Rights Day. The speaker is a Deaf man, using an interpreter. This accentuates the implication human rights have on each of us, regardless of our differences. Also, by giving the authoritative voice to a Deaf individual among the hearing, the aim is to strengthen Deaf identity among learners.
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Deaf Poet Publishes a Book
This Deaf, South African poet and author, Ismael Mansoor, writes because he wants to tell people who he is and how he sees the world. Some of his books have been published, he is writing more books, and he wants to encourage others to also follow their passion for writing.
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Outsider Artists in SA
A magazine contribution on two men who lived a life less ordinary, Outa Lappies and Nukain Mabuza. The report is factual, but with the emphasis on the unusual art created by these outsider artists who both lived in rural communities.
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