To communicate ideas accurately

English home language

Grade 9

A true sense of freedom

Module 19

To communicate ideas accurately

Activity 1:

To communicate ideas accurately and coherently

[lo 2.2]

Imagine what freedom means to different people.

• You may wonder if freedom does indeed exist throughout the world. To children in war-torn countries or in detention, freedom may seem an impossible dream. To those suffering poverty or even emotional traumas, freedom may seem non-existent.
• Now find pictures in magazines or newspapers, which depict freedom as you imagine it could be. After pasting them on a sheet of paper, write a caption for each picture.

• Also write WHY you have chosen these pictures to symbolise freedom.

• Now “show and tell” the class about your pasted pictures as well as your reasons for choosing them.

Rough work:

1. Captions for pictures:

2. Reasons for choosing pictures:

Activity 2:

To evaluate writer’s point of view and to use language to investigate questions

[lo 3.8.1]

Comprehension - Freedom must be protected

Read the following article very attentively. Answer the questions that follow in full sentences and in your own words as far as possible.

1. History shows us that people have always been concerned about human rights, as can be seen in many religious writings and cultures. The individual is seen as most important in some while in others the group is the major unit.

2. There seems to be a consensus about basic values such as respect for human life and dignity, tolerance for those who are different or who have different ideas, the solving of differences by non-violent means and fair and just punishment for those who break society’s laws.

After the Second World War, fourteen countries met to draw up the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a protest against the atrocities which occurred during the war, especially genocide, which is the planned killing of people merely because of who they are. Six million Jews were killed between 1939 and 1945 just because they were Jews. The UDHR was written for all countries, whether they are economically strong or not.

4. Today, many people are involved in human rights organizations. These organizations want to make people aware of human rights abuses throughout the world so that these abuses can be stopped. Non-governmental agencies such as Amnesty International and the International Committee of the Red Cross are involved with the plight of prisoners-of-war and prisoners in general. They try to ensure that standards of treatment are humane at all times.

5. You, as an individual, should be willing to take a stand to protect Human Rights so that freedom from abuse becomes a reality.

6. Firstly, you could approach family and friends, youth groups, women’s organizations, labour or business groups, religious groups, political parties, national human rights groups or professional unions if you are aware of human rights abuses.

7. Secondly, you need to consider different tactics or strategies which could include public meetings, exhibits, displays, plays, writing to the press, circulating petitions, placing advertisements or contacting local radio talk shows, research, negotiation, arbitration or mediation or participation in demonstrations.