Grade 7 · CAPS

Grade 7 Development of the Self in Society

Life Orientation practice questions and a worked example

Grade 7 Development of the Self in Society covers self-image, the physical and emotional changes of puberty, and how peer pressure affects the choices you make. Practice questions here work through a real case study — reflecting on personal qualities, interests and potential, recognising how peer pressure pushes people toward risky choices, and applying assertiveness and coping skills to push back on it.

Worked example

Read the case study below and answer the question that follows. Lucas Sithole Twenty-five-year old Lucas Sithole is number one in the wheel chair tennis quads division. But it has not been an easy ride to the top for Lucas. "I was 12 years old when my life changed forever", he says. "I was coming home from the shops when I walked past a stationary train that suddenly started moving back. I fell under the train and it rode over me. I lost most of my right arm and both my legs. I was rushed to hospital in a critical state – I had lost a lot of blood and the doctors thought I would not survive. I spent a lot of time in intensive care and underwent several operations. I was very depressed and angry. I thought my life would be over forever. I would not be able to play sports again; I would be rejected by my friends, I would be a burden on my family. I had always loved sport, and had set my sights on being a soccer star, but after the accident, I could not see how it would be possible to live a normal life." Lucas suffered from depression for a long time before things changed for him. "It was only when I went to Bumbisiswe, a school for the disabled outside Newcastle, that I learned to cope with my disability and started to regain my confidence and self-esteem. I had to learn to do everything again, from writing with my left hand (I was previously right-handed) to dressing myself. Over the years, I became very independent. I even learned to climb a tree with one arm! Once I had been in a wheel chair for a while, I started playing sports again. I played wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis and have received national colours for all three sports. I consider everything a challenge and believe I can do almost anything that I want to. I like to think of it like this - in life you have two choices - to sleep or dream. It is up to you to choose. Either you wake up and chase your dream or you give up and continue sleeping. You don't have to be afraid when life gets hard; just be happy that you are living it! You hold the passport to your future." Lucas competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. (Adapted from an article in the Jet Club publication, June 2012, www.tennis.co.za) 11. Write short notes on how each of the following relates to Lucas’ story: 11.1. Self-respect (3) 11.2. Peer pressure (3) 11.3. Dignity (3) 11.4. Respect for diversity (3) 11.5. Discrimination (3)

Answer

Self-respect: Lucas had to build up his self-respect again and start believing in himself; when he was depressed he believed he was not worthy of respect. Peer pressure: Lucas was concerned about how his friends would react — he thought they would reject him and expect him to carry on as if nothing had changed, which contributed to his depression. Dignity: Lucas probably suffered some humiliation from the loss of his limbs — learning things that had come easily before, such as dressing and feeding himself, would have made him feel undignified. Respect for diversity: Lucas became a very different person after his accident but earned the respect of all South Africans for his achievements on the tennis court, partly because of these differences. Discrimination: it is easy to discriminate against someone who is disabled, and Lucas feared discrimination from peers who now regarded him as a liability, but he overcame these obstacles.

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Development of the Self in Society

Question 1 of 3

1. In what way is Lucas Sithole unique and special? (2)

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2
Read the case study below and answer the question that follows. Lucas Sithole Twenty-five-year old Lucas Sithole is number one in the wheel chair tennis quads division. But it has not been an easy ride to the top for Lucas. "I was 12 years old when my life changed forever", he says. "I was coming home from the shops when I walked past a stationary train that suddenly started moving back. I fell under the train and it rode over me. I lost most of my right arm and both my legs. I was rushed to hospital in a critical state – I had lost a lot of blood and the doctors thought I would not survive. I spent a lot of time in intensive care and underwent several operations. I was very depressed and angry. I thought my life would be over forever. I would not be able to play sports again; I would be rejected by my friends, I would be a burden on my family. I had always loved sport, and had set my sights on being a soccer star, but after the accident, I could not see how it would be possible to live a normal life." Lucas suffered from depression for a long time before things changed for him. "It was only when I went to Bumbisiswe, a school for the disabled outside Newcastle, that I learned to cope with my disability and started to regain my confidence and self-esteem. I had to learn to do everything again, from writing with my left hand (I was previously right-handed) to dressing myself. Over the years, I became very independent. I even learned to climb a tree with one arm! Once I had been in a wheel chair for a while, I started playing sports again. I played wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis and have received national colours for all three sports. I consider everything a challenge and believe I can do almost anything that I want to. I like to think of it like this - in life you have two choices - to sleep or dream. It is up to you to choose. Either you wake up and chase your dream or you give up and continue sleeping. You don't have to be afraid when life gets hard; just be happy that you are living it! You hold the passport to your future." Lucas competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. (Adapted from an article in the Jet Club publication, June 2012, www.tennis.co.za) 4. Lucas says that his ‘life changed forever’. In what way did his life change? (4)
3
Read the case study below and answer the question that follows. Lucas Sithole Twenty-five-year old Lucas Sithole is number one in the wheel chair tennis quads division. But it has not been an easy ride to the top for Lucas. "I was 12 years old when my life changed forever", he says. "I was coming home from the shops when I walked past a stationary train that suddenly started moving back. I fell under the train and it rode over me. I lost most of my right arm and both my legs. I was rushed to hospital in a critical state – I had lost a lot of blood and the doctors thought I would not survive. I spent a lot of time in intensive care and underwent several operations. I was very depressed and angry. I thought my life would be over forever. I would not be able to play sports again; I would be rejected by my friends, I would be a burden on my family. I had always loved sport, and had set my sights on being a soccer star, but after the accident, I could not see how it would be possible to live a normal life." Lucas suffered from depression for a long time before things changed for him. "It was only when I went to Bumbisiswe, a school for the disabled outside Newcastle, that I learned to cope with my disability and started to regain my confidence and self-esteem. I had to learn to do everything again, from writing with my left hand (I was previously right-handed) to dressing myself. Over the years, I became very independent. I even learned to climb a tree with one arm! Once I had been in a wheel chair for a while, I started playing sports again. I played wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis and have received national colours for all three sports. I consider everything a challenge and believe I can do almost anything that I want to. I like to think of it like this - in life you have two choices - to sleep or dream. It is up to you to choose. Either you wake up and chase your dream or you give up and continue sleeping. You don't have to be afraid when life gets hard; just be happy that you are living it! You hold the passport to your future." Lucas competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. (Adapted from an article in the Jet Club publication, June 2012, www.tennis.co.za) 5. How did he feel after the accident? (2)
4
Read the case study below and answer the question that follows. Lucas Sithole Twenty-five-year old Lucas Sithole is number one in the wheel chair tennis quads division. But it has not been an easy ride to the top for Lucas. "I was 12 years old when my life changed forever", he says. "I was coming home from the shops when I walked past a stationary train that suddenly started moving back. I fell under the train and it rode over me. I lost most of my right arm and both my legs. I was rushed to hospital in a critical state – I had lost a lot of blood and the doctors thought I would not survive. I spent a lot of time in intensive care and underwent several operations. I was very depressed and angry. I thought my life would be over forever. I would not be able to play sports again; I would be rejected by my friends, I would be a burden on my family. I had always loved sport, and had set my sights on being a soccer star, but after the accident, I could not see how it would be possible to live a normal life." Lucas suffered from depression for a long time before things changed for him. "It was only when I went to Bumbisiswe, a school for the disabled outside Newcastle, that I learned to cope with my disability and started to regain my confidence and self-esteem. I had to learn to do everything again, from writing with my left hand (I was previously right-handed) to dressing myself. Over the years, I became very independent. I even learned to climb a tree with one arm! Once I had been in a wheel chair for a while, I started playing sports again. I played wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis and have received national colours for all three sports. I consider everything a challenge and believe I can do almost anything that I want to. I like to think of it like this - in life you have two choices - to sleep or dream. It is up to you to choose. Either you wake up and chase your dream or you give up and continue sleeping. You don't have to be afraid when life gets hard; just be happy that you are living it! You hold the passport to your future." Lucas competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. (Adapted from an article in the Jet Club publication, June 2012, www.tennis.co.za) 6. Was his life improved after the accident? Give reasons for your answer. (2)
5
Read the case study below and answer the question that follows. Lucas Sithole Twenty-five-year old Lucas Sithole is number one in the wheel chair tennis quads division. But it has not been an easy ride to the top for Lucas. "I was 12 years old when my life changed forever", he says. "I was coming home from the shops when I walked past a stationary train that suddenly started moving back. I fell under the train and it rode over me. I lost most of my right arm and both my legs. I was rushed to hospital in a critical state – I had lost a lot of blood and the doctors thought I would not survive. I spent a lot of time in intensive care and underwent several operations. I was very depressed and angry. I thought my life would be over forever. I would not be able to play sports again; I would be rejected by my friends, I would be a burden on my family. I had always loved sport, and had set my sights on being a soccer star, but after the accident, I could not see how it would be possible to live a normal life." Lucas suffered from depression for a long time before things changed for him. "It was only when I went to Bumbisiswe, a school for the disabled outside Newcastle, that I learned to cope with my disability and started to regain my confidence and self-esteem. I had to learn to do everything again, from writing with my left hand (I was previously right-handed) to dressing myself. Over the years, I became very independent. I even learned to climb a tree with one arm! Once I had been in a wheel chair for a while, I started playing sports again. I played wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis and have received national colours for all three sports. I consider everything a challenge and believe I can do almost anything that I want to. I like to think of it like this - in life you have two choices - to sleep or dream. It is up to you to choose. Either you wake up and chase your dream or you give up and continue sleeping. You don't have to be afraid when life gets hard; just be happy that you are living it! You hold the passport to your future." Lucas competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. (Adapted from an article in the Jet Club publication, June 2012, www.tennis.co.za) 7. Explain how Lucas’ self-esteem was affected during his period of depression. (4)

Common mistakes

Treating 'interests', 'abilities' and 'potential' as the same thing — an interest is something you enjoy doing, an ability is something you can already do, and a potential is something you could develop but haven't yet. Also, describing peer pressure only as 'saying no' rather than naming the specific coping and negotiation skills (assertiveness, knowing where to find help) the topic asks for.

Grade 7 Development of the Self in Society

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