Senior Phase
Grade 9
House Mess
This is a fun story about young people who have a house party that gets out of hand, while their parents are away. The house, like its inhabitants, is Deaf, and it has one Deaf and one hearing neighbouring house. The story is a good example of anthropomorphism and contains several instances of role-shifting.
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The Seven Natural Wonders of the World + (Addendum of Facts)
The information in the addendum to this text introduces learners to the seven natural wonders of the world. The text itself draws on knowledge of the existence of these wonders to introduce the concept of a metaphor. It tells a story based on events with which secondary school learners will all be familiar.
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Mandela's Life
Nelson Mandela has become an icon of peace — not only for South Africans, but globally. His life story and legend is told here in a
brief version.
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Braam Jordaan
As a Deaf South African, Braam Jordaan has achieved outstanding feats, not only creatively in his career, but also as Deaf activist nationally and internationally. This is a condensed version of his life story.
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Cochlear Implant
The subject of acquiring a cochlear implant is explored here, first in a life story and thereafter as the topic of negotiation. Issues pertaining to cochlear implanting are relevant in the world of a Deaf person and evoke varied reactions, which may lead to debate.
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The Bird’s Note
In this poem, the poet indicates that people can be in turmoil and can be in conflict with others even if all appears peaceful on the surface. Reference is made to a phonograph producing the same soothing tune over and over, a tune similar to that of a bird.
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Bullying at School
Bullying at school remains a relevant and challenging issue that affects learners in lower- and higher grade groups. This lesson can contribute to a conversation about the reality of bullying.
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WFD
A report of the WFD (World Federation for the Deaf) which was held in Durban, 2011. The video is shown with photographs. Personal experiences are included; one from a Deaf person (Simon Ndaba / interview style), and one from a hearing person (anonymous / prosaic style).
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Speech at a Crowning Ceremony
When it comes to awareness and activism, speeches often play an important part. In this text, learners are introduced to a (fictive) speech given by the winner of a beauty pageant. Miss Deaf South Africa is after all a proud ambassador for the Deaf community both at local and international level.
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A Sport Meeting
A role-play of a meeting is provided, together with a hard copy of its “minutes”. Furthermore, an example of an agenda (Appendix A) and an example of an attendance list (Appendix B) are included.
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We Fought for a Cause
In order to familiarise deaf/Deaf learners with some of the political aspects of Deaf education and the Deaf community, a brief report is provided of the recent decision made by the Department of Basic Education to embrace SASL (South African Sign Language) as a language of learning and teaching.
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Job Interview & Informal Interview +
(Poem – Overslept)
In order to become familiar with the forms and the particularities of interviews as texts, two examples are provided. The first is a simple job interview and the second a longer, informal interview.
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Interview with Deaf Poet
Ismael Mansoor is a Deaf user of SASL who has published several collections of poems in English. In this text, he is interviewed by Modiegi Njeyiyana, an accomplished SASL poet. The purpose of the text is to provide learners with an example of a typical interview with a real person who has done something newsworthy and admirable.
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Hotel Reservation
Learners grow older and are expected to become more independent and to take responsibility for themselves. In line with this, a dialogue is provided in which a guest makes a reservation for hotel lodging. Learners can take note of the ways in which the parties address one another, as well as how to carry out solo role playing in a dialogue.
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Deaf Culture
In order to ensure that Deaf children truly feel accepted in the Deaf community and can associate with people around them, it is important that they are familiar with the unique customs and principles of Deaf culture. Here, a simple overview is given of how Deaf culture came into being, who belongs to it and how it is preserved.
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Hellocopter Mom
An advertisement for a smartphone app that is age-appropriate for teenagers. The text provides information on the name of the app, how it functions, what choices it provides, what it costs and how one can obtain it.
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Smartphone Printer
An advertisement for a piece of technology that is bound to interest Grade 9 learners. The style of the advertisement was deliberately kept informal in order to appeal to younger readers.
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