Teachers Manual Life Orientation Grades

Teacher’s Manual
Life Orientation
Grades 7-9
A Teaching and Learning Resource for the Life Orientation Learning
Area
Developed by the South African National Responsible Gambling

Programme.
Tel: +27 11 026 7323

1st Floor, Block B, Inanda Greens Business Park, Wierda Gables,
98 Albertyn Road, Sandton 2196
Web: http://responsiblegambling.org.za/
Introduction
TAKING RISKS WISELY

CONTENT
Introduction
National Gambling Act 2004
Overview of CAPS curriculum: Grades 7-9
Grade 7
Overview
7.1 Peer Pressure and Risk-taking Behaviour
7.2 Decision-making about Risk-taking Behaviour
7.3 An Example of a Risky Situation: Gambling
7.4 A Career in the Gaming Industry
Grade 8
Overview
8.1 Self-concept and Self-motivation: The Teenage Brain under Construction
8.2 Risk-taking Behaviour: Levels of Control
8.3 Staying in Control
8.4 Myths and Superstitions: Illusions of Control
Grade 9
Overview
9.1 Informed Decision-making
9.2 Choosing Wisely for a Lifestyle
9.3 Warning Signs of a Potential Crisis
9.4 Crisis Management: When Gambling Becomes a Problem
Additional resources
Pre- and Post-learning surveys
All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 1

Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Hello
As a Life Orientation teacher you may be asking yourself, “Why teach a module on gambling
when there are so many other more pressing problems that teenagers have to deal with?
What can a study on responsible gambling teach learners about coping with unsafe sex,
teenage pregnancies and substance abuse?” The response to these important questions
involves the recognition that all these forms of behaviour, including gambling, are forms of
high-risk behaviour. The foremost contribution of the Taking Risks Wisely material is that it
teaches learners:
• how to identify low-risk and high-risk behaviour,
• how to calculate the probabilities of problematic consequences,
• how to assess their own levels of being-at-risk,
• how to manage their risks responsibly,
• how to make sensible decisions about risk-taking behaviour and lifestyle choices, and
• how to recognize the warning signs of having lost control of their own risk-taking behaviour
The Taking Risks Wisely material promotes the view that young people should understand
that various forms of high-risk behaviour – such as smoking, drinking, sexual relations and
gambling - involve high probabilities of problematic consequences about which one can,
nevertheless, make sensible decisions.
The emphasis of the following units is therefore not so much on teaching what, but rather on
teaching how. That is, we think that merely telling youth what not to do has little educational
effect. In fact, it may have the opposite effect in motivating the learner to go and try it. Also,
merely telling the learner what to do and what not to do doesn’t develop critical thinking skills
and therefore doesn’t allow the learner to address new challenges with insight. If the learner
knows how to make responsible decisions, then the skill can be applied to a whole range of
risky situations (including smoking, drinking, sex and gambling) and to choices that will
confront the learner in the future.
The Taking Risks Wisely material, apart from developing learners’ decision-making skills, also
engages learners in broader discussions about the social, political, economic and moral
aspects of gambling.
Background to the Taking Risks Wisely programme

The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF was established by the
National Gambling Act of 1996/2004. Its brief is to advise and monitor social and health
consequences of commercial gambling and act to mitigate harm. The SARGF administers the
independent research unit called the National Centre of the Study of Gambling as well as the
National Responsible Gambling Programme (NRGP). A major component of the NRGP’s
agenda is to develop sound educational programmes that have the following general goals:
• To reduce the incidence of problem gambling, especially among youth;
• To reduce the risks and harms related to problem gambling;
• To increase public awareness about the potential consequences of gambling and promote
healthy lifestyle choice;
• To neither encourage nor discourage people from gambling; but to help them exercise
their freedom of choice in an informed and responsible way.
The NRGP is neutral with respect to whether adults choose to spend their free time and
money gambling. It is, however, concerned that people who presently gamble or young
people who may one day choose to gamble, do so knowing what the risks are and how to
minimize them. The lessons that are developed here not only focus on achieving the aims of
the NRGP as listed above and in line with the requirements of the Curriculum and
Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), they also draw on the latest scientific findings related
to addiction in general, and pathological gambling in particular.
The first phase of the project launched its first teaching and learning resource in 2008,

Introduction
consisting of a manual and comic book, for Life Orientation Grades 7-9. The manual has 5
units for each of the three grades and is supported by an extensive, interactive website:
http://www.schools.nrgp.org.za.
The website has:

• additional enrichment material for advanced learners
• quizzes and self-tests for learners
• videos
• additional references and websites
This initial programme was piloted in 5 provinces in 64 schools. Based on a programme

evaluation and the analysis of feedback received from 56 teachers and over 2,400 learners,
the programme was implemented nationally in August 2011. With 462 teachers and Subject
Advisors trained in the programme, over 270 schools were using the programme for Grades
7-9.
However, since the development of the Taking Risks Wisely programme for Grades 7-9, the
new Grades 7-9 Life Orientation Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) was
accepted in 2012 and phased in. Accordingly, the previous Taking Risks Wisely material has
now been adapted to be in line with the new CAPS requirements. See the overview sections
for each grade which outline how the Taking Risks Wisely programme slots into the new
CAPS curriculum.
The challenges addressed by the Taking Risks Wisely teaching and learning resource
file
Although there are many exciting school programmes on responsible youth high-risk
behaviour on offer in other parts of the world, we thought that in order for the South African
material to be effective, it must directly address the unique challenges faced by South African
teachers and learners. Some of the challenges and concerns are:
• How does one teach learners in school, most of them under the legal gambling age of 18,
to do something responsibly that is illegal for most of them?
• How does such a programme avoid the charge that gambling (whether legal or not) is
immoral and schools are not in the business of teaching morally unsound practices? How
does such a programme answer parental objections to gambling?
• Teachers point out that gambling comes way down the list of youth problems. In the face
of substance abuse, teenage pregnancies, HIV/Aids, and the attraction of gang culture,
why teach a programme on gambling?
• How to make the overwhelmed teachers enthusiastic about taking on an additional
teaching task?
• How to develop a relevant programme that engages users from a vast range of
differences? How to accommodate teachers and learners:
o Whose first language isn’t English
o From different social and ethnic cultures;
o From different geographical regions (urban and rural);
o From schools with vastly different levels of infrastructure;
o With different learning abilities and intellectual strengths;
o Teachers with different teaching methodologies and learners with different
learning styles and rates;
o Learners of different ages within the same classroom?
In order to address these concerns directly, the Taking Risks Wisely programme is designed
around five essentials:
1. It conforms to legislated Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement requirements;
2. It is relevant and addresses the real and pressing needs and interests of South African
learners and teachers. Its focus is on useful life skills for youth;
3. It maintains moral neutrality. It neither encourages nor discourages people from
gambling;
4. It makes the task of teachers easier and the learning tasks engaging;
5. It is flexible and adaptable so as to accommodate a range of users.

Introduction
Here follows a discussion of each of these five essentials:
1. Life Orientation - Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS)

The resource has been developed within the requirements and context of the South African
Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). Its contents and activities are
designed in such a way to promote learners who will be able to:
• identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking;
• work effectively with others as members of a team;
• manage their own activities responsibly;
• communicate effectively;
• know how to use up-to-date information to inform their responsibilities to themselves and
to others;
• understand that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.
The specific aims of Life Orientation are to:

1. Guide learners to achieve their full physical, intellectual, personal, emotional and social
potential;
2. Develop learners’ skills to respond to challenges and play an active and responsible role
in the economy and society;
3. Teach learners to exercise their constitutional rights and responsibilities and to respect
the rights of others;
4. Guide learners to make informed and responsible decisions about their health,
environment, subject choices, further studies and careers; and
5. Provide opportunities for learners to demonstrate an understanding of, and participate in
activities that promote movement and physical development.
There is an overview of the CAPS curriculum for each grade. The relevant areas addressed
by the Taking Risks Wisely programme are highlighted. In addition, in the resource file’s first
section of each Grade, there is a detailed outline of the CAPS material that ought to be
covered in each semester. The relevant Taking Risks Wisely units for that grade are placed
within the CAPS outline, indicating how the learning outcomes of the specific unit link with the
prescribed topics. There you will also find an outline of the knowledge, skills and values that
are addressed and promoted by the Taking Risks Wisely programme. A provided table
indicates how the suggested assessment tasks for Taking Risks Wisely fit into the overall
assessment grid prescribed by CAPS.
At the start of each unit, there is an overview of the unit, a list of the learning outcomes, and a
detailed lesson plan.
2. Relevance and neutrality

At the start of developing the Taking Risks Wisely programme, we met with Life Orientation
teachers who pleaded for interactive materials that are relevant and deal with actual,
everyday challenges with which learners can identify. As one teacher wryly remarked, “The
kind of environment we want children to envisage is not real.” There is a massive chasm
between the (moralizing) classroom with its idealistic stance and the real, pulsing, gritty world
of shebeens, sex-for-cell-phones and drugs. How to bridge this gap in an effective and
responsible way? How to teach learners about risk-taking behaviours without encouraging
them to start participating in them?
The Taking Risks Wisely programme guides learners through a series of structured learning
activities in which they try to identify the likely consequences associated with various risk-
taking behaviours and engages them in assessing levels of control, determining their
personal at-risk levels and in exercises of responsible decision-making. By strengthening
learner’s ability to make informed decisions, the programme adopts a neutral stance with
regards to whether gambling is good or bad. That is for learners to determine for themselves
based on the critical thinking skills the material develops.
South African youth, like youth elsewhere, are at risk because as they are initiated into the
adult world, they are being confronted with forms of adult lifestyles, e.g. smoking, drinking,

Introduction
sexual relationships and gambling. Given the alarmingly high rate of HIV/AIDS in South
Africa, and the extensive drug problem among youth, we know from teachers that equipping
learners with appropriate skills to handle these high-risk forms of behaviour is essential. The
main thrust of the material is therefore aimed at teaching learners how to make sensible
decisions about a variety of high-risk behaviours with which they will be confronted, including
gambling, and how to manage the risks sensibly if they do decide to gamble. These decisions
are both at a personal level pertaining to their own lifestyle choices, as well as at a broader
level pertaining to the social, economic and cultural impact of gambling on the society.
Studies have shown (Jacobs 2000) that youth are more at risk for developing addictive
patterns of behaviour than any other age group. Youth are particularly at risk because of their
over-confidence combined with their lack of full life experiences. They are convinced that they
will be able to handle the risks in certain situations, but since they don’t yet have the
experience of just what those risks are, they are often unable to cope with the actual
outcomes. It is the main aim of Taking Risks Wisely to help learners develop the
understanding, appropriate skills and values that will enable them to make sensible and
informed decisions about many of the new high-risk behaviours with which they are being (or
will be) confronted.
3. Making your task as a teacher easier

Since we are aware of South African teachers’ extraordinarily demanding workloads, we have
tried to anticipate many of the possible teaching tasks. The resource Taking Risks Wisely is
presented in a user-friendly format that reduces the teacher’s load, rather than increases it.
Each detailed lesson has a summary of the main steps and key concepts, and icons indicate
the different tasks (e.g. teachers presenting information, learners doing a learning activity). As
a teacher you can, at a glance, follow the logical progression of the main phases and specific
steps in each lesson. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the content and who welcome
suggestions on what to say when, each lesson has sections with suggested scripts for
teachers to follow. Main points are captured in colourful summaries. The resource also
provides possible answers that you can consult with regards to the tasks and questions
learners have to complete. A combination of colour-coded section indicators and simple icons
for task recognition make it a resource useable for teachers with different abilities and in
different teaching environments.
At the end of the resource, additional references and websites are given for those teachers
who wish to know more about gambling or who wish to develop their own materials. By
developing material that teachers see as relevant not only to teach about the risks in
gambling but to a whole range of high-risk behaviours, we try to facilitate over-worked
teachers’ buy-in. Coupled with a design that takes seriously the constraints that many
teachers face (teaching material with which they’re not familiar, teaching in a language in
which they are often not fluent, completing lesson plans and ensuring that assessment
standards are adhered to), Taking Risks Wisely hopes to be an effective teaching and
learning tool with positive implications for lifelong learning as different high-risk options have
to be thought through carefully and responsibly.
4. Flexibility and adaptability

The English in which the resource is written tries to be clear and simple. Key concepts are
explained carefully and the examples used are relevant to the life-world of learners who live in
affluent urban areas and attend well-resourced schools, as well as to rural learners whose
school conditions are meager and under-resourced. The still recent legacy of apartheid in
South Africa means that there are schools with no electricity, learners with scant skills in
English, and teachers who are feeling both overwhelmed coping with a constantly changing
(and administratively intense and demanding) schooling system.
By creating multi-media materials, we hope that both teachers and learners remain stimulated
and are able to engage with a variety of different materials, methods and learning activities.
We think that this encourages sustained interests as well as flexibility of thinking and
decision-making skills. For schools that do not have ready access to computers or the
internet, the text-based material covers everything that the website does. The website offers
learners the opportunity to engage with the issues in a different way and is also suitable for

Introduction
learners who want to explore additional considerations. It also lists enrichment material -
quizzes, videos and articles - on gambling and related topics such as personal budget
management.
A key design feature of the resource is that learners learn by doing. Like learning to ride a
bicycle, learners have to actively get engaged with the issues. The lessons therefore are
driven by activity-based learning tasks. These are set out in the “Learning Activity Sheets”
which are printed single-sided, are easily detached from the ring binder, and are in simple
black and white in order to make photocopying easier and cheaper.
Moreover, the model of learning which drives this curriculum is that of process learning, which
means that understanding proceeds i) through systematic and active engagement with the
issues, as well as ii) through regular reinforcement. Key concepts are introduced early on and
are subsequently re-visited with the aim of developing an enriched and deeper
understanding. So, in each of the Grades the notions of high-risk behaviour and decision-
making skills are addressed, consolidating and building on previous understandings. Learning
is not so much a simple linear process, as a systematic cyclical process with ever-increasing
sophistication and mastery.
We trust that you as a teacher will enjoy using the resource and that your learners will be
stimulated and challenged by the lessons.
Notes on how to use this manual

The manual is written for teachers and serves as a teaching resource to facilitate learning.
At the start of each grade section (i.e. Grade 7, Grade 8 and Grade 9), there is an overview of
the learning aims, as well as how the Taking Risks Wisely material fits into the CAPS
syllabus.
Each grade has 4 units.
Each unit represents a coherent topic, progressing from an orientation phase to an enriching
phase to a synthesising of knowledge phase. Since the duration of lessons differs from school
to school, each unit can be taught in one lesson or can be spread over 2 (or more) lessons.
The diagramme, “Steps in the lesson” provides a quick visual overview of the logical
progression of the various steps in the topic.
To help teachers, icons are used for quick visual orientation:
background information on the topic for the teacher
the teacher will talk, explain, or lead discussion in this section. Suggested text of what
the teacher could say is placed in a coloured block.
the learners will perform a task
Since much of learning is facilitated by means of asking questions to engage learners,

questions have been printed in another colour in order for them to stand out.
Within each unit, summary sheets are provided which teachers can display and share with
learners to highlight the main points. Whereas the teacher has a copy of the manual, learners
will have their own workbook (provided by the teacher) and will see only the displayed
summary sheet (provided in the manual).
The resource consists of the following:

• Background information for the teacher
• Four detailed units for each of Grades 7, 8 and 9
• Lesson plans detailing learning outcomes, steps in the lesson as well as a suggested
script that teachers can follow if they wish.
• Summaries (in larger font) that can be projected onto screens to highlight the main points.

Introduction
• Learning Activity Sheets for the learners (in black and white for easier copying) are
included in the manual itself. In addition, the learning activity sheets are collated in a
separate learner workbook for each grade. Teachers are supplied with a master copy of
the learner workbook for each grade but need to duplicate the workbook for each of their
learners.
• Answer sheets (memoranda for teachers)
• References and websites
• http://www.nrgp.org.za/
• 20 copies of the comic book, Chances Are, accompany the teaching manual.
• a memory stick with the manual, workbooks, comic, and additional background material.
Thanks and acknowledgments

The Taking Risks Wisely material was developed by:
• Nelleke Bak, University of Cape Town
In addition, the following individuals are thanked for their feedback on the material for the
Taking Risks Wisely project (in alphabetical order):
• Elmari Basson, Paarl Girls’ High
• Natalie Bossi, SARGF
• Toni Merementsi, former Life Orientation Coordinator, Northern Cape
Taking Risks Wisely would like to thank the South African Responsible Gambling Programme
for funding the project.
Nelleke Bak
Chief Curriculum Developer
2017All

Introduction

Introduction
2 No. 26670 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 12 AUGUST 2004
Act No. 7, 2004 NATIONAL GAMBLING ACT, 2004
—————————
(English text signed by the President.)
(Assented to 6 August 2004.)
—————————
ACT
To provide for the co-ordination of concurrent national and provincial legislative
competence over matters relating to casinos, racing, gambling and wagering, and
to provide for the continued regulation of those matters; for that purpose to
establish certain uniform norms and standards applicable to national and
provincial regulation and licensing of certain gambling activities; to provide for the
creation of additional uniform norms and standards applicable throughout the
Republic; to retain the National Gambling Board; to establish the National
Gambling Policy Council; to repeal the National Gambling Act, 1996; and to
provide for matters incidental thereto.
PREAMBLE
CONSIDERING that the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act No.
108 of 1996), establishes that casinos, racing, gambling and wagering are matters of
concurrent national and provincial legislative competence;
It is desirable to co-ordinate activities relating to the exercise of that concurrent

competence within the national and provincial spheres of government;
It is desirable to establish certain uniform norms and standards, which will safeguard
people participating in gambling and their communities against the adverse effect of
gambling, applying generally throughout the Republic with regard to casinos, racing,
gambling and wagering, so that—
* gambling activities are effectively regulated, licenced, controlled and policed;

* members of the public who participate in any licenced gambling activity are
protected;
* society and the economy are protected against over-stimulation of the latent
demand for gambling; and
* the licensing of gambling activities is transparent, fair and equitable;
It is expedient to establish certain national institutions, and to recognise the

establishment of provincial institutions, which together will determine and administer
national gambling policy in a co-operative, coherent and efficient manner.

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction
Overview of CAPS topics

Red sections indicate the areas covered by the Taking Risks Wisely programme.
Topic Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9

Development of the self in • Concept: self-image • Concepts: self-concept • Goal-setting skills:
society • Changes in boys and formation and personal lifestyle
1 girls: puberty selfmotivation choices
• Peer pressure • Concept: sexuality • Sexual behaviour and
• Concepts: personal diet • Relationships and sexual health
and nutrition friendships • Challenging situations:
depression, grief, loss,
trauma and crisis
Health, social and • Substance abuse • Social factors that • Concept: volunteerism
environmental • Concept: environmental contribute to substance • Health and safety issues
2 responsibility health abuse related to violence
• Common diseases: TB, • Environmental health
diabetes, epilepsy, and issues
AIDS • Decision-making about
health and safety: HIV
and AIDS
Constitutional rights and • Human rights as • Nation building • Issues relating to

responsibilities stipulated in the South • Concept: human rights citizens’ rights and
3 African Constitution violations responsibilities
• Fair play in a variety of • Concept: gender equity • Constitutional values
sport activities • Concept: cultural • Contributions of various
• Dealing with abuse diversity in South Africa religions in promoting
• Role of oral traditions • Contributions of peace
and scriptures of major organisations from • Sport ethics
religions various religions to
social development
World of work • Importance of reading • Different learning styles • Time-management skills

and studying • Six career categories • Reading and writing for
4 • Career fields • Relationship between different purposes
• Simulation of career- performance in school • Options available after
related activities subjects and interests completing Grade 9
• Value and importance of and abilities • Knowledge of the world
work in fulfilling personal • Decision-making of work
needs and potential process • Career and subject
choices
• Study and career
funding providers
• Plan for own lifelong
learning
Physical education • Participates in fitness • Participates in physical • Improves own physical

programme activities that promote wellness level
5 • Plays community or components of fitness • Executes a game plan
indigenous games that • Plays target games for individual or team
include the concept of • Programme to improve sport
invasion movement techniques • Refines own and peer
• Performs a sequence of • Participates in an performance in
physical activities outdoor recreational movement activities
• Participates in an activity • Refines own
outdoor recreational • Safety issues performance in an
programme outdoor recreational
• Safety issues activity
• Safety issues

Grade 7 Overview
Overview of Grade 7 curriculum on Taking Risks

Wisely
Unit 1 Peer pressure and risk-taking behaviour
Unit 2 Decision-making about risk-taking behaviour
Unit 3 An example of a risky situation: gambling
Unit 4 A career in the gaming industry
By the end of the 4 units, learners will be able to:
• recognize the various forms that peer pressure can take

• assess potential consequences of peer pressure and its link with risk- taking
behaviour
• identify dfferent kinds of risk-taking behaviour
• calculate the high or low probability of certain consequences that make some forms
of behaviour high or low risk
• make responsible decisions about risk-taking behaviour
• follow the process of decision-making rather than just giving the final answer to the
decision.
• understand that life involves risks, but knowing how to make informed decisions
about responsible actions, reduces those risks.
• identify a risky situation
• describe what gambling is
• explain that gambling, like other forms of risk-taking behaviour, involves rewards,
risks and consequences
• describe the difference between games of skill and games of chance
• outline the required career skills for the 21st century
• outline the general and particular skills needed for employment in the gaming industry
• identify the personal characteristics needed for different jobs in the gaming industry
• prepare for making school subject choices based on their intended career
CAPS topics:
The new CAPS curriculum identifies the topics that should be covered in each term. For a
copy of the complete CAPS Life Orientation curriculum for Grade 7, see the tables with the
CAPS topics (Annual Teaching Plan) at the end of this section.
The following is a table of some of the prescribed topics and an indication of how the Taking
Risks Wisely programme links up with these prescribed topics.
7.0 All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme

1
Grade 7 Overview
Taking Risks Wisely: Unit 7.1

Term 1: Peer pressure and risk-taking
behaviour
CAPS topic: Development of the self in • Various forms of peer pressure
society • The potential consequences of peer
• Peer pressure: effects of peer pressure pressure and its link with risk-taking
- How peer pressure may influence an behaviour
individual: use of substances, crime, • Different kinds of risk-taking
unhealthy sexual behavior, bullying behaviour
and rebellious behavior
• High or low probability of certain
- Appropriate responses to pressure:
consequences makes some forms of
assertiveness and coping skills
behaviour high or low risk
- Negotiation skills: ability to disagree
in constructive ways
- Where to find help
Assessment:
Assessment Time Type of
form assessment
1. Group task: 20 min Informal
discussion Assessment
Term 2:
CAPS topic: Constitutional rights and Taking Risks Wisely: Unit 7.2
responsibilities Decision-making about risk-taking
• Dealing with abuse in different contexts: behaviour
between adults and children and between • The PRICE decision-making process
peers : • The importance of following the
- Identifying threatening and risky process of decision making rather
situations than just giving the final answer to
- Effects of abuse on personal and the decision.
social health and relationships • Life involves risks, but knowing how
- Importance of communication to to make informed decisions about
promote healthy and non-violent responsible actions, reduces those
relationships How to protect oneself risks.
from threatening and risky situations
- Places of protection and safety for
victims of abuse: where to find help
Assessment:
Assessment Time Marks

form
1.Group task: 30 min 20
simulation

2
Grade 7 Overview
Term 2:
CAPS topic: Constitutional rights and Taking Risks Wisely: Unit 7.3
responsibilities An example of a risky situation:
• Dealing with abuse in different contexts: gambling
between adults and children and between • Gambling and other forms of risk-
peers : taking
- Identifying threatening and risky • Risk-taking behavior involves
situations rewards, and consequences
- Effects of abuse on personal and • Games of skill and games of chance
social health and relationships
- Importance of communication to
promote healthy and non-violent
relationships How to protect oneself
from threatening and risky situations
- Places of protection and safety for
victims of abuse: where to find help
Assessment:
Assessment form Time Marks

1.Pair task: critical analysis 30 min 20
Formal
assessment
Term 3:
CAPS topic: World of work
• Simulation of career-related activities:
name of career, who is the employer
A career in the gaming industry
- Dress code for the career
• required career skills for the 21st
- Tools or working equipment for the
century
career
- Activities related to work • general and particular skills
environment needed for employment in the
- Place or institution of employment gaming industry
Personality characteristics • personal characteristics needed
- School subjects and level of for different jobs in the gaming
schooling: requirements for this industry
career • school subject choices based on
- Where to study and duration of study their intended career
- Related careers
• Value and importance of work in fulfilling
personal needs and potential
Assessment:
Assessment form Time Type of

assessment
1. Individual task: Self- 30 min Informal
reflection assessment

3
Grade 7 Overview
Assessment Progamme – Grade 7
CAPS requires that learners are assessed each term out of a total of 100 marks per term.
Term Assessment Marks per term

Recording Reporting
1 Written task 70
PET 30 100
2 Mid-year 70
exam 100
PET 30
3 Project 70
PET 30 100
4 End-year 70
exam 100
PET 30
Total 400 400
Teachers may choose to use some of the Taking Risks Wisely assessment tasks below to
record in the learner’s performance schedule.
Form of Assessment Time Marks and Types of

Assessment
Group task: discussion – Unit 7.1 20 min Informal assessment
Group task: simulation – Unit 7.2 30 min 20

Formal assessment
Pair task: critical analysis – Unit 7.3 30 min 20
Formal assessment
Individual task: Self-reflection – Unit 7.4 30 min Informal assessment

4
Grade 7 Overview
Copy of the CAPS curriculum: Annual Teaching Plan
TOPIC TERM 1 GRADE 7

Recommended resources
WEEKS 1 – 2
Development of the self in society 2 hours Textbook, life skills books and posters
• Concept: self-image
- Identify and reflect on positive personal qualities: relationship with self, family, friends
- Personal interests, abilities and potential
- Strategies to enhance self image through positive actions: respect for self
- Strategies to enhance others’ self image through positive actions: respect for others and respect for diversity
Physical Education 2 hours Textbook, resources on physical fitness
• Participation in a fitness programme
• Safety issues relating to fitness activities
WEEKS 3 – 5
Development of the self in society 3 hours Textbook, life skills books
• Changes in boys and girls: puberty and gender constructs
- Physical and emotional changes
- Understanding the changes and how these impact on relationships
- Respect for own and others’ body changes and emotions
- Appreciation and acceptance of the self and others
Physical Education 3 hours Textbook, resources on fitness
• Participation in fitness programme
• Participation and movement performance in fitness programme
WEEKS 6– 8
Development of the self in society 3 hours Textbook, life skills books, youth magazines
• Peer pressure: effects of peer pressure Unit 7.1:
- How peer pressure may influence an individual: use of substances, crime, Peer pressure and risk-taking
unhealthy sexual behavior, bullying and rebellious behavior behaviour
- Appropriate responses to pressure: assertiveness and coping skills • Various forms of peer pressure
- Negotiation skills: ability to disagree in constructive ways • The potential consequences of
- Where to find help peer pressure and its link with
risk-taking behaviour
• Different kinds of risk-taking
behaviour
• High or low probability of
certain consequences makes
some forms of behaviour high
or low risk

• Participation in fitness programme
WEEKS 9 – 10
World of work 2 hours Textbook, resources on career and study skills
• Importance of reading and studying: reading for enjoyment and reading with understanding
• Skills to develop memory: ability to recall
• Participation in a fitness programme
• Participation and movement performance in fitness programme
Formal assessment: It is compulsory to cover the given topics in the term

1. Written task indicated. The sequence of the topics within the term
2. Physical Education Task (PET) is, however, not fixed.

5
Grade 7 Overview

WEEKS 1 – 2
Textbook, newspaper articles, Bill of Rights, South
Constitutional rights and responsibilities 2 hours
African Constitution
• Human rights as stipulated in the South African Constitution
- Application of human rights
- Application of responsibilities in relation to human rights
• Fair play in a variety of athletic and sport activities: role of values, trust and respect for difference
Physical Education 2 hours Textbook, resources on indigenous and invasion games
• Plays community or indigenous games that include the concept of invasion
• Safety issues relating to participation in invasion games
WEEKS 3 – 5
Constitutional rights and responsibilities 3 hours Textbook, resources on child safety and protection
Unit 7.2:
Decision-making about risk-taking behaviour
• The PRICE decision-making process
• Dealing with abuse in different contexts: between adults and • The importance of following the process of decision
children and between peers : making rather than just giving the final answer to the
- Identifying threatening and risky situations decision.
- Effects of abuse on personal and social health and • Life involves risks, but knowing how to make
relationships informed decisions about responsible actions,
- Importance of communication to promote healthy and reduces those risks.
non-violent relationships How to protect oneself from
threatening and risky situations
- Places of protection and safety for victims of abuse: where Unit 7.3
to find help An example of a risky situation: gambling
• Gambling and other forms of risk-taking
• Risk-taking behavior involves rewards, and
consequences
• Games of skill and games of chance
-
• Participation and movement performance in community or indigenous games that include the concept of invasion
WEEKS 6 – 8
Textbook, resources on careers and career guidance and
World of work 3 hours
counselling
• Career fields:
- Qualities relating to each field: interests and abilities
- School subjects related to each career field
- Work environment and activities in each filed
- Opportunities within each career field
- Levels of schooling – requirements for each career field
- Duration of study for each career field
- Services and sources for career fields and study information
• Participation and movement performance in community or indigenous games that include the concept of invasion
WEEKS 9 – 10
EXAMINATIONS

1. Mid-year examination indicated. The sequence of the topics within the term
2. Physical Education Task (PET) is, however, not fixed.

6
Grade 7 Overview

WEEKS 1 – 4
Health, social and environmental responsibility 4 hours Textbook, life skills books and health magazines
• Substance abuse
- Types/forms of substance abuse
- Symptoms of substance abuse
- Personal factors that contribute to substance abuse: intrapersonal and interpersonal
- Protective factors that reduce the likelihood of substance abuse
- Prevention measures: early detection
Textbook, resources on physical and movement

Physical Education 4 hours
activities
• Performs a sequence of physical activities including rotation, balance, elevation and rhythmic movements
• Safety issues relating to movement activities
WEEKS 5 - 7
Textbook, newspaper articles, environmental health
Health, social and environmental responsibility 3 hours
books
• Concept: environmental health
- Local environmental health problems
- Community and individual projects and strategies to prevent and deal with environmental health problems
- Problem-solving skills: an action plan to address an environmental health problem and formulate environmentally
sound choices and actions
Textbook, resources on physical and movement
Physical Education 3 hours
activities
• Participation and movement performance of sequence of physical activities including rotation, balance, elevation and
rhythmic movements
WEEKS 8 - 10
World of work 3 hours Textbook, newspaper articles, resources on careers
• Simulation of career-related activities: name of career, who is the
employer Unit 7.4
- Dress code for the career A Career in the Gaming Industry
- Tools or working equipment for the career • required career skills for the 21st century
- Activities related to work environment • general and particular skills needed for
- Place or institution of employment Personality employment in the gaming industry
characteristics • personal characteristics needed for different
- School subjects and level of schooling: requirements for jobs in the gaming industry
this career • school subject choices based on their intended
- Where to study and duration of study career
- Related careers
• Value and importance of work in fulfilling personal needs and
potential
-
Physical Education 3 hours Textbook, resources on physical and movement
activities
• Participation and movement performance of sequence of physical activities including rotation, balance, elevation and
rhythmic movements
Formal assessment: It is compulsory to cover the given topics in the

1. Project term indicated. The sequence of the topics within
2. PET the term is, however, not fixed.

7
Grade 7 Overview

WEEKS 1 – 2
Textbook, nutrition and health magazines and
Development of the self in society 2 hours
brochures
• Concepts: personal diet and nutrition
- Factors that influence choice of personal diet: ecological, social, economic, cultural and political
- Ways to improve nutritional value of own personal diet: a plan for healthy eating habits
Physical Education 2 hours Textbook, resources on recreational activities

• Participation in an outdoor recreational programme
• Safety issues relating to outdoor recreational activities
WEEKS 3 – 5
Textbook, health books, magazines and
brochures
• Common diseases: tuberculosis, diabetes, epilepsy, obesity, anorexia, HIV and AIDS
- Causes of diseases: social, economic and environmental factors including use of alcohol, tobacco, poor eating
habits and physical inactivity
- Treatment options, care and support
- Resources on health information and health services
- Strategies for living with tuberculosis, diabetes, epilepsy, HIV and AIDS
• Participation and movement performance in an outdoor recreational programme
WEEKS 6 – 7
Constitutional rights and responsibilities 2 hours Textbook, resources on religions
• Role of oral traditions and major religions in South Africa: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism,
Buddhism, Baha-I faith and African religion
Physical education 2 hours Textbook resources on recreational
activities
• Participation and movement performance in an outdoor recreational programme
WEEKS 8 - 10
EXAMINATIONS

1. End-of-year examination term indicated. The sequence of the topics
2. PET within the term is, however, not fixed.

8
Grade 7 Overview
Lesson plan for Learning Area (Units 7.1 - 7.4)

Focus Learning Area: LIFE ORIENTATION Grade: 7
No of units: 4
1. Focus: DEVELOPMENT OF SELF IN SOCIETY, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL

RESPONSIBILITY, DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Topic: Taking Risks Wisely
2. Specific aims:
1: The learner will be able to respond appropriately to life’s responsibilities and opportunities.
2: The learner will be able to make informed decisions regarding their own health and well-being
as well as those of others.
Assessment Forms:
Written tasks, group discussions, simulations, and personal career plan development
3. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Knowledge/concepts: Skills: Values and Attitudes:
High-risk behaviour Analysis Understanding
Levels of control Critical thinking Responsibility
Risk-prone circumstances Calculation Responsiveness
and character traits Making choices Pragmatism
Adolescent brain Problem solving Cultural sensitivity
development Coping strategies
Responsible decision-making Survey management
Gambling prevalence
4. LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES

Activities:
Topics to be addressed:
• Risk-taking behaviour Group discussion
• Levels of control Group discussion
• Assessment of risk Group discussion, simulation, individual reflection
• Decision-making skills Individual reflection, group discussion
• Responsible risk-taking Group discussion, simulation, individual reflection
• Adolescent brain development Quizzes and tests
• Career planning Self-reflection
•
5. RESOURCES
Resource file, www.schools.nrgp.org.za website - supplied
6. EXTENDED LEARNING
Website has additional links and considerations that accelerated learners can engage with
7. ASSESSMENTS
Written work Analysis Debating
Presentations Reading
What assessor will do: Who will assess:

Observe, listen, interpret, question, read Teacher and peers
learner’s observations
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES
Learning Activities sheets: matching pairs, True/False, writing, responding to text
LINKS WITH: Social sciences

9
7.1 Peer Pressure and Risk-Taking Behaviour
Unit 7.1
Peer Pressure and Risk-taking Behaviour
Learners will understand after unit 7.1:

• That peer pressure can take various forms
• The potential consequences of peer pressure and its link with risk-taking behaviour
• The dfferent kinds of risk-taking behaviour
• The high or low probability of certain consequences makes some forms of behaviour high or
low risk
Main concepts:
Peer pressure
Risk-taking behaviour
Reward, consequences
High and low risks
Probabilities
Resources:
Summary Sheet 7.1 (1) - Peer Pressure and Risk-taking
Learning Activity 7.1 (2) – Risk-taking Behaviour
Completed Teacher’s Version of Learning Activity 7.1 (3)
Summary Sheet 7.1 (4) – Risky Behaviour and Probabilities
Summary Sheet 7.1 (5) with Memorandum for Teachers
7.1 All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 1

Lesson Plan for Unit 7.1
TOPIC: DEVELOPMENT OF SELF IN SOCIETY

GRADE 7:
DURATION:WEEKS 6-8 (3 HOURS)
SUBTOPIC:
• Peer pressure and taking risk behaviour
• Risk-prone circumstances
• Decision making about risk- taking behaviour
• Learners will be able to understand and respond appropriately to peer pressure

• Learners will be able to understand risk taking situations/ behaviour and respond and behave
appropriately to such situations.
• Learners will have an understanding of decision making process and the application thereof.
KNOWLEDGE/ CONCEPT SKILLS VALUES

High –risk behaviour Decision making Respect
Levels of control Problem-solving Patience
Risk-prone circumstances and Analysis Compassion
character traits Coping strategies Empathy
TEACHING ACTIVITIES LEARNING ACTIVITIES

The teacher explains the following concepts: peer Learners in groups of 5 (depending on the
pressure, risk- taking, levels of control, risk-prone number of learners in class) discuss peer
circumstances and character traits. pressure, risk taking behaviour, levels of control,
1st lesson focuses on: risk prone circumstances and character traits and
Peer pressure: effects of peer pressure give relevant examples. Each group gives
• How peer pressure may influence an feedback.
individual, use of substance abuse, risk- An interactive lesson on peer pressure, learners
taking behaviour give their experiences.
• Appropriate ways to respond to risk-prone Summary sheet 7.1(1&2) to be used to
circumstances enhance the teaching of this content
• Negotiation skills: ability to agree or to Summary sheet 7.1(1): Peer pressure and risk
disagree taking to be used to enhance the teaching of
• Where to find help this content.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: ASSESSMENT:

Newspapers, magazines Informal
Group discussions
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES: REFLECTION:

Learners will identify different kinds of risk taking The teacher will reflect through the responses of
behaviour they experienced and how they the learners and evaluate the impact of the
responded. Application of the decision making lesson. If learners did not understand the lesson
process in such situations the teacher must be repeat the content

Steps in the lesson:

SUMMARY OF STEPS IN UNIT 7.1
Orientating Enhancing
STEP 1: INTRODUCTION STEP 2: ACTIVITY

Learners i) brainstorm the possible
Introduce the class to the notion
consequences of giving in to the peer
of adolescence as a time of
pressure dare, ii) to list some of the
increasing independence and of
reasons (rewards) for agreeing to the
developing their own identity, by
dare and iii) judge whether it was a
reference to their own peers.
Summary Sheet 7.1 (1). good or bad thing to give in to the
dare.
Learning Activity 7.1 (2)
STEP 3: FEEDBACK
Groups feedback on their

discussions.
Learning Activity 7.1 (3) with
Memorandum for Teachers.
Synthesizing
STEP 4: EXPLANATION STEP 5: LINK TO NEXT

LESSON
Explain the notion of high-risk behaviour and
of probabilities Introduce the notion of decision-
Summary Sheet 7.1 (4) making about giving in to peer
and pressure and getting involved in
Summary Sheet 7.1 (5) with Memorandum different forms of risk-taking
for Teachers behaviour

ORIENTATING
(introducing the topic in relation to what the learners already know)
Background understanding of what peer pressure is and its link with risk-taking behaviour.
Learners need to be able to have a general idea of why they are starting to experiment with
various risk-taking behaviours and to consider why peer pressure can increase their
participation in risk-taking behaviours in order for the lesson to make sense to them.
Note for teachers:

Plato, a Greek philosopher who lived in 400 BC, apparently thought that the behaviour of
young people at that time was a cause for concern and asked, “What is happening to our
young people?” If he was worried about the behaviour of adolescents all those centuries ago, we are
perhaps wrong to think that our current generation is behaving in a worse way than in previous
generations. Taking risks is an integral part of being human, and is a key feature of adolescent
behaviour at a time when they are becoming more independent and starting to seek out their own
friends and to participate in adult forms of behaviour.
Life is risky! As human beings, we have to take risks: getting out of bed in the morning is a risk, eating
food we bought is a risk, crossing the street is a risk, even sharing a secret with someone is a risk.
But there are, of course, some forms of risk-taking behaviour that are not likely to lead to problems,
whereas there are other forms of risk-taking behaviour that may be dangerous and have serious
consequences. Becoming mature is knowing how to distinguish between low and high-risk behaviour
and knowing how to take risks wisely. This manual, Taking Risks Wisely, is aimed at teaching young
people how to do exactly that.
One commonly accepted theory about why people do risky things has to do with evolution 1 .
According to this theory, the parts in our “old” brain that control our basic impulses for survival and
reproduction, also stimulate us to take action. In some people, the impulse to take action and seek
risk is strong. We call them the “risk seekers”, whereas there are others who generally try and avoid
risk. Of course, everyone both takes risks and avoids risks at different points in their lives.
Early human risk takers were probably more likely to wander off established trails, possibly finding a
new source of water or game. They would most probably have also been the ones to invent new
weapons, new traps for food, or tried eating a new plant. The rewards of taking these risks include
benefits for the group (with better ways of surviving) and admiration and esteem for the risk-taker.
Adolescents who are establishing their identities are particularly concerned about being admired by
their peers. It is therefore not surprising that young people tend to take high risks!
Another reason that young people in general like to take risks is that it unites them with others who
participate in the same sport or activity, producing an intense sense of belonging to the group. That
1 Additional resource: http://www.faqs.org/health/topics/15/Risk-taking-behaviors.html#ixzz0Xnnv7WVk

sense of belonging is strengthened especially when there is shared risk, such as trying something
new, cheating death, surviving a mishap, or sustaining injury. Negotiating relationships as an
adolescent can be difficult and a source of great stress, but it is a crucial part of developing one’s
identity. Choosing one group of peers over another helps the adolescent learn about loyalty,
commitment and social cohesion.
Studies have shown that peer groups play an important role in defining the social environment of
adolescents. As individuals identify with certain groups, they take on the values, styles and interests
of the group and, in turn, regulate the behaviour of the group members. In this way, group
membership fosters solidarity and uniformity which help distinguish it from other groups. It is therefore
not surprising that peer pressure plays such an important role in the development of an adolescent’s
identity as they adapt their behaviour in order to fit in.
As the Senior Phase learner becomes more independent and starts making his or her own decisions,
he or she is exposed to a wider range of risky situations. The health and safety issues encountered
are affected by the physical and socio-economic environment, but increasingly the learner is starting
to have to make independent decisions about with whom to socialise and with which activities to
become involved. In the fast-paced and ever-changing social environment, there is an increasing
range of options available. Different media offer a whole range of choices: films, TV, DVDs, internet,
iPods, cell phones. Also, youth – especially in cities - are interacting with an increasing range of
different groups of people, each one with different social conventions. For example, there are different
levels of acceptance about drinking, the use of drugs, sexual relationships, and gambling. In some
groups, drinking is regarded as morally wrong, whereas in other groups it is part of everyday life.
Increasingly, the adolescent learner has to deal with a range of different social conventions and risky
situations and therefore should acquire the skills to negotiate peer pressure and to make responsible
decisions to cope with challenging situations.
It is the main aim of Taking Risks Wisely to help learners develop the understanding, appropriate
skills and values that will enable them to make sensible decisions about all the new risky behaviours
and activities with which they are (or will be) confronted, and to prevent learners from becoming
problem cases.
This module on dealing with peer pressure and managing risky situations helps the learner acquire
such skills. It is not so much a matter of what to decide, but rather how to go about making sensible
decisions. If the learner understands the process of responsible decision-making, then it is a process
that can be applied to a whole range of risky situations, including how to deal with peer pressure.
STEP 1
Introduce the class to the notion of adolescence as a time of increasing independence from
parents and of developing their own identity, usually by reference to their own peers.

Put up Summary Sheet 7.1 (1) – Risk Behaviour and Probabilities with the main points.
Say, for example:
Ask:
• What kind of decisions did you have to make as a 7-year old?
• What kind of decisions are you having to make now?
• What kind of decisions do you think you are likely going to have to make as a 30-year old?
(Responses to the decisions a 7-year old is likely to make will range from what ice-cream flavour to
choose, which friends to play with, etc. The decisions of a 12-15 year-old are likely to involve school
subject chocies, how to manage their FaceBook page, which friends to hang out with, and decisions
facing a 30-year old are likely to be about what job to pursue, whom to marry, where to live, etc.
Encourage learners to see that the older they become, the bigger the decisions they will have to
make. The bigger the decision, the more substantive the consequences.)
As you get older you will probably have lots more to think about. Your parents are giving you more
and more independence and that means more and more decisions you have to make on your own,
including decisions about how to spend your leisure time and about what you will do for a career. This
is an exciting new phase in growing up, but it is also a risky one. If you make irresponsible or
uninformed decisions, it is likely that you may be faced with problems later on.
One of the main decisions you will be making is deciding which friends to become involved with. As
an adolescent, your peers are replacing your family as the main group with which you spend time.
You will have lots of different kinds of relationships with your peers – e.g. with your classmates, with
the people in your sports team or club, and with your after-school friends. It is not surpising that your
peers therefore become the main source of influence. As you are undergoing physcial, emotional and
social changes, shaping your adolescent identity and deciding what role to play in your social group, it
is not surprising that you are turning to your peers for guidance and advice. It is only natural that you
want to “fit in”, that you want to avoid being laughed at, that you are curious to try something new, and
especially that you want to be liked by your peers. It makes you feel good.
But this wanting to be liked by your peers can easily lead to peer pressure.
Ask:
• But what is peer pressure?
(Invite examples, and then ask what makes them all instances of peer presssure. Get them to
recognise that peer pressure is feeling forced to do something they would not otherwise have done.)
Ask:

• If your friends asked you to come and support them when they’re playing in the school soccer
match, would you?
• If your friends urged you to audition for the school play, would you?
• If your friend started a fight at school and the teacher asked who had started the fight, would you
tell the teacher that it was your friend?
• If your friend asked you for an answer in an exam, would you help him cheat?
• If your friends dared you to steal a cell phone, would you?
(Their responses to the questions reveal to what lengths they will go to show solidarity and loyalty to
their friends. Probe them for the various reasons why they would show commitment to their friend/s.
Encourage them to see that some forms of peer pressure can be good – e.g. the first two bullets –
and some bad.
Get them to recognise that all peer pressure is a case of forcing the person to make a decision and to
take a risk.)
Ask:
• What kind of risk is involved in auditioning for the school play?
• What kind of risk is involved in agreeing with your friends to steal a cell phone?
• What kind of risk is involved in not agreeing with your friends to steal a cell phone?
• What other kinds of activities or forms of behaviour do you think would involve taking risks?
(For example, drug use, unsafe sex, train surfing, gambling, reckless driving, alcohol use, etc.)
The combination of wanting on the one hand to explore new activities, wanting to experiment, wanting
to try out things for yourselves and, on the other hand, wanting to fit in with your peers, makes peer
pressure particularly powerful and high-risk in the adolescent years.
Something that many young people don’t think about are the kinds of activities or forms of behaviours
that are likely to lead to accidents or problems. Those kinds of activities or forms of behaviour that are
likely to lead to accidents or problems later on, we call risk-taking behaviour. Risk-taking
behaviours are those actions that are likely to be dangerous for health or emotional well-being in the
long-term.
As you are given more and more responsibility to make decisions about how to spend your time and
with which groups you want to get involved with, it is important to know what the various kinds of risk-
taking behaviour are and what their possible consequences may be. That is, some kinds of risk-
taking behaviour, e.g. reckless driving, are likely to lead to an accident, or too much drinking of
alcohol can lead to ill health, family upheavals or addiction.
Ask:
• So, why do people engage in risk-taking behaviour if they know that it is likely that an accident or
problems may be the result? Why do people drink? Why do people smoke? Why do you give in to

your friends to do something you don’t really want to do?
Generally, people engage in risk-taking behaviour because the expected consequences will make
them “feel good”. This is what we call the reward. So, even though someone may know that fast and
reckless driving may result in an accident, the person gets a thrill out of doing so. And even if you
know that stealing a cell phone when your friends pressure you into it, you will feel good to win their
admiration for being so daring.
Let’s have a look at different forms of risk-taking behaviour, how it makes people “feel good” (the
rewards), and the possible consequences that the activity or form of behaviour may lead to.
ENHANCING
(Deepening learners’ understanding of the topic)
Deepen learners’ understanding of risk behaviour, by getting them to brainstorm in groups
about rewards and possible negative outcomes (or risks).
STEP 2
Hand out Learning Activity 7.1 (2). – Risk-taking Behaviour.
Divide the learners into groups and ask each group to i) brainstorm the possible
consequences of giving in to the peer pressure dare, ii) to list some of the reasons (rewards) for
agreeing to the dare and iii) judge whether it was a good or bad thing to give in to the dare.
Once they have completed the list, ask them to think of their own example and to write this in the last
blank box.
STEP 3
There are 11 examples + the learners’ own example = 12. Depending on how many groups
there are, ask the 1st group to report back on the first two or three examples and their own,
then the 2nd group to report back on the next two or three examples and their own, etc.
See the enclosed example for teachers of the completed activity sheet – Learning Activity 7.1 with
The main aim of the activity is to show that peer pressure is a form of risk-taking behaviour and that
peer pressure can be good or bad.
At th end of the lesson, take in each group’s completed learning activity sheet for possible inclusion in
the assessment portfolio.

SYNTHESISING
(reinforce and consolidate learners’ understanding)
Consolidate learners’ understanding, skills and values with regards to thinking about risk
behaviour, rewards, and the probabilities of consequences.
The learning activity will have shown learners that there are some forms of behaviour that
have more serious possible consequences than others. For example, kissing your partner is
not likely to lead to serious health or emotional problems later on, but having unsafe sex is
likely to lead to pregnancy, maybe even sexually transmitted diseases and emotional
upheavals.
STEP 4
Peer pressure is a form of risk-taking, of doing something (either good or bad) that you
would not have done otherwise. Now introduce the notion of high-risk behaviour. That is,
forms of behaviour that are likely to lead to long-term problems. Learners should understand that
experimentation is part of adolescent development, but they should also know that some kinds of
activities are high risk.
Put up Summary Sheet 7.1 (4) – Risky Behaviour and Probabilities
And refer to Summary Sheet 7.1 (5) with Memorandum for Teachers
Say to the class, for example:
You’ll have seen from the list you’ve completed that there are some activities and forms of behaviour
that are likely to have more serious possible consequences than others. It’s nice to kiss your partner
but unsafe sex is likely to lead to an unwanted pregnancy ot even a sexually transmitted disease.
No one can have full control of life, and no one can see into the future, so no one can be absolutely
sure that a particular activity or form of behaviour may lead to serious problems later on. However, we
know from past experience and lots of studies done, that certain kinds of behaviour are more risky
than others. In other words, some kinds of behaviour are more likely to lead to problems. We call
these forms of behaviour high-risk behaviour.
Since high-risk behaviour is likely to have serious problematic consequences, we say that high-risk
behaviour has a high probability (another way of saying “chance” or “likelihood”) of leading to social,
emotional and physical problems. For example, there is a strong likelihood or high probability that
smoking tik leads to drug addiction and health problems. (Not to mention a high probability of landing
in jail!)
But how can we calculate what the likelihood of a possible outcome may be? How can we know which
forms of behaviour are likely to lead to problems? Let’s have a look at different probabilities.

STEP 5
Introduce the notion of decision-making about giving in to peer pressure and getting involved
in different forms of risk-taking behaviour with different probabilities of what might happen.
Say something like:
Even though we can’t be absolutely sure about the future and the probabilities of something bad
happening, we can have some control over our lives by making informed decisions about what
activities we’re going to get involved in.
You can change the probabilities of getting harmed, or being in an accident or developing an
addiction by choosing to do or not do certain things (like stay indoors during a thunder storm, or not to
drink regularly) that reduce the risks of something bad happening. This entails understanding the risks
involved, the probabilities and having the right skills to think through a complex situation.
In the next unit, we’ll have a look at how you can follow a thinking process that will help you make
sensible decisions about risk behaviours.

Summary Sheet 7.1 (1): Peer pressure and risk-taking
• What kind of decisions did you have to make as a 7-year old?

• What kind of decisions are you having to make now?
• What kind of decisions do you think you are likely going to have to make as a 30-year old?
Adolsecence is an exciting time! But also risky!
More adult forms

of leisure
activities
Experimentation Formation of
and risk-taking own identity
Turning to peers
Increasing
independence
Adolescence for advice and
guidance
The combination of wanting on the one hand to explore new activities, wanting to experiment, wanting
• If your friends asked you to come and support them when they’re playing in the school soccer
match, would you?
• If your friends urged you to audition for the school play, would you?
o What kind of risk would you take if you agreed?
• If your friend started a fight at school and the teacher asked who had started the fight, would you
tell the teacher that it was your friend?
• If your friend asked you for an answer in an exam, would you help him cheat?
• If your friends dared you to steal a cell phone, would you?
o What kind of risk would you take if you agreed?
o What kind of risk would you take if you did not agree?
to try out things for yourselves and, on the other hand, wanting to fit in with your peers, makes peer
pressure particularly powerful and high-risk in the adolescent years.
Why do you give in to your friends to do something you don’t really want to do?
Generally, people engage in risk-taking behaviour because the expected consequences will make
them “feel good”. This is what we call the reward.

Summary Sheet 7.1 (1) - continued
Hi there…
My name is Joe. You’ll read about me in a really cool comic

soon. I’ve had some problems…
But right now, I’m going to get my uncle, Enoch, to show

you some stuff about growing up, risks and behaviour. I
think I need to pay special attention….
Hey kids. My name is Enoch.
I am really excited about all these interesting and very important

things we’ll learn about today. You are all at a stage where, as
a teenager, you are in an exciting new phase in growing up, but
it is also a risky one.
• Risk-taking behaviours are those actions that are
likely to be dangerous for health or emotional well-
being in the short or long-term
• As you are given more responsibility to make decisions
Summary Sheet 7.1 (1) - continued
about how to spend your time, it is important to know
what the various kinds of risk behaviour are and what
their possible consequences may be.
• Even though people may know that a certain kind of
behaviour may lead to an accident or a problem later
on, they still do so because they enjoy it, it makes them
“feel good”. This is what we call the reward.

Summary Sheet 7.1 (1) – continued
I think I am sometimes unaware of the risks of what I

do….what about you…?
• Certain kinds of behaviour are more risky than others in that they
are more likely to lead to problems. We call these kinds of
behaviour high-risk behaviour.
• High-risk behaviour has a high probability of leading to social,
emotional and physical problems.
• You can change the probabilities of getting harmed, or being in
an accident or developing an addiction by choosing to do or not
do certain things .
• This entails understanding the risks involved, the probabilities
and having the right decision-making skills to think through a
complex situation.
• The decision-making process we’ll learn about is not so much a
matter of what to decide, but rather how to go about making
sensible decisions

GROUP ACTIVITY
Learning Activity 7.1 (2) - Risk-taking Behaviour
Write down the names of all the members of the group:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
It is likely that:
+ =
Why is he giving in to his friends who dare him to drink the vodka when he knows that it will
make him sick?
• It feels good to belong to the group and do what they others do
• He is curious and wants to see what it is like to be drunk
• He wants to be seen as a risk-taker whose courage to do something risky others admire
• He wants to boast to his friends about having drunk vodka
• He enjoys the thrill of danger by being out of control
In the table below, let your group brainstorm:

i) what the possible consequences of doing the activity might be;
ii) what the “feel good” factors (the rewards) of the listed activity might be, and
iii) whether the peer pressure to do the activity is good or bad.
Once you have completed the list of given activities, think of an example of another kind of risk
behaviour. Write the example that the group comes up with in the last blank box, and note the
possible rewards and consequences.
My friends dare me to do Possible consequences Rewards Good

the following activity or bad
1 To send a “I love you” text • For example, I might be • The person likes me too
message to a person I rejected and feel humiliated and I may have a new
secretly like. partner!
2 To make a rude gesture to a

stranger on the bus
3 To enter the school 5km fun

run
4 To shoplift a pair of Nike

shoes from a shop
5 To offer a teacher to help

carry a box of books to her
car
6 To kiss a person you have

started dating
7 To have sex with a person

you have dated a few times
8 To take a nude “selfie”
9 To bet R50 on a game of dice
10 To learn to play the guitar
11 To try “tik” or to smoke dagga
12 (Your own example)

You’ll notice that some activities have more possible accidents or problems. These we call high-risk
activities.
Of course, no one can have full control of life, and no one can see into the future, so no one can be
absolutely sure that a particular activity or form of behaviour may lead to an accident or problems later
on. But we can develop good skills in making sensible decisions about which risk behaviours to get
involved in and which not. We’ll look at this in the next section.

Memorandum for Teachers’ Reference 7.1 (3)

A completed form of the Learning Activity 7.1
My friends dare me to do Possible consequences Rewards Good or

the following activity bad
To send a “I love you” text • I might be rejected and feel • It’s a thrill to make my feelings
message to a person I humiliated known
secretly like. • He or she may respond and make • He or she may respond and I
me feel wanted may have a new partner!
To make a rude gesture to • The person may respond • It’s a thrill to be doing
a stranger on the bus aggressively something naughty
To enter the school 5km • I may be very stiff for the next • I feel good doing something
fun run week! different
• I may discover that I am good at • I may take up running regularly
running and get fit and healthy
To shoplift a pair of Nike • I may get caught and be convicted. • It’s a thrill to be doing
shoes from a shop That means I will have a criminal something illegal
record for life. • A new pair of shoes
• I will have lost the trust my parents • Boast to my friends about
had in me having done something daring
To offer a teacher to help • She will be grateful • It feels good doing something
carry a box of books to her nice for someone
car
To kiss a person you have • Just kissing is unlikely to lead to • It feels nice!
started dating serious physical and emotional • It shows that s/he trusts me
problems • I like being nice to my partner
and make him or her feel
wanted
To have sex with a person • I may develop a bad reputation • It feels nice!
you have dated a few • Unsafe sex may result in unwanted • It shows that s/he trusts me
times pregnancy or sexually transmitted
diseases
To take a nude “selfie” • It may land up on public FaceBook • I boast to my friends about my
• Years later it may count against daring behaviour
me in a relationship or in a job • My friends think it’s funny
application
To bet R50 on a game of • It’s a lot of money to lose, and if I • It’s a thrill to gamble
dice do so regularly, it’s bound to lead • I may win R100 back
to money problems • It feels good to win
• I may get addicted to the thrill of • I can boast to my friends
gambling
To learn to play the guitar • It will take time and effort • If I succeed, I may win the
admiration of my peers
• I may discover that I have a
musical talent
To try “tik” or to smoke • I get a reputation of being silly and • I feel part of a “in group”
irresponsible • I boast to my friends about my
dagga
• My habit is likely to lead to daring behaviour
problems later on (like addiction)
• Drug abuse can lead to health and
work problems
(Your own example)

Summary sheet 7.1 (4)

Risky Behaviour and Probabilities
Now we come to a cool subject. This helps us understand all

sorts of things. It’s all about understanding that different things
have different chances of happening – that is, how likely they
are to happen.
Yes, Joe is right, we are going to talk about
Risk behaviour and probabilities.
(Probability is just a fancy word for ‘chance’.)
We’ve covered risk behaviour and you probably have a

good instinctive idea of probability, but we’re going to
see if we can tie them together…
Let’s go through some scenarios to see if we can get

to grips with probability…
• What is the probability of being struck by lighting

when you are inside your home? 100% certain?
50% likely? 0%, i.e. certain that it won’t happen?
• What is the probability of being struck by

lightning when outside in the open veld during a
thunder storm? Is it higher or lower than being
inside your home?

Here are some trickier questions.…(and very relevant

ones)
• What is the probability of a young person

developing an alcohol addiction after drinking a
strong brandy?
• What is the probability of an older person in his

60s developing an alcohol addiction after
drinking a strong brandy?
• What is the probability of a young person

developing an alcohol addiction after getting
drunk most weekends?
CONCLUSION
There are different probabilities depending on:

• your choice
• the circumstances
• your personality and dispositions and
• sometimes sheer luck!

Summary Sheet 7.1 (5) – Memorandum for Teacher

Say: If something has a 100% probability of something happening it is certain that it will happen. For
example, there is a 100% probability that the sun will rise tomorrow. But, since we can never be
absolutely sure about the future, we don’t normally talk about a 100% probability. Who knows, during
the night a large meteor can hit the earth and knock it off its orbit so that tomorrow the sun won’t rise.
It is highly unlikely that a meteor will hit the earth, but we can’t entirely rule out the possibility that it
will happen. We can only be almost sure.
• What is the probability of being struck by lighting when you are inside your home? 99% certain?
50% likely? 0%, i.e. certain that it won’t happen
Answer: certainty that it won’t happen, but since we are never absolutely sure about the future,
we can never have a probability of 0%. Again, we can only say that we are almost certain that it
wont’ happen.
• What is the probability of being struck by lightning when outside in the open veld during a thunder
storm, in any particular year?
Answer: Since South Africa is a lightning prone country, with one of the highest lightning ground
flash densities in the world, lightning related deaths in this country are about four times higher
than the global average. But still, the probability is very small, with about 32 deaths out of a
population of 50 million, or a .00000064% probability of being struck by lightning in any one year!
• What is the probability of a young person developing an alcohol addiction after drinking a strong
brandy?
Answer: Studies have shown that youth are particularly prone to addictive forms of behaviour.
Exploring and experimenting with new options is part of the development of an adolescent. It can
be a useful learning experience for a young person to get drunk, feel very sick, and realize that
doing so again is not something he will choose to do in future. It is unlikely that a young person,
however, will develop a long-term problem after having had just one drink. But, of course, one
drink can lead to another and if the person drinks regularly and frequently, there is a much higher
probability of a long-term problem.
• What is the probability of an older person in his 60s developing an alcohol addiction after drinking
a strong brandy?
Answer: Studies have shown that the younger the age at which a person starts drinking, the
higher the probability of that person developing a problem with alcohol. Most adult alcoholics
report that they already had a problem with alcohol at age 17-18. So, the older a person is when
they first start drinking, the lower the probability of that person developing a problem with alcohol
later on.
• What is the probability of a young person developing an alcohol addiction after getting drunk most
weekends?
Answer: As we have discussed in the previous two answers, it is highly probable that such a
young person who drinks regularly and frequently will have social, emotional and physical
problems related to alcohol later on.
There are different probabilities depending on:

• your choice
• your personality and dispositions and
• sometimes sheer luck!

Unit 7.2
Decision-making about risk-taking behaviour
Learners will understand after unit 7.2:

• How to make responsible decisions about risk-taking behaviour
• That it is important to follow the process of decision making rather than just giving the
final answer to the decision.
• That life involves risks, but knowing how to make informed decisions about
responsible actions, reduces those risks.
Main concepts:
Decision-making
Process and outcome
Purpose
Reliability of Information
Compromises
Alternatives
Resources:
Summary Sheet 7.2 (1) – Making Decisions
Summary Sheet 7.2. (2) - PRICE
Learning Activity sheet 7.2 (3) – How will I decide?


Orientating Enhancing
STEP 1: INTRODUCTION STEP 2: EXPLANATION

Outline the 5 key steps in a decision-
Introduce the class to the notion
of decision-making as a process. making process.
Summary Sheet 7.2 (2).
Synthesizing
STEP 3: ACTIVITY
Learners identify their own responses

to particular scenarios or possible
situations.
STEP 4: FEEDBACK ACTIVITY STEP 5: LEARNING

PORTFOLIO
Learners share their answers to the
questions and their final decision. Take in the completed learning
excercise for inclusion in the learner’s
portfolio.

ORIENTATING
(introducing the topic in relation to what the learners have already learnt)
Learners have dealt with risk behaviour, rewards, consequences and probabilities in
Unit 7.1. Now learners need to be able to develop simple skills to help them make
sensible decisions about various risky situations and forms of high-risk behaviour.
Note for teachers:

It would not be very helpful merely to say to learners that they shouldn’t engage in
risky behaviour. Learners should develop the thinking skills to be able to make
their own responsible decisions not only about which particular social groups and activities
they are going to get involved in, but also about general lifestyle choices. Knowing how to
make a responsible decision about, for example, drinking alcohol, smoking, having sex, and
gambling, will help to protect learners from getting into situations that are threatening to their
own well-being.
Knowing how to make responsible decisions will help learners not only in their teenage years,
but it is a lifelong skill that they can use throughout their adult lives.
Almost all teachers, parents and potential employers regard good decision-making skills as a
key component of successful and independent behaviour. Yet, what exactly good decision-
making skills are, is not that clear. Some people think it is able to choose between
alternatives; others think it is to be able to understand the reasons one has for making a
particular decision. Others again think that a good decision is one that gets you what you
want and a bad decision is one in which you end up with something you don’t want.
This unit is based on the idea that good decisions are more a matter of good thinking
processes than of good outcomes. For example, suppose you plan to have a beach braai for
your friends. You are anxious about the weather and so you look up the various historical
records for the best time to have your braai. You see that the last week in April has been the
driest and most wind-free time of the year in your area and so you plan your party for then.
Just after you arrive at the beach, heavy rain starts falling, forcing you to cancel the party.
Have you made a bad decision? Should you have planned the braai for a time when more
rain was expected? Of course not. You had good reasons on which to base your decision,
and were just plain unlucky! So sometimes good decision-making can be ruined by bad luck
and lead to unfavourable consequences, just as sometimes bad decision-making can be
disguised through sheer good luck and lead to favourable consequences. But since we don’t
rely on sheer luck for our decisions, we need to be able to know what a good decision-making
process is.

The exercises in this unit are therefore aimed at getting the process right, rather than at
arriving at the most favourable outcome.
STEP 1
Introduce the class to the notion of decision making as a process. Put up Summary
Sheet 7.2 (1) – Making Decisions outlining the main points and meanings of
difficult words.
Say for example:
Imagine that a generous aunt has given you money to buy yourself a cell phone.
Ask:
• What will you do? Rush out to the nearest shop and buy the first cell phone you see?
(Wait for class response.)
You want to make sure you get one that is reliable, sells at a good price, has the features (like
ring tones and maybe even a video camera) that you want, and comes in a cool colour! But to
find out which cell phone will be the best one, you need to do some investigating, some
thinking. What if you come across one that has the video camera, has a great ring tone, and
is on sale at a special low price? But it comes only in silver and you wanted a pink one! And
the only pink model available doesn’t have a video camera and is more expensive. You’ll
need to make a decision.
Well, that’s not such a difficult one. If you make the wrong decision, it is unlikely to have
terrible consequences. But what about other, more difficult decision you might have to make?
Decisions that if you do make the wrong choice can lead to serious problems, injury or
accidents? You won’t be able to reverse the decision, so you want to make sure you think
through the decision carefully.
But how do you do this?
ENHANCING

(deepening learners’ understanding of the topic)

Deepen learners’ understanding of the process of decision-making by explaining the 5
step procedure. Stress that the PRICE process can be applied to any decision about
risk behaviour they may have to make.
STEP 2
Put up Summary Sheet 7.2 (2) – PRICE that outlines the 5 key steps in a decision
making process
Referring to the teachers’ notes, take the learners through the various steps with the
additional questions for them to consider under each step.
Explain the meaning of difficult terms. See Summary Sheet 7.2. (1)
PURPOSE - the reason for doing something: the goal or aim you want to achieve
RELIABILITY - the extent to which you can trust that the information is true and
accurate
COMPROMISES - when 2 people want opposite things, but then agree to accept a
changed outcome that satisfies both people. For example, a curio
seller asks the tourist R100 for the carved giraffe. The tourist offers
R70. They both agree after some bargaining to settle for R85. They
have both made compromises.
ALTERNATIVES - a different choice, a substitute
RESOURCES - the abilities, skills, available tools and assets you have to do
something
Note for teachers:

A crucial element in the learning process is for learners to apply the steps
themselves to relevant risky situations that they may face. Learners should be
encouraged to extend their learning beyond the classroom and to apply these decision-
making skills to real-world problems. The original decision-making process from which the 5-
step PRICE process has been developed, has 8 steps, but we have simplified the process
here in order to make it easier for learners to remember. The original steps1 1 are:
1. Establishing the decision context
2. Identifying values
1 Gregory, R.S. and Clemen, R.T. “Improving Students’ Decision Making Skills’. Decision
research, Eugene, Oregon (undated).

3. Understanding uncertainty
4. Structuring consequences
5. Quality of information
6. Creating alternatives
7. Making tradeoffs
8. Group negotiations
For example, say to learners:
Now, let’s see how useful a tool these steps may be and apply them to decisions about some
risk behaviours.
SYNTHESISING
Learners consolidate their understanding of the PRICE decision-making process by
applying it to a possible situation. The activity asks learners to consider the relevant
questions in each step, thereby breaking up the decision making process into
manageable bits.
The 4 examples are taken from unit 7.1, thereby helping learners consolidate their
understanding as well as making the material familiar.
STEP 3
Leave the Summary Sheet 7.2. (2) up and give each learner a copy of Learning
Activity Sheet 7.2 (3).
This is an individual activity because learners need to be able to identify their own responses
to particular scenarios or possible situations.
Read through the instructions aloud and answer any queries the learners may have.
Allow at least 20 minutes for this exercise.
STEP 4
When learners have completed the exercise, invite learners to share their answers
to the questions and their final decision. Try to get at least one respondent for each
of the 4 scenarios.
Stress that the process of thinking through the various steps is important, rather than just the
final answer.

STEP 5
Take in the activity sheets for possible inclusion in the learner’s assessment portfolio.
Stress the main insight that the lesson promotes:
Life involves risks, but knowing how to make informed decisions about responsible actions,
reduces those risks.

Summary Sheet 7.2 (1) – Making Decisions
Hi there, it’s Joe again. You’ll see later on that I get

into some real trouble. I wish I had known how to
make sensible decisions about risk behaviour. This
time, I’m going to pay close attention…
• Good decisions are more a matter of good thinking processes than of

good outcomes. Example of deciding the best weather for your beach
party.
• How would you decide which cell phone to buy when there are so many
choices, models, features and prices?
• If you make the wrong decision, it is unlikely to have terrible
consequences. But what about more difficult decisions that, if you make
the wrong choice, can lead to serious problems, injury or accidents? You
won’t be able to reverse the decision, so you want to make sure you think
through the decision carefully.
• Any decision comes with a PRICE: you spend your energy, thinking,
money and time trying to make the best decision.

Summary Sheet 7.2 (1) -cont
Before we go on, let’s have a look at some key words

that will help you in learning how to make good decisions.
PURPOSE – the reason for doing something: the goal or

aim you want to achieve
RELIABILITY – the extent to which you can trust that the

information is true and accurate
COMPROMISES – when 2 people want opposite things,

but then agree to accept a changed outcome that
satisfies both people. For example, a curio seller asks the
tourist R100 for the carved giraffe. The tourist offers R70.
They both agree after some bargaining to settle for R85.
ALTERNATIVES - a different choice, a substitute
RESOURCES - the abilities, skills, available tools and

assets you have to do something
SUMMARY:
“PRICE” is an acronym2, that means that each of the letters of the word
represent another word.
P = price
R = risks
I = information
C = compromises
E = enjoyment
2The definition of an acronym is “an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and
pronounced as a word”.

Summary Sheet 7.2 (2) - PRICE
Steps in decision-making
Whatever decision you make, it comes with a PRICE – you spend your time,
energy, resources, talents, concentration, thoughts, actions, and feelings into
making a wise decision that will have a high probability of leading to positive
consequences which make you “feel good” (rewards). In other words, you
invest into the process so that it raises the probabilities of a favourable
outcome. You want to get something worthwhile out of it.
Here is the 5-step process you can follow in making a wise decision about a
possible action:
IDENTIFY THE PURPOSE OF THE ACTION

Ask: “Why do I want to do it?” or “Why don’t I want to
do it?”
IDENTIFY THE RISKS, POSSIBLE

CONSEQUENCES AND PROBABILITIES
Ask: “What are all the possible (realistic)
consequences?”
ASSESS THE RELIABILITY OF YOUR
INFORMATION
Ask: “Is my information reliable?”
CONSIDER COMPROMISES, AND CREATE

ALTERNATIVES
Ask: “How else could I use my time, energy, resources,
talents and opportunities?”
ENJOY THE FEELING OF HAVING DONE

WELL

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
Learning Activity 7.2 (3) - How will I decide?
Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Read through the following 4 possible situations (scenarios 3). Choose one that you think is
most relevant to your own situation and then follow the 5 steps in the decision-making process that will
help you reach a sound and informed decision. Write your answers to the questions in the blank space
provided.
Scenario:
1. You are spending the night with a friend. After the parents go to bed, your friend suggests
getting some brandy from the cupboard and seeing what it’s like to get drunk. How do you
decide what to do?
2. You are new to the school. A classmate you meet starts talking about using drugs. Then he
asks if you want to go over to his house and smoke some dagga. How do you decide what to
do?
3. You are at a party and most of your friends are smoking. Someone says to you, “Come on, try
one. It’s no big deal.” How do you decide what to do?
4. A group of neighbourhood youngsters invite you to join them in making a pronographic video
on their cell phone. How do you decide what to do?
Choose your scenario number:
Steps Write your answers to the questions in here:
P:
IDENTIFY THE PURPOSE OF
THE ACTION
Answer the following:
“What are my reasons for thinking
about doing the action?”
“Why do I want to do it?” or “Why
don’t I want to do it?” (the rewards)
“Why does this action matter to
me?”
R:
IDENTIFY THE RISKS,
POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES
AND PROBABILTIES
Answer the following:
“What are my chances of an
outcome that benefits not only me,
3 Adapted from Lions-Quest Skills for Adolescents, p. 93.

but others as well?”

“What will it cost me?” (i.e. how
much of my time, energy, feelings,
and resources will I have to use?”“
What are all the possible (realistic)
consequences?” Think through the
various options of “What if ?”“How
can I reduce the risk of a bad
outcome?”
I:
ASSESS THE RELIABILITY OF
YOUR INFORMATION
Ask yourself:
“Is my information complete?”
“Is my information reliable?”
“What additional information do I
need?”
C:
CONSIDER COMPROMISES
AND CREATE ALTERNATIVES
Ask yourself:
“How else could I use my time,
energy, resources, talents and
opportunities?”
“Can I develop other reasons for
engaging in the action?”
“By engaging in the risk behaviour,
how do I compensate (pay back)
others who may be at risk as a
result of my action?”
“By not engaging in the risk
behaviour, how will I reward
myself?”
E:
Write your final decision here:
ENJOY THE FEELING OF

HAVING DONE WELL
Having invested in the decision-
making process, enjoy the reward
of knowing you have acted wisely
(even if you can’t always fully
control the outcomes!)

Unit 7.3
An Example of a Risky Situation: Gambling
After completing unit 7.3 learners will be able to:

• identify a risky situation
• describe what gambling is
• explain that gambling, like other forms of risk-taking behaviour, involves rewards, risks
and consequences
• describe the difference between games of skill and games of chance
Main concepts:
Risky situations
Gambling
Gaming
Betting
Games of skill and games of chance
Resources:
Summary Sheet 7.3 (1) – Risks, Rewards and Consequences
Summary Sheet 7.3 (2) – What is Gambling?
Comic book - Chances Are
Learning Activity sheet 7.3 (3) - Gambling as Risk-taking Behaviour
Learning Activity Sheet 7.3 (4) with Notes for Teacher
Summary Sheet 7.3. (5) – Games of Chance and Games of Skill
Summary Sheet 7.3 (6) – Chance, Uncertainty and Probability


Orientating
STEP 1: INTRODUCTION STEP 2: EXPLANATION

Recap learners’ understanding of Look at different forms of gambling.
risky situations, risk-taking Summary Sheet 7.3 (2).
behaviour and the PRICE
decision-making process.
Introduce gambling as a form of
risk-taking behaviour.
Enhancing
STEP 3: ACTIVITY
Learners read the comic book and

STEP 4: FEEDBACK ACTIVITY identify the different forms of
gambling.
Go through the learners’ answers. Comic book
Learning Activity 7.3 (4) with Learning Activity 7.3 (3)
Memorandum for the Teacher
Synthesizing
STEP 5: GROUP ACTIVITY
Learners distinguish between games STEP 6: EXPLANATION

of chance and games of skill. AND GROUP ACTIVITY
Summary Sheet 7.3 (5)
Explain the link between the
degree of control one has over
the outcome, chance, and
probability.

ORIENTATING
Learners have dealt with risk behaviour, rewards, consequences and probabilities in
Unit 7.1. and with how to make wise decisions in Unit 7.2. background understanding of
gambling as a form of risk-taking behaviour. Now learners need to be able to recognise
the risks involved in an activity like gambling and know where to go for help if they or
someone they know has a gambling problem.
Note for teachers:

Just as with the other forms of risk-taking behaviour, gambling involves rewards,
consequences and risks. The same PRICE decision-making process can be applied
to gambling as to other forms of risk-taking behaviour. Before learners apply the PRICE
decision-maing process to gambling, learners first need to have clear information about what
gambling is and the various risks involved.
STEP 1
Recap learners’ understanding of risky situations, risk-taking behaviour and the
PRICE decision-making process. Introduce gambling as a form of risk-taking
behaviour.
Introduce the class to the notion of decision making as a process. Put up Summary Sheet 7.3
(1) – Risks, Rewards and Consequences outlining the main points.
Say for example:
In the last two units we looked at risk-taking behaviour and at a way of how you can make
responsible decisions when you are faced with choices that involve risk, that means a
probability of a bad outcome.
Ask:
• What are some examples of risk-taking behaviour?
(Invite the class to give some examples of risk-taking behaviour dealt with in the previous
lessons. Examples could include unhealthy eating habits, unsafe sex, drinking, smoking and
taking drugs, train “surfing”, etc)
Ask:
• Why do we think these kinds of behaviour are risky?

(Encourage answers that link risk-taking behaviour to uncertain consequences with a

probability of leading to a lasting problem or accident or addiction. The reason that peple
engage in risk-taking behaviour is because of the potential rewards, the “feel good / excited /
thrilling” feeling.)
So, people engage in risky behaviour because it makes them feel good, has anticipated
rewards, but there is a probability of the outcome not being favourable or even of the outcome
leading to a lasting problem or accident.
Ask:
• Do you think playing a friendly game of soccer with your friends is risky behaviour?
• What are the likely consequences?
Playing a friendly game of soccer with your mates is not a form of high-risk behaviour since
although it makes you feel good (it has rewards), there is little chance that you will endanger
your health, lose a lot of money, get injured, or develop an addiction as a result.
Ask:
• But, what if you were to say to a player from the opposite team, “If we win this game,
you will pay me R100; but if you win this game, I will have to pay you R100”? Is this a
form of risky behaviour?
• How would you feel if you won? (Happy)
• How would you feel if you lost? (Angry, unhappy and disappointed)
(Prompt learners to see that although the outcome may be favourable – they may win – it is still
risky because the outcome is uncertain and they are likely to lose a substantial amount of
money.)
Definition:
When we risk money (or something of value, like a cell phone or iPod or
favourite pair of trainers) on an activity whose outcome is uncertain, we
call this gambling.
Ask:
• Why do you think people want to gamble and risk losing something of value?
People gamble because they hope to get a favourable outcome, e.g. more money, or
something else of value.

Let’s have a closer look at what gambling is.
STEP 2
Put up Summary Sheet 7.3 (2) – What is Gambling?
The main aim of the summary sheet is for learners to see that there are a number of
different forms of gambling. What they all have in common is that the person betting risks an
amount of money (or something else of value) on a game whose outcome is uncertain and
whose outcome cannot be known beforehand. In other words, there is a probability of a
favourable outcome, but also a probability of an unfavourable outcome. We can’t know
beforehand what the outcome will be. That’s why gambling involves risks.
ENHANCING
After discussing different forms of gambling, hand out the comic book, Taking Risks
Wisely, for learners to read.
STEP 3
Ask learners to team up in pairs of two. Hand out the comic book “Chances Are”.
Allow the class 10 minutes to read through the comic book.
Hand out to each pair a copy of Learning Activity Sheet 7.3 (3). Allow about 15 minutes for
learners to complete the sheet.
STEP 4
Go through the answers with the learners. See Learning Activity Sheet 7.3 (4) with
Notes for Teacher.
SYNTHESISING
Learners consolidate their understanding of gambling as a risk-taking behaviour. Unit
7.1 introduced the notion of probability and learners now synthesise their knowledge of
the risks in gambling by calculating the probabilities of outcomes.

Note for teachers:

The expanded definition of gambling offered by the Australian Psychological Society
which was given above (i.e. “gambling involves the staking of money or items of
value on the outcome of an uncertain event whose outcome cannot be known beforehand”)
includes “speculation” 1 , but for our purposes this broadens the definition too much. Our
emphasis here is on games of chance, marketed as entertainment, and sold by commercial
ventures (or governments, in the case of Lottos) for profit. So, in the units that follow, we regard
gambling as stimulating entertainment that involves risking money or valuables on a
game, contest or event where the outcome of the game or event cannot be known
beforehand by those placing their bets.
STEP 5
Get learners to distinguish between games of skill and games of chance. Put up
Summary Sheet 7.3 (5) – Games of Chance and Games of Skill. First ask learners
to pu up their hands if they think the example is a game of chance. Count the number of hands
and write it under the column “chance”. Then ask learners to put up their hands if they think the
example is a game of skill. Write the number of hands that were put up under the column “skill”.
Complete the task in about 5 minutes.
Say, for example:
So, what makes winning some games a matter of skill and some a matter of chance or luck?
Ask
• Do you think that winning the final tennis game at Wimbledon, or winning the gold
medal for the 100 meter race in the Olympics, takes skill?
• What could you do to improve your chances of winning the 100 meter race?
(Allow learners to identify the preparation and training that is needed to win in such a contest,
the hard work, the talent to play the game well, the proper diet, etc.)
So, in order to stand a good chance of winning at Wimbledon or in the Olympics you need to
work hard, train properly, follow a strict nutritional diet, develop skills, etc. These are things you
can control to a certain extent. We call such games, games of skill.
Now, what about Joe and his dice games? Joe thought that the more he played, the better he
would become. But what actually happened? Joe did not become a “more skilful gambler” the
1 See Australian Psychological Society’s website: http://www.psychology.org.au/

more he played. In fact, the more he played, the more money he lost.
Ask:
• Why didn’t Joe become more skilful at gambling the more he played?
That is because gambling involves games of chance. That is, you cannot know for certain
what the outcome will be beforehand, no matter how “skilled” you think you may be. We say
that the outcome of a game of chance is uncertain. Examples of such forms of gambling
include: slot machines, lotteries, scratch tickets, coin tossing, dice throwing and roulette. The
above covers most forms of gambling and the games don’t involve skill or expertise or
“inside knowledge”.
All gambling involves chance and therefore the outcomes of gambling are uncertain. However,
there are some forms of gambling where the skill of a player can increase his or her probability
of winning.
Ask:
• Who do you think is more likely to guess correctly the outcome of a horse race? A
person who knows nothing about horses and jockeys, or the person who has closely
studied the past performance of each horse and of all the jockeys? Why?
• Is the more skilled person guaranteed to guess correctly and win? Why not?
• Does the best soccer player always score a goal?
There are some forms of gambling that involve a degree of skill and knowledge in being able
to increase the chances of guessing correctly or predicting the right outcome. Examples of
these are: poker playing and sports betting. For example, knowing the history of the sports
team and its players, or knowing the pedigree and past performance of the horse may help you
make an “informed” bet, one that stands a good probability (but no guarantee!) of winning.
However, even with lots of background information, the gambler still takes a chance, since she
or he cannot be certain about the outcome. So, outcomes may be predicted correctly, but
cannot be predicted with certainty! Not even the very best soccer player scores a goal every
time; the horse with a winning record may be frightened by a bird that swoops down and
causes it to stumble. And even games, like poker, which do involve skill still have an element of
chance and therefore of uncertainty. Poker players can’t know which cards they will be dealt,
and even if they are trying to count cards (i.e. tracking the relationship between the high-value
cards and the low-value cards, and who has played which cards), this skill is no guarantee that
they will win.

STEP 6
Put up Summary Sheet 7.3 (6) – Chance, Uncertainty and Probability
Say,for example:
Ask learners to fill in the blanks:

i) In a game of __________, you cannot know beforehand what the outcome will be.
ii) In a game of chance, there is a ___________ level of uncertainty of what the outcome
will be.
iii) In a game of skill, the more skilled player has a ____________ probability of determining
or correctly guessing the outcome (and thus of winning).
iv) In a game of skill, the less skilful player has a ____________ probability of correctly
guessing the outcome (and thus of winning).
v) Even a skilled player cannot know or determine with ____________ what the outcome of
a game will be.
vi) Because there is always uncertainty about the outcome, gambling is a form of
_____________ behaviour
(Answers: i) chance; ii) high; iii) higher, better; iv) lower; v) certainty; vi) risk-taking, risky.)
Outcomes may be predicted correctly, but not with certainty!
Ask:
• Why do you think basing your predictions on dreams is not guaranteed to get you a
favourable outcome?
People who base their predictions of the outcome on omens or signals that appear in dreams,
as for example in fafi, cannot know with certainty what the outcome will be. Even if they think
that the ancestors know what the outcome is, the gamblers can only guess and hope that they
have interpreted the signals correctly.
So, in summary, games of skill involve a person’s intelligence, experience, knowledge and
ability. Examples of games of skill would be chess, snooker, tennis, certain video games, and
even some card games like poker. However, there is always an element of chance and luck;
you could perhaps win at chess if you are lucky enough to play a grandmaster distracted by
indigestion! Games of chance, like lottery tickets, do not involve skill. Even with practice,
players don’t become better. If they have won in the past, that does not mean they will win
again in the future. Other examples of games of chance are slot machines, dice, coin spinning,

and raffles.
Gambling always involves chance and so there is always uncertainty about what the
outcome will be. That is why gambling is a form of risk-taking.
Ask:
• So, what makes gambling different from, say, going to a movie?
(Prompt responses that recognize that going to a movie doesn’t involve risking money or
something of value on an uncertain outcome which cannot be known beforehand.)
Gambling is a stimulating entertainment that involves risking money or valuables on a game,

contest or event where the outcome of the game or event cannot be known beforehand by
those placing their bets.

Summary Sheet 7.3 (1) – Risks, Rewards and

Consequences
Hi there, it’s Joe again. I know all about risky

behaviour, and boy, did it land me in trouble.
• Risky behaviour has rewards (it makes you “feel good”), but it can also have
consequences that have a probability of leading to a problem or accident or
addiction. In other words, people engage in risky behaviour, hoping for a
good outcome, but it’s also possible (depending on the probability) that a
bad outcome may result.
• If you can’t be sure about the outcome, how then do you decide what to do?
Any decision comes with a PRICE: you spend your energy, thinking, money
and time trying to make the best decision.
o P - What is the purpose for wanting to engage in risky behaviour?
o R - What are the possible risks involved and how likely are they going
to happen?
o I – What reliable information do I have with regards to the risks and
their probabilities?
o C – What compromises could I make? What are the alternatives?
o E – Enjoy the feeling of making a wise decision
• Is playing a friendly game of soccer with a friend a form of risky behaviour?

Why or why not? Is betting on a game of soccer a form of risky behaviour?
Why or why not?
• When we risk money (or

something of value) on an
activity whose outcome is
uncertain, we call this
gambling. People gamble
because they hope to get a
favourable outcome, e.g.
more money, or something
else of value.

Summary Sheet 7.3 (2) – What is Gambling?
Gambling involves the staking of money or an item of value on the outcome of

an event whose outcome is uncertain and cannot be known beforehand.
“Staking” means the same as “betting” or putting a certain amount of
money at risk.
Different forms of gambling:

Gaming: where items of value are exchanged, based on the outcome of a
game.
Examples: cards, dice, roulette, internet gambling games,
electronic gaming devices, as well as “fafi”, “ukudlala ngemali”
(isiZulu for “gambling”), “itoti”, mochina, finder-finder, etc
Betting: where bets are placed on the outcome of an event, race or

sporting contest.
Examples: a soccer game, boxing match, horse racing, snooker
or pool games, coin spinning, or even a provate bet amongst
individuals of how something will turn out.

Lotteries: where winning bets are determined by a “lucky draw”.

Examples: raffles, lottery tickets, scratch-and-win tickets.

WORKING IN PAIRS
Learning Activity 7.3 (3) - Gambling as Risk-taking

Behaviour
Write down your and your partner’s names:
______________________________________________
Read the comic book “Chances Are” with the story of Joe.
Then, with your partner, fill in the form:
Write down the activities What are the outcomes Joe What are the actual
Joe gambles on: hopes for? outcomes?
p3: e.g. Game of dice That he’ll win money He wins money
p4:
p5/6:
p7:
p12:
You’ll see that the more Joe gambles, the less he gets the outcomes he hopes for.
In other words, what Joe hopes will be his outcomes are different from the actual outcomes.
Maybe if Joe knew how to calculate a measure of the chance of the actual outcomes,
known as probability, he wouldn’t have gambled. If he had known the probabilities, he
would have known that it was likely that he’d lose.

Learning Activity sheet 7.3 (4) - Memorandum for

Teacher
Read the comic book “Chances Are” with the story of Joe.
Then, with your partner, fill in the form:
Write down the activities What are the outcomes Joe What are the actual
Joe gambles on: hopes for? outcomes?
p3:
Game of dice That he’ll win money He wins money
p4:
Betting on a game of soccer That he’ll win money He wins money
p5/6:
Game of dice That he’ll win money He loses all his money
p7:
Many games of dice That he’ll win back all the He continues to lose money,
money he’s lost even the money he steals
from his mother
p12:
Nine lives He hopes he’ll win back ???
(Often the name of a enough money to pay back (What do you think Joe’s
gambling house which offers Sister Bucks as well as all the chances are of winning?)
dice, cards and slot machine money he’s lost
gambling)
You’ll see that the more Joe gambles, the less he gets the outcomes he hopes for.
In other words, what Joe hopes will be his outcomes are different from the actual probabilities
of the actual outcomes.
Maybe if Joe knew how to calculate a measure of the chance of the actual outcomes
known as probability, he wouldn’t have gambled at those times. If he had known the
probabilities, he would have known that it was likely that he’d lose.

Summary Sheet 7.3 (5) – Games of Chance and Games

of Skill
Which of the following games do you think involve lots of skill in determining the
outcome of the game, and which are purely a matter of chance or luck?
Game Chance or skill?

Winning a game of tennis?
Winning the Lottery?
Winning the 100 metre sprint race?
Winning a game of poker?
Winning at a game of dice?
So, what makes winning some games a matter of skill and some a matter of
chance or luck?
• How do you become a better player so as to win at games of skill?
Through lots of hard work, practice, dedication,

exercise, and talent. You can therefore, to an
extent, control the outcome of the game. The more
skilful a tennis player you are, the higher the
probability that you can place the ball where your
opponent can’t hit it, and so the higher the
probability that you will win the game.
• Do you think that even the most skillful soccer player is guaranteed of
scoring a goal each time?
We know that the skillful, fit player will

have an impact on the outcome of the
game, but luck also plays some part. If it
didn’t, there wouldn’t be much
excitement in watching the game
because then the result would never be a
surprise!

Games of chance: The outcome of gambling games such as dice, coin

tossing, lotteries, scratch tickets, roulette, are determined entirely by chance. In
games of chance one cannot determine what the outcome will be.
• How do you become a better player so as to win at games of chance?
You can’t! Since no matter how “skillful” you

are at betting, or how much “inside
information” you have, you cannot know
beforehand what the outcome can be. This is
because you cannot control the process that
determines the outcome.
This is why Joe kept on losing.
Gambling games that involve

chance (or luck) and some
skill: For example, poker playing
and sports betting. Even so,
however, there is still a high
degree of luck (or chance)
involved since you cannot control
which cards you’ll be dealt, or
what a horse or sports team may
do.
Outcomes may be predicted correctly, but not with certainty!
To bet on the outcome of a game is a form of risk-taking: because you can

lose everything, or you can win. But you can’t know for certain beforehand
whether you will win or lose.
Some people (like Joe) believe that if you are a skilful gambler, or have “inside
information” that the probability of winning is higher. But even in games of
skill, you cannot be certain of the outcome.

Summary Sheet 7.3 (6) – Chance, Uncertainty and

Probability
Fill in the blanks:
i) In a game of __________, you cannot know beforehand what the outcome
will be.
ii) In a game of chance, there is a ___________ level of uncertainty of what
the outcome will be.
iii) In a game of skill, the more skilled player has a ____________ probability
of determining or correctly guessing the outcome (and thus of winning).
iv) In a game of skill, the less skilful player has a ____________ probability of
correctly guessing the outcome (and thus of winning).
v) Even a skilled player cannot know or determine with ____________ what
the outcome of a game will be.
vi) Because there is always uncertainty about the outcome, gambling is a
form of _____________ behaviour
Games of skill involve a person’s intelligence,

experience, knowledge and ability.
Examples of games of skill: chess, snooker,
tennis, certain video games, and even some
card games like poker. However, there is
always an element of chance and luck; you
could perhaps win at chess if you are lucky
enough to play a grandmaster distracted by
indigestion!
Games of chance, like lottery tickets, do not

involve skill. Even with practice, players
don’t become “better”. If they have won in
the past, that does not mean they will win
again in the future. Other examples of
games of chance: slot machines, dice, coin
spinning, and raffles.
Gambling always involves chance and so there is always uncertainty

about what the outcome will be. That is why gambling is a form of risk-
taking.

Unit 7.4
A Career in the Gaming Industry
After completing unit 7.4 learners will be able to:

• outline the required career skills for the 21 st century
• outline the general and particular skills needed for employment in the gaming
industry
• identify the personal characteristics needed for different jobs in the gaming
industry
• prepare for making school subject choices based on their intended career
Main concepts:
Career
Hospitality industry
Gamiing industry
Qualifications
Skills – literacy, numeracy, technical and organisational skills
Personal qualities
Resources:
Summary Sheet 7.4 (1) – Career Skills for the 21st Century
Summary Sheet 7.4. (2) - How to Decide Which Career to Choose?
Summary Sheet 7.4 (3) - Working in the Gaming Industry
Learning Activity sheet 7.4 (4) – My Career Plans


Orientating
Enhancing
STEP 1: INTRODUCTION
Introduce the class to the

required skills needed for any job
in the 21st century. STEP 2: EXPLANATION
Summary Sheet 7.4 (1). Outline the various considerations for
choosing a particular career
STEP 3: EXPLANATION
Discuss various career options in the

hospitality and gaming industries.
Synthesising
STEP 4: ACTIVITY STEP 5: LEARNING

PORTFOLIO
Learners identify possible career options for
themselves and list the necessary school Take in the completed learning
subjects they would have to take. excercise for inclusion in the learner’s
Learning Activity 7.4 (4) portfolio.

ORIENTATING
In unit 7.3 learners looked at gambling as a risk-taking activity. Because gambling
combines exciting risk-taking with entertainment, the gambling industry in South
Africa is a major business, noty only brining in lots of money for the government, it
also creates employment opportunities.
Note for teachers:

In Grade 12, learners need to have a clear idea of what potential career and study
options they want to pursue after completing their schooling. In the Taking Risks
Wisely programme for Grades 10-12, Unit 12.2 will look in more detail at various career
options within the hospitality and gaming industries, but it is important that learners in Grade 7
are already aware of these options in order to inform their school subject choice.
STEP 1
Introduce learners to the required skills they will need for any job they may pursue.
When learners have to consider important decisions like career choices, it is
important that they choose one that links up with their own interests and strengths, as well as
one that has employment potential. However, learners need to realize that no matter what
career they choose, they have to have some necessary skills.
Put up Summary Sheet 7.4 (1) – Career Skills for the 21st Century outlining the skills they
need to start developing now for eventual employment.
Say for example:
Ask:
• Can you think of a type of career that did not exist 50 years ago?
(Encourage learners to come up with innovative career options.)
The 21st century is one of rapid change, increasing diversity, innovation, greater connectivity
through technology and social media, flexibility and globalisation. What does this mean?
Rapid change means that things are changing fast – what was used widely a few years ago is
no longer available, e.g. telegrammes.
Increasing diversity means that there is more variety, especially in the different kinds of
people with whom you have come or will come into contatc, e.g. people from different
countries, people with different religions, people with different lifestyle choices.
Innovation means that there are new things being invented and developed all the time, e.g.

self-driving cars, new cures for cancer, solar energy.

Greater connectivity means that you can easily communicate with someone who is not
physically with you, e.g. through internet, skype, facebook, whatsapp.
Flexibility means that it is easier to make changes, e.g. instead of going into the office every
day, some workers can work from home using the internet to connect to their work.
Globalisation means that even though you may be living and working in a particular town or
city, it is likely that the goods you buy come from all over the world and the work you do has
links with other countries.
But this also means it is highly likely that the kind of work you are going to do after finishing
school, will be different to the kind of work your parents have done. It also means that you
have to start preparing yourself now already to increase your chances of getting a good job.
Think back of the examples you gave of the kinds of careers that did not exist 50 years ago.
In the past, there were a few major career fields from which to choose – such as medicine,
law, education, agriculture, construction, social work, etc – but now there are many additional
exciting new career options such as:
• nanotechnologist – as electronic gadgets are becoming smaller and more powerful,
technicians who can work at the micro-level of electronics will be in demand
• transplant organ designer – e.g. growing eye tissue in the laboratory to make a new eye
• waste management consutlant – as the population is growing, and as people are
producing more waste, there is an urgent need to manage our waste more efficiently
• robotics technician – e.g. designing a self-driving lawnmower
• green energy technician or engineer – e.g. working with solar panels or wind turbines
Ask:
• So why do you think it is important to start thinking about your career already in
Grade 7?
(Encourage learners to recognize that they need to start developing skills to cope with jobs
that are much more flexible and to choose the required school subjects that will give them
access to various careers.)
In the very olden days, a career was a job you were born into 1. You became a farmer, a
fisher, a blacksmith, or whatever your parents had been, and your children would likely be the
same. In the more recent olden days, a career was forty years working in the same factory or
business from finishing your studies to retirement. But what is a career today? No one
expects to do what their parents do, and few people expect to be in the same job for more
1
Adapted from http://workawesome.com/career/what-is-a-21st-century-career/

than 5 years (unless you’re in the government!).
As many of you know, technology is now part of almost every single job. And technology is
developing very fast. Some of the skills you learn in school now may be outdated in 5 years’
time when new skills are needed in the workplace.
• What is your plan for the present? To work hard and hope for the best?
• What is your plan for the future? To stay in the same job for forty years?
Maybe you are hoping to find a nice steady job, 8 hours a day in a nice, climate-controlled
office and slowly work your way up the ladder to a senior position until you can retire at a ripe
old age. But that’s just not realistic anymore. It seems we are entering an era of continuous
change, of continuous re-education and self-re-invention.
Ask:
• What do you think are some of the 21st century skills that are needed for a job
nowadays?
(Encourage learners to recognize that technology, flexibility, adaptability, group work and
lifelong learning are becoming increasingly important in every career.)
21st Century Skills = 21st Century Careers 2
In the workplace of the 21st century, workers will need to be better educated to fill new jobs
and more flexible to respond to the changing knowledge and skill requirements of existing
jobs. Also, new forms of cooperation and collaboration among workers will be necessary. So,
lifelong learning and constant skills development must become one of the central
requirements of workers in the 21st century. The more a worker learns, the more a worker
earns.
And, as South African companies become more globally linked with companies overseas,
more team-oriented skills are needed among all workers.
As an economic participant in the 21st century, South Africa needs educated and skilled
workers. But, what are these skills that are now needed?
1. Basic Skills: The academic basics of reading, writing, and computation are needed in jobs
of all kinds. Reading skills are essential as most employees increasingly work with
2 Taken from https://www.diygenius.com/the-21st-century-skills-you-need-for-todays-job-market/

information — on computers, forms, charts, instructions, manuals, and other information

displays. Writing is an essential part of communications and record-keeping. Computation or
numeracy skills are needed to organize data and in managing financial matters.
2. Technical Skills: As computers and technology become part of alsmot every job (factory
work, office work, schools, hospitals, industry, service work), employees will need to have
computer skills. And since computers are constantly being updated, so will the worker need to
constantly update his or her technical skills.
3. Organizational Skills: New systems of management and organization, as well as

employee-customer interactions, require a range of skills in addition to academic and
technical skills. These include analytical skills, problem-solving and creative thinking,
communication skills, interpersonal skills, the ability to negotiate and influence, teamwork,
and self-management.
4. Company Specific Skills: New technology, changes in the market, and competing with
other businesses require that companies most always strive to improve and upgrade their
services. As a result, employees must learn new knowledge and skills specifically relevant to
the company's products, processes and services.
Nowadays the more multi-skilled a person is, the more the person is in demand.
But, skills and knowledge is not all that you need, Imagine that you are an employer and you
have to choose between two job applicants: both have the same knowledge, the same skills,
but the one is clearly organised, friendly and punctual, and the other one is rude, late and
unprepared.
Ask:
• Would you employ the organised, friendly and punctual one or the rude, late and
unprepared one?
Clearly you need to have the right values, attitude and personal characteristics as well.
• What do you think are some of the values, attitude and characteristics that employers
want in their employees?
(Encourage learners to come up with additional characteristics to those mentioned in the

example.)
We have already seen that being organised, friendly, punctual, and well-mannered are

personal characteristics that employers want. Some others are:

• Being honest
• Being able to deal with pressure
• Being flexible and open to change
• Being responsible
• Being fair
• Being cooperative
• Being professional
ENHANCING
Deepen learners’ understanding of the kinds of skills they need as well as the kinds of
career fields that offer employment opportunities.
Note for teachers:

Although learners need to consider jobs that link up with their own skills, interests
and strengths, they also need to consider career options in a field that has real
employment potential. In the Taking Risks Wisely programme for Grades 10-12, Unit 12.2 will
look in more detail at how the hospitality and gaming industries are economic sectors that are
growing.
STEP 2: EXPLANATION
Outline the various considerations for choosing a particular career.
Put up Summary Sheet 7.4 (2) – How to decide which career to choose?
Say, for example:
How do you choose what career you might want to follow? Where do you start? How do you
choose a career when you don’t yet really know what all is available or what you are really
interested in?
Ask:
• What are some of the deciding factors when you think about choosing your possible
career?
(Learners may offer reasons such as interest, stimulation, travel, and, of course, money!)

Already in Grade 7, you have to start thinking about possible careers you mihgt like to follow,
and it is a good idea to start thinking about careers that link up with your interests. You will be
spending most of your day in your job, so it needs to be one that is stimulating and interesting
to you. It must be something that you enjoy doing.
Of course, money is an important factor. We would all like to have careers that pay well, but
money should never be the only deciding factor. Job satisfaction, work conditions, a sense of
achievement, your abilities, and possibility for growth are also important factors.
However, it makes sense to consider a career in a field where there are plenty employment
opportunities. Although you may be passionate about, e.g., book-binding or being a concert
pianist, there are not many jobs available in these fields. Also, some jobs are becoming
obsolete – that is another way of saying “outdated” – because of technology. For example,
who of you know what a typesetter did? (Hint: a typesetter worked in a printing press and
arranged each small metal letter of the text on a large plate so that the newspaper page or
magazine page could be inked and printed. That is now all done by computers.)
One of the industries that has been growing significantly not only in South Africa, but
worldwide, is tourism and the hospitality business.
“Hospitality” means “friendly welcome”
The hospitality business includes businesses such as hotels, restaurants, tour guiding, cruise
liners, etc. It usually refers to businesses that supply food, drink, entertainment and
accommodation. Of course, the hospitality industry is closely linked to the tourism industry
because when people go on holiday, they are usually looking for places to eat, drink and in
which to stay.
Also linked to the tourism and hospitality industries is the gaming industry. This includes
businesses such as casinos, gambling clubs, horse-racing clubs, lottery operations, slot
machine outlets, bingo halls and video game arcades. Some countries prefer referring to the
“gaming” industry, whereas South Africa tends to refer to it as the “gambling” industry. Both
refer to the same business.
The “gaming” industry is the same as the “gambling” industry.
And this business is growing! South African gross gambling revenues across most sectors of
the market (excluding the National Lottery), are expected to expand from R23.9 billion in 2014
to R30.3 billion in 20193. Casinos alone across the country employ over 52,000 people!
As a result of this growing industry, a wide range of career opportunities exists within this
regulated industry where employers are required by law to offer responsible gambling.
3
Figures taken from PriceWaterhouseCooper report: http://www.pwc.co.za/en/press-room/gambling-revenues.html

Currently, there are 46 casinos operating in South Africa. And since 2005, the number of
people visiting them has doubled! 4
STEP 3: EXPLANATION
Outline the various employment opportunities and required qualifications in the
gaming industry.
Put up Summary Sheet 7.4 (3) – Employment Opportunities in the Gaming Industry
Say, for example:.
Ask:
• What kinds of careers do you think are available in the gambling industry?
(Most learners will most probably think of card dealers, roulette croupiers, or maybe betting
agents. Try to encourage learners to think of other possibilities.)
The gambling business, as we have seen, employs many people. As in any big business,
there are many different departments, with different tasks, and different entry requirements.
Let’s have a look at the various career options and requirements within the gambling industry.
Where can I work?

There are various places in which you can work:
• In licensed casinos, casino resorts, gaming clubs and slot machine arcades;
• In licensed clubs that have poker, card games, and other forms of gambling;
• In licensed betting shops and bookmaking operations, horse-racing clubs,
totalisators, sports-betting shops, and lottery operations;
• On cruise ships that offer gambling facilities;
• In one of the provincial gambling regulating organizations or the national Lottery
organization.
What kind of work could I do?

There are a number of fields you may want to consider. Remember that casino resorts
typically don’t just offer gambling; they also have restaurants, hotels, spas, cinemas,
entertainment venues, retail outlets, conference facilities, sports events, as well as customer
4
According to Review of the South African gambling industry and its regulation, 2010, p. 48.

care centres, maintenance units, cleaning department, security division, advertising and
marketing units, Human Relations, adminsitration, all of which need personnel.
1. Gaming personnel – these are the people who work on the gaming floor as dealers
or slot machine hosts.
Qualifications: Dealers who work at the roulette tables or at the card tables are
required to:
• have passed Grade 12 (NCS) as well as a pass in Maths and/or Accountancy, as
a good mathematical ability is necessary to make quick and accurate calculations
without the aid of a calculator.
• Enrol for a National Certificate in Gaming – this programme requires a minimum
entrance of Grade 12 and includes subjects related to gaming, as well as general
subjects like ethics, HIV/Aids and personal development.
2. Information Technology (IT) – IT technicians, software engineers, net developers,

web copywriters, systems managers and digital designers are an important sector of
casino personnel. The slot machines, video games, roulette tables all need to be kept
in excellent working condition. In addition, the casino needs an active advertising
department that maintains the casino’s web and a section that is responsible for
looking after the business’s electronic systems.
Qualifications:
• IT technicians need a minimum of Grade 12 and a national diploma in
networking.
• For more sophisticated work, a B.Sc degree in electronic engineering, software
development or IT is required.
3. Human Resources (HR) – this section of the casino is responsible for recruitment of
staff, disciplinary procedures of employees, and their training and development. An
HR manager is usually responible for dealing with the unions, mediating conflict, and
overseeing the whole HR department.
Qualifications:
• A minimum of a diploma in HR (for which a NCS Grade 12 is a requirement)
• B-tech degree in labour relations
• An honours degree in HR for more senior positions.
4. Finance and administration – in this section of the casino, there are positions
ranging from cashiers to senior accountants. Cashiers need some work experience
as well as a Grade 12 with at least Maths Literacy. The running of the finances in a
casino requires qualifications such as:
• National Diploma in Financial Management, Accounting or Auditing, or
• A financial degree like a B.Com for more senior positions.

5. Surveillance and security – the casino always requires a large number of security
personnel who are required to observe and, if necessary, remove troublesome
clients. They are also responsible for internal security. Security personnel often move
to the surveillance department, once they have acquired a fair amount of experience.
The surveillance department monitors both staff and players to ensure that there is
no stealing or cheating or illegal activities.
Qualifications:
• Depending on the type and level of the work, different qualifications are needed.
But, a minimum of a Grade 12 is required for almost every position.
6. Hotel, food and beverages – a significant part of the services provided by a casino
is the bars, restaurant and hotel. These services, including waitering services, are
usually supplied by outside companies who have contracts with the casino. Apart
from head chefs, cooks, waiters, bar tenders, food and beverage managers, kitchen
staff, there are also positions available in the hotel: housekeepers, cleaners, front of
house, receptionists, reservations officers, concierge, grounds personnel, and
maintenance staff.
Qualifications:
• Depending on the type and level of work, different qualifications are needed,
usually a National Diploma in the related field.
• Chefs, who work in the restaurants, would have been trained at hotel school.
7. Maintenance staff – With so many gaming machines, entertainment venues,

restaurants and a large hotel, plumbers and electricians are needed to ensure that
everything stays in good working order.
Qualifications:
• You need at least work experience, but preferably combined with an accredited
certificate of training.
• In addition, a casino resort needs groundstaff and gardeners for their large
grounds, parking attendants, painters, cleaners, etc.
8. Customer service providers - given that there are so many people who visit a
casino resort, there are many job opportunities as tour guides, information officers,
beauticians for the spas, and child care providers,.
• Depending on the kind of job, for almost every positiony ou need at least a Grade
12 as well as an accredited certificate or diploma.
9. Entertainment staff – casino resorts often have theatres, cinemas, dance clubs and
entertainment for children. These services need ushers, theatre staff, booking agents,

prop managers, lighting and sound technicians.

• Depending on the kind of job, for almost every positiony ou need at least a Grade
12 as well as an accredited certificate or diploma.
What formal qualifications do I need?

Of course, what qualifications you need would depend on what specific job in the gambling
industry you want to pursue, but in general you will need:
• National Senior Certificate (Grade 12).
• Of specific importance are Mathematics and English at NQF level 1 (Grade 9)
• There are no further “gaming schools”, but there are 4 registered further qualifications
for employed casino workers:
o National Certificate in Gaming: Slots Operation
o National Ceritficate in Gaming: Cashiering
o National Certificate in Gaming: Dealing
o National Certificate in Gaming: Surveillance
• Depending on the level of the job, a degree may be required.
What are the legal requirements?

All people working in the casino industry have to be licensed by the provincial Gaming
Department of the province in which they work. The legal requirements for being licensed are
as follows:
• Must be over 18
• No criminal record
• No background of credit problems
• Must be up to date with tax returns
• Must be a South African resident
What other requirements are there?

Since many gaming outlets are 24-hour operations, you will need to be flexible and prepared
to work shifts, long hours, weekends and even public holidays.
SYNTHESISING
From the earlier sections, learners know that in order to have a secure and interesting
career, they will need to have appropriate skills and choose a field in which there are
numerous employment opportunities. The gaming industry is growing and offers many

different career paths. Learners now need to think about how these various options
may relate to their own interests, strengths and subject choices.
STEP 4
Learners identify possible career options for themselves and list the necessary
school subjects they would have to take.
STEP 5
Take in the activity sheets for possible inclusion in the learner’s assessment portfolio.

Summary Sheet 7.4 (1) – Career Skills for the 21st

Century
• Can you think of a type of career that did not exist 50 years ago?
21st century world of work:

• Rapid change
• Increasing diversity
• Innovation & technology
• Greater connectivity
• Flexibility
• Globalisation
Skills needed to cope with this world of work
Basic skills Technical skills Company-specific

Organisational skills
• Reading skills
• Computers • Analysis
• Writing • Expertise in
• Social media • Critical thinking complany
• Comprehension • Creativity knowledge,
• Computing • Communication processes,
• Numeracy • Interpersonal systems,
• Negotiation operations and
• Teamwork values
• Self-management
Values and attitudes: Punctual, honest, reliable, organised, able to deal with
pressure, flexible, open to change, fair, co-operative, responsible
• So why do you think it is important to start thinking about your career

already in Grade 7?

Summary Sheet 7.4 (2) – How to Decide Which Career

to Choose?
Own interests
You want to do
something you enjoy.
What are your
interests? Travel?
Working with people?
Computers?
Family and
other
responsibilities Money
Will I have to be Should not be
at home to care the only
for children or consideration!
other elderly
parents?
Employment Job conditions

opportunities Is it indoor / outdoor?
How many jobs are Does it have flexible or
available in this field? Will set hours? Is it close to
more jobs be created? home or far away?
• So why do you think it is important to start thinking about your

career already in Grade 7?

Summary Sheet 7.4 (3) – Employment Opportunities in

the Gaming Industry
Apart from people visiting casinos to gamble, there are also many non-
gambling services at casino resorts:
• theatres
• cinemas
• restaurants
• fast food outlets
• entertainment areas
• retail outlets
• hotels
• conference facilities
• spas and other facilities
• sports events
With all these services on offer, lots of staff is needed to run them.
Field of employment Type of work Qualifications
Gaming personnel these are the people who Dealers who work at the
work on the gaming floor as roulette tables or at the card
dealers or slot machine tables are required to:
hosts. • have passed Grade 12
(NCS) as well as a pass
in Maths and/or
Accountancy
• Enrol for a National
Certificate in Gaming
Information Technology IT technicians, software • IT technicians need a

(IT) engineers, net developers, minimum of Grade 12

web copywriters, systems and a national diploma

managers and digital in networking.
designers are an important • For more sophisticated
sector of casino personnel. work, a B.Sc degree in
Also, a casino needs staff to electronic engineering
maintain the casino’s web or IT is required.
and a section that is
responsible for looking after
the electronic systems.
Human Resources (HR) HR deals with recruitment of • A minimum of a diploma
staff, disciplinary procedures in HR (for which a NCS
of employees, their training Grade 12 is a
and development, dealing requirement)
with the unions, mediating • B-tech degree in labour
conflict, and HR office work. relations for a HR
manager
• An honours degree in
HR for more senior
positions.
Finance and positions ranging from Cashiers need some work
administration cashiers to senior experience as well as a
accountants. Grade 12 with Maths or at
least Maths Literacy. The
running of the finances in a
casino requires
qualifications such as:
• National Diploma in
Financial Management,
Accounting or Auditing,
or
• A financial degree like a
B.Com for more senior
positions.
Surveillance and security personnel need to Depending on the type and
security observe, ensure everyone’s level of the work, different
safety, and are also qualifications are needed.
responsible for internal But, a minimum of a Grade
security. Security personnel 12 is required for almost
often move to the every position.
surveillance department,
once they have acquired a
fair amount of experience
Hotel, food and Apart from head chefs, • Depending on the type
beverages cooks, waiters, bar tenders, and level of work,
food and beverage different qualifications
managers, kitchen staff, are needed, usually a
there are also positions National Diploma in the
available in the hotel: related field.

cleaners, housekeepers, • Chefs, who work in the

front of house, receptionists, restaurants, would have
reservations officers, been trained at hotel
concierge, grounds school.
personnel, and maintenance
staff.
Maintenance staff With so many gaming You need at least work

machines, entertainment experience, but preferably
venues, restaurants and a combined with a required
large hotel, plumbers and certificate of training.
electricians are needed to
ensure that everything stays
in good working order.
Resources: For jobs in the South African gaming industry:
https://www.indeed.co.za/Gaming-Industry-jobs
http://www.careerjet.co.za/gambling-industry-jobs.html
https://www.indeed.co.za/Gambling-jobs
http://za.recruit.net/search-gambling-jobs
http://www.bettech.com/careers/
http://www.worldcasinojobs.com/south-africa

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
Learning Activity 7.4 (1) – My Career Plans
Name: _____________________________________________________
A. Below are columns with the various departments and jobs in a casino; related fields of
study; and appropriate skills.
POSITIONS IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY (CASINO)
Circle in which Circle the Circle the Circle all the skills
departments/s you position/s you qualification/s and personal
would like to work would like to have you’ll need qualities you’ll need
Department Position Degrees and fields of Skills and personal

study qualities
Casino floor Croupier Hospitality Computer skills
Card dealer Gaming
Slots dealer Maths skills
Floor manager
Reading skills
Casino cash office Cashier Accounting
Credit controller Business Administration Writing skills
Administration and Accountant Cost Management Communication skills

Finance Internal auditor Finance
Wage clerk Internal Auditing Presentation skills
Information Systems
Management Negotiation skills
Human Resources HR manager Public Relations Conflict

Legal advisor HR Management management
Management
Organizational skills
Marketing and Graphic designer Marketing
Advertising Marketing consultant Advertising Interpersonal skills
Public Relations officer Graphic Design
Events planner Office Management Honesty
Conference organizer Event Management
Web designer Reliability
Information Electronic engineer Information Technology Punctuality

Technology and Software developer Web design
Gaming Systems manager Systems Development Hard working
development Digital designer Software Engineering
Friendliness
Maintenance Slots technician Technical training
Electrician Electrical Diploma Willingness to learn
Plumber Plumbing Diploma
Hotel Hotel manager Management

administration and Reservations clerk Receptionist
reservations Concierge Tourism
Customer care officer

Housekeeper
Cleaner
Food and Chef Hotel School

beverage services Kitchen staff Food Technology
Waiter / bar tender Environmental Health
Consumer Studies
Security and Security officer
surveillance
B. Now, complete the following to help prepare you for your chosen potential career.
What job would I like to pursue?
What school subjects are needed for this job?
What further qualifications will I need for the job?
Where will I develop the skills that I need for this job?
What personal qualities do I have that make me a good candidate for this job?

Grade 8 Overview
Overview of Grade 8 curriculum on Taking Risks

Wisely
Unit 1 Self-concept and Self-motivation: The Teenage Brain under Construction
Unit 2 Risk-taking Behaviour: Levels of Control
Unit 3 Staying in Control
Unit 4 Myths and Superstitions: Illusions of Control
• Recognize that self-concept formation is a dynamic process

• Understand that the adolescent brain is still developing, and influencing how adolescents
see themselves and make decisions
• Outline key parts of the brain involved in self-concept formation, motivation, impulsive
behaviour and rational decision-making
• Discuss how they can help steer neural pathways towards considered actions and
decisions
• Apply decision-making skills to lifestyle choices, particularly with regards to avoiding
impulsive buying or gambling
• Recognize that risk-taking behaviour involves rewards and consequences
• Make sensible decisions about risk-taking behaviour
• Identify the various risk factors that increase probability of negative consequences
• Outline the risks that their own circumstances and dispositions pose to them
• Distinguish between the greater level of conrol they have over their own decision-making
processes and the lesser control they have over their particular risky circumstances.
• Outline how to make sensible decisions about risk-taking behaviour
• Describe what a healthy lifestyle is in own personal situation and ways of preventing
diseases (like problem gambling)
• Discuss strategies for staying in control when gambling
• Reflect on appropriate behaviour in different kinds of interpersonal relationships (including
coping with a problem gambler)
• Know where to find help for a gambling problem
• Outline how there is no control a player can have over the outcome of a game of chance
that is governed by a random selection process.
• Describe the illusion of control that some gamblers think they can have over the outcome.
• Discuss the various personal and cultural superstitions and myths that gamblers think
they can have over the process that determines the outcome.

1
Grade 8 Overview
CAPS topics:
Below is a table of some of the prescribed topics and an indication of how the Taking Risks
Wisely programme links up with these prescribed topics.

2
Grade 8 Overview

Self-concept and self-motivation: The
teenage brain under construction
Term 1: • Recognize self-concept formation as
a dynamic process
CAPS topic: Development of the self in
society • Understand that the adolescent brain
is still developing
• Concepts: self-concept formation and
self-motivation • Outline key parts of the brain
o Factors that influence self-concept involved in self-concept formation
formation and self-motivation: media, and motivation
environment, friends and peers, • Discuss how they can help steer
family, culture, religion and neural pathways towards considered
community actions
o Strategies and skills to extend • Apply decision-making skills to
personal potential lifestyle choices,
Assessment

1. Group task: quiz 20 min 20 - Formal
2. Individual task: Assessment
application 30 min Informal
assessment
Term 2:
CAPS topic: Health, social and
environmental responsibility. Taking Risks Wisely: Unit 8.2
• Social factors that contribute to Risk-taking behaviour: levels of control
substance abuse: societal including • Recognize that risk-taking behaviour
community and media involves rewards and consequences
- Appropriate behaviour to stop and avoid • Make sensible decisions about risk-
substance abuse: refusal and decision- taking behaviour
making skills • Identify the various risk factors that
- Long and short term consequences of increase probability of negative
substance abuse: link to crime, violence consequences
and educational outcomes • Outline the risks that their own
Rehabilitation options: where to find help, circumstances and dispositions pose to
care and support them
• Distinguish between levels of control
they have over their own decision-
making processes
Assessment:

1.Individual 30 min Informal
activity: self- assessment
reflection

3
Grade 8 Overview

How to stay in control
• Outline how to make sensible decisions
Term 3: about risk-taking behaviour
• Describe what a healthy lifestyle is in
CAPS topic: Health, social and own personal situation and ways of
environmental responsibility preventing diseases (like problem
• Informed, responsible decision-making gambling)
about health and safety: • Discuss strategies for staying in control
- Management when gambling
- Prevention • Reflect on appropriate behaviour in
- Caring different kinds of interpersonal
relationships (including coping with a
problem gambler)
• Know where to find help for a gambling
problem
Assessment

1. Group task: test / quiz 30 min 30
2. Group task: test / quiz 30 min 30
(class) or
3. Group activity: simulation take home Informal
assessment
Term 4:
CAPS topic: Constitutional rights and Myths and superstitions: illusions of
responsibilities control
• Concept: cultural diversity in South Africa • Outline how there is no control a player
- Diverse cultural norms and values in can have over random selection process.
relation to personal and community • Describe the illusion of control that some
issues gamblers think they can have over the
- Influence of cultural norms and values on outcome.
individual behaviour, attitude and • Discuss the various personal and cultural
choices: cultural expectations, practices superstitions and myths that gamblers
and traditions think they can have over the process that
- Understanding diverse cultures: determines the outcome.
recognition of diverse cultures to enrich
South African society
Assessment

1. Class discussion 20 min Informal
2. Pair task: simulation 20 min assessment

4
Grade 8 Overview

Recording Reporting
1 Written task 70
PET 30 100
2 Mid-year 70
exam 100
PET 30
3 Project 70
PET 30 100
4 End-year 70
exam 100
PET 30
Total 400 400
Form of Assessment Time Marks

Group task: quiz – Unit 8.1 20 min 20
Individual task: application – Unit 8.1 20 min Informal assessment
Individual task: self-reflection – Unit 8.2 30 min Informal assessment
Pair task: test / quiz – Unit 8.3 30 min 30
Pair task: test / quiz – Unit 8.3 30 min 30
Group task: simulation – Unit 8.3 20 min Informal assessment
Pair task: critical reflection – Unit 8.4 30 min Informal assessment

5
Grade 8 Overview

WEEKS 1 – 3
Development of the self in society 3 hours Textbook, life skills books and posters
• Concepts: self-concept formation and self-motivation Taking Risks Wisely: Unit 8.1
- Factors that influence self-concept formation: media, Self-concept and self-motivation: The teenage brain
environment, friends and peers, family, culture, religion under construction
and community • Recognize self-concept formation as a dynamic
- Positive self talk: individuality and uniqueness; and
personal achievements
process
- Strategies and skills to extend personal potential • Understand that the adolescent brain is still developing
• Outline key parts of the brain involved in self-concept
formation and motivation
• Discuss how they can help steer neural pathways towards
considered actions
• Apply decision-making skills to lifestyle choices,
Physical Education 3 hours Textbook, resources on physical fitness

• Participation in physical activities that promote components of fitness
WEEKS 4 – 6
• Concept: sexuality
- Understanding one’s sexuality: personal feelings that impact on sexuality
- Influence of friends and peers on one’s sexuality
- Family and community norms that impact on sexuality
- Cultural values that impact on sexuality
- Social pressures including media that impact on sexuality
- Problem-solving skills: identity formation and development
• Participation and movement performance in physical activities that promote components of fitness
WEEKS 7– 9
• Relationships and friendships: relationships at home, school and the community
- Appropriate ways to initiate a relationship
- Appropriate ways to sustain a relationship
- Problem-solving skills: appropriate behaviour in a relationship
- Communication skills: ability to disagree in constructive ways and appropriate ways to end a relationship
WEEK 10
World of work 1 hour Textbook, resources on career and study skills
• Different learning styles: visual, aural, kinesthetic, reading and writing
Physical Education 1 hour Textbook, resources on fitness
• Participation and movement performance in physical activities that promote components of fitness

1. Written task indicated. The sequence of the topics within the term is,
2. Physical Education Task (PET) however, not fixed.

6
Grade 8 Overview

WEEK 1
World of work 1 hour Textbook, resources on careers and study skills
• Identify and apply own learning style
Physical Education 1 hour Textbook, resources on target games

• Participation in target games
• Safety issues relating to target games
WEEKS 2 – 5
World of work 4 hours Textbook, resources on careers and career guidance and
counselling
• Six career categories: investigative, enterprising, realistic, artistic, conventional and social
- Interests and abilities relating to each career category
- Thinking and learning skills required by each career category
- School subjects related to each career category
• The role of work in relation to needs in South Africa: social and economic needs
- Identify needs in the community and country
- How work can meet social and economic needs in South Africa
Physical Education 4 hours Textbook, resources on target games
• Participation and movement performance in target games
WEEKS 6 – 8
Health, social and environmental responsibility 3 hours Textbook, newspaper articles; health magazines
• Social factors that contribute to substance abuse: societal Taking Risks Wisely: Unit 8.2
including community and media Risk-taking behaviour: levels of control
- Appropriate behaviour to stop and avoid substance • Recognize that risk-taking behaviour involves rewards
abuse: refusal and decision-making skills and consequences
- Long and short term consequences of substance abuse: • Make sensible decisions about risk-taking behaviour
link to crime, violence and educational outcomes • Identify the various risk factors that increase probability
- Rehabilitation options: where to find help, care and of negative consequences
support • Outline the risks that their own circumstances and
dispositions pose to them
• Distinguish between levels of control they have over their
own decision-making processes

• Participation and movement performance in target games
WEEKS 9 – 10
EXAMINATIONS

1. Mid-year examination indicated. The sequence of the topics within the term is,

7
Grade 8 Overview

WEEKS 1 – 3
Textbook, resources on careers and career guidance and
counselling
• Relationship between performance in school subjects and interests and abilities
- Types of learning activities related to different subjects: practical, theoretical, individual and group activities
- Demands of each subject: thinking and learning skills required
• Decision-making process:
- Steps in choosing career category relating to individual strength, ability, interest and passion
Physical Education 3 hours Textbook, resources on movement techniques

• Participation in a programme that improves movement techniques
WEEKS 4 - 6
Health, social and environmental responsibility 3 hours Textbook, resources on environmental health
• Environmental health issues:
- Application of laws and policies to protect environmental health: address and environmental issue
- Earth Day: preservation of the environment
o Honouring Earth Day:
- Develop and implement an environmental health programme
• Participation and movement performance in a programme that improves movement techniques
WEEKS 7 - 8
Health, social and environmental responsibility 2 hours Textbook, resources on health and safety
• Informed, responsible decision-making about health and safety: Taking Risks Wisely: Unit 8.3
HIV and AIDS How to stay in control
- Management with medication, diet, healthy living and • Outline how to make sensible decisions about risk-taking
positive attitude behaviour
- Prevention and safety issues relating to HIV and AIDS • Describe what a healthy lifestyle is in own personal
- Caring for people living with HIV and AIDS situation and ways of preventing diseases (like problem
gambling)
• Reflect on appropriate behaviour in different kinds of
interpersonal relationships (including coping with a
problem gambler)

WEEKS 9- 10
Constitutional rights and responsibilities 2 hours Textbook, newspaper articles
• Nation building: definition
- Different ways to promote nation building in different contexts: community, school and home
- Contributions of women and men towards nation building: individuals and groups
• Participation and movement performance in a programme that improves movement techniques

1. Project indicated. The sequence of the topics within the term is,
2. PET however, not fixed.

8
Grade 8 Overview

WEEKS 1 – 4
Textbook, newspaper articles, Bill of Rights, South African
Constitution
• Concept: human rights violations
- Types of violations
- Counter-strategies to violation of human rights
• Concept: gender equity
- Gender equity issues in a variety of athletic and sports activities
- Defining gender-based violence
- Emotional, health and social impact of rape and gender-based violence
- Prevention of violence against women: law on sexual offences
- Sources of help for victims: safety for girls and women
• Participation in an outdoor recreational activity
Participation and movement performance in an outdoor recreational activity
• Safety issues relating to outdoor recreational activities
WEEKS 5 – 7
Textbook, resources on different cultures; newspaper
articles
• Concept: cultural diversity in South Africa Taking Risks Wisely: Unit 8.4
- Diverse cultural norms and values in relation to personal Myths and superstitions: illusions of control
and community issues • Outline how there is no control a player can have over
- Influence of cultural norms and values on individual
random selection process.
behaviour, attitude and choices: cultural expectations,
practices and traditions • Describe the illusion of control that some gamblers
- Understanding diverse cultures: recognition of diverse think they can have over the outcome.
cultures to enrich South African society • Discuss the various personal and cultural superstitions
- Respect difference: culture, religion and gender and myths that gamblers think they can have over the
- Celebrate similarity process that determines the outcome.
• Contributions of organisations from various religious to social
development
• Participation and movement performance in an outdoor recreational activity
WEEKS 8 - 10
EXAMINATIONS

1. End-of-year examination indicated. The sequence of the topics within the term is,
2. PET however, not fixed.

9
Grade 8 Overview
Lesson plan for Learning Area, Units 8.1 - 8.4

No of units: 4
1. Focus: DEVELOPMENT OF SELF IN SOCIETY, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL

RESPONSIBILITY, DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
2. Specific aims:
2: The learner will be able to make informed decisions regarding their own health and well-
being as well as those of others.
Assessment Forms:
Written tests, self-reflection, group discussions, and oral presentations.

Levels of control Critical thinking Responsibility
Risk-prone circumstances Calculation Responsiveness
and character traits Making choices Pragmatism
Adolescent brain Problem solving Cultural sensitivity
development Coping strategies
Responsible decision-making Survey management
Gambling prevalence
Moral theories

Activities:
• Risk-taking behaviour Group discussion
• Levels of control Group discussion
• Assessment of risk Group discussion, role play, individual reflection
• Decision-making skills Individual reflection, group discussion
• Responsible risk-taking Group discussion, role play, individual reflection
• Adolescent brain development Quizzes and tests
• Cultural views on gambling Group discussion and writing
•
5. RESOURCES
7. ASSESSMENTS
Presentations Reading Self-reflection

Learning Activities sheets: matching pairs, True/False, writing, responding to text, survey

10
8.1 Self-concept and Self-Morivation: The Teenage Brain under Construction
Unit 8.1
Self-concept and Self-motivation: The Teenage Brain
under Construction
By the end of Unit 8.1, learners will be able to:

• Recognize that self-concept formation is a dynamic process
• Understand that the adolescent brain is still developing, and influencing how
adolescents see themselves and make decisions
• Outline key parts of the brain involved in self-concept formation, motivation, impulsive
behaviour and rational decision-making
• Discuss how they can help steer neural pathways towards considered actions and
decisions
• Apply decision-making skills to lifestyle choices, particularly with regards to avoiding
impulsive buying or gambling
Main concepts:
Self-concept
Brain development
Neurotransmitters
Limbic system
Mid-brain reward system
Impulsivity
Prefrontal cortex
Rational thinking
PRICE decision-making strategy
Resources:
Summary Sheet 8.1 (1) – Who Am I?
Summary Sheet 8.1 (2) – BUC: Brain Under Construction
Learning Activity Sheet 8.1 (3) – Self-Concept and the Brain
Learning Activity Sheet 8.1 (4) – with Notes for Teacher
Summary Sheet 8.1(5) – Think Before You Act
Learning Activity Sheet 8.1. (6) – Becoming Thinking Fit


Orientating
Enhancing
Introduce the learners to the

formation of self-concept. STEP 2: EXPLANATION
Outline the various parts of the
developing brain and their impact on
behaviour, thinking and self-concept
formation.
STEP 3: ACTIVITY
Key factors that influence self-
concept, feelings, thoughts and
actions
Learning Activity Sheet 8.1 (3)
Learning Activity Sheet 8.1 (4) with
Synthesising
STEP 4: EXPLANATION STEP 5: ACTIVITY
Learners discuss how they can take greater Learners apply the PRICE decision-
control of their own thoughts and actions by making process.
strengthening certain neural pathways. Learning Activity Sheet 8.1 (6)

ORIENTATING
In Grade 7, learners were introduced to thinking about various forms of risk-taking
behaviour and to making responsible decisions using the PRICE method. In this unit, we
are going to look in more detail at adolescents and decision-making, in particular at the
structure of adolescent brains and the implications it has for adolescents’ formation of
their self-concept.
Note for teachers:

Teaching adolescents, you are aware of the important development stages that your
learners are going through, on their way to becoming mature, independent and accomplished
adults.
The issues of self-concept formation, motivation and decision-making become increasingly

important during adolescence because teenagers are becoming more independent and facing
more choices they have to make for themselves. Whereas young children have to make
decisions about small things like whether to have the vanilla or chocolate ice-cream, or what
clothes to wear, adolescents have to start making much more substantive decisions. Some of
the choices teenagers make will profoundly affect not only their own lives, but also those of
others. These choices may entail which career to pursue, what relationships to foster, whether
or not to have sex or use contraceptives, whether to experiment with drugs, whether to join a
gang, etc.
Not only do young people need healthy sef-concepts and strong decision-making skills for their
own well-being and for those close to them, but it is also in South Africa’s economic, social and
political interests to have young people and adults who are able to make responsible and
informed decisions.
In order to understand how adolescents start forming their own self-concept and how they
make decisions, we need to have a closer look at the physical development of the brain. Like
with all physiological organs and systems, the brain develops over time. However, different
areas of the brain develop and mature at different rates until it reaches maturity at about 23
years. The teen physical brain is “under construction” 1 and this has a direct influence on the
kinds of self-concepts teenagers develop, the decisions they make and the kinds of behaviour
in which they engage. Typically, teenagers make rushed decisions – acting quickly before
thinking something through. This impulsive behaviour is prompted by the influence of
1Content adapted from the Heads Up report by Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse. See
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/headsup/support/nida6_ins4_teacher_ed.pdf

impulsiveness (rooted in the well-established “reward centre” in the midbrains) over logic
(rooted in the yet-to-mature prefrontal cortex). It is ironic that just at the stage when young
adolescents are expected to start making important decisions, their brains typically are not yet
fully matured to make sensible decisions. However, studies from the National Institute of Mental
Health in the USA have shown that adolescents may be able to influence how their own brains
are wired and sculpted by laying neural foundations that will serve them for the rest of their
lives.2
This unit aims to show learners the developmental stage of the adolescent brain, to clarify the
impact this has on self-concept formation, decision-making and actions, and to present a
decision-making tool that will help them avoid making bad decisions, especially with regards to
high-risk behaviour such as drug-taking, sexual relations, smoking, alcohol intake, and
gambling. The information can help teenagers see the value of taking a moment to think before
they act and so help them make smarter and wiser decisions. This unit is aimed at helping the
learner acquire such skills. It is not so much a matter of what to decide, but rather how to go
about making sensible decisions. If the learner understands the process of responsible
decision-making, then it is a process that can be applied to a whole range of risky situations.
STEP 1 - INTRODUCTION
Introduce learners to the notion of self-concept and how this is constantly developing.
Put up Transparency 8.1 (1) – Who am I? with main points.
Say, for example:
Ask:
• Who are you?
• What makes you different from your parents, or even from the person you are sitting next
to?
(After learners, have stated their names, or where they live, and desribed their physical
appearnaces, encourage them to think about their goals, interests, talents, interests that make
them unique.)
Your idea of who you are – your beliefs about your own worth, your goals, your interests, your
talents – directly influences the way you behave. For example, Andries may perceive himself as
fairly intelligent, independent, with an interest in technology and a growing interest in having a
2 http://www.actforyouth.net/documents/may02factsheetadolbraindev.pdf

sexual experience. He wants to be a high-tech farmer, has learnt to play the guitar, and although
he does not have significant musical talent, he is able to play competently. He has a quick temper
which has led to him being sent to the principal’s office on one occasion.
Ask:
• What do you think is Andries’s self-image?
• What do you think others think about Andries?
It is not just your own perceptions about who you are that contribute to the formation of your self-
concept, it is also the feedback you get from your friends, family, teachers, your ethnic, social and
religious community, that contribute to your self-concept.
Ask:
• Is the concept you have of yourself now the same as you had when you were 10 years
old? How has it changed?
(Encourage learners to see that their self-concepts are constantly changing as their own
interests, experiences, and peer group memberships change, and as they get older.)
As we have seen from the “Taking Risks Wisely” units in Grade 7, adolescence is a time when
you are becoming more independent, making more of your own decisions, taking more risks,
relying more on being part of a group of friends, and starting to explore adult forms of lifestyle,
such as intimate relationships, experimenting with drinking and smoking. And it is therefore not
surprising that these factors also directly impact on the development of your self-concept.
According to scientists (McNeely and Blanchard, 2009 3), adolescents develop in part their self-
concepts through five developmental tasks:
• becoming independent – making own decisions and becoming less reliant on parents’
choices
• achieving mastery or a sense of competence – becoming an expert in something shows
talent and individuality
• establishing social status – as peer-group membership becomes more important, social
status is determined by peer acceptance and recognition
• experiencing intimacy - adolescents seek intimate relationships with one of their peers
• determining sexual identity – the decision with whom to have sex
In the next section, we will look at how the phsycial development of your brain directly influences
3 The Teen Years Explained” (2009, p. 46): http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/center-for-adolescent-

health/_includes/_pre-redesign/Interactive%20Guide.pdf

how you think and how you act. Like your physical body that is changing in adolescence, so too
your brain changes. In particular, your frontal cortex - the part that is most responsible for
abstract thinking – is maturing and with this, it means that you are also more able to think about
how others perceive you. You are able to see yourself from the perspective of someone else, as
well as to be more aware of their thoughts and feelings.
This development of abstract thinking is an important step in becoming independent and in

experiencing intimacy, but it also means that abstract reasoning can make you feel more
vulnerable to the judgment of others. You are becoming much more aware of how others –
especially your peers – will see you. This can be a source of anxiety and worry.
The process of developing your self-concept is a dynamic process. That means, the process
itself moves between feeling quite confident of who you are and feeling very unsure. You
question your relationship with others, including your parents, you question ideas you may have
had since childhood, you start seeking new answers and exploring new social-cultural belief
systems. The goals you had may shift and you might find yourself following different interests,
only to discard them for others later on.
Scientific studies have found explanations for these shifts, especially during the adolescent
years. Before we look at what these explanations are, we can see the process of self-concept
formation as a cyclical process, that means, it goes round and round in ever-increasing
development4.
Own perceptions:
interests, goals, talents,
experiences
Behaviour and attitudes:

making independent
Influenced by what others decisions, becoming intimate,
think developing expertise, peer-
group membership, sexual
relations
Feedback:
from friends, family, society,
teachers, peer-group
members, social media,
community members
4 Adapted from Reeve (2009). https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Motivation_and_emotion/Textbook/Motivation/Self-

concept

ENHANCING
Deepen learners’ understanding of how the not-yet-mature teenage brain impacts on
their thinking, attitudes and behaviour. But teenagers are not powerless – they can
adopt certain strategies to help develop their brain.
STEP 2 - EXPLANATION
Outline the various parts of the developing brain and their impact on behaviour,
thinking and self-concept formation. Put up Summary Sheet 8.1 (2) – BUC: Brain
Under Construction.
Say, for example:

Between the ages of 15-19, usually referred to as mid-adolescence, teenagers are most likely
to begin experimenting with high-risk behaviours such as drinking, using drugs, sexual
relations, driving recklessly, gang-related activities, and gambling. This is an age when not only
the physical body undergoes rapid changes, but also the emotional state is unsettled. As you
are developing your self-concept as being an adult, it is a time of adjustment, stress,
insecurities, outbursts, emotional intensity and, yes, often bad and reckless decisions.
Ask:
• Do you sometimes feel self-conscious? That is, are you very aware of your own
appearance and behaviour?
(Learners need to be encouraged to realise that this is a normal response in the teenage years.
Levels of self-consciousness peak at about 15 and then becomes less as the self-concept
becomes more stable.)
Learning how your brain works can help explain why you sometimes feel that everyone else is
looking at you and judging you. Brain and developmental research over the past 10 years have
opened up fascinating new insights into the differences between adolescents and fully mature
adults. Not long ago, scientists thought that the human brain was fully mature long before the
teen years. While research shows that one’s brain reaches its maximum size between ages 12
and 14 (depending on whether you are a boy or a girl), sophisticated tools that have made it
possible for researcher to “look into the brain” show that brain development is far from complete
then. Regions of the brain, especially those that control rational decision-making functions, only
mature fully by around age 23-25.

Picture the following scene:

• You are sitting with a group of friends talking about what you did the past weekend.
Suddenly, without any reason, you make up a story that Kaiser, whom you normally
like, got drunk and stole someone’s money. You know this is untrue.
• How do you think you feel immediately after having told it?
• How do you think you will feel hours or days later?
(Hopefully learners will recognize that they might feel quite important to “know” something no-
one else does and may enjoy being the centre of attention immediately after having told the
story, but may develop some guilt and misgivings later on – “I shouldn’t have made up the
story”.)
Whether you are aware or not, rushed decisions like telling a false story – acting before thinking
it through – happen more often in teens than in adults. Recent discoveries in brain science may
help explain why this is so.
(A note on vocabulary: another way of saying that you act without thinking, or act on the spur of
the moment, or act too hastily, or to act without thinking, is to say that you act impulsively.)
In order to answer the following two questions, we need to look at parts of the brain and how
they work:
• Why, as a teenager, do you feel so self-conscious at times?

• Why, as a teenager, do you sometimes act without thinking?
First, a bit about how the brain controls your conscious thinking, feelings and actions. These
don’t “just happen” automatically in your conscious mind. They are caused by a series of events
in the brain that happen almost instantaneously. This involves a relay system in which different
structures – made up of specialized cells called neurons – talk with each other by way of
electrochemical impulses and chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. Information
flowing through this neural pathway is analyzed in the different brain structures. Then the
neural network, as a whole, puts out a response. This output provides the basis for our
behaviours, thoughts, feelings and actions.
Since the brain is not fully developed until the early 20s, the way in which a teen’s decision-
making patheays integrate information is a way that can easily lead to impulsive or
irresponsible decisions. Let’s have a look at the main processes and structures in the brain
involved in controlling your conscious thoughts, feelings and actions:

Here is how people communicate:
The mouth of the person speaking is the

transmitter of sound waves across space which
are received by the ear of the other person.
Here is how cell phones communicate:
Cell phone A transmits radio waves across space to

cell phone B which receives and decodes the
signals.
Here is how nerve cells or neurons communicate:
To send a message, a nerve cell or neuron in the

brain releases a chemical (neurotransmitter) which
crosses the space (synapse) separating two cells,
and attaches to the receiving end (receptor) of
another nerve cell.
The period between about 11 – 14 years of age is called puberty. During this time young
people are starting to mature sexually and lots of hormones are released. Hormones are kinds
of neurotransmitters that change not only the physical body, but also the brain structure. These
hormones are also responsible for making you feel so self-conscious, making you blush
uncontrollably, making you act impulsively and making you process social situations differently.
One pubertal hormone, oxytocin, in particular affects the part of the brain responsible for
emotional processing. The increase in oxytocin is the reason why young people during puberty

feel so self-conscious.5
Parts of the brain that control

your thinking, feelings and
actions6
1. Cerebral Cortex (including the

prefrontal cortex):
information processing; thinking;
speaking; problem solving;
making decisions; sensing the
environment
2. Cerebellum:
motor control; coordination;
balance; posture
3. Limbic System (including

the ventral striatum, amygdala,
and hippocampus):
feeling pleasure; emotions;
learning
4. Brain Stem:
basic life functions, such as heart
rate, breathing, and sleeping
When it comes to influencing what you think, how you feel and how you behave, the two key
parts of the brain involved are the prefrontal cortex (no. 1) in the frontal lobe and the limbic
system (no. 3). Let’s see what roles they play.
The prefrontal cortex in the frontal lobe (no. 1) is located directly behind your forehead and is a
key region that is the final area of the brain to mature. It is the area that controls reasoning
skills, advanced thinking and restricts impulsive behaviour. It is very important as a control
centre for thinking ahead and sizing up risks and rewards.
Meanwhile, another part of the brain that matures much earlier is the limbic system (no.3),
5 Taken from”The Teen Years Explained” (p.32): http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/center-for-

adolescent-health/_includes/_pre-redesign/Interactive%20Guide.pdf
6 Taken from “Drugs and your Brain”: http://headsup.scholastic.com/students/drugs-your-brain

situated just above the roof of the mouth. It is that part of the brain which we, as humans, share
with all other vertebrate animals. It is that part of the brain that makes us act “without thinking”,
that part that makes us flee from danger or motivates us to fight. That is good – when we see a
snake, we don’t go closer to inspect what kind of snake it is; we jump back instinctively. Another
way of saying that this part of the brain is responsible for making us act withour thinking, is to
say that it is the part of the brain that makes us act impulsively. It is also that part of the brain
which motivates us to seek new experiences and excitement. Part of the limbic system also
houses the mid-brain “reward” centre because it is from here that our motivation for “feeling
good” is driven.
That’s a lot of new terms to understand, so let’s summarise what we have learnt thus far to
answer our two main questions:
• why, as a teenager, do you feel so self-conscious ?

• why, as a teenager, do you sometimes act without thinking?
The answers are found in the way the teenage brain is developing:
• The limbic system - the part that controls your emotions, your instinctive reactions, and
impulsive actions - develops at a fairly early age.
• The prefrontal cortex, the part that controls your logical thinking and your judgements,
develops much later and is not yet fully mature in the teenage years.
• The parts of the brain communicate through a network with neurotransmitters.
• During puberty there is an increase in the hormone oxytocin, a neurotransmitter, which
acts on the limbic system and makes you feel highly self-conscious.
• Since the limbic system – the part that makes us act impulsively - is fully developed
and the prefrontal cortex – the part that makes us think carefully and rationally about
our behaviour – is not fully developed before 23 years, teenagers often “act without
thinking”.
STEP 3 – ACTIVITY
Outline the various parts of the developing brain and their impact on behaviour,
thinking and self-concept formation. Put up Learning Activity 8.1 (3) – Self-Concept
and the Brain.
Go through learners’ responses – consult Learning Activity 8.1 (4) with Memorandum for
Teachers.

SYNTHESISING
(reinforcing and consolidating learners’ understanding)
After going through the previous sections, learners should have some understanding of how the
brain works. In particular, the sections showed that the teenage brain is still developing and the
part of the brain that acts as an inhibitor to impulsive pleasure-seeking behaviour, i.e. the
prefrontal cortex, is still not fully mature. They are also at an age when they are starting to
become more independent and are seeking thrills and excitement. It is therefore not surprising
that adolescents often act rashly, act without thinking and act irresponsibly.
Outline how teenagers can shape their brain development and avoid impulsive
behaviour through careful and repeated patterns of thinking and doing. Put up
Summary Sheet 8.2 (5) – Think before you Act.
Say, for example:
Being under the control of hormones and the “mid-brain reward” system sounds like a
depressing story. But, despite your brain still being under construction and your still developing
the prefrontal cortex, you can prevent the reward system from taking control in some important
decisions. So, instead of acting without thinking, you can train yourself to think before you act.
Remember Joe from the comic “Chances Are”? (Unit 7.4). When Joe first tried gambling, he
won money. He was thrilled and thought that it was an easy way to get cash. But the more he
gambled the more he lost. Even when he knew he should not gamble anymore, he went back
to gamble anyway.
Ask:
• Having learnt about the parts and processes of the brain, how would you explain
Joe’s behaviour?

(Encourage learners to explain Joe’s going back to gamble even when he knew he shouldn’t as
Joe’s mid-brain reward system controlling his behaviour. He was constantly hoping for the thrill
of winning.)
If you lifted weights every day and did a lot of fitness exercises, your muscles will grow bigger,
stronger and you will become fitter. The same idea can be applied to your brain: if you did
thinking skill exercises everyday, stopped to think before you acted, you would make your
prefrontal cortex stronger and fitter! Exercising your mental decision-making skills everyday will
make you more in control of your own actions and more self-assured.
The brain is constantly growing and “pruning” during adolescence. This means that new
information pathways in the brain are established, other information pathways are strengthened
and others are abandoned. The more often you repeat an action, the stronger the information
pathway becomes. It’s like a well-travelled road that carries more and more traffic. If you stop
acting in a certain way, then that pathway becomes like a road that doesn’t carry traffic; it will
eventually become overgrown and traffic will stop using it.
So, there is good news. As a teenager, you have the potential, though your choices and
actions, to shape your own brain development. You can make some pathways strong, and get
rid of others. This makes the type of activity you engage in very important.
So, what can you do to avoid impuslive behaviour that you will regret later on and what can you
do to strengthen your reasoning? Remember the PRICE process of decision-making? It was a
simple series of steps you can apply to stop you from doing something dangerous or something
you might regret later on.
P Identify the Purpose: Why do I want to do it? Is it something I really need? Or is it

something I just want? Is it something that is absolutely necessary for my well-being?
Or is it something that is not absolutely necessary, but I wish to have it?
R Identify the possible Risks: What is likely to happen? If I spent my money on this,
what are the other things I can’t buy then?
I Gather reliable Information about the options: What does reliable information tell me
about the likely consequences of the various options? What will I gain and what will I
lose?
C Consider Compromises: Is there something else I can do that will have the same
reward? Can I save towards it and buy it later?
E Enjoy the feeling of having made an informed decision.

So, here is one important way in which you can avoid acting irresponsibly:
STOP FOR A MOMENT BEFORE ACTING RASHLY, AND THINK!
STEP 5 – ACTIVITY
Learners apply the PRICE decision-making process in order to strengthen rational

neural pathways that can help them avoid impulsive behaviour.
Hand out Learning Activity 8.1 (6) – Becoming Thinking Fit
Once learners have completed the Learning Activity, invite responses from the class with
regards to each of the three scenarios. The importance lies in following the steps – the mental
exercise – rather than the outcome.
Say, for example:
So, let’s do some weight-lifting for the brain! Let’s see how you can strengthen those neural
pathways by adopting a habit that will help you avoid acting impulsively. The more you apply
the exercise, the less likely that you will do something you will regret later on.

Summary Sheet 8.1 (1) – Who Am I?
Every person has a unique finger print

and a unique self-concept.
• Who are you?

• What makes you different from your parents, or even from the person you
are sitting next to?
• Is the concept you have of yourself now the same as you had when you
were 10 years old? How has it changed?
Your own ideas of who you are – your beliefs about your own worth, your goals,
your interests, your talents – directly influences the way you behave.
You develop in part your self-concept through five developmental tasks:

• becoming independent
• achieving mastery or a sense of competence
• establishing social status
• experiencing intimacy
• determining sexual identity
Your physical body as well as your brain

undergo major changes in adolescence. Your
frontal cortex - the part that is most responsible
for abstract thinking – is maturing. This means
you are more able to think about how others
perceive you. This can be a source of anxiety
and worry.
The process of developing your self-concept is

a dynamic process. That means, the process itself moves between feeling quite
confident of who you are and feeling very unsure.

Own perceptions:
interests, goals, talents,
experiences

making independent
decisions, becoming intimate,
Influenced by what others
developing expertise, peer-
think
group membership, sexual
relations
Feedback:
from friends, family, society,
teachers, peer-group
members, social media,
community members

Summary Sheet 8.1 (2) – Brain Under Construction

• Do you sometimes feel self-conscious? That is, are you very aware of
your own appearance and behaviour?
Picture the following scene:

• You are sitting with a group of friends talking about what you did the past
weekend. Suddenly, without any reason, you make up a story that
Kaiser, whom you normally like, got drunk and stole someone’s money.
You know this is untrue.
• How do you think you feel immediately after having told it?
• How do you think you will feel hours or days later?
The answers to why you sometimes feel so self-conscious and why you
sometimes act without thinking lie in the way in which your brain works.
During the teenage years, your physical body as well as your physical brain are
undergoing a lot of changes. How your brain functions directly affects your
thinking, feelings and actions.
Communication pathways in the brain:
Here is how people communicate:
The mouth of the person speaking is the

transmitter of sound waves across space
which are received by the ear of the other
person.
Here is how cell phones communicate:
Cell phone A transmits radio waves across

space to cell phone B which receives and
decodes the signals.

Here is how nerve cells or neurons communicate:
To send a message, a nerve cell or

neuron in the brain releases a
chemical (neurotransmitter) which
crosses the space (synapse)
separating two cells, and attaches
to the receiving end (receptor) of
another nerve cell. The average
brain has about 100 billion (!)
neurons, all communicating via a
complex system.
Neurons “speak” to each other through electrochemical impuses and

neurotransmitters which act as the messengers.
Information flowing through this neural system is analyzed in the different brain
structures. Then the neural network, as a whole, puts out a response. This
output provides the basis for our behaviours, thoughts, feelings and actions.
Parts of the brain that control your thinking, feelings and actions7
1. Cerebral Cortex (including the

prefrontal cortex): information
processing; thinking; speaking; problem
solving; making decisions; sensing the
environment
2. Cerebellum:
motor control; coordination; balance;
posture
3. Limbic System (including the ventral

striatum, amygdala, and hippocampus):
feeling pleasure; emotions; learning
4. Brain Stem:
basic life functions, such as heart rate,
breathing, and sleeping
7 Taken from “Drugs and your Brain”: http://headsup.scholastic.com/students/drugs-your-brain

Let’s summarise what we have learnt thus far to answer our two main
questions:
• why, as a teenager, do you feel so self-conscious ?
• why, as a teenager, do you sometimes act without thinking?
The answers are found in the way the teenage brain is developing:
• The limbic system (no. 3) - the part that controls your emotions, your
instinctive reactions, and impulsive actions - develops at a fairly early
age. The limbic plays an important part in our self-concept formation. It is
also that part of the brain which motivates us to seek new experiences
and excitement. The limbic system also houses the mid-brain “reward”
centre because it is from here that our motivation for “feeling good” is
driven.
• The prefrontal cortex (no. 1), the part that controls your logical thinking
and your judgements, develops much later and is not yet fully mature in
the teenage years. It is only fully mature at about 23-25 years of age.
• The parts of the brain communicate through a network with

neurotransmitters.
• During puberty there is an increase in the hormone oxytocin, a

neurotransmitter. It acts on the limbic system and the increase in
oxytocin makes you feel highly self-conscious.
• Since the limbic system – the part that makes us act impulsively - is fully
developed and the prefrontal cortex – the part that makes us think
carefully and rationally about our behaviour – is not fully developed
before 23 years, teenagers often “act without thinking”.
Part of the brain Characteristics Effects

1. mid-brain • already fully developed • has a strong influence on young
“reward in the teenage years people to seek situations that are
centre” • thrill-seeking exciting, risky, involve some
neurotransmitter experimentation, and are unfamiliar
dopamine • makes you curious and which gives
you a thrill when something
unexpected happens
2. pre-frontal • not-yet-fully-developed • because it is not yet fully developed
cortex until about age 23 in the teenage years, it does not act
• curbs or restrains the wild as a reliable restraint on the risk-
impulses of the mid-brain seeking forms of behaviour driven by
reward system the mid-brain reward centre
The young, inexperienced policeman is not very successful in stopping the mature and
experienced burglar!

Learning Activity 8.1 (3) – Brain Under Construction

Work in pairs.
Names:
___________________________________________________________________
Match each of the items in column A with the correct item in column B.
Column A Column B
1. Neuron a. 20-23 years of age
2. Limbic system b. Neural networks
3. Age at which teens are most likely to c. All vertebrate animals have this
begin experimenting with high-risk same system in the brain
behaviours such as drinking, using
drugs, and sexual relations.
4. Age at which prefrontal cortex is fully d. Hormone
developed
5. Oxytocin e. Mid-adolescence, 15-19 years of
age
6. Decision-making pathways and f. The brain area important for
information pathways in the brain are thinking ahead and sizing up risk; it
also know as … is the brain’s “police officer” or
“judge”
7. Mid-brain reward system g. A messenger in the brain that
relays information between neurons
8. Prefrontal cortex h. Nerve cell in the brain
9. Neurotransmitter i. This is the part of the limbic system
that motivates us to seek pleasure
and excitement
And, say whether the following statements are True or False. Ring the correct answer.
i. The teenage brain is still “under construction”; it is still True / False

developing.
ii. The increase in oxytocin during puberty is responsible for True / False
intense feelings of self-consciousness.
iii. There is nothing you can do to avoid acting rashly or True / False
impulsively.

PAIR ACTIVITY
Learning Activity 8.1 (1) with Memorandum for

Teachers – Brain Under Construction
Work in pairs.
Names:
___________________________________________________________________
Match each of the items in column A with the correct item in column B. Correct
answers in red.
Column A Column B
1. Neuron - h a. 20-23 years of age
2. Limbic system - c b. Neural networks
3. Age at which teens are most likely to c. All vertebrate animals have this
begin experimenting with high-risk same system in the brain
behaviours such as drinking, using
drugs, and sexual relations. - e
4. Age at which prefrontal cortex is fully d. Hormone
developed - a
5. Oxytocin - d e. Mid-adolescence, 15-19 years of
age
6. Decision-making pathways and f. The brain area important for
information pathways in the brain are thinking ahead and sizing up risk; it
also know as … - b is the brain’s “police officer” or
“judge”
7. Mid-brain reward system - i g. A messenger that relays
information between neurons
8. Prefrontal cortex - f h. Nerve cell in the brain
9. Neurotransmitter - g i. This is the part of the limbic system
that motivates us to seek pleasure
and excitement
And, say whether the following statements are True or False. Ring the correct answer.
1. The teenage brain is still “under construction”; it is still True / False

developing.
2. The increase in oxytocin during puberty is responsible for True / False

intense feelings of self-consciousness.
3. There is nothing you can do to avoid acting rashly or True / False

impulsively.

Summary Sheet 8.1 (3) – Think Before You Act
At first Joe thought that gambling was an easy way to make money.
But the more he gambled the more he lost.
Even when he knew he shouldn’t gamble anymore, he went back anyway.
• Having learnt about the parts and processes of the brain, how would
you explain Joe’s behaviour?
• Do you think it is possible for Joe to change his thinking and
behaviour?
Lifting weights builds specific

muscles.
The brain is like a muscle: Exercising thinking

skills strengthens certain neural pathways.
Exercising your mental decision-making skills
everyday will make you more in control of your
own actions and more self-assured.

The brain is constantly growing and “pruning” during adolescence.

This means that new information pathways in the brain are established, other
information pathways are strengthened and others are abandoned.
The more often you repeat an action, the stronger the information pathway
becomes.
Good news! You have the potential to shape your own brain development. You
can make some pathways strong, and get rid of others.
Avoid impuslive behaviour that you will regret later on, by getting into the habit
of using the PRICE process of decision-making.
P Identify the Purpose: Why do I want to do it? Is it something I really

need? Or is it something I just want? Is it something that is absolutely
necessary for my well-being? Or is it something that is not absolutely
necessary, but I wish to have it?
R Identify the possible Risks: What is likely to happen? If I spent my money
on this, what are the other things I can’t buy then?
I Gather reliable Information about the options: What does reliable
information tell me about the likely consequences of the various options?
What will I gain and what will I lose?
C Consider Compromises: Is there something else I can do that will have
the same reward? Can I save towards it and buy it later?
E Enjoy the feeling of having made an informed decision.
So, here is one important way in which you can avoid acting irresponsibly:
STOP FOR A MOMENT BEFORE ACTING RASHLY, AND THINK!

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
Learning Activity 8.1 (2) – Get Thinking Fit!

Name: _________________________________________________
An exercise to get your rational, pre-frontal cortex fit:
Choose one of the scenarios below and then go through each of the PRICE-steps to
help you make a decision of what to do:
1. One of the learners in your class wants you to join in bullying another learner by
helping spread false stories. Do you join in the bullying by repeating the story that
you know is false?
2. Like Joe in the comic book, you have won money in a game of dice. You feel lucky
and so want to borrow R100 to play the next game, hoping that you will make a
fortune. Are you going to borrow R100 to gamble?
3. Your friend has some tik and wants you to join in smoking it. You have never tried
it before. Will you join in smoking it?
Write down the number of the scenario: ___________

Write down your answers to each of the questions below in the block provided.
P Identify the Purpose:

Why do I want to do it?
Is it something I really need
to do? Or is it something I
just want to do?
Is it something that is
absolutely necessary for my
well-being?
R Identify the possible Risks:
What is likely to happen? If
Ido this, what are the
possible consequences for
me?
I Gather reliable Information

about the options:
What does reliable
information tell me about the
likely consequences of the
various options? What will I
gain and what will I lose?
C Consider Compromises: Is
there something else I can
do that will have the same
reward?
E What is your final decision?

Enjoy the feeling of having
made an informed decision.

Unit 8.2
Risk-taking Behaviour: Levels of Control
After competing unit 8.2 learners will be able to:

• Recognize that risk-taking behaviour involves rewards and consequences
• Make sensible decisions about risk-taking behaviour
• Identify the various risk factors that increase probability of negative consequences
• Outline the risks that their own circumstances and dispositions pose to them
• Distinguish between the greater level of conrol they have over their own decision-
making processes and the lesser control they have over their particular risky
circumstances.
Main concepts:
Risk –taking behaviour
Reward, consequences
High and low risks
Probability
Community risk factors
Family risk factors
Peer group risk factors
Individual personality
Levels of control
Resources:
Summary Sheet 8.2 (1) – So You Want to Take a Risk?
Summary Sheet 8.2 (2) - How Much Control Do I Have?
Summary Sheet 8.2 (3) – What Puts Me at Risk?
Learning Activity 8.2 (4) – How Much at Risk am I?
Summary Sheet 8.2 (5) – Know Yourself


Orientating
Re-vise the main points of the Enhancing

notion of youth at risk and the
importance of knowing how to
make sensible decisions
Summary Sheet 8.2 (1). STEP 2: EXPLANATION
Discuss the various risks in the
community or family that contribute to
a young person being a “high risk”
candidate for risk-taking behaviour.
STEP 3: EXPLANATION
Briefly explain the four main groups
of risk factors: relating to community,
family, peer groups and own
personality..
Synthesising
STEP 4: ACTIVITY
Iindividual learners identify their own

risk factors. STEP 5: ACTIVITY
Learning Activity 8.2 (4).
Class discussion about levels of
control.

ORIENTATING
In Grade 7 and in the previous unit 8.1, learners were introduced to the notion of youth
at risk. Revise the key points of the previous units to remind learners why are asked to
consider issues about their own risk-taking behaviour.
Note for teachers:

The Senior Phase learner is exposed to a wider range of risky situations. The
health and safety issues encountered are affected by the physical and socio-economic
environment, but increasingly the learner is starting to have to make independent decisions
about which activities to become involved with. The learner should acquire appropriate
understanding, skills and values to make informed choices about the issues that affect
personal health, safety and lifestyles. Lifestyle choices related to sexuality are crucial at this
age and should be dealt with sensitively. Increasingly, the adolescent learner has to deal with
a range of risky situations and therefore should acquire the skills to negotiate peer pressure
and to make responsible decisions to cope with challenging situations.
This module on preventing problem gambling is aimed at helping the learner acquire such
skills. It is not so much a matter of what to decide, but rather how to go about making
sensible decisions. If the learner understands the process of responsible decision making,
then it is a process that can be applied to a whole range of risky situations and risk-aking
options.
Youth are at risk because as they are initiated into the adult world, they are also being
confronted with forms of adult lifestyles, e.g. smoking, drinking, sexual relationships and
gambling. The adolescent learner therefore needs to develop an understanding of the risks
involved in these activities in order to make sensible decisions about which activities to
become involved with and how to spend his or her leisure time.
In the fast-paced and ever-changing social environment, there is an increasing range of

entertainment options available. Different media offer a whole range of choices: films, TV,
DVDs, internet, iPods, cell phones. Also, youth – especially in cities - are interacting with an
increasing range of different groups of people, each one with different social conventions. For
example, there are different levels of acceptance about drinking, the use of drugs, sexual
relationships, and gambling. In some groups, drinking is regarded as morally wrong, whereas
in other groups it is part of everyday life. Having to make responsible choices about the
overwhelming options is therefore an important skill for youth to learn.
In the previous unit that looked at the teenage brain that is still developing, studies have
shown that youth are more at risk for addictive forms of behaviour than any other age group.

Youth are particularly at risk because of their over-confidence combined with their lack of full
life experiences. They are convinced that they will be able to handle the risks in certain
situations, but since they don’t yet have the experience of just what those risks are, they are
often unable to cope with the actual outcomes. It is the main aim of this unit on preventing
problem gambling to help learners develop the understanding, appropriate skills and values
that will enable them to make sensible and informed decisions about the various new risky
behaviours with which they are being (or will be) confronted.
The aim of this unit is to introduce the notion of degrees of control: life is complex and difficult
to manage. So, learners need to be alert to what they can and cannot control.
1. In unit 7.2 and 8.1 they learnt that following the PRICE process of decision-making, they
can control their own risk-taking choices, like choosing to gamble or not.
2. In unit 8.2 they will learn that to some extent they can control the risky circumstances in
which they find themselves. Knowing what these are, and recognising their own
vulnerabilities, will strengthen learners’ skills iin making informed decisions about their
own risk-taking behaviours.
Revise the main points of the notion of youth at risk and the importance of knowing
how to make sensible decisions about which activities to become involved with.
Put up Summary Sheet 8.2 (1) – So You Want to Take a Risk? with main points.
Say, for example:
Ask:
• Now that you are in Grade 8, what decisions do you make about how to spend your
leisure time?
• Can you remember the process you can follow to make informed decisions about
risk-taking behaviours?
(Prompt learners to recall the PRICE process in which they consider the Purpose of the the
action, the Risks and possible consequences, the reliability of the Information they have
about the situation, possible Compromises that could be made, and the Enjoyment of
knowing that they have made an informed decision.)
In Grade 7 and in the previous lesson, we looked at risk-taking behaviour and how you can
make wise decisions about the kinds of activities with you want to get involved. As you get

older you are given more and more independence and that means more and more decisions
you have to make on your own, including decisions about how which friends to get involved
with and about how to spend your leisure time. This is an exciting new phase in growing up,
but it is also a risky one. If you make irresponsible or uninformed decisions, it is likely that you
may be faced with problems later on.
Risk-taking behaviours are those actions that are likely to be dangerous for health or
emotional well-being in the long-term. In other words, risk behaviour is likely to have
problematic consequences.
Ask:
• Can you think of examples of risk-taking behaviour that are likely to lead to serious
problems later on?
• What kinds of problems could these lead to?
(Examples could incldue: drug use which is likely to lead to relationship breakdowns and
possible addiction; unsafe sex is likely to lead to an unfavourable reputation, STDs or
unwanted pregnancy; train surfing is likely to lead to accidents and injuries; and frequent
gambling could lead to financial problems and possible addiction, etc.)
Some of these risk-taking behaviours are more likely to lead to problems than other risk-
taking behaviours.
Ask:
• Which risk-taking behaviour do you think is more likely to lead to serious problems?
(Examples could include: Fast, reckless driving, has a high probability of leading to an
accident, or too much drinking of alcohol is likely to lead to ill health, family upheavals and
addiction. Whereas, driving slowly while talking on a cell phone is taking a risk, but is less
likely to lead to a serious accident. Also, having an alcoholic drink every now and then is
unlikely to lead to serious health problems, whereas getting drunk regulalry is likely to have
serious consequences.)
The kind of behaviour that is very likely to lead to problems later on (like fast, reckless driving)
is called high-risk behaviour; and the kind of risk-taking behaviour (like driving in the rain) is
called low-risk behaviour since, although risky, it is unlikely to lead to serious problems.
Ask:
• Can you think of examples of other high-risk behaviour; and examples of low-risk
behaviour?

(Examples of high-risk behaviour could include: train-surfing; playing chicken; taking “tik”; not
using a condom in sex; swimming at night in the sea that has strong rip currents, etc.
Examples of low-risk behaviour could include: playing a friendly game of soccer, going to a
movie, etc.
There are, of course, examples that are in-between: kinds of actions that have a fair amount
of risk, but are not as likely to lead to serious problems as high-risk behaviours. Examples
could include: parachute jumping [which although very scary has a good safety record; few
people die from parachute accidents], skate-boarding down a steep ramp, etc.)
So, why do people engage in high-risk behaviour if they know that it is likely that an accident
or problems may be the result?
Ask:
• Why do people drink too much? Why do people smoke?
Generally, they do these things because they enjoy them; it makes them “feel good”. This is
what we call the reward. So, even though someone may know that fast and reckless driving
may result in an accident, the person gets a thrill out of doing so. And even if statistics show
that smoking is likely to lead to health problems, people often smoke because they like the
effect of the nicotine.
Let’s have a look again at how you can make sensible decisions by deciding whether the
rewards of different forms of risk-taking behaviour outweigh the probability of bad
consequences that may result from engaging in the risky behaviour.
ENHANCING
Deepen learners’ understanding of how to cope with risk. In addition to sensible
choices, probabilities of risk also depend on circumstances and personal dispositions.
Discuss the risk factors that contribute to risk behaviour, by introducing the three
main classes of risk factors and so help learners judge how much at risk they
themselves are. The learning exercise is aimed to alert learners to the circumstances
and their own personal dispositions that are likely to place them at risk.

Introduce discussion of the need to know about the various risks in the community
or family that contribute to a young person being a “high risk” candidate for risky
behaviour. In other words, learners should recognize those circumstances in their
own lives that may place them at risk of engaging in dangerous behaviour.
Put up Summary Sheet 8.1 (2) - How Much Control Do I Have?
Say, for example:
We looked at the PRICE process that can help you make good decisions when you’re not
sure whether you should take part in certain risky behaviour. You need to understand why
you want to do it, what the risks are, how much you can depend on the information about
possible consequences, and think of compromises or alternatives that may give you similar
rewards without the risks. So, you can control the decision you make about whether or not to
take part in this risky behaviour.
Ask:
• Do you think you have control over what your community or your family or your
friends are like?
(Prompt learners to recognize that to a certain extent they can control which friends to hang
out with, some control over what their families do, and some control over their own personal
feelings.)
So, whereas you have lots of control over what decision you make, you less control over the
circumstances in which you find yourself.
Ask:
• Do you think you would be more at risk of taking drugs if you lived in a community
where drugs were traded frequently in the streets and many people used drugs, than
if you lived in a community that had very little drug trade and use?
• How much control would you, as an individual, have over what your community did?
(Prompt learners to recognise that some circumstances place them more at risk than others.
For example, living in an area that has lots of drug use, will increase the chances of the
learner taking drugs. Also, get them to see that although at this stage of their lives they don’t
have much control over their personal circumstances, it is possible later – as a policy maker,
or mayor, for example – to make a difference to their community circumstances, and as a

parent to have more control over their family circumstances.)
The choices you make, over which you have control, and the circumstances in which you find
yourself, over which you have less control, both contribute to whether you get involved in
risky behaviour, especially high-risk behaviour, or not. The more risky your circumstances,
the more likely you are to get involved in high-risk behaviour.
When we talk of someone being at risk we mean that person has a high probability of
developing a problem. Or put differently, a high-risk person is very likely to get into
trouble.
At this stage of your lives, you often don’t have control of the circumstance in which you live:
the community, the laws and social habits of residents in the neighbourhood, and your family.
However, even if you can’t change your immediate circumstances right now, being aware of
how they can influence your actions will give you a powerful tool in your decision-making
process. Knowing about your own risky circumstances will help you decide in a more
informed way about the risks and consequences involved.
Also, as you grow older, you should start being able to judge what your strengths and
weaknesses are.
Ask:
• Are you a dependable person, or do you break promises easily? Are you willing to
admit to mistakes or do you think you’re always right?
Understanding yourself and your circumstances better is an important part of being

able to make good decisions.
So, let’s have a look at what the various risky circumstances in your community, your family,
your peer group and your own personality actually are.
STEP 3
Briefly explain the four main groups of risk factors in the community, in the family, in
the peer groups, and in one’s personal character. Put up Summary Sheet 8.2. (3) – What
Puts Me at Risk?. Refer to the notes below for further discussion of the main points in each
of the three groups of risk factors.

Say something like:
1. RISKY CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE COMMUNITY:

a. Availability
Ask:
• If drugs were very easily available and cheap, do you think it is likely that you will
use them?
The more available the drugs or alcohol or gambling opportunities are in a community, the
higher the risk that abuse will occur. For example, if you know that you can get “tik” on the
street corner around from your house, you are at higher risk of trying it than someone who
can’t get it that easily.
b. Social habits that allow high-risk behaviour and laws that allow abuse
Ask:
• If there are few police around to arrest drunken drivers, do you think it is more
likely that people will drive when drunk?
When members of a community don’t really condemn drunk driving or substance abuse or
violence, young people are at a higher risk of developing these problem behaviours.
c. Mobility (i.e. how often people move)

Ask:
• How well do you know all the people who live in your street? Have they lived
there for long?
Communities or neighbourhoods in which the members move a lot or stay for only short
periods before going elsewhere, have higher risks of criminal behaviour and social problems.
For example, if your neighbours change every few months, it is likely that they won’t really
care about the safety of the neighbourhood and its residents. In communities where
everyone knows the members, it is likely that there will be less substance abuse, vandalism
and violence.
d. Very poor communities

Ask:
• Why do you think that there are more murders and crime in the poor parts of our
cities than in the richer parts?
Statistics have shown that young people who live in communities where there is a lot of

poverty, where most people don’t have jobs, and where the living conditions are poor (like no
running water, lots of rubbish on the street, no electricity), such young people are at much
higher risk of teenage pregnancies, dropping out of school, violent behaviour and getting
involved with crime.
2. RISKY CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE FAMILY:

a. Family members with addiction problems
Ask:
• If a young person’s parents both had an alcohol problem, how likely do you think it is
that the young person will start drinking a lot too?
Studies show that young people whose family members have an addiction problem are at
high risk of developing an addiction themselves. For example, if both your parents have an
alcohol problem, you are at much higher risk than others of developing a similar problem.
b. Little supervision or monitoring by parents

Ask:
• Do your parents always know where you are when you go out at night? Do you think
their wanting to know your whereabouts is a good thing or not?
Parents who don’t really take in interest in what their children are up to, or parents who
punish their children with extreme harshness, or parents who hand out inconsistent
punishment are likely to place their children at a high risk of developing health and behaviour
problems.
c. Conflict within the family

Ask:
• What do you think a person who has ongoing serious disagreement with his or her
parents likely to do after a while?
In general, if there is serious fighting between the parent or care giver and children, it raises
the risk of these children developing behavioural problems (e.g. alcohol abuse).
d. Parents who excuse their children’s bad behaviour – when parents excuse their
children for breaking the law, or when parents who accept drug use, crime and violence
as part of everyday life, this is likely to lead their children developing violent behaviour.

3. RISKY CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE PEER GROUP
a. Membership of a peer group involved in high-risk behaviour

Ask:
• If most of your friends are having sex without condoms, how likely is it that you will do
the same?
We saw that adolescence is a particulalry important time to feel accepted by your peers. As
you become more independent from your family making decision for you, you look to your
friends for advice. And, if it seems as though most of your friends in your class are already
sleeping around, you are at risk of joining them in that risky behaviour.
b. Friends involved with problem behaviour

Ask:
• Have you ever felt under pressure to join your friends into doing something that
made you uncomfortable or scared?
Young people whose friends are involved with drugs, or drinking or crime are likely to follow
what their friends are doing. The peer pressure is strong.
4. PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT CAN PUT YOU AT RISK
a. Impulsive, rebellious, hyper-active

Ask:
a. How impulsive or rebellious do you think you are?
Young people who are impulsive or who can’t concentrate for long, are at higher risk for
developing substance abuse and violent behaviour problems than people who are less
impulsive and who are able to concentrate. For example, if you tend to do something before
really thinking about the consequences, or if you are constantly looking for something else to
try out and amuse you, you are at high risk of developing serious behaviour problems later
on.
b. Poor school performance

Ask:
a. Who, for example, do you think is more likely to start using “tik”: (a) a person who
does well at school and at sports, or (b) a person who has failed repeatedly at
school and isn’t involved in any extra-curricular school activities?

Academic failure starting in primary school increases the risks of drug abuse, delinquency
and teenage pregnancy.
c. Lack of commitment to school – young people who feel a lack of commitment to their
education are at a high risk of developing behavioural problems later on.
d. Inherited physical body factors

There are some people whose physically inherited (genetic or biochemical) make-up makes
them sensation seekers, or makes them people who can’t control their impulses. If no proper
medication to control their reactions is taken, it is likely that such people will develop
problems.
SYNTHESISING
(Consolidating learners’ understanding, skills and values with regards to thinking
about their own risk levels)
The learning activity will have shown learners that there are some forms of behaviour
that have more serious possible consequences than others (i.e. the distinction
between high-risk and low-risk behaviour.) For example, drinking one brandy is not
likely to lead to serious health or emotional problems later on, but getting drunk
regularly and frequently is likely to lead to family upheavals, physical health problems,
and maybe alcohol addiction. The learning activity is also aimed at enabling learners to
recognize their own risky circumstances that can make it more likely for them to get
involved in high-risk behaviour.
STEP 5 – ACTIVITY
Learning Activity 8.2 (4)– How Much at Risk Am I? is a very sensitive exercise
and should be monitored closely. It is important that learners do this activity on their
own in order to be able to assess the risk levels in their own circumstances without fear of
their friends seeing their score.
Tell the class that there needs to be privacy of each learner’s responses. There is to be no
sharing of answers. Tell learners that you won’t be taking in their sheets.
Also, before starting the exercise stress to learners that if there are any questions that they
feel they can’t or don’t want to answer, they shouldn’t.
Allow about 20 minutes for this exercise. If there is not enough time to complete the exercise,
ask learners to compete it at home for homework.

STEP 6 – ACTIVITY
Once learners have completed the exercise, insist on confidentiality when you take
them through the score interpretation on Summary Sheet 8.2 (5) –Know Yourself.
Stress that knowing what potential risks their personal circumstances and personality may
pose is a major step in their being able to make informed decisions about personal risk-taking
behaviour.
Discuss the different levels of control they feel they have in each of the 4 main risk factor
groups. Alllow learners to see that they can control their own risk-taking behaviour by making
informed decisions, and that they can to some extent control the risky circumstances in
which they find themselves.

Summary Sheet 8.2 (1) – So, You Want to Take a Risk?
Hi there…
Remember me? My name is Joe. In grade 7 you read

about me in a really cool comic about the problems I
ran into …
I didn’t know how to make good decisions, but since

then I have learnt about PRICE from my uncle Enoch,
who is a teacher. He showed me that high-risk
behaviour has a high probability of bad consequences.
I hope that in future I’ll be able take my chances more
wisely!
High-risk behaviour has a high

probability of serious
consequences
I’m hoping that my nephew Joe has
learnt how to make sensible decisions
about high-risk and low-risk behaviour
in order to reduce the probability of
something bad happening. Before we
look again at how to take your
chances wisely, here are two examples
of high-risk behaviour with their
rewards and probable consequences:

Here are two scenarios:
Risky behaviour Reward Likely bad consequences

Getting drunk • I feel part of a “in • I get a reputation of being silly and
every weekend group” irresponsible
• I like the “buzzy” • My habit is likely to lead to
feeling I get from problems with alcohol later on
alcohol (like addiction)
• I boast about my • Causing a serious accident
daring behaviour • Alcohol abuse is likely to lead to
• My friends think it’s physical health problems
funny • Drinking a lot of alcohol regularly
is likely to cause depression and
psychiatric problems
Taking an ecstasy • I feel part of a “in- • Being in an altered state, I’m likely
tablet group” do something dangerous and
• I like the “high” I get stupid
• It makes me feel • Although the long-term effects of
confident ecstasy are still being studied, it is
• I boast to my friends clear that it is likely to lead to
about my daring physical problems, especially
behaviour heart problems, epilepsy and eye
disease (glaucoma).
• After-effects are likely to include
anxiety, depression and paranoia.

High-risk behaviour has a high probability of leading to problems; it

is very likely to have bad consequences.
Low-risk behaviour has a low probability of leading to problems; it
is unlikely that there will be bad consequences.
So, how do you minimize the likelihood or probability of bad consequences?
Different risky behaviours have different probabilities depending on:

• your choice (the PRICE decision-making process)
• your personality and character and
• sometimes sheer luck
There’s not much you can do about sheer luck, and changing your personality
and character is difficult. Also, sometimes circumstances are beyond your control,
but what you do have control over is your choice. For every decision you make
and for every action you take, there is a cost attached (the money, time, energy,
and resources you spend doing it).
So, let’s go through the PRICE decision-making process again and think about
how we can reduce the risks of bad consequences …
P- Identify the purpose of the action

R- Identify the risks, consequences and probabilities
I- Assess the reliability of your information
C- Consider compromises, and create alternatives
E- Enjoy the feeling of having made a good decision

Summary Sheet 8.2 (2) – How Much Control Do I

Have?
High level of control
• Can you control the decision you make about whether you
should take part in a certain risky behaviour?
• Are you able to control your own emotional reactions and

personality?
some level of control
• Can you control the circumstances in your family?
• Can you control the circumstances in your community?

low level of control
• Can you control the circumstances in the country?
Understanding yourself and the level of control you have over

your circumstances better is an important part of being able
to make informed decisions.

Summary Sheet 8.2 (3) – What Puts Me at Risk?
Risky Circumstances in the Community:

• If drugs were easy to get hold of and cheap, do you think it is likely that
you will use them?
• If there are few police around to arrest drunken drivers, do you think it is
more likely that people will drive when drunk?
• How well do you know all the people who live in your street? Have they
lived there for long?
• Why do you think that there are more murders and crime in the poor parts
of our cities than in the richer parts?
1. Availability of drugs, drinking and gambling

opportunities HIGH RISK
2. Social habits that are tolerant of high-risk
behaviour and laws that allow abuse LOW
3. Mobility of transition of community residents CONTROL
4. Very poor communities.
Risky Circumstances in the Family:

• If a young person’s parents both had an alcohol problem, how likely do
you think it is that the young person will start drinking a lot too?
• Do your parents always know where you are when you go out at night? Do
you think their wanting to know your whereabouts is a good thing or not?
• What do you think a person who has ongoing serious disagreement with
his or her parents likely to do after a while?
HIGH RISK
1 Family members with addiction problems

2 Little supervision or monitoring by parents LOW TO
3 Serious conflict within the family MEDIUM
4 Parents who excuse their children’s bad CONTROL
behaviour

Risk factors in your peer group

• Have you ever felt under pressure to join your friends into doing something
that made you uncomfortable or scared?
HIGH RISK
MEDIUM
1 Peer pressure during adolescence is strong.
CONTROL
Risky personal characteristics

• How impulsive or rebellious do you think you are?
• Who, for example, do you think is more likely to start using “tik”: (a) a
person who does well at school and at sports, or (b) a person who
repeatedly fails at school and isn’t involved in any extra-curricular school
activities?
1 Impulsive, rebellious, hyper-active
personality HIGH RISK
2 Poor school performance. MEDIUM
3 Lack of commitment to school. TO HIGH
4 Friends involved with problem behaviour CONTROL
5 Biochemical factors
• C • an you think of a person who has done well in life, despite

coming from a poor community and difficult family background?
Nelson Mandela grew up in a poor village in the Transkei, Oprah

Winfrey (the US TV host), Arnold Schwarzenegger (the RoboCop
movie star and governor of California), and JK Rowling (the
author of the Harry Potter books) all had difficult circumstances in
their youth with which to deal.
So, being at risk doesn’t mean that you will develop a problem or
that you won’t succeed in later life: it just means that you need to
be aware of your personal risks.

Risk factors that can put you at risk
Residents Parents who

who move excuse bad
often behaviour Little
parental
supervision
Bad social
habits
Availability of
dangerous Family Conflict
goods member with
addiction
Poverty
In community In family
Personal
In peer group characteristics
Poor school
Friends doing performance
high-risk
Impulsive,
behaviour
Gang rebellious,
membership hyper-active Lack of
commitment
Inherited
physical body
factors

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
Learning Activity 8.2 (4) – How Much at Risk am I?

For the following exercise work by yourself. The aim of the Activity is to help you identify and understand
the risky circumstances in which you find yourself. The more risky circumstances you have to cope with,
the more likely it is that you may get involved in high-risk behaviour. Understanding yourself and your
circumstances better is an important part of being able to make informed decisions about risk-taking
behaviour. Knowing the risks in your own circumstances is an important part of being able to make
sensible decisions and taking life’s chances wisely.
Don’t write your name on the sheet. Be honest in your responses. If there are some questions you’d
rather not answer, leave them blank. You will not be required to share your answers with anyone – they
are for your eyes only!
Read through the following questions and then rate yourself. For each question, give yourself between 1
or 5, with: 1 = “nothing, none, never or definitely ‘no’”; 2 = “sometimes, but not often, or not much”; 3 =
quite often, or quite a lot”, 4 = “lots, or often” and 5 = “everybody, everything, all the time or definitely
‘yes’”. Once you’ve answered all the questions, add up all the numbers into a grand total.
1 2 3 4 5
1. How available are drugs or under-age drinking or gambling opportunities in your
community?
2. Are the people in your neighbourhood tolerant of violence, drug and alcohol
use?
3. How often do you have people moving in and out of the neighbourhood?
4. Do you consider your family to be poor?
5. Do you have family members who have a drinking or drug or gambling problem?
6. Are you allowed to go out during the weekends at during the week without telling
your parents where you are going or what you’ve done?
7. Do you have major disagreements or serious fights with your parents or
caregiver? Is there a lot of tension between you?
8. Have any of your parents or caregivers or family members been in jail, or
involved in crime and violence?
9. Are you very impulsive, that is, do you usually do things without thinking about
the consequences first?
10. Do you struggle at school with your academic work? Do you often fail a subject
at the end of the year?
11. Are you part of a group whose members often drink, take drugs, drive
recklessly or boast about their number of sexual encounters?
12. Do you think it is OK to take drugs or to drink regularly?
Totals of each column

My total score
(All 5 column totals added together)

Summary Sheet 8.2 (5) – Know Yourself
Here is a picture of Socrates, a well-known wise

Greek philosopher who lived many centuries ago.
His famous words of advice were:
Know thyself!
Your at-risk score
Less than 24: The circumstances in which you are add little likelihood to
your developing a serious problem. However, that doesn’t mean that you
shouldn’t be careful when doing something potentially risky!
24 – 35: You are most likely a healthy, curious teenager who might get
into a little trouble now and then. Your circumstances don’t really add to the
likelihood of your developing a problem, but remember it is ultimately your
own responsibility to handle your circumstances and own weaknesses in a
sensible way.
36 – 47: You have to cope with some difficult circumstances that can
tempt you into acting unwisely. Knowing what exactly makes you vulnerable
to risk (that is, increases your personal risk levels), will help you make wise
decisions and avoid those forms of risk behaviour that increase your personal
probability of developing a serious problem.
48 – 60: You are high risk. It means that the circumstances in your
community and family increase the likelihood of your getting involved in high-
risk behaviour. You need to be aware and tough to be able to withstand their
influence on your own actions. However, knowing just what the risky
circumstances are, makes it possible for you to try to avoid them and so
minimize the likelihood of your developing an addiction or behaviour problem.
Being high risk doesn’t mean that you will develop a problem or that you won’t
succeed in later life: it just means that you need to be aware of your personal
risky circumstances.

Unit 8.3
Staying in Control

• Describe what a healthy lifestyle is in own personal situation and ways of preventing
diseases (like problem gambling)
• Reflect on appropriate behaviour in different kinds of interpersonal relationships
(including coping with a problem gambler)
Main concepts:
Risk–taking behaviour
Randomness
Probability and Chances
PRICE decision-making process
Control
Principles of Responsible Gambling
Resources:
Summary Sheet 8.3 (1) - So, You Think You Can Control the Outcome?
Learning Activity 8.3 (2) - So, You Think You Can Control the Outcome?
Summary Sheet 8.3 (3) - What Are My Chances? What Are the Probabilities?
Learning Activity 8.3 (4) - What Are My Chances? What Are the Probabilities?
Learning Activity 8.3 (5) - What Are My Chances? What Are the Probabilities?
With Memorandum for Teacher
Summary Sheet 8.3 (6) - Why Do Some People Develop a Problem with
Gambling while Others Don’t? Levels of Control
Summary Sheet 8.3 (7) - Staying on Control: How to Be a Smart and
Responsible Gambler
Learning Activity 8.3 (8) - To Gamble or Not to Gamble?


Orientating

Recap learners’ understanding of levels
of control, risk-taking behaviour and the Look at why players have no control
PRICE decision-making process. over the outcome of a game of
Remind learners that gambling is a form chance.
of risk-taking behaviour. Learning Activity 8.3 (2).
Enhancing
STEP 3: EXPLANATION
STEP 4: ACTIVITY Learners need to know why they cannot
control the outcome in a game of
Learners calculate the probabilties chance.
Learning Activity 8.3 (4) Summary Sheet 8.3 (3)
Summary Sheet with Memorandum 8.3 (5)
Synthesising
STEP 5: EXPLANATION STEP 6: EXPLANATION

Discuss how problems arise when Prepare learners for the decision they will
players think they are in control when make at 18 on whether to gamble or not. If
they are not they do decide to gamble, they will need to
Summary Sheet 8.3 (6) know how to be smart and responsible
gamblers.

Learners apply the principles of responsible
gambling to various scenarios.

ORIENTATING
Gamblers who think they can control the outcome of random events are likely to
develop a problem with gambling. Knowing how gambling works (being able to
calculate the probability of an outcome, and recognizing that outcomes in games of
chance are independent events) as well as being aware of the various myths and
superstitions surrounding gambling, learners will now have insight into how to stay in
control when gambling.
Note for teachers
When it comes to educating learners about responsible risk-taking in their lives, stress the
following insights they should have learnt by now:
1. Risk-taking behaviour can range from low-risk and little probability of serious
consequences to high-risk with a high probability of serious consequences.
2. A person can manage risky behaviour by knowing how to make sensible decisions.
This involves being able to assess the purposes for the action, to identify the
probable risks involved, to evaluate the quality of the information at hand, and to think
of compromises or alternatives.
3. Getting into the habit of applying a sensible decision-making process will strengthen
certain neural pathways in the brain, making it less likely that the person will behave
impulsively.
4. But there are levels of control; young people can control some situations, but have
little control over others. Knowing what level of control they have over a situation,
enables a person to make better decisions.
5. Gambling is a good example to illustrate what level of control (or rather, lack of
control) a person has over the outcome.
6. However, if a person chooses to gamble (after applying the PRICE decision-making
process), there are ways of staying in control. These ways of staying in control can be
applied to other high-risk behaviour, such as having unsafe sex, drinking, smoking
and joining a gang.
Revise the main points of the notion of different levels of control and the importance
of knowing how to make sensible decisions about which activities to become involved with.
Put up Summary Sheet 8.3 (1) – So, You Think You Can Control the Outcome?
Say, for example:

Ask:
• How much control do you have over the way you think and behave?
(Learners should recognise that they have a fairly high level of control over the way they think
and behave, and can increase this control if they get in the habit of applying the PRICE
decision-making process when faced with a risky situation. In this way, they strengthen the
neural pathways in their brain that make them less inclined to behave impulsively.)
Ask:
• How much control do you have over the outcome of a game of dice-throwing or coin-
tossing?
(In unit 7.3 we looked at games of chance and games of skill. In games of skill, one can train
to have a high level of control over the outcome – a fit, practised tennis player is likely to win
the game over an unfit, unpractised player – but in games of chance, there is no level of
control.)
Let’s see why even the most practised coin-tosser or dice-thrower has no control over the
outcome. Knowing why this is so, helps us to recognise other forms of high-risk behaviour
over which we have little control.
Coin tossing: Coins have a “head” side – the side

with the South African emblem or coat of arms – and
a “tail” side – the side with the amount written on it
and a picture of a flower or animal. So, when you
toss the coin, it will either land with the “tail” side up
or the “head” side up. There are therefore only 2
possible outcomes: “heads” or “tails”. Another way of
saying this is that you have a 50% chance of “heads” and a 50% chance of “tails”. Yet another
way of expressing this is to say that you choose 1 (e.g. “heads”) of the 2 possible outcomes
(“heads” or “tails”) and therefore have a 1 in 2 chance of guessing the outcome correctly. So
every time the coin is tossed, there is a 50% chance of “heads” and a 50% chance of “tails”.
Another way of saying this is that every coin toss is an independent event – what has gone
before has no influence whatsoever on the outcome.
Ask:
• If the coin came up 19 times as “tails”, what do you think are the chances of “tails”
coming up again when the coin is tossed for the 20th time?

(Learners should be able to recognise that there is always a 50% chance of the “tails” comig
up again for the 20th time, or the 50th time, or the 100th time in a row!)
So, it doesn’t matter how many times a particular side has come up in the past; every coin
toss starts again with the same 50%-50% chance. Every new coin toss is an independent
event whose outcome is determined purely by luck, or a random selection process.
Let’s have a look at dice-throwing. (Note that in English, we talk about one “die” and two
“dice”.)
Ask:
• How many sides to an ordinary die?
• So, how many possible outcomes can there be? How many different numbers can it
fall on?
(Learners should be able to recognise that since a die has 6 sides, there are 6 possible
numbers for the outcome, i.e. number “1” or “2” or “3” or ”4” or “”5” or “6”.)
Dice-throwing: A die has 6 sides, each side with a number. So,

when you throw the die, it will either land on either “1” or “2” or “3” or
”4” or “”5” or “6”. There are therefore 6 possible outcomes. Another
way of expressing this is to say that you have a 1 in 6 chance of
guessing the outcome correctly. Another way of expressing this is to
say each number has only a 16.6% chance of coming up. If you
were to choose a specific number that will come up, you will therefore have ony a 16.6%
chance of guessing the outcome correctly. So every time the die is thrown the chances
remain the same, no matter how many times the number “3” for example has come up before.
As with coin tossing, each new dice-throw is an independent event. Whether you have thrown
fourteen “sixes” in a row, there is absolutely no way that this influences what you will throw
the fifteenth time.
Ask:
• So, do you think you can control the outcome in a game of dice-throwing or coin-
tossing?
STEP 2: ACTIVITY
Supply learners with a set of dice (2). The main aim of the exercise is to show that

learners have no control over a game of chance.

Hand out Learning Activity 8.3 (2) –So You Think You Can Control the Outcome?
ENHANCING
In unit 8.1 and 8.2, learners have practiced the skills of sensible decision-making, and
have assessed their own personal risk level. In this unit, learners should recognise that
in games of chance, like coin-tossing and dice-throwing, there is no control over the
outcome. In the event that learners when they are 18 years or older decide to gamble,
even after applying the PRICE decision-makingprocess, they should know how to be
able to stay in control. In other words, they should know how to be a responsible
gambler.
Note for teachers

The South African law states that it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to
gamble. (See the preface of the manual for a copy of the relevant extract of the law.) You may
well ask why then teach about gambling to learners who are not yet 18. The reason for this is
that a good education should prepare learners for adulthood and for the time when they need
to make informed decisions about how to spend their leisure time. The example of gambling
as a high-risk behaviour helps learners to see that there are similaraties with other forms of
high-risk behaviour, like having unsafe sex, or drinking, or smoking, or joining a gang. Many
of these situations involve elements of chance over which the person has little control.
Knowing the limits of one’s control, or lack thereof, helps learners recognise potentially
dangerous situations in which the likelihood of serious consequences or problems is high.
STEP 3: EXPLANATION
Learners have seen in the previous activity that they cannot control the outcome in
a game of chance like coin-tossing and dice-throwing. But it is important to know
why this is so.
Put up Summary Sheet 8.3 (3) – What Are My Chances? What Are the Probabilities?
Say, for example:
We have seen from the coin-tossing and dice-throwing exercise that you cannot control the
outcome of the game. Let’s have a closer look at why you cannot control the outcome.
Gambling has elements of chance and “luck”, but simple mathematics can be applied to all
gambling games. Knowing how gambling works will help players make informed decisions

about where, how and when to gamble (and when not to gamble). Knowing the mathematics
of gambling will reduce the risks of problem gambling – and that means learning more about
chance, random processes and probabilities. As an early casino owner said, “Gambling is all
mathematics.”
Even though there is no pattern in gambling on which to base predictions, you can calculate
the likelihood of a particular outcome and you can also calculate your chances of winning.
The number assigned to this likelihood this is called a probability.
Probability lies between impossibility and certainty, where 0 = impossible and 1 = certain.
Probabilities may be represented by fractions, e.g., ½, (a 1 in 2 chance that an event will
occur – like heads or tails), 1/6 (a 1 in 6 chance that your chosen number will come up in a
die throw), etc; or alternatively as decimal numbers between 0 and 1, e.g., 0.5, 0.25, 0.66666,
etc.
The general rule for calculating the probability of outcomes in an event (like picking a card, or
throwing a number) is:
p = n/t
(where p stands for “probability”, n for the number of favourable or desired outcomes, and t
for the total number of possible outcomes.)
Ask:
• How many cards in a deck? (“Deck” is the name of a full set of cards)
• How many 9 are there in a deck?
• What do you think the chances are of picking or drawing a 9 from a deck (no
peeking beforehand! The draw must be a random process!)
(Prompt learners to apply the general rule as follows: there are 52 cards in a deck. The
probability of picking the 9 can be calculated as follows:
n: the number of favourable outcomes = 1 (i.e. there is only one 9 in the entire
deck)
t: total number of outcomes = 52 (there are 52 cards in a deck and you have an equal
chance of drawing any of those)
p = n/t =1/52.
In other words, you have a 1 in 52 chance of drawing your desired card.
Not very high!

Ask:
• What however about the probability of drawing any  card?
The probability of picking a heart card can be calculated as follows:

n: the number of favourable outcomes = 13 (there are 13 heart cards in a deck of
cards: A; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; J; Q; K)
t: total number of outcomes = 52 (there are 52 cards in a deck and you have an equal
p = n/t =13/52.
Or, after simplification, you can see you have a 1 in 4 chance of picking a  card.
Ask:
• Now, what about the probability of drawing any red card from the deck?
We can calculate this as follows:

n: the number of favourable outcomes = 26 (there are 13 red heart cards and 13 red
diamond cards in a deck of cards)
t: total number of outcomes = 52 (there are 52 cards in a deck and you have equal
p = n/t =26/52 (which equals ½ after simplification; alternatively this probability may
be expressed as a percentage (50%) or written as a decimal (0.5))
However, note that the formula is only applicable in cases where the event:
1. Has a number of favourable outcomes and total that we can count, and
2. All these outcomes are equally likely.
The formula does not apply if we wish to find say, the probability that Gijima will win the next
race (some horses are much faster than others and therefore much more likely to win) or the
probability that you will die before the end of the year (you’re not equally likely to die on each
day; if you go swimming in a lake with crocodiles, it is more likely that on that day you will die
rather than on the day you stay at home and watch TV!) In these situations we must use other
means to estimate the probability.
STEP 4: ACTIVITY
Learners calculate the probabilties and chances in games of chance and in other
everyday occurences.
Hand out Learning Activity 8.3.(4) – What are My Chances? What Are the Probabilities?

Once learners have completed the Activity, go through the answers with them. Refer to
Learning Activity 8.3.(5) – What are My Chances? What Are the Probabilities? With a
Memorandum for Teachers
SYNTHESISING
Consolidating learners’ understanding of how they can handle gambling responsibly. If
they do decide to gamble and get involved in risky behaviour, they need to know how
to manage their behaviour responsibly.
STEP 5: EXPLANATION
This next section looks at the problems that can arise if you think that you are in
control when in fact you are not. Put up Summary Sheet 8.3 (6) – Why do some
people develop a problem with gambling while others don’t? Levels of control
Say, for example:
We have seen that in coin-tossing and dice-throwing you have no control over the outcome. It
is all just a matter of luck whether you will win or not.
Ask:
• Do you think that most people who gamble have a problem?
• When is gambling not a problem?
(Learners should recognize that most people don’t have a problem, but for some
there are seriously bad consequences.)
Most people who gamble don’t experience a problem with it. Some people choose not to
gamble at all, so they are non-gamblers. Others again gamble once in a while. It is for fun or
entertainment and doesn’t cause problems for them.
Many people gamble regularly without problems. They spend money and time that they can
afford and see gambling as fun or entertainment. However, there are others for whom
gambling becomes a problem.
Ask:
• When are gamblers likely to develop serious problems?

In the coin-tossing and dice-throwing activity, we saw that gamblers who think they can
control the selection process of the outcome of a game of chance by performing certain rituals
(like blowing on the dice), or doing certain things (like sitting in their “lucky” spot) are likely to
keep on gambling even if they lose. They hold on to superstitions, believing that their luck
will turn, that they’ll win big if only they continue to believe their superstition.
Gamblers like these are likely to develop a serious gambling problem because they think that
the outcome of the game can be controlled. But we have seen that in games of chance it isn’t
possible to know the outcome beforehand. Gamblers can try and calculate the probability of
winning, but they can’t control the process that selects the outcome.
Ask:
• Can a person, who is deciding whether to gamble or not, control his or her decision
to engage in this risky behaviour?
(Prompt learners to remember that using the PRICE method of decision-making, they
are able to have control over their own decision-making processes. Prompt them to
remember what the PRICE letters stand for.)
Gambling, like other forms of risky behaviour, need not lead to problems if you know
that you can control the process of sensible decision-making about risky behaviour.
Remember the PRICE decision-making process we looked at in Grade 7 (Unit 7.2) and again
in Unit 8.2.
P – know your purpose or reason for getting involved in the risk behaviour
R – know the risks involved. Know not only the probabilities of winning (and the
likelihood of losing), but also the risks posed by your community, family and individual
character – your personal risk level. (You rated your own risk level in lesson 8.2)
I – judge the quality of your information. Is your information based on superstition?
On myths? Now that you know what the superstitions are (Lesson 8.4), you will be
able to know that blowing on the dice is not going to make any difference to the
outcome.
C – be able to compromise, look for alternate ways of enjoying yourself, earning
money, or getting a thrill.
E – enjoy knowing that you’ve taken your chances wisely
Knowing how to make sensible decisions about risky behaviour is an important skill.
Ask:

• Can a person, who is deciding whether to gamble or not, control his or her
circumstances that are linked to encouraging risky behaviour?
(Prompt learners to remember that to some extent they have control over the risky
circumstances in their community, or in their family, or in their own personality, or in
their peer group.)
what the risky circumstances are in your community, your family, your own personality
and in your group of friends. Although you don’t have as much control over your
circumstances as you do over your own decision-making, you are to an extent able to
control the risky circumstances that tend to encourage risky behaviour. In unit 8.2 we
looked at how risky circumstances can influence our actions.
Ask:
• Can a person, who is deciding whether to gamble or not, control the outcome of the
gambling if it is a game of chance?
(Prompt learners to recognize that if they were to play a game of chance, they have
no control over the process that selects the outcomes.)
Gambling need not lead to problems if you know that in a game of chance you have no
control at all over the process that selects the outcome.
Knowing how to make sensible decisions, and being aware of the risky circumstances in
which you may be placed, and knowing about probabilities and independent events in games
of chance, will help you in trying to avoid developing a problem with gambling.
You may decide not to gamble at all, or you may decide to gamble for a bit of fun. If you do
decide to gamble (based on an informed decision), you’ll also need to know how to be a
smart and responsible gambler.
STEP 6: EXPLANATION
Learners know how to make informed decisions using the PRICE process. Now
take learners through the following guidelines to help prepare them for the decision
whether to gamble or not when they are 18 and will then be allowed to gamble legally. If they
do decide to gamble, they will need to know how to be smart and responsible gamblers.

Put up Summary Sheet 8.3 (7) – How to Be a Smart and Responsible Gambler: Staying
in Control
Say, for example:
We have seen that you have no control over the outcome in a game of chance. Where
gambling is a game of chance (like in coin-tossing and dice-throwing) it means that players
cannot know what the outcome will be. People who think they can control the outcome in a
game of chance, are wrong – they don’t understand the mathematics that prove that the
outcome is unknowable. But, that doesn’t mean that no-one should therefore gamble on a
game of chance. People do win money, and people enjoy the entertainment of gambling.
Smart and responsible gamblers know that they cannot control the outcome of the game,
they gamble and they know when to stop gambling.
In other words, responsible gamblers can be in control of their own behaviour even though
they have no control of the outcome of the game.
Ask:
• How do you think you can stay in control of your own behaviour? How can you
make a sensible decision whether to gamble or not?
There are times when a person should not gamble at all:

• When an individual is under the legal gambling age. In South Africa you may not
gamble if you are under 18.
• When using substances that impair decisions or alter moods, e.g. alcohol or drugs.
• When other people or responsibilities are being neglected as a result of the
gambling.
• When the gambling activity is illegal.
Ask:
• How much control do you have over:
o Your own decision-making process?
o The risky circumstances in your community, in your family, of your
personality or of your peer group?
o The selection process of outcomes in a game of chance?
(It is important that learners have a very clear sense of what they can and cannot control.)
If, after carefully and honestly going through the steps of the PRICE decision-making

process, you decide you will take your chances wisely, you will also need to know how to
manage your gambling behaviour responsibly.
Ask:
• If you made an informed decision to gamble, how would you avoid getting into
trouble, like Joe?
(Prompt learners to suggest some of the strategies listed below. Using the Summary Sheet,
elicit responses from learners.)
People who choose to gamble should keep the following guidelines in mind 1:
1. Maintain balance
• If you choose to gamble, gambling should be only one of many activities that you
participate in. An important aspect of social activities is having fun with family and
friends and to relieve the pressures of daily living. Keep in mind that gambling is not
essential to having a good time.
• Don’t take gambling too seriously; see it mainly as a form of entertainment, not as a
job or as a way of earning “easy” money.
• When gambling, take frequent breaks.
• When you win, take the money and go somewhere else.
2. Set limits
• Set limits before you start to gamble. Decide ahead of time how much this activity is
worth to you and how much you can reasonably afford to spend. Expect to lose. You
should consider the money lost on gambling as the cost of your entertainment.
• Decide ahead of time what you will do if you win. Will you go on gambling or will you
stop? Calculate regularly how much you are spending on a weekly, monthly or
yearly basis. Ask yourself whether the money spent on gambling could have been
used in more enjoyable or even “profitable” ways.
• Time spent in a gambling place needs to be evaluated. Decide ahead of going to the
venue how much time you will spend on gambling. Keep in mind that other activities
(e.g. time spent with family and friends, playing sports, studying, other social
activities, or work responsibilities) may be neglected because of time spent
gambling.
• The slogan “Winners know when to quit” signals that if you can make a responsible
decision when to stop gambling, even if you have lost, you have “beaten” the
system which often tries to tempt you to keep on gambling until you’ve lost
1
Adapted from Gambling: Reducing the Risks, Grade 6, p. 3, Saskatchewan Health, 1999.

everything. As a responsible gambler you’ll recognize that you are likely to lose in
the long term and you don’t try to “chase” a loss, that is, you’ll see that it is risky to
try and “win back” your losses.
• Don’t be fooled into thinking that the machine is about to pay out, the dice are about
to roll your lucky number, the right card is about to be picked, or that your luck is
about to change if you gamble for just a little longer. The longer you play, the more it
will cost.
3. Never borrow money to gamble

• Borrowing money to gamble and hoping to pay it back with your winnings is a risky
activity and should be avoided. Some people have found it helpful to use only the
cash they have on hand, leaving cheque book, credit cards and ATM cards at home.
• Never borrow money to gamble, either from friends or use money set aside for other
things (household budget, savings towards a computer, etc)
4. Assess your reasons for gambling

• Some reasons (e.g. to win money for basic needs, or to escape personal problems
and unpleasant situations) present a high risk for problem gambling. (We looked at
this in lesson 8.1.)
• Be aware of your own risky circumstances. If you continue to gamble beyond your
set limits, take a close look at what in your character makes you disregard the risks.
• Responsible gamblers, in general, don’t take gambling too seriously. They gamble
mainly for the fun of it; not for the money.
• Gamble for fun and accept that you will need to pay for the excitement.
• Don’t gamble when you are angry or upset.
5. Know that gambling is not essential for having a good time

• Although gambling can be fun for most people, there are many other activities that
are entertaining and enjoyable. For example, organizing a braai with friends,
building or making something, going to a movie … Although risky behaviour may
hold a certain attraction for a specific kind of person or age group, you need to be
aware of alternative forms of entertainment that don’t carry as much risk.
6. Know that you cannot control the selection process of the

outcome of the game
• Much of gambling involves games of chance and no one is able to know the
outcome beforehand or control the process. This is because the game outcomes
are generated by a random process and are thus independent of each other.

• Gamblers who hold certain superstitions about how they can improve their luck are
fooling themselves. All that is likely to happen is that they will lose more and more.
7. Recognize that the longer you play, the more it will cost you
• Gamblers will often boast about their winnings, but they don’t say anything (or have
themselves forgotten) about all their previous losses.
• Understanding the maths that governs random processes and chance, you will
know that when the chances of winning are against you, each bet costs you money,
and therefore the longer you play the more it is expected to cost you.
• Knowing that the outcomes of games of chance are independent of each other and
that the chances of winning against you, you will recognize the foolishness of trying
to win back your losses. The longer you play, the more it will cost.
• The probability of losing or winning is always the same in a game of chance - they
don’t change over time. Playing for longer when the chances of winning are against
you means you can expect to lose more and more.
• Young males, in particular, tend to overestimate their chances of “beating the
system” and winning money in a gambling house, even though the chances of
winning are against them.
You will only make a decision to gamble or not when you are over 18 years old, but it is
important that when you do, you are well prepared for going through a process that will help
prevent serious problems from arising later.
So, let’s do a bit of practising in preparation now.
Divide the class into groups of about 4-5 members per group.
Allow about 15 minutes for each group to discuss.
Hand out Learning Activity Sheet 8.3. (8) – To Gamble or Not to Gamble.
After completng the exercise, ask learners to share their respinses with the rest of the class.
llow 5 minutes for each group to present to the class.

Summary Sheet 8.3 (1) – So, You Think You Can

Control the Outcome?
• How much control do you have over the way you think and behave?
• How much control do you have over the outcome of a game of dice-
throwing or coin-tossing?
Even the most practised coin-tosser or dice-thrower has no control over the outcome.
Knowing why this is so, helps us to recognise other forms of high-risk behaviour over which
we have little control.
Coin tossing: Coins have two sides: a “head” and a “tail”.
When you toss the coin, it will land on one side: “tail” or
“head”. You therefore have only one in two chances of
guessing the outcome beforehand correctly. Another way
of saying this is that you have a 50% chance of being
right. Every time the coin is tossed, there is a 50%
chance of “heads” and a 50% chance of “tails” and
therefore a 50% chance of being right.
• If the coin came up 19 times as “tails”, what do you think are the chances of “tails”
coming up again when the coin is tossed for the 20th time?
It doesn’t matter how many times a particular side has come up in the past; every coin toss
starts again with the same 50%-50% chance.
• How many sides to one ordinary die? How many

different numbers can it fall on?
Dice-throwing: You have a 1 in 6 chance of guessing the

outcome correctly. Each number has only a 16.6% chance of
coming up. You will therefore have ony a 16.6% chance of
guessing the outcome correctly. Every time the die is thrown the chances remain the same,
no matter how many times the number “3” for example has come up before.
• So, do you think you can control the outcome in a game of dice-throwing or coin-
tossing?

GROUP ACTIVITY
Learning Activity 8.3 (2) – So, You Think You Can

Control the Outcome?
Fill in the names of your group members:
__________________________________________________________________________________
You may ask, “What is the probability of my correctly predicting the outcome and thus of winning?”
In your group, do the following exercises to find out the probabilities of winning or losing.
Heads or tails?
(Coins have a “head” side – the side with the South African emblem or coat of arms –
and a “tail” side – the side with the amount written on it and the picture of a flower or
animal.)
Round one
1. Toss a coin 6 times in the air. Record the results below in the order in which they appeared. (H=
“head”; T= “tail”)
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Round two
2. Before tossing the coin, guess the results of the next three tosses.
Write down your three guesses in the order in which you think they will appear:
____ ____ ____
Now toss the coin three times and write down the actual toss results in the order in which they
appeared ____ ____ ____
Round three
3. Considering the previous results, guess the results of the next three tosses.
____ ____ ____
Now toss the coin three times and write down the actual toss results in the order in which they
appeared: ____ ____ ____
4. How many people guessed the order correctly for both rounds?
5. There are 2 sides to a coin, therefore only 2 possible outcomes: heads or tails.
Heads Tails

Play a game in which you can bet on only 1 outcome (Head or Tail) – write down which outcome you
wish to bet on..
Your chances of winning are therefore: ___________________

Another way of saying this, is that the probability of winning is: ______________________
(Hint: divide your 1 predicted outcome by the number of possible outcomes.)
6. Note why you think coin tossing is a game of skill (the more skilful player is better able to
determine the outcome) or a game of chance (it’s all just luck)?
__________________________________________________________________
Dice
7. Instead of a coin, use a die (one die, two dice). Before rolling the die, guess what number will
come up in the next three throws.
____ ____ ____
Now throw the die three times and write down the actual toss results in the order in which they
appeared: ____ ____ ____
8. In coin tossing, your chances of correctly guessing “heads or tails” were 1 in 2. In dice throwing,
using one die, there are 6 possible outcomes. What are they?
But you can choose only one option; write down your guess for the next throw:
Your chances of correctly guessing the number are therefore: _______

This is to calculate the probability of winning
(Hint: you can choose only one number, but there are six numbers on a die, therefore 6
possible choices.)
9. Now throw the die and write down the actual toss result: ____
Did you win?
10. Now make another guess: _____

and roll the die and write down the actual outcome: _____



13. Do you think you can control the outcome of a game of dice? _________________
Can you predict with certainty what the outcome will be? ___________________
Is dice throwing a game of chance or a game of skill? Why or why not?___________________
___________________________________________________________________

Summary Sheet 8.3 (3) - What are my chances? What

are the probabilities?
Gambling has elements of chance and “luck”, but simple mathematics can be applied to all
gambling games. Knowing how gambling works will help you make informed decisions about
where, how and when to gamble (and when not to gamble).
Even though there is no pattern in gambling on which to base predictions, you can calculate
the likelihood or probability of a particular outcome (and your chances of winning).
Probability lies between impossibility and certainty, where

0 = impossible and
1 = absolute certainty.
Probabilities may be represented by fractions, e.g., ½, (a 1 in 2 chance that an event will
occur – like heads or tails), 1/6 (a 1 in 6 chance that your chosen number will come up in a
die throw), etc; or alternatively as decimal numbers between 0 and 1, e.g., 0.5, 0.25, 0.66666,
etc.
The general rule for calculating the probability of outcomes in an event (like picking a card, or
throwing a number) is:
p = n/t
(where p stands for “probability”, n for the number of

favourable or desired outcomes, and t for the total number of
possible outcomes.)
• How many cards in a deck? (t=52)

• How many 9 are there in a deck? (n=1)
• What do you think the chances are of picking or
drawing a 9 from a deck?
p = n/t =1/52.
In other words, you have a 1 in 52 chance of drawing a 9. Not very high!
• What however about the probability of drawing any  card?

• Now, what about the probability of drawing any red card from the deck?

However, note that the formula is only applicable in cases where the event:
1 Has a number of favourable outcomes and a total that we can count, and
2 All these outcomes are equally likely.
The formula does not apply if we wish to find say, the

probability that Gijima will win the next race (some
horses are much faster than others and therefore
much more likely to win)
or
the probability that you will die before the end of the year (you’re not equally likely to die on
each day; if you go swimming in a lake with crocodiles, it is more likely that on that day you
will die rather than on the day you stay at home and watch TV!) In these situations we must
use other means to estimate the probability.

GROUP ACTIVITY
Learning Activity 8.3 (4) –

What are my chances? What are the probabilities?
Write down the names of the members of the group:
________________________________________________________________
Remember the formula for calculating probability:
Probability (p) = Total number of favourable outcomes (n)

Total number of equally possible outcomes (t)
Calculate your probabilities in a card draw:
1. What is the probability of drawing any Queen from a deck of cards?

(We assume that the card is drawn from a full deck of cards, that no other cards have
already been drawn or dealt. That would change the probabilities!)
(Hint: there are 4 different “suits” in a deck of cards – hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. Each suit
has 13 cards, ranging from Ace [or one] to 10 and then a Jack, Queen and King. Therefore, there are 13
cards in each of the 4 suits.
The probability is: __________________ (may be expressed as a fraction or a decimal)

(Hint: Divide the total number of Queen cards by the total number of cards in the deck)
If you have a deck of cards, draw one and note which card it is: ____________
Was it a Queen? Yes/ No
2. What is the possibility of drawing a number lower than 9 (i.e. 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, ace) from a deck of
cards?
The probability is: ________________ (may be expressed as a fraction or a decimal)
(Hint: Divide the total number of cards that are lower than 9 – remember there are 4 suits of each! – by
the total number of cards in the entire deck)
If you have a deck of cards, draw one and note which card it is: ____________
Was it a lower than 9? Yes/ No

Calculate the probabilities in a Lotto draw:
3. In a Lotto game you choose 6 numbers from 1-49. The total number of combinations of
winning the 1st prize (of getting all 6 numbers) is : 49 x 49 x 49 x 49 x 49 x 49 (or 496). The
probability of winning first prize is 1 in 14 million! There is therefore a good chance you
could win.
True or false?
4. In a Lotto draw, you stand a better chance (i.e. a higher probability) of winning if you: a) chose
numbers that had not been in the previous week’s winning number
True or false?
b) just choosing the numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6 every time.

True or false?
Calculate the probability in everyday occurrences:
5. Eighteen athletes with numbers 1 to 18 are running in the school race. The probability that the athlete
numbered 7 will win is 1/18.
True or false? Why?
6. A couple has 3 daughters. If they have another baby it is likely to be a boy because 4-girl families are
uncommon.
True or false? Why?

7. There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. If I select a letter at random from the page of an English
novel, the probability that it will be an “e” is 1/26.
True or false? Why?
8. Elizabeth doesn’t know the answer to a 4-answer multiple choice question. She is going to guess a, b,
c or d. The probability that she will guess incorrectly is 3/4.
True or false? Why?

Learning Activity 8.3 (5) - What are my chances? What

are the probabilities? With Memorandum for Teacher
Probability (p) = Total number of favourable outcomes (n)

Total number of equally possible outcomes (t)
Calculate your probabilities in a card draw:

1. What is the possibility of drawing a Queen from a deck of cards?
(Hint: there are 4 different suits in a deck of cards – hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs.
Each suit has 13 cards, ranging from Ace or one to 10 and then a Jack, Queen and King.
Therefore, there are 13 cards in each of the 4 suits. So, divide the total number of Queen
cards (Answer: 4) by the total number of cards in the deck (Answer: 52)
Answer: 4/52 or 1/13 (although not asked to calculate this, the percentage is 7.7%).
If you have a deck of cards, draw one and note which card it was: ____________
Was it a Queen? Yes / No
2. What is the possibility of drawing a number lower than 9 from a deck of cards?
(Hint: there are 4 suits with numbers 1-10, Jack, Queen and King in each. In this case, an Ace
counts as 1)
(Answer: each suit has 8 cards lower than 9, i.e. numbers 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,and Ace. There are 4
suits, therefore the total number of cards less than 9 are 8x4 = 32. Divide by the total number
of cards = 52.
Answer: 32/52 or 8/13 (although not asked to calculate this, the percentage is 61.5%)
If you have a deck of cards, draw one and note which card it was: ____________
Was it a lower than 9? Yes / No
Calculate the probabilities in a Lotto draw:
3. In a Lotto game you choose 6 numbers from 1-49. The total number of combinations of
winning the 1st prize (of getting all 6 numbers) is :49 x 49 x 49 x 49 x 49 x 49 (or 49 6). The
probability of winning first prize is 1 in 14 million! Therefore, there a good chance you could
win 1st prize.
True or false?
(Answer: False!)

4. In a Lotto draw, you stand a better chance (i.e. a higher probability) of winning if you:
a) chose numbers that had not been in the previous week’s winning number.
(Answer: False. Lotto numbers are drawn at random. There is no pattern. It is merely a matter
of luck.)
b) just choosing the numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6 every time?

True or false?
(Answer: False. The process of selecting the numbers in a Lotto draw is totally random. That
means there is no pattern, no connection between the numbers chosen or between the
previous weeks’ draws and the current one. Each of the 49 numbers has an equal chance of
being drawn for each of the 6 slots. You therefore stand the same chance of winning if you
chose 1,2,3,4,5,6 every week or 2,2,2,2,2,2 every week, or some combination based on
birthdays, or any other combination of six numbers.)
Calculate the probability in everyday occurrences:
5. Eighteen athletes with numbers 1 to 18 are running in the school race. The probability that
the athlete numbered 7 will win is 1/18. True or false?
(Answer: False. Running a race is not a random event. It is determined largely by skill and
training. Of course, luck, as in all matters of life, can also play a part, for example if the fastest
runner happens to be suffering from a bad cold that day.)
6. A couple has 3 daughters. If they have another baby it is likely to be a boy because 4-girl
families are uncommon. True or false?
Answer: False. It is true that 4-girl families are uncommon, but in general having had a boy or
girl previously has no influence on the gender of the next child, i.e., we assume that births are
independent events. Actually, this isn't entirely accurate. The true probability is not exactly
50/50 due to rates of conception, miscarriages, and other environmental and physiological
factors. A boy is more likely to be born (with a probability of 51.21%) than a girl (with a
probability of 48.79%).
7. There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. If I select a letter at random from the page of
an English novel, the probability that it will be an “e” is 1/26. True or false?
Answer: False. As any Scrabble player knows, there are some letters (like vowels) that
appear much more often than other letters (like x or y).
8. Elizabeth doesn’t know the answer to a 4-answer multiple choice question. She is going to
guess a, b, c or d. The probability that she will guess incorrectly is 3/4. True or false?
Answer: True.

Summary Sheet 8.3 (6) – Why do some people develop

a problem with gambling while others don’t? Levels of
control
• Do you think that all people who gamble have a problem?
• When are gamblers likely to develop serious problems?
Gamblers who hold on to superstitions are likely to continue to

gamble and lose more and more money. Gamblers like these are likely to develop a
serious gambling problem because they think that the outcome of the game can be
controlled. In games of chance however it isn’t possible to know the outcome
beforehand.
• Can a person, who is deciding whether to gamble or not, control his or

her decision to engage in this risky behaviour?
• When is gambling not a problem?
that you can control the process of sensible decision-making about risky
behaviour.
• How to make sensible decisions about gambling:

o P – know your reason for getting involved
o R – know the risks involved.
o I – judge the quality of your information. Is your information based on
superstition? On myths?
o C – be able to compromise, look for alternate ways of enjoying yourself,
or earning money
o E – enjoy knowing that you are taking your chances wisely
• Can a person, who is deciding whether to gamble or not, control his or her
circumstances that are linked to encouraging risky behaviour?

what the risky circumstances are in your community, your family, your own
personality and in your group of friends. Although you don’t have as much control
over your circumstances as you do over your own decision-making, you are to an
extent able to control the risky circumstances that tend to encourage risky
behaviour.
• Can a person, who is deciding whether to gamble or not, control the outcome of
the gambling if it is a game of chance?
Gambling need not lead to problems if you know that in games of chance you have
no control at all over the process that selects the outcome.
• On the scale of control below, where would you place:

a. Decision-making process
b. Risky circumstances in which you find yourself
c. Selection process of outcomes in games of chance?
full control → less control → no control
If you do decide to gamble (based on an informed decision), at the age of 18, when it
is legal to gamble, you’ll also need to know how to be a smart gambler, how to
manage your gambling behaviour (and other forms of high-risk behaviour)
responsibly.

Summary Sheet 8.3 (7) - How to Be a Smart and

Responsible Gambler
You will only make a decision to gamble or not when you are over 18 years old, but it is
important that when you do, you are well prepared for going through a process that will help
prevent serious problems from arising later.
Responsible gamblers can be in control of their own behaviour even though they have no
control of the outcome of the game.
• How do you think you can stay in control of your own behaviour? How can you make
a sensible decision whether to gamble or not?
There are times when a person should not gamble at all:

• When an individual is under the legal gambling age, 18.
• When using substances that impair decisions or alter
moods, e.g. alcohol or drugs.
• When other people or responsibilities are being neglected
as a result of the gambling.
• When the gambling activity is illegal.
People who after careful consideration still choose to gamble should keep the following
guidelines in mind:
1. Maintain balance
• Keep in mind that gambling is not essential to having a good time.
• Don’t take gambling too seriously; see it mainly as a form of entertainment, not as a
job or as a way of earning “easy” money.
• When gambling, take frequent breaks.
• When you win, take the money and go somewhere else.
2. Set limits
• Decide ahead of time how much you can
reasonably afford to spend. Expect to lose.
You should consider the money lost on
gambling as the cost of your entertainment.
• Decide ahead of time what you will do if
you win. Will you go on gambling or will you
stop?

• Decide ahead of going to the venue how much time you will spend on gambling.
• As a responsible gambler you’ll recognize that you are likely to lose in the long term.
Don’t try to “chase” a loss, that is, don’t try to “win back” your losses.
• Don’t be fooled into thinking that your luck is about to change if you gamble for just a
little longer. The longer you play, the more it will cost.

• Some reasons (e.g. to win money for basic needs, or to escape personal problems
and unpleasant situations) present a high risk for problem gambling.
• If you continue to gamble beyond your set limits, take a close look at what in your
character makes you disregard the risks.
• Responsible gamblers, in general, don’t take gambling too seriously.
• Gamble for fun and accept that you will need to pay for the excitement.
• Don’t gamble when you are angry or upset.
5. Know that gambling is not essential for

having a good time
• Although gambling can be fun for most people,
there are many other activities that are entertaining
and enjoyable.
6. Know that you cannot control the selection process of the outcome
of a game of chance. Winning is a matter of luck
• Gamblers who hold certain superstitions about how they can improve their luck are
fooling themselves. All that is likely to happen is that they will lose more and more.
7. Recognize that the longer you play, the more it will cost you.
• Understanding the maths that governs chance, you will know that each bet costs you
money, and you will recognize the foolishness of trying to win back your losses.

GROUP ACTIVITY
Learning Activity 8.3 (8) – To Gamble or Not to

Gamble?
With your group, read through the following scenarios. For each of the scenarios below, discuss and
decide which guideline/s for responsible gambling was/were ignored.
Guidelines for responsible gambling:

1. Maintain balance
2. Set limits
5. Know that gambling is not essential for having a good time
6. Know that you cannot control the selection process of the outcome of a game of chance. Winning is
a matter of luck
7. Recognize that the longer you play, the more it will cost you.
Scenarios Guideline that has been ignored

a. You have been saving for over a year to buy a
mountain bike. A really good deal has come up, but
you don’t have enough money. You are frantic. You
decide to take all your money to buy Lotto tickets
and hope to win the money you need.
b. You have been losing at dice, but you intend to ask
your friend to lend you R50 to continue playing
dice. You feel lucky and are sure you will be able to
repay her with your winnings.
c. Your grandmother is a sangoma. You want to ask
her to interpret your dreams so that you can place
all your saved money on a fafi bet.
d. You are playing a slot machine and it hasn’t paid
out anything for the past hour. You borrow money
to continue to play because you are convinced that
the machine will pay out a large amount very soon.
e. You failed your exam at school and your parents
were very angry when they saw your report card.
You are now so upset that you decide to go and
play dice to make you feel better.
f. A card game is going on in the schoolyard. You
have been very lucky with winning during the past
three weeks. You think that you are “lucky” at cards
and so you are now planning on betting a whole lot
of money.

Unit 8.4
Myths and Superstitions: Illusions of Control
After completing unit 8.4, learners will be able to:

• Outline how there is no control a player can have over the outcome of a game of chance
that is governed by a random selection process.
• Describe the illusion of control that some gamblers think they can have over the outcome.
• Discuss the various personal and cultural superstitions and myths that gamblers think
they can have over the process that determines the outcome.
Main concepts:
Random selection process
Illusion of control
Myths
Superstitions
Resources:
Summary Sheet 8.4 (1) - Chance, Random Processes and Independent Events
Learning Activity 8.4 (2) - Class discussion: Superstitions: Good Luck and Bad Luck
Omens
Summary Sheet 8.4 (3) - Common Superstitions about Gambling
Learning Activity 8.4 (4) - So, You Won the Lotto!


Orientating
STEP 1: INTRODUCTION STEP 2: GROUP ACTIVITY

Revisit the conclusion of the Learners identify various cultural and
previous lesson; namely, that personal superstitions.
gamblers cannot control, influence Learning Activity 8.4 (2).
or know the outcome beforehand.
To think that they can, is to have the
illusion of control.
Enhancing
STEP 3: EXPLANATION
Discuss the common superstitions

gamblers have about influencing the
outcome.
Synthesising
STEP 4: ACTIVITY
Divide the class into groups of 3-4
learners to complete the exercise.
STEP 5: GROUP
DISCUSSION
Would winning all that money solve

all your problems?

ORIENTATING
In the previous lesson, learners were shown how the selection of outcomes in many
gambling games is merely a matter of luck. Revisit the main points of the previous
lesson which demonstrated that outcomes in gambling games generated by random
processes (such as in dice throwing, coin tossing, the Lotto); the players cannot know
or influence the outcome beforehand.
Note for teachers:

When it comes to educating learners about responsible risk-taking in gambling, there are
three main insights that need to be stressed constantly:
1. You can manage risky behaviour by knowing how to make sensible decisions. This
involves being able to assess your own purposes, to identify the probable risks
involved, to evaluate the quality of the information available, to think of
compromises or alternatives, and, ultimately, to enjoy knowing that an informed
decision has been made (following the PRICE procedure). You are able to control
your own decision-making.
2. In gambling, which involves mainly games of chance, players cannot know
beforehand what the outcome will be. The notions of probability and of independent
events show that the outcome cannot be controlled or known beforehand. So players
who think they have “inside information” or who think they “know the system” are
wrong. As a gambler, you cannot have control over the outcome in a game of chance.
3. The more you gamble, the more you can expect to lose.
Revisit the conclusion of the previous lesson; namely, that the process of selecting
the outcome in many gambling games is random. This means that players cannot control,
influence or know the outcome beforehand. To think that they can, is to have the illusion of
control.
Put up Summary Sheet 8.4 (1) - Chance, Random Processes and Independent Events
Say, for example:
In the previous unit we saw that in games of chance (like coin tossing and dice throwing), the
outcomes are uncertain and cannot be known beforehand. This is because the outcomes
of the games are generated by what we call random processes. A random process means

one in which there is no pattern or system. Thus however skilled or experienced you are, you
will not be able to know what the next outcome will be, nor will you in any way be able to
control the process that determines the outcome.
Part of human nature is to look for patterns to help us learn about the world around us to help
us take greater control of our circumstances. Looking for “patterns” in outcomes generated by
random processes is, however, pointless – there is no pattern. Every coin-toss, every dice-
throw, every Lotto draw is an independent event – the chances of a specific outcome are
always the same. Believing that there is a “hidden” pattern when in fact the underlying
process is random is a dangerous illusion. An “illusion” means that you think you’re seeing
something that isn’t really there, or believe something that isn’t true. An illusion deceives us.
Ask;
• Why is it pointless looking for patterns in the outcomes of games of chance?
(This serves to help refresh learners’ understanding of random processes, uncertain

outcomes, independent events and probability.)
Ask:
• Can you think of examples of an illusion?
(Prompt learners to think of a magician’s tricks - sawing the woman in half is an illusion. It
looks like she is sawn in half, but she isn't.)
By calculating probabilities we can understand why some events happen frequently and
others almost never happen. When the process generating the outcomes is random, then the
outcomes will be independent. This means that present and past outcomes give no indication
of what future outcomes will be. In other words, there is no pattern in the independent
outcomes in games of chance. To think that
there is, is to be mistaken.
Ask:
• Why does Joe think he is lucky?
In the comic, Joe thinks that after his first win,

he is a “lucky” person, a person who is likely
to win lots. When he doesn’t, he thinks he
can improve his luck and influence the
outcome of the dice game by blowing on them first! Joe is under the illusion that he can
control the outcome. The illusion of control is likely to lead to problem gambling.

Gamblers, like Joe, who think that they can

predict the outcome of random processes or
have inside information or are “lucky” players
are mistaken. Moreover this mistaken belief
will most likely cost them lots of money.
Many gamblers, like Joe, have this mistaken

belief. They think that if they do certain things,
it will influence the outcomes of the game in their favour. We call such beliefs gambling
myths and superstitions.
In general, myths are untrue stories people tell themselves about the world.
Superstitions are irrational beliefs that a certain act or ritual (like blowing on the dice) can
bring about good luck.
Superstitions try to connect independent events. There is no connection. Although one event
may be associated with another (e.g. rain on Tuesdays), the one event (rain) doesn’t cause
the other (Tuesdays); there will be as much chance of it raining on Tuesday as on any other
day. Similarly, if one has an accident on Friday the 13th, the accident was not caused by the
fact that it was Friday the 13 th. The accident has the same chance of occurring on any other
day of the week or month.
Myths and superstitions in gambling are usually false and can be dangerous for gamblers,
because irrational beliefs can give players the false illusion of being able to control the
selection of the outcome. And that means that such players keep on gambling and gambling,
falsely believing that if they do certain things their luck will turn.
If players do win, it’s not because of what they did, but because there is always a chance that
a low probability event (winning) actually occurs.
Let’s have a closer look at some of the myths and superstitions that people have.
Refer to the notes below for further discussion of each of the superstitions.
Invite learners to say what the superstitions linked to the various illustrations are.

(This may be a potentially sensitive topic. Proceed with tact. Don’t be hasty to dismiss certain
deeply held cultural beliefs as mere superstitions!)
No doubt learners will offer some of their own passionately held superstitions.
Put up Summary Sheet 8.4 (2) - Superstitions: Good Luck and Bad Luck Omens
Ask:
• Can you give examples of a myth or of a superstition?
• Can you think of certain objects or numbers or actions that will bring you good luck?
• Can you think of certain objects, numbers, actions or events that will bring you bad
luck?
(Allow learners to offer their own suggestions, before discussing some of the examples
below with learners. Ask learners why they think the belief true or false.)
Good Luck Superstitions
Horseshoe - To bring good luck, the horseshoe must be lost by a horse and be found by you,
with the open end facing your way. You must hang it over the door with the open end up, so
the good fortune doesn't spill out. Another origin of the 'lucky horseshoe' is the belief that they
ward off witches. Witches, it was once believed, were opposed to horses, which is why they
rode brooms and pitchforks instead. By placing a horseshoe over a door, the witch would be
reluctant to enter.
Four Leaf Clover - Clover is believed to protect humans and animals from evil spells and is
thought to be good luck to find a four leaf clover, particularly for the Irish.
Wishbones - Two people are to pull apart a dried breastbone of a chicken and the one who is
left with the longer end will have their wish come true.
Bad Luck Superstitions
The ground hornbill – People have many different superstitions about this large strange
looking bird. Some regard it as a good-luck symbol, whereas others regard it with dread. It is
certainly bad luck to kill them.
Black cats - Black cats have long been believed to be a supernatural omen since the witch
hunts of the middle ages when cats were thought to be connected to evil. Since then, it has
been considered bad luck if a black cat crosses your path.

Broken Mirrors - An ancient myth our ancestors believed was that the image in a mirror is
our actual soul. A broken mirror represented the soul being astray from your body. To break
the spell of misfortune, you must wait seven hours (one for each year of bad luck) before
picking up the broken pieces, and bury them outside in the moonlight.
Ladders - In the days before the gallows, criminals were hung from the top rung of a ladder
and their spirits were believed to linger underneath. Common folklore has it to be bad luck to
walk beneath an open ladder and pass through the triangle of evil ghosts and spirits.
Unlucky Number #13 - The fear of the number 13 is still common today, and avoided in
many different ways. Some buildings still do not have an official 13th floor and many people
avoid driving or going anywhere on Friday the 13th.
We can see that there are beliefs that if we do something then something good or bad will
happen. For example, some people think that if you blow out all the candles on your birthday
cake with one breath – or see a falling star - and make a silent wish, your wish will be
granted. There are also people who believe that if you pour salt at the entrance of a new
home, no evil spirits will enter. This gives people the illusion that they are able to control a
world that is often difficult to determine.
Let’s have a closer look at some of the false beliefs that gamblers have.
ENHANCING
Develop learners’ understanding of the danger of some myths and superstitions in
gambling because they give people the illusion of control! First examine the notion of
superstition that many people hold, and then more specifically the superstitions that
gamblers have in an effort to try to increase their luck.
STEP 3: EXPLANATION
Discuss additional myths that people hold as a way of controlling an unsure future.
Put up Summary Sheet 8.4 (3) - Common Superstitions about Gambling
Take the learners through each one of the myths.
Ask the learners whether they think the myth is true or false, then go on to explain why each
one is false.
Say, for example:

Ask:
• We know from Joe in the comic book that he thinks that if he blows on the dice he will
be able to control the outcome. Can you think of other false beliefs that gamblers
have about increasing their luck or controlling the selection of the outcome?
(Again, allow learners to offer their own examples before discussing the list below.)
Here are some common myths relating to gambling:
• Myth: If I can crack the code and identify the pattern, I can control the outcome.
Ask: True or false?

False
There are people who spend a lot of time trying to identify the “pattern” in a sequence
of numbers, believing there is a hidden code that determines which numbers will
come up. They think that once they know the sequence, they will be able to predict
the winning outcome. There are some gambling games that do involve skill - e.g.
poker– and knowing the capabilities and strengths of a sports team may help
gamblers make fairly informed guesses about the team’s anticipated performance in
sports betting, but as we know from the underlying mathematics, all gambling
involves chance. Outcomes in games like slot machines, dice or roulette are based
on a process of random selection– there is no “pattern”; and every outcome is
independent of the previous outcomes.
Many gamblers think they have a special strategy that will help them win. They think
they know how to pick certain numbers for the lottery or when to press the stop button
on a slot machine at exactly the right time. The reality is that the outcome of most
games of chance, including lotteries and slot machines, is completely random: You
cannot influence it, regardless of what you do. For lotteries, this means that betting on
the same numbers every week won't help you win any more than betting on different
numbers will. The probability of winning the big prize in the Lotto, for example, is 1 in
14 million every time you play: It doesn’t matter how many people have purchased
tickets or what numbers you play—the probability is always the same, regardless.
Joe believes that he knows how the numbers work. And Sister Bucks encourages Joe
to gamble by making him believe that he “knows how” to play. (We know, of course,
that Sister Bucks encourages Joe to gamble so that Joe will come to borrow money
at very high interest rates.) But Joe has a mistaken belief – there is no system that

will help him to win.
• Myth: If I concentrate hard enough, I’ll win
Ask: True or false?

False
In most areas of life, we tend to filter out information that doesn’t interest us or is not
relevant to the specific task we’re doing. In gambling, many people pay close
attention to their wins, but don’t keep track of how much they are spending. This
results in a skewed or mistaken view about the amount they have won compared to
what they’ve paid for playing. Many people will report that they’re “up” (i.e. have won
more money than they have lost, or at least have broken even (i.e. have won as
much money as they have won), but if this were true, then it would be difficult to
explain the huge profits made by casinos and gambling operations. Many people are
very surprised when they find out just how much they have actually spent on
gambling activities.
• Myth: If I follow my ritual, I’ll win
Ask: True or false?

False
Some gamblers are superstitious, meaning that they connect events that are not
related. They believe that certain events will somehow affect their wins. For example,
if a player wins a large amount on a Tuesday, she may start to believe that Tuesdays
are better than Thursdays for gambling. In doing so, she is making a mistake by
connecting events that are unrelated. Some dice throwers think that rolling the dice
“softly” will encourage low numbers, while throwing it hard will increase the chances
of high numbers. Hoping, wishing or even needing to win money has absolutely no
influence on the outcome of a game of chance.
• Myth: If I dream of a certain number or lucky omen, it means that if I bet on it,
I’ll win.
Ask: True or false?

False
Mythical signs (such as a falling star, or a number that appears in a dream) and
magic are often seen as controlling the process of selecting the outcome of the game.
Seeking the advice of “experts” to interpret dreams with possible significance for
choosing the winning horse or numbers, gamblers think they can increase their

chances with “fate”. In gambling games like fafi, magical and mythical symbols that
appear in dreams play a prominent part. It is based on the mistaken belief that
outcomes based on random selection processes are connected. Of course, there
may be some events that occur simultaneously or follow one another (e.g. like the
gambler winning on Tuesdays) but which are not causally connected, i.e, the one is
not the cause or the result of the other. For example, there is no causal connection
between the day of the week and the weather, but there is a causal connection
between the time of the year and the weather. That means that we know that in the
Western Cape it rains predominantly during winter whereas in KwaZulu-Natal it rains
predominantly in summer. We may complain that it rains, just when we want to have
a braai, but despite the events happening at the same time, there is no causal
connection. Similarly, a particular number may seem to appear more frequently than
some other number in the Lotto draw, perhaps every time I have dreamt of a ship, but
the two events are not causally linked – the dream does not cause the number to be
drawn. Although recognized as a game of chance, Fafi players attach much weight to
interpretations of signals or omens that will make them “lucky”.
• Myth: Someone just sat down at the slot machine which I had left and hit a big
jackpot. If I would have just stayed a bit longer, the jackpot would have been
mine.
Ask: True or false?

False
For this to be true, you would have had to push the spin button or pull the handle at
exactly the same split micro second that the other player did. Any change in timing
yields a different result. Some players think that because a machine or set of
numbers has not paid out a big prize for a while, it has a better chance of winning
than others. The machine is referred to as being “hot”. Other people, in contrast,
believe that such machines are even less likely to pay; they are “cold”. Neither of
these beliefs is correct. We’ve seen that all the outcomes are generated randomly
and are thus independent so that any machine or any set of numbers has an equal
probability of paying on the next play as it always has. Whether it has paid out
recently or not has no effect on the outcome.
• Myth: It’s my lucky day
Ask: True or false?

False
“It’s my lucky day” or “I’m feeling lucky” are common sayings people use when they

think everything is just going their way. Having a positive attitude can be healthy, but
… a gambler, like Joe, who believes that feeling lucky will make him win a game, is
heading for trouble. He thinks that by blowing on the dice, he will make a difference to
whether he will win or not. As we have seen, since a randomly thrown fair die will
generate six possible outcomes with an equal probability of occurrence, nothing can
influence the outcome of such a process. There is no control Joe or any gambler can
exercise over the outcome. In other words, as long as the die is fair and the die is
thrown randomly, there is no possible connection between what Joe does and the
number that comes up on the die
There are many superstitions that gamblers think may improve their “luck”. Such as:
o Using lucky charms
o Using a lucky slot machine, or sitting on a lucky chair
o Blowing on or kissing the dice before throwing them
o Wearing a lucky piece of clothing, like a shirt or cap
o Always sitting in the same place
o Betting on numbers using a birthday, or any other “lucky” date
o Interpreting dreams as signals for lucky numbers or lucky bets
o Saying a prayer before betting
• Myth: If I try, again … and again, I’m bound to win
Ask: True or false?

False
For most things in life, if you want to get better at something, you need to practice
and work hard at it. For most things this works – like schoolwork, sports, playing a
musical instrument and other skill-based activities. But trying harder at gambling is
likely to cost you money because the probability of your losing money remains the
same however much you practice. Hence the more you play the more likely you are
to lose more money. Remember, most gambling is a game of chance, so the
probability of losing in the next round remains the same no matter how hard you
practice and in the long-run, because the odds are stacked against you, you will be
certain to lose a considerable amount of money. The more you play the more you can
expect to lose; gambling is a costly recreational activity.
Joe is under the mistaken belief, like many problem gamblers, that the more he plays
the more likely he is to win back all his losses. We see that exactly the opposite is
likely to happen. Each time Joe places a bet, the outcome is completely independent
of the previous one. This means that the probability of losing on the tenth bet is the
same as it was on the first bet. Over time, the more he plays, the more he’ll lose. The

fact that the odds are stacked against him (known as the House Advantage - we’ll
learn more about this in Grade 9) means that with every bet, he can expect to pay a
proportion of that bet to the gambling operator.
• Myth: I’m so close; next time I’ll win!
Ask: True or false?

False
Many gamblers will say they almost won a lot of money, or a raffle ticket holder may
say that she was very close to having the winning ticket – her ticket was number 6927
and the winning number was 6928! So, although the gambler thinks that she had a
near win, she goes home with … nothing, just like all the other losers. A loss is a loss
– there’s so such thing as a near miss or a near win.
Joe thinks that when he throws the dice he almost makes a 7; instead he throws a 6.
The only effect this has is to make him think, mistakenly, that he’s getting “closer” to
winning, that he’s “almost” there and that the next throw will get him to the winning
number. We know that dice is a game based on a random sequence of outcomes and
that the outcome of each throw is unconnected to (i.e. “independent of”) the outcome
of previous throws. Joe’s chances of winning in the future are no better or worse for
having just thrown “so close”. "Almost" winning in no way means that an actual win is
around the corner. Future gambling outcomes are in no way influenced by previous
outcomes.
• Myth: I’m good at video games, so I’ll be good at computer gambling games.
Ask: True or false?

False
Some players are really good at video games. They have developed fast reflexes and
can anticipate certain situations. With practice, some players become very skilled with
high scores. But playing a video game is not at all the same as playing an electronic
gambling game. The only thing they have in common is that both are viewed on a
screen and have exciting graphics and sound effects. But no matter how much a
gambler plays a slot-machine, she will not get any better at it. Why? Because we
know that this gambling game is based on a randomly generated sequence of
independent outcomes. When a player wins, it is a matter of chance, not skill.
• Myth: Winning the Lottery will solve all my problem

Let’s see …

SYNTHESISING
Consolidating learners’ understanding of the various superstitions that
gamblers hold in an attempt to try and connect random events, when there is
no actual causal connection.
STEP 4: ACTIVITY
Hand out Learning Activity 8.4 (4) – So, You Have Won the Lotto!
Divide the class into small groups of about 4-5 members per groups.
Allow about 15 -20 minutes for this exercise.
STEP 5: EXPLANATION
Take in the completed activity sheets for possible inclusion in the learners’
assessment portfolios. There are no “right” or “wrong” answers to the questions.
Different learners will focus on different aspects, depending on their own personal
circumstances.
Ask the learners what they have learnt from this exercise. The main point of the exercise is for
learners to realize that winning a million Rand is not going to solve all their problems.

Summary Sheet 8.4 (1) – Chance, Random Process

and Independent Events
• Why is it pointless looking for patterns in the outcomes of games of

chance?
In a game of chance the outcomes are uncertain because the outcomes of the
games are generated by a random process.
A random process means one in which there is no pattern or system. Even a

very experienced player will not be able to know what the outcome will be.
Thinking that there is a “hidden” pattern, when in fact it is just a random
process, is a false belief, or an illusion.
• Can you think of examples of an illusion?
Gamblers who think that they know the pattern or have inside information or
are “lucky’ players are mistaken and under the illusion that they can control
the occurrence of a particular outcome. The illusion of control is likely to
lead to problem gambling.
• Why does Joe think he is lucky?
Many gamblers have myths and superstitions

about improving their luck or being able to
know what the outcome may be. Myths are
false stories people tell themselves about the
world and superstitions are irrational beliefs
that a certain act or ritual (like blowing on the
dice) can bring about good luck.

Superstitions try to connect events generated by random processes. There is

no connection. Although one event may be associated with another (e.g. rain
on Tuesdays), the one event doesn’t cause the other (The fact that it is
Tuesday does not cause it to rain!).
Myths and superstitions about gambling give

players the false belief of being able to control
the selection of the outcome. This in turn
means that such players keep on gambling
and gambling, falsely believing that if they do
certain things their luck will turn.
If players do win, it’s not because of what they did, but because the
calculation of the probability of winning made that outcome likely.

Learning Activity 8.4 (2) – Superstitions: Good Luck

and Bad Luck Omens
• Can you give examples of a myth or of a superstition?

• Can you think of certain objects or numbers or actions that will bring
you good luck?
• Can you think of certain objects, numbers, actions or events that will
bring you bad luck?
Do you recognize any of the following superstitions? What do you think they
mean?
And more:
Broken mirror
Walking under a
ladder
Friday the 13th
Full moon …
Did you know?
There are also numerous superstitions regarding the powers of

the baobab tree. Anyone who dares to pick a flower, for
instance, will be eaten by a lion. On the other hand, there is a
belief that if you drink water in which the seeds have been
soaked, you'll be safe from a crocodile attack. (I wouldn’t try it!)
These are all superstitions because they are beliefs that when you do (or see)
something, you will cause a particular (good or bad) consequence. But:
although the one event may sometimes follow the other, but the first one
doesn’t cause the other to happen.

Summary Sheet 8.4 (3) – Common Superstitions about

Gambling
Which of the following do you think will help a player increase the
chances of a good outcome?
• If I can crack the code and identify the pattern in a game of

chance (like the Lotto), I can control the outcome.
True or False? Why?
• If I concentrate hard enough, I’ll win.

True or False? Why?
• If I follow my ritual, I’ll win.

True or False? Why?
(Many gamblers wear red underpants for luck!)
• If I dream of a certain number or lucky omen, it means that if I

bet on it, I’ll win.
True or False? Why?
• Someone just sat down at the slot machine where I had just been playing
and he hit a big jackpot. If I would have just stayed a bit longer, the
jackpot would have been mine.
True or False? Why?
• It’s my lucky day. My chances of winning are

therefore good.
True or False? Why?
If I try, again … and again, I’m

bound to win.
True or False? Why?

• I’m so close; next time I’ll win!

True or False? Why?
• I’m good at video games, so I’ll be good at computer gambling games.

True or False? Why?
• Winning the Lottery will solve all my problems!

Let’s see …

GROUP ACTIVITY
Learning Activity 8.4 (4) – So, You Won the Lotto!
What would happen if my family won a million Rand?1
Close your eyes and imagine that someone in your family, maybe you, has just
won the Lotto, a million Rand! Just imagine all that money. What would your
family do with it?
Do you think the person will quit their job, or stop worrying about getting a new
job? Buy a new house in a different neighbourhood? Buy a fancy car? Give
some away? How will your life change? Will you still go to this school or go to a school in
another part of town, maybe a private school somewhere? How about clothes, holidays and
friends? As your lifestyle changes, will your friends change too?
The day of the announcement, your phone starts ringing non-stop. Some people will have
read your name in the newspaper, looked up your phone number in the directory, and will try
and persuade you to buy this or that, invest in this or that. Some charities will call, hoping for
donations. Old friends and relatives you haven’t heard from in years will call up, wanting to
congratulate you, hoping for a gift from you. A cousin who gambles too much asks you for a
loan. An older family member wants to start a business of her own and puts pressure on you
to invest in her venture. Some will get angry if you don’t’ share your winnings with them. Who
can you trust?
Suddenly it seems as though there are so many possibilities, but things are happening far too
fast. Now that everyone knows that you’re rich, you may become the target of bitter envy,
some may be resentful of your good luck, while others may see you as a lucrative target to
steal from. Suddenly you are feeling very vulnerable and under pressure. Your family decides
to go away for two weeks to think about it all and try and develop some plan.
With your partner or group answer the following questions:
1 Adapted from Gambling: Reducing the Risks, Grade 6, p. 34, Saskatchewan Health, 1999.

Write down the names of all the members of the group:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Some people believe that if they won the lottery – big time – it would solve all their problems.
But is this really true?
1. Problems that would disappear if I had a million Rand.
2. Problems that wouldn’t disappear, no matter how much money I had.
3. Problems that could get worse if I had a million Rand.
4. New problems that could develop if I won a million Rand.

Grade 9 Overview
Overview of Grade 9 curriculum on Taking Risks Wisely

Unit 1 Informed Decision-making
Unit 2 Choosing Wisely for a Lifestyle
Unit 3 Warning Signs of a Potential Crisis
Unit 4 Crisis Management: When Gambling Becomes a Problem

• Identify the various risk factors are that promote risky behaviour
• Apply the PRICE decision-making process to various lifestyle options
• Describe what a healthy lifestyle is in own personal situation
• Recognise gambling as a lifestyle choice for adults
• Think critically about participating an an opportunity that “guarantees” a money prize
• Outline the various reasons (and rewards) why people gamble.
• Describe the rewards that people gain from gambling
• Distinguish between “good” and “bad” reasons
• Apply these reasons to lifestyle choices
• Recognize the warning signals of a potential gambling problem
• Access help if they or someone they know has a gambling problem
• Explain why some people develop a problem with gambling whereas many others don’t
• Give a definition of what problem gambling is
• Identify the negative consequences of problem gambling
• Apply useful strategies on to cope with a situation when a close family member or friend
is a problem gambler
CAPS topics:
Below is a table of some of the prescribed topics and an indication of how the Taking Risks
Wisely programme links up with these prescribed topics.

1
Grade 9 Overview

Term 1: Informed decision-making
• Outline how to make sensible decisions
about risk-taking behaviour
society
Goal-setting skills: personal lifestyle choices • Identify the various risk factors are that
- Influence of media, environment, friends promote risky behaviour
and peers, family, culture, religion and • Apply the PRICE decision-making process
community on personal lifestyle choices to various lifestyle options
- Appropriate responses to influences on • Describe what a healthy lifestyle is in own
personal lifestyle choices: personal situation
o Informed decision-making skills: • Recognise gambling as a lifestyle choice for
positive and negative influences adults
o Assertiveness skills: confident and • Think critically about participating an an
firm decision-making opportunity that “guarantees” a money prize
Assessment
Assessment Time Marks

form
1. Group task: 30 min 30 - Formal
critical reflection Assessment
2. Pair task: 20 min Informal
critical analysis assessment
Term 1:
society
Goal-setting skills: personal lifestyle choices
- Influence of media, environment, friends Taking Risks Wisely: Unit 9.2
and peers, family, culture, religion and Choosing wisely for a lifestyle
community on personal lifestyle choices • Outline the various reasons (and
- Appropriate responses to influences on rewards) why people gamble.
personal lifestyle choices: • Describe the rewards that people gain
o Informed decision-making skills: from gambling
positive and negative influences • Distinguish between “good” and “bad”
o Assertiveness skills: confident and reasons
firm decision-making • Apply these reasons to lifestyle choices
Assessment:

1.Pair activity: critical 20 min 10
analysis 10 min 6
2. Individual task: analysis

2
Grade 9 Overview
Term 4:
CAPS topic: Development of self in
society Taking Risks Wisely: Unit 9.3
• Challenging situations: depression, grief, Warning signals of a potential crisis
loss, trauma and crisis • Recognize the warning signals of a
- Causes of depression, grief, loss potential gambling problem
trauma and crisis • Access help if they or someone they
- Counterproductive coping know has a gambling problem
techniques: using alcohol and drugs
- Problem-solving and decision-
making skills: strategies to respond
to emotions in challenging situations
Assessment

1. Pair task: critical analysis 20 min 10
Term 4:
Crisis management: when gambling
CAPS topic: Development of self in becomes a problem
society • Explain why some people develop a
• Challenging situations: depression, grief, problem with gambling whereas many
loss, trauma and crisis others don’t
- Causes of depression, grief, loss • Give a definition of what problem
trauma and crisis gambling is
- Counterproductive coping • Identify the negative consequences of
techniques: using alcohol and drugs problem gambling
• - Problem-solving and decision- Apply useful strategies on to cope with
making skills: strategies to respond a situation when a close family member
to emotions in challenging situations or friend is a problem gambler
Assessment

1. Group task: role play 30 min Informal
assessment

3
Grade 9 Overview

Recordin Reporting
g
1 Written task 70
PET 30 100
2 Mid-year 70
exam 100
PET 30
3 Project 70
PET 30 100
4 End-year 70
exam 100
PET 30
Total 400 400
Form of Assessment Time Marks

Group task: critical reflection – Unit 9.1 30 min 30
Individual task: critical analysis – Unit 9.2 10 min 6
Group task: role play – Unit 9.4 30 min Informal assessment

4
Grade 9 Overview

WEEKS 1 – 3
• Goal-setting skills: personal lifestyle choices
- Influence of media, environment, friends and peers, family, culture, religion and community on personal lifestyle
choices
- Appropriate responses to influences on personal lifestyle choices:
o Informed decision-making skills: positive and negative influences
o Assertiveness skills: confident and firm decision-making
Physical Education 3 hours Textbook, resources on physical fitness activities
• Participation in activities that improve physical wellness level
WEEKS 4 – 7
• Sexual behaviour and sexual health: Unit 9.1 - Informed decision-making
- Risk factors leading to unhealthy sexual behaviour • Outline how to make sensible decisions about risk-
- Unwanted results of unhealthy sexual behaviour: teenage taking behaviour
pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV • Identify the various risk factors are that promote
and AIDS, low self-image and emotional scars risky behaviour
- Factors that influence personal behaviour including • Apply the PRICE decision-making process to various
family, friends, peers and community norms lifestyle options
- Strategies to deal with unhealthy sexual behaviour: • Describe what a healthy lifestyle is in own personal
abstinence and change of behaviour situation
- Protective factors, where to find help and support: • Recognise gambling as a lifestyle choice for adults
community structures that offer protection or resilience • Think critically about participating an an opportunity
against high risk behaviour that “guarantees” a money prize
- Adverse consequences and implications of teenage
pregnancy for teenage parent(s) and the children born to Unit 9.2 - Choosing wisely for a lifestyle
teenagers • Outline the various reasons (and rewards) why people
gamble.
Physical Education 4 hours Textbook, resources on physical fitness activities

• Participation in activities that improve physical wellness level
• Participation and movement performance in activities that improve physical wellness level
WEEKS 8– 10
World of work 3 hours Textbook, resources on study skills
• Time management skills: accountability in carrying out responsibilities
- How to organise one’s work
- How to use time effectively and efficiently
• Reading and writing for different purposes:
- Keeping a journal: summarising and improving reading and writing skills
• Participation in physical activities that improve physical wellness level
• Participation and movement performance in physical activities that improve physical wellness level

1. Written task indicated. The sequence of the topics within the term is,

5
Grade 9 Overview

WEEKS 1-2
Textbook, newspaper articles, Bill of Rights, South
African constitution
• Issues relating to citizens’ rights and responsibilities:
- Respect for others’ rights: people living with different disabilities and HIV and AIDS (infected and affected)
- Celebrations of national and international days: Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, Heritage Day, Reconciliation
Day, Youth Day, Workers Day, Women’s Day, Africa Day, Nelson Mandela Day, World Refugee Day and national
health days
- Plan and participate in local celebration of a national day
Physical Education 2 hours Textbook, resources on sport
• Participation in and executes a game plan for individual or team sport
• Safety issues relating to participation in sport
WEEKS 3 – 5
Constitutional rights and responsibilities 3 hours Textbook, newspaper articles, South African
Constitution
• Constitutional values as stated in the South African Constitution
- Positive and negative role models
- Role models for upholding constitutional values: parents and leaders in the community / society
- Applying these values in one’s daily life
• Participation and movement performance in a game plan for individual or team sport
WEEKS 6 – 8
World of work 3 hours Textbook, resources on careers
• Options available after completing Grade 9: National Senior Certificate (NSC – Grades 10-12) and National Certificate
Vocational (NCV – FET Colleges) qualifications
- Implication of chocies: choice between NSC and NCV
• Knowledge of the world of work: rights, responsibilities and opportunities in the workplace
• Participation and movement performance in a game plan for individual or team sport
WEEKS 9 – 10
EXAMINATIONS

1. Mid-year examination term indicated. The sequence of the topics within
2. Physical Education Task (PET) the term is, however, not fixed.

6
Grade 9 Overview

WEEKS 1 – 3
Textbook, resources on careers and career guidance
and counselling
• Career and subject choices:
- Subjects in Grades 10, 11 and 12
- Careers related to different subjects
- Qualities relating to different careers and subjects: strengths and weaknesses, interests and abilities
- Decision-making skills: steps in choosing subjects relating to:
o Ones’ interests and abilities
o Ones’ career of interest
Physical Education 3 hours Textbook, resources on movement activities
• Participation and refinement of own and peer performance in movement activities
WEEKS 4 - 6
Textbook, newspaper articles, resources on
volunteerism
• Concept: volunteerism
- Individual and community responsibility:
o Different types of volunteer activities: helping those less privileged, assisting those infected by HIV and
AIDS and other terminal illnesses
- Different types of volunteer organisations
o Contributions of community-based and non-profitable organisations to social and environmental health
and sustainable development
• Participation and movement performance in movement activities
WEEKS 7 - 10
Health, social and environmental responsibility 4 hours Textbook, newspaper articles, health and safety
books
• Health and safety issues relating to violence:
- Common acts of violence at home, school and in the community
- Reasons that violence occurs in families and communities and among friends and peers
- Impact of violence on individual and community health and safety
- Alternatives o violence: problem-solving skills and managing conflict
- Protecting oneself and others from acts of violence: where to find help
o National health and / or safety promotion programmes
• Participation and movement performance in movement activities

1. Project term indicated. The sequence of the topics within
2. PET the term is, however, not fixed.

7
Grade 9 Overview

WEEKS 1 – 2
World of work 2 hours Textbook, resources on careers
• Study and career funding providers
• Plan for own lifelong learning: goal-setting for lifelong learning
• Participation and refinement of own performance in an outdoor recreational activity
• Safety issues relating to participation in recreational activities
WEEK 3
Textbook, newspaper articles and resources on
Constitutional rights and responsibilities 1 hour
religion
• Contributions of various religions in promoting peace
WEEK 4
Constitutional rights and responsibilities 1 hour Textbook, newspaper articles and resources on
sport
• Sport ethics in all physical activities
Physical Education 1 hour Textbook, resources on recreational activities
WEEKS 5 – 7
Development of the self in society 3 hours Textbook, newspaper articles
Unit 9.3 - Warning signals of a potential crisis
• Recognize the warning signals of a potential
• Challenging situations: depression, grief, loss, trauma and gambling problem
crisis
• Access help if they or someone they know has a
- Causes of depression, grief, loss trauma and crisis
gambling problem
- Counterproductive coping techniques: using alcohol
and drugs
Unit 9.4 - Crisis management: when gambling
- Problem-solving and decision-making skills: strategies
becomes a problem
to respond to emotions in challenging situations
• Explain why some people develop a problem
with gambling whereas many others don’t
• Identify the negative consequences of problem
gambling
• Apply useful strategies on to cope with a
situation when a close family member or friend
is a problem gambler

WEEKS 8 - 10
EXAMINATIONS

1. End-of-year examination term indicated. The sequence of the topics
2. PET within the term is, however, not fixed.

8
Grade 9 Overview
Lesson plan for Learning Area (Units 9.1 – 9.4)

No of units: 4
1. Focus: DEVELOPMENT OF SELF IN SOCIETY, HEALTH, SOCIAL AND

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
2. Specific aims:
2: The learner will be able to make informed decisions regarding their own health and well-
being as well as those of others.
Assessment Forms:
Written tasks, self-reflection, oral presentations and role play.

Responsible decision-making Critical thinking Responsibility
Lifestyle choices Making choices Responsiveness
Gambling Problem solving Pragmatism
Warning signals Coping strategies Cultural sensitivity
Crisis management Critical analysis

Activities:
• Decision-making skills Individual reflection, group discussion, critical analysis
• Responsible risk-taking Group discussion, role play, individual reflection
• High-risk behaviour Group discussion, role play, individual reflection
• Gambling Survey
• Warning signals of gambling Group discussion and critical analysis
•
5. RESOURCES
7. ASSESSMENTS
Presentations Reading Self-reflection

Learning Activities sheets: matching pairs, True/False, writing, responding to text

9
Unit 9.1
Informed Decision-making

• Identify the various risk factors are that promote risky behaviour
• Apply the PRICE decision-making process to various lifestyle options
• Describe what a healthy lifestyle is in own personal situation
• Recognise gambling as a lifestyle choice for adults
• Think critically about participating an an opportunity that “guarantees” a money prize
Main concepts:
High-risk and low-risk forms of behaviour
Factors that contribute to high-risk behaviour
PRICE decision-making process
Lifestyle choices
Gambling
Resources:
Summary Sheet 9.1 (1) – High Risks, High Rewards, High Costs
Learning Activity Sheet 9.1 (2) – So Would You Do It or Not?
Summary Sheet 9.1 (3) – Did Our Ancestors Gamble?
Summary Sheet 9.1 (4) – Gambling in South Africa
Learning Activity Sheet 9.1 (5) - A “Guarenteed” Win
Learning Activity Sheet 9.1 (6) - A “Guarenteed” Win – with Teacher’s
Memorandum


Orientating

Recap learners’ understanding of risk-
taking behaviour, levels of control and Apply the PRICE decision-making
the PRICE decision-making process. process to a risky choice.
Summary Sheet 9.1 (1). Learning Activity 9.1 (2).
Enhancing
STEP 3: EXPLANATION
Place gambling in its historical context
STEP 4: EXLPANATION
Introduce learners to the situation
regarding gambling in South Africa
Synthesising
STEP 5: ACTIVITY & FEEDBACK

Critically analyse what seems to be a “guaranteed”
chance to win money.
Learning Activity with Teacher’s Memorandum 9.1
(6)

ORIENTATION
In Grades 7 and 8, learners were introduced to different kinds of high-risk behaviour,
various risk factors and the PRICE decision-making process on how to make sensible
decisions about risk behaviour. Remind learners about the key points.
Note for teachers:

The Senior Phase learner is exposed to a wider range of risky situations. The
health and safety issues encountered are affected by the physical and socio-economic
environment, but increasingly the learner is starting to have to make independent decisions
about which activities to become involved with. The learner should acquire appropriate
understanding, skills and values to make informed choices about the issues that affect
personal health, safety and lifestyles.
This unit on sensible choices about lifestyles is aimed at helping the learner acquire such
skills. It is not so much a matter of what to decide, but rather how to go about making
sensible decisions. If the learner understands the process of responsible decision-making,
then it is a process that can be applied to a whole range of lifesty;e choices and/or risky
situations.
Youth are at risk because as they are initiated into the adult world, they are also being
confronted with forms of adult lifestyles, e.g. smoking, drinking, sexual relationships and
gambling. Adolescent learners therefore need to develop an understanding of the risks
involved in these activities in order to make sensible decisions about which activities to
become involved with and how to spend their leisure time.
In the fast-paced and ever-changing social environment, there is an increasing range of

entertainment options available. Different media offer a whole range of choices: films, TV,
DVDs, internet, smart phones. Also, youth – especially in cities - are interacting with an
increasing range of different groups of people, each one with different social conventions. For
example, different groups have different levels of acceptance about drinking, the use of
drugs, sexual relationships, and gambling. In some groups, drinking is regarded as morally
wrong, whereas in other groups it is part of everyday life. Having to make responsible choices
about the overwhelming options is therefore an important skill for youth to learn.
Studies have shown that youth are more at risk for addictive forms of behaviour than any
other age group. Youth are particularly at risk because of their over-confidence combined with
their lack of full life experiences. They are convinced that they will be able to handle the risks
in certain situations, but since they don’t yet have the experience of just what those risks are,
they are often unable to cope with the actual outcomes. It is the main aim of this unit to help

learners develop the understanding, appropriate skills and values that will enable them to
make sensible and informed decisions about all the new risk behaviours with which they are
being (or will be) confronted.
Re-visit the main points of types of high-risk behaviour and the importance of
knowing how to make sensible decisions about which activities to become involved
with.
Put up Summary Sheet 9.1 (1) – High Risks, High Rewards, High Costs
Say, for example:
Ask:
• Why do these involve risk?
(Establish how much learners remember from Grade 7 and 8. Learners should be able to
offer examples of risk-taking behaviour and to explain that what makes them risky is the likely
chances, or probability, of problematic consequences.)
Ask:
• What makes some of these examples high-risk behaviour and others low-risk?
(Remind learners that high-risk forms of behaviour, for example, reckless driving, have a high
probability of leading to an accident, or too much drinking of alcohol is likely to lead to ill
health, family upheavals and addiction.. Invite the class to give other examples of what they
think may be forms of high-risk behaviour and their possible problematic consequences. For
example, drug use leads to relationship breakdowns and possible addiction; unsafe sex leads
to STDs or unwanted pregnancy; train surfing is likely to lead to accidents and injuries; and
gambling to financial problems and possible addiction, etc.)
As you get older you are given more and more independence and that means more and more
decisions you have to make on your own, including decisions about how which friends to get
involved with and about how to spend your leisure time. This is an exciting new phase in
growing up, but it is also a risky one. If you make irresponsible or uninformed decisions, it is
likely that you may be faced with problems later on.

Ask:
• Why do people engage in high-risk behaviour if they know that it is likely that an
accident or problems may be the result?
• Why do people try drugs like “tik”?
(Learners should be able to explain that people engage in risk-taking behaviour because they
enjoy it, it makes them “feel good”. This is what we call the reward. So, even though
someone may know that a drug like “tik” is highly addictive, makes them reckless, and most
probably lead to an accident, the person gets a thrill out of doing so.)
Ask:
• How can you can sensible decisions about high-risk behaviour?
(Encourage learners to remember the steps in the PRICE decision-makign process: P =

identify the Purpose; R = identify the Risks, possible consequences and problems; I = assess
the reliability of the Information; C = consider Compromises; E = Enjoy the feeling of having
made a wise decision)
We looked at the PRICE process that can help you make good decisions when you’re not
sure whether you should take part in a certain risky behaviour. You need to understand why
you want to do it, what the risks are, how much you can depend on the information about
possible consequences and information about risk factors, and think of compromises or
alternatives that may give you similar rewards without the risks.
Ask:
• Will applying the PRICE decision-making process guarantee that there won’t be any
chance of problems later on?
(Prompt learners to remember that there are various circumstances over which they have
little or no control that could contribute to problematic consequences. Applying the PRICE
decision-making process to choices about high-risk behavioru or high-risk lifestyles can’t
guarantee that there won’t be any problematic consequences, but it can significantly reduce
the likelihood of problematic consequences.)
There are various factors that are likely to increase your risk of developing a problem with a
certain form of behaviour or lifestyle. These factors differ from person to person since every
one has their own community, own family and own disposition and character. The risk factors
are broadly the following:

1. COMMUNITY RISK FACTORS:

The more available the drugs or alcohol or gambling opportunities are in a community, the
higher the risk that abuse will occur. Also, when members of a community accept or don’t
really condemn substance abuse or violence, young people are at a higher risk of developing
problem behaviours. Especially in communities where people move in and out of the
neighbourhood a lot, there are higher risks of criminal behaviour and social problems. And
young people who live in very poor communities are at much higher risk of teenage
pregnancies, dropping out of school, violent behaviour and getting involved with crime.
2. FAMILY RISK FACTORS:

Young people whose family members have an addiction problem, or whose families don’t
really monitor their children’s whereabouts and behaviour, or within whose families there is
serious conflict, are at high risk of developing a behaviour problem, e.g. like addiction.
When parents excuse their children for breaking the law, or when parents accept drug use,
crime and violence as part of everyday life, it is likely that their children will develop violent
behaviour.
3. INDIVIDUAL RISK FACTORS (PERSONALITY AND DISPOSITIONS):

Young people who are impulsive, or who constantly seek sensation, or who can’t
concentrate for long, or who have poor school performance or who don’t feel committed
to the school, are at high risk for developing substance abuse and violent behaviour
problems. Young people whose friends are involved with drugs, or drinking or crime are
likely to follow what their friends are doing.
At this stage of your lives, you often don’t have control of the circumstance in which you live:
the community, the laws and social habits of residents in the neighbourhood, and your family.
But even if you can’t change your immediate circumstances right now, being aware of how
they can influence the probability of risk and bad consequences of actions you are thinking of
doing, will give you a powerful tool in your decision making.
Also, as you grow older, you should start being able to judge what your strengths and
weaknesses are. Are you a dependable person, or do you break promises easily? Are you
willing to admit to mistakes or do you think you’re always right? Understanding yourself and
your circumstances better is also an important part of being able to make good decisions.
So, let’s have a look at how you can make sensible decisions about various forms of risky
behaviour by considering their purposes, likely risks, information about your community,
family and self and possible compromises.
Every decision you make has a PRICE – you invest your time, energy, resources, money and

interest in doing that specific thing rather than another. Like spending your money sensibly,
you want to spend your time, energy and resources sensibly in a way that gives you the best
rewards.
So, let’s see how we can make sensible decisions about high-risk behaviour.
STEP 2 - ACTIVITY
Hand out Learning Activity Sheet 9.1 (2) – So Would You Do It or Not?
Allow about 20 – 25 minutes for each group to discuss and complete the activity sheet.
If there is time, invite groups to share their responses with the rest of the class.
Take in the completed sheets for possible inclusion in the assessment portfolio. Responses
that have thought through the various steps carefully and critically earn good marks. Process
rather than outcome (the final decision) is assessed.
ENHANCING
Expand learners’ understanding of risk-taking lifestyles. Gambling is an example of
how an adult may choose to spend his or her leisure time. Once learners are at least
18 years old, they may make the choice to gamble or not. Knowing what gambling is,
the reasons for people gambling, and being able to distinguish between good and bad
reasons, will help the soon-to-be-adult learner how to make a responsible decision
about a lifestyle option.
Note for teachers:

Gambling is sometimes seen as a problem of “modern life”. However, evidence of
gambling has been found in communities in ancient China, ancient Egypt and ancient Africa.
Gambling is therefore not something new. In order to be able to assess the appeal of
gambling, learners need to be able to place gambling in its broader historical context and
examine the reasons why gambling has such a powerful attraction.

Stress that gambling has been around for many centuries in many different cultures.
Of course, there are modern forms of gambling (e.g. casinos and internet gambling), but the
practice of betting is a deeply entrenched human practice. Being able to place gambling in its
historical context will enable learners to make more informed decisions about the general
practice.
Put up Summary Sheet 9.2 (3) – Did Our Ancestors Gamble?
Say, for example:
Ask:
• Where and when do you think gambling started?
The history of gambling

According to historical records and archaeological findings, gambling has existed for
centuries and in most cultures and civilizations. Anthropologists agree that data collected
offers solid evidence that gambling dates back many centuries and took place in a large
proportion of societies.
We have evidence of gambling in the ancient world:

There are records of gambling that took place in ancient China (2300 BC). A pair of ivory dice
was found at Thebes (Egypt), and in the pyramid of Cheops, an engraving dated 1500 BC
describes gambling. Sophocles, an ancient Greek playwright, claimed that the game of dice
was taught to the soldiers at the siege of Troy in ancient Greece in about 1,000 BC. Gambling
in ancient Rome included the first large-scale lotteries, and with it came the wide-spread
“disease” of problem gambling. Both the ancient Greeks and Romans believed that their gods
gambled, so it is not surprising that the practice was so prevalent. Greek mythology tells of
how Zeus, Poseidon and Hades drew lots to divide the universe: Zeus got Olympus,
Poseidon the sea, and Hades the underworld.
There is evidence of gambling in ancient religions and in the Bible

In many ancient religions, dice and other game pieces were used as a method for
determining the will of the gods – from the allotment of land to the outcome of battle or the
distribution of the spoils of war. The way the pieces landed, determined the gods’ answers to
questions or dilemmas, answers that were never disputed. In many ancient religious texts
there are various references to gambling. In the Bible, for example, stone dice were cast to
determine the allotment of land to be passed through the generations of a family, and lots
were drawn for Jesus’ clothes.

Gambling was also used for settling disputes or making unbiased decisions
Apart from determining the will of the gods, gambling has also played a role in determining
political disputes, such as where to draw borders. An example of this is from around the year
1,000 AD, when King Olaf of Norway and King Olaf of Sweden were supposed to decide on
the borders of their countries. Both kings claimed the district of Hising. Since the dispute
could not be resolved diplomatically, the two kings agreed to roll the dice - the one with the
highest number would claim the district. Norway won and the two kings reportedly departed
on good terms.
Ask:
• Can you think of a modern-day practice where coin-tossing is used to make an
unbiased decision?
(Prompt the learners to think, for example, of a referee who tosses a coin before a match to
determine which side plays first.)
Ask:
• What are some of the instruments or objects people use in a gambling game?
(Once learners have suggested some examples, discuss the origin of some of the most
common instruments: dice. Cards, roulette wheel and slot machines.)
The origin of different gambling instruments or devices:
Dice appear to be the oldest form of gambling. Members from cultures around the world have
gambled with dice featuring unusual shapes and markings. Native Americans, Aztecs, Mayas,
Polynesians, Eskimos, and sub-Saharan Africans used plum stones, peach pips, pebbles,
seeds, bone, deer horn, pottery, walnut shells, beaver teeth and seashells to play dice. Many
prehistoric dice were flat objects with just two sides, but the knucklebone, which has six sides,
is apparently the direct ancestor of our modern dotted cubical die (one “die”, two “dice”). The
knucklebone is still used as a gaming piece in some cultures. In Arabic, for example, the word
for “knucklebones” is the same as the word for “dice”.
Cards most probably originated in China around 900 AD. The Chinese had paper money and
the practice of shuffling notes seems to have led to card dealing and eventual games such as
poker and blackjack. Card playing was brought to Europe by the Islamic Mamalukes. Being
followers of Islam, the Mamaluke people did not decorate their cards with human forms;
instead they used intricate geometric designs. When the cards made their way to Italy and
Spain, card makers introduced cards bearing the ranks of their royal leaders: Kings and

Knaves. The Queen first appeared in a pack of card in the 1500s, when the French replaced
one of their royal card figures with a Queen. This pack serves as the prototype of the 52 card
deck we know today.
It was also the French who invented the roulette, which means “small wheel” in French.
Francois and Louis Blanc invented the “single 0” game (possibly based on versions brought in
by Dominican monks from ancient China and amended by Blaise Pascal, the 17 th century
French mathematician). In 1861, when the small principality of Monaco in the south of France
had been given its independence, King Charles III had to come up with a way to increase his
country’s revenue. As the rest of Europe was starting to outlaw gambling, the king of Monaco
built casinos and made roulette gambling the main tourist attraction (which is true even to this
day).
The slot machine, invented in 1895, was first used in America. Whereas games of chance
are played with cards and dice, the slot machine was the first mechanical gambling game,
where a machine did all the work once the money had been dropped and the lever pulled.
Introduce learners to the present situation regarding gambling in South Africa. Stress
that although gambling was practiced in Africa for many centuries, in South Africa under the
Nationalist government it was banned. The newly elected government in 1994 saw the
decision whether to unban gambling as a serious one. It therefore, followed a democratic
decision-making process and in 1996 decided to allow certain forms of legal gambling.
Put up Summary Sheet 9.1 (4) – Gambling in South Africa
Say, for example:
Ask:
• How might we know whether the San gambled hundreds of years ago?
With gambling dating back to earliest times, the indigenous populations of southern Africa
seem to have had forms of gambling. Pre-colonial Bushman (San) paintings depict people
engaged in a type of gambling activity. With gambling a fairly well-established human activity
for pleasure and gain, it is not surprising to find gambling surfacing in various forms in various
places.

The settlement of the Dutch at the Cape during the 17th Century, saw the first ban on
gambling in 1673. However, the Diamond and Gold Rush in the Witwatersrand area attracted
gambling on a grand scale.
Prior to 1996, all formal, commercial gambling in South Africa was illegal, except for betting
on horse races and the hotel casinos established in the former “homelands” in the late 1970s.
However, making things illegal often doesn’t stop people from doing them, and this was so
with gambling. The effect of banning gambling was that it drove the gambling business out of
sight from the police, and made it an industry often managed by criminals and organized
crime syndicates. Street gangs, such as the Msomi’s, the “Spoilers” and the Sherif Khan
Organization, were involved in managing illegal gambling. So, despite it being outlawed, there
was much gambling in the form of illegal slot machines (often in shebeens), illegal casinos
(an estimated 2,000), and street card and dice games.
Ask:
• Why do you think the new democratic government made gambling legal in 1996?
(Here learners can offer suggestions like: the new government wanted to bring in new rules
and regulations; legal gambling is a way for the government to make money through taxing
the gambling businesses; most people wanted gambling legalized)
When the democratically elected government came into power in 1994, it had to make a
decision about whether to legalize gambling. Many people think that gambling is immoral
because it is trying to get something for nothing. Therefore, the decision to legalize gambling
or not had to be taken democratically. So, in 1996, certain forms of gambling were made
legal, allowing adults to decide for themselves how and where to spend their money on things
they enjoy, without harming others or society as a whole. Together with the government
allowing certain forms of gambling, came the government commitment to make counselling
services available for those people who gamble excessively or become addicted to gambling
(in the same way that people can become addicted to alcohol and drugs).
In 2016, there were 40 licensed casinos in South Africa, including those re-integrated from
the old “homeland” casinos, a national horse racing totalisator (“tote”), a few bingo halls and
the national Lotto lottery. Both national and provincial and governments require licensed
gambling operators to address the problem of excessive gambling.
However, outside these official structures, illegal gambling, “ukudlala ngemali” (Zulu for
“gambling”) continues to spread on a nation-wide scale. In addition, although legal gambling
has set the minimum age limit at 18, substantial numbers of children gamble – they play slot

machines, gamble on the internet, engage in street card or dice games, play traditional
games such as “itoti” and Finder-Finder (played with bottle tops and stones), or work for the
“runners” of the Fafi games. 1
SYNTHESISING
Consolidate learners’ understanding of the deep attraction to gambling by many
people over the centuries. Although people in South Africa may not gamble legally
before they are 18 years old, the next exercise helps learners to think critically about
an invitation that “guarantees” that they will win money.
STEP 5 - ACTIVITY
Hand out Learning Activity Sheet 9.1 (5) – A ”Guaranteed” Win
Allow about 20 - 25 minutes for each group to discuss and complete the activity sheet.
Put up the Learning Activity Sheet 9.2 (6) – A “Guaranteed” Win – with Teacher’s Notes
and discuss each of the responses.
Stress that even when it seems that a money prize is guaranteed, it is likely to cost the player
more money to enter than the money prize he or she will win.
1P. Frankel, “Ukujuma: Illegal Gambling, Crime and Culture in a Post-Apartheid South Africa.” Unpublished
paper, 2006, p. 22.

Summary Sheet 9.1 (1) – High Risks, High Rewards, High

Costs
Hi there…
Remember me? My name is Joe. In grades 7 and 8 you
read in a really cool comic about the problems I ran into …
I didn’t know how to make good decisions about how to

spend my leisure time. When I first started to gamble and
win money, it was exciting. I got a big thrill out of betting on
dice and soccer games. However, the more I got involved
in gambling, the more my problems grew and the more
money I lost. I didn’t realize that I was getting deeper and
deeper into a high-risk situation.
Since then I have learnt from my uncle Enoch, who is a

teacher, how to make sensible decisions about risky
behaviour. He showed me that risky behaviour is likely to
be dangerous because it has a high probability of bad
consequences. Now I know all about the problems my
gambling caused me and my mother.
I’m young and I like taking chances, but I hope that in future
I’ll be able take my chances more wisely!
• How will knowing about risk-taking behaviour and

decision-making help you?
High-risk behaviour and consequences

I’m hoping that my nephew Joe has learnt how to make sensible decisions about
risky behaviour in order to reduce the probabilities of something bad happening.

• Why do these involve risk?
• What makes some of these examples high-risk behaviour and others low-
risk?
• Why do people get involved in high-risk behaviour if they know it is likely
to lead to serious problems later on?
Why did my nephew Joe get involved in gambling? As he says, he got a thrill from
gambling in the beginning.
People take the risk because they enjoy it; it makes them feel good. This is the
reward.
But as with all things, there is a cost to pay for this reward ...

• So, how do you reduce the likelihood of bad consequences?

Different risky behaviours have different probabilities depending on:
• your choice (the PRICE decision-making process)
• the risky circumstances in which you find yourself
• your personality and character and
• sometimes sheer luck
• How much control do you have over these four areas?

There’s nothing you can do about sheer luck (or bad luck). Although you
have some control over your own personality or character, changing it is
difficult. Also, often circumstances in your community or family or peer
group are beyond your control, and you therefore have only limited
control over these. But you do have lots of control over your own choice.
YOUR CHOICE: Since you have lots of control over your decision-
making process, you can reduce the risks of bad consequences by
making sensible decisions…
P - Identify the purpose of the action
R - Identify the risks, consequences and probabilities
I - Assess the reliability of your information
C - Consider compromises, and create alternatives
E - Enjoy the feeling of having made a good decision
YOUR HIGH-RISK CIRCUMSTANCES in your COMMUNITY and FAMILY: You have only
limited control over the circumstance in which you live, but being aware of how they can
influence the probability of risk and bad consequences, will give you a powerful tool in your
decision making, and will help you reduce the likelihood of bad consequences.
YOUR PERSONALITY OR CHARACTER: As you grow older, you are able to judge your own
strengths and weaknesses better and so are able to have some control over them.
Understanding yourself better is also an important part of being able to make good decisions
and thereby reducing the likelihood of bad consequences.
LUCK: You have no control over luck (good or bad luck). There is nothing you can do to
change your luck. However, knowing that winning in games of chance (like Lotto, slot
machines, coin tossing and dice throwing) depends on luck, you are able to avoid irresponsible
behaviour like trying to win back your losses.
Levels of control
Lots of control → Limited control → No control
Decision-making Circumstances, Luck and games of chance

personality

GROUP ACTIVITY
Learning Activity Sheet 9.1 (2) - So, Would You Do It or Not?
Write down the names of the group members:
__________________________________________________________________________
Read through the various scenarios below. Choose one and then:
• Discuss what some of the risky circumstances in the community or family or peer
group may be that could influence the decision;
• Discuss some of the risky character traits that may influence the decision;
• Apply the PRICE decision-making process;
• Discuss what role luck can play in the outcome.
Scenarios:
1. Your boyfriend / girlfriend and you have been going out for a while. You both like each
other. A weekend is coming up when your parents are away and you’ll have the house to
yourself. Your boyfriend / girlfriend wants to sleep over that night to have sex.
2. The older brother of your friend has got hold of a car. He invites you and your friend to
come with him on a “joy ride” around town. You know that he has been drinking and that
he will drive recklessly.
3. Your sick aunt gives you a R100 to go buy a Lotto ticket. She says that she has had a
vivid dream of lucky numbers and that you must go bet on those numbers on her behalf.
She promises to give you half her winnings. You know that she is gambling all her
pension money on this one bet and if she loses won’t have any money left for food.
4. You go to a party where some of your classmates are taking drugs. When they hear that
you haven’t tried drugs before, they offer to give you some and encourage you to try
some.
5. Your neighbour is giving a big party and has asked you to help serve the food. One of the
people serving drinks gives you a full bottle of brandy as a present. Your friend suggests
that the two of you go to a quiet place and finish it.
The group chooses scenario number:
Steps Write your answers to the questions here:

1: Community:
Identify possible high-risk
circumstances in the
community, (e.g.
availability of drugs or
drink, acceptance of
criminal behaviour,
residents who don’t stay
for long, and poverty);
family (e.g. addiction Family:
within family, lack of
parental supervision,
serious conflict, parental
excuses for child’s bad
behaviour); or peer group
(e.g. friends who are
involved with drugs or Peer group:
high-risk behaviour) that
are relevant to the
decision.

2:
Identify possible character
traits that puts people at
risk (e.g. impulsivity,
sensation seeking, lack of
concentration, poor school
performance)
3:
Apply the PRICE process:
• Identify the purpose for
wanting to do the action
• Identify the risks (in 1
and 2) and their likely
consequences
• Assess the available
information (about 1
and 2)
• Consider compromises
and alternatives
4:
• Identify the role of luck in
the possible
consequences
Write down your final decision here:

ENJOY the feeling of
having made a good
decision.
HOW MUCH CONTROL DO YOU HAVE OVER THE FINAL DECISION?

Summary Sheet 9.1 (3) – Did Our

Ancestors Gamble?
• Where and when do you think gambling started?
Ancient world: Gambling took place in ancient China

(2300 BC), in ancient Egypt (1500 BC) and ancient
Greece (1000 BC). Both the ancient Greeks and
Romans believed that their gods gambled, so it is not
surprising that many humans followed the practice.
Examples in the Bible: many ancient religions,

dice were used to determine the will of the gods.
In the Bible, for example, stone dice were cast
to determine the division of land to be passed
down through generations of a family, and lots
were drawn for Jesus’ clothes.
Gambling used to settle disputes or to make

unbiased decisions. Gambling was also used
to settle political disputes. For example, in 1000 AD, King Olaf of Norway and King
Olaf of Sweden rolled dice in order to determine where their countries’ borders would
be.
• Can you think of a modern-day practice where coin-tossing is used to make an

unbiased decision

• What are some of the instruments or objects people use in a gambling game?
Dice appear to be the oldest form of gambling. Native

Americans, Aztecs, Mayas, Polynesians, Eskimos, and
sub-Saharan Africans used plum stones, peach pips,
pebbles, seeds, bone, deer horn, pottery, walnut shells,
beaver teeth and seashells to play dice.
The knucklebone, which has six sides, is the direct
ancestor of our modern dotted cubical die (one “die”,
two “dice”). In Arabic, for example, the word for knucklebones is the same word as
that for dice.
Cards originated in China

around 900 AD. Card playing
was brought to Europe by the
Mamalukes who, being followers
of Islam, did not decorate their
cards with human forms; instead
they used geometric designs.
When the cards made their way
to Europe, card makers
introduced cards with pictures of
their royal leaders: Kings,
Queens and Knaves (Jacks).
In the 17th century, the French invented the

modern roulette, which means “small wheel” in
French.
The slot machine, the first mechanical gabling tool,

was invented in 1895 and was first used in America.

Summary Sheet 9.1 (4) – Gambling in South Africa

• How might we know whether the San gambled hundreds of years ago?
Ancient populations of southern Africa also seem to have gambling. Bushman

paintings depict people engaged in a type of gambling activity.
The settlement of the Dutch at the Cape during the 17th Century, saw the first ban on
gambling in 1673.
The Diamond and Gold Rush in the Witwatersrand

area attracted gambling on a grand scale.
Prior to 1996, all gambling in South Africa was illegal,

except for betting on horse races and the hotel casinos
established in the former “homelands” in the late
1970s.
The effect of banning gambling was that it drove the

gambling business out of sight from the police, and made it an industry often
managed by criminals and organized crime syndicates. Street gangs, such as the
Msomi’s, the “Spoilers” and the Sherif Khan Organization, were involved in managing
illegal gambling.
• Why do you think the new democratic government made gambling legal in 1996?
In 1994, the new government had to make a

democratic decision whether or not to legalize
gambling. In 1996, certain forms of gambling
were made legal, allowing adults to decide for
themselves how and where to spend their
money on things they enjoy, without harming
others or society as a whole.
In 2016, there were 40 licensed casinos, a
national horse racing totalisator (“tote”), a few
bingo halls and the national Lotto lottery.

Outside these official structures, there is

still lots of illegal gambling, e.g.
“ukudlala ngemali” (Zulu for “gambling”),
“itoti”, Finder-Finder (played with bottle
tops and stones), and Fafi games.
The minimum legal gambling age is 18,

but many children younger than 18
gamble or work for the “runners” of the
Fafi games.
The government also makes counselling services available for those people who
gamble excessively or become addicted to gambling.

GROUP ACTIVITY
Learning Activity Sheet 9.1 (5) – A “Guaranteed” Win!
ABC INDEPENDENT SWEEPSTAKES ORGANIZATION
ABC
Congratulations!
Dear _______________________:
Your name was entered in our sweepstakes contest, and we are happy to announce that you
have won a prize of up to R7,500.00 in cash! This is an important document regarding your
cash prize. This is your Judging Organization Cash Cheque Disbursement Authorization. Do
not misplace it. Read it carefully.
I regret that the enclosed cheque has not yet been signed, because of our strict regulation that
we must hear from you before your prize can be awarded. You must contact us with your
personal Security Code:
I.D. Number: 128 047 387
Do not lose your Security Code I.D. Number, and DO NOT SHOW THIS NUMBER TO
ANYONE UNTIL YOU HAVE REGISTERED IT WITH OUR OFFICE. Contact us as soon
as possible by mail or phone to provide us with your Number and claim your prize.
FOR IMMEDIATE CHEQUE PROCESSING CALL:

011-243-5678
(24 hr./day, 7 days/week, 19 years or older, cell phone rates apply, R4.99/min)
Provide the correct answer to this skill-testing question, and we will promptly confirm the
amount of your cash award. Your cheque will then be rushed to you, at your home address.
100 x 10 + 100 – 25 =
Because of the large amount of money involved in this sweepstakes, you must correctly
answer this skill-testing question within three minutes, without any assistance.
To respond by mail, cut your name, Security Code I.D. Number, and the box containing the
answer to your skill-testing question and attach it to a 10cm x 15 cm postcard. Do not use
staples and do not place in an envelope. Mail to: ABC Disbursements, P.O. Box 5350,
Johannesburg, 0003. Entries must be received before the deadline. Improper, incomplete and
illegible entries are disqualified.
We hope to hear from you soon.

Joe Borat
P.S. Remember we cannot act until we hear from you. Contact us without delay.
Consumer Disclosure: Awards and odds are: (1) R7,500 (1:2,949,679); (1) R2,500 (1:2929,679); (1) R1,000 (1:2,949,679); (1) R750
(1:2,949,679); (1) R175 (1:2,949,679); R1.37 (approximately 1:1). Not responsible for lost or late mail; or malfunctions in telephone
transmissions.
So, what are your chances of winning money? – Would you enter the sweepstakes? 2
Write down the names of the members of the group: ________________________________
2 Taken from Gambling: Reducing the Risks, Grade 9, p. 111-115. Saskatchewan Health, 1999.

__________________________________________________________________________
Answer the following questions based on the “Congratulations Letter”.
1. How does the letter try and make you feel important – like a winner?
2. How does the letter try to impress you with the seriousness of the offer?
3. What is the letter asking you to do?
4. If the ABC organization gives away all these prizes, how does it make money to stay in
business?
5. What do you think will happen when you call the company?
6. How does the letter try to discourage you from answering by mail?
7. What are the chances of winning R7500 in this “sweepstakes” lottery? What “prize” will
you probably win?
8. Would you respond to this offer?

Learning Activity Sheet 9.1 (6) – A “Guaranteed” Win - with

Teacher’s Memorandum
1. How does the letter try and make you feel important – like a winner?
• By addressing you by name, by promising you “instant” cash, by giving you your own
special code, and by testing your “skill” with an easy maths question.
2. How does the letter try to impress you with the seriousness of the offer?
• By using official-sounding language, like “Security Code I.D. Number”, “Judging

Organization Cash Cheque Disbursement Authority”, by warning against showing
your I.D. number to anyone else.
3. What is the letter asking you to do?
• Respond by email or phone.
4. How does the organization make money?
• It collects a certain amount from your phone call charges. Given that you’ll most
probably spend about R50 to collect your R1.37 prize ensures that the company
makes enough profit to stay in business.
5. What do you think will happen when you call the company?
• The company will keep you on the line as long as possible. They will probably allow
three minutes to answer the “skill-testing” question, they will allow time for reporting
and processing the “Security Code” number, they may ask you to route your call
using number codes, etc.
6. How does the letter try to discourage you from answering by mail?
• By making the phone option seem quick and easy; by making the mail option
complicated (obtaining a stamp and postcard of the correct size, then cutting and
pasting); and by warning that “improper, incomplete and illegible” mail entries will be
disqualified.
7. What are the chances of winning R7500 in this “sweepstakes” lottery? What “prize” will
you probably win?
• See the “consumer disclosure” at the bottom of the letter, as required by law. The
chances of winning the R7,500 prize are 1 in almost 3 million. They are the same for
winning the prizes of R2,500, R1,000, R750 and R175. You are almost certain to win
the prize of R1.37, but will probably have spent R50 or more on long distance
charges.
8. Would you respond to this offer?
• Don’t do it!

Unit 9.2
Choosing Wisely for a Lifestyle

• Outline the various reasons (and rewards) why people gamble.
Main concepts:
Rewards
Purposes and reasons
Sound and appropriate reasons
Bad and inappropriate reasons
Lifestyle choices
Gambling
Resources:
Summary Sheet 9.2 (1) – Know Your Reasons
Comic Book - Chances Are
Learning Activity Sheet 9.2 (2) – Why Do Joe and Tiger Gamble?
Teacher’s Memorandum 9.1 (3) – Why Do Joe and Tiger Gamble?
Summary Sheet 9.2 (4) – Why Do People Gamble?
Summary Sheet 9.2 (5) – Good and Bad Reasons


Orientating
Enhancing
Revise the link between risk-taking
behaviour and rewards or “feel good” STEP 2: ACTIVITY
factors. Learners identify some reasons why
Summary Sheet 9.2 (1). Joe and Tiger choose to gamble.
Comic Book
STEP 3: EXPLANATION
STEP 4: ACTIVITY Expand the discussion to examine
reasons why people in general choose to
Learners compare reasons for gamble.
gambling. Summary Sheet 9.2 (3)
Synthesizing
STEP 5: EXPLANATION STEP 5: ACTIVITY

Consideration of how to evaluate the Learners assess and evaluate the
soundness or appropriateness of the soundness of their listed reasons.
reasons. Learning Activity 9.2 (5).
STEP 5: ASSESSMENT
Take in learners’ completed Activity Sheets.
Teacher’s Memorandum 9.2 (2). - answers

ORIENTATION
In Grade 7, learners read the comic about Joe and his growing problem with gambling.
Using the same comic, this unit focuses on the different reasons people gamble.
Learners knowing about the various reasons for gambling, may then be in a more
informed position to judge their own reasons or motivation when they make decisions
about their leisure activities or lifestyle choies, using the PRICE decision-making
process.
Note for teachers:

Increasingly, the adolescent learner has to deal with a range of risky situations
and therefore should acquire the skills to negotiate peer pressure and to make responsible
decisions to cope with challenging situations. In grade 7, and again in lesson 8.1 learners
were encouraged to apply the PRICE process when making decisions about risky behaviour.
It is not so much a matter of what to decide, but rather how to go about making sensible
decisions. If the learner understands the process of responsible decision-making, then it is a
process that can be applied to a whole range of risky situations.
The first step in the PRICE process is to identify the purpose for wanting to get involved with
the specific risk behaviour. Knowing what other people’s reasons for gambling may be, will
help the learner identify his or her own possible reasons for choosing to get involved in forms
of risky behaviour, be it to drink too much, to abuse drugs, to experiment irresponsibly with
sex, to drive recklessly, etc.
Of course, when a person is seriously addicted to drink or drugs or gambling, he or she no

longer “chooses” to do so because it makes them feel good. Many addicts say that they want
to stop, but can’t. The PRICE decision-making process, however, is for people who are
voluntarily choosing to do something risky, not for someone like an addict who no longer has
the ability to choose freely, or put differently, who no longer is able to control his or her own
decision-making processes.
STEP 1
Revise the link between risk-taking behaviour and rewards or “feel good” factors. This
was dealt with in the previous unit 9.1. This unit aims to have a closer look at the various
reasons why people choose gambling as a lifestyle or leisure activity, but many of the
reasons can be applied to other forms of risk-taking behaviour or lifestyles as well.
Put up Summary Sheet 9.2 (1) - Know Your Reasons

Say, for example:
Ask:
• Why do people decide to drink too much if they know it will probably lead to
drunkenness and problems?
• Why do people choose to smoke if they know it is likely to cause cancer?
• Why do people deliberately drive fast and recklessly if they know the probability of
causing an accident is high?
(Encourage those answers that say that, generally, people do so because of the thrill, or
because it makes them “feel good” or because of peer pressure.)
This “feel good” factor of risk behaviour is what we call the anticipated reward. So, even
though someone may know that train surfing or playing “chicken” in the road may result in a
serious accident, the person gets a thrill out of doing so.
There are however many different reasons why people choose to do the things they do.
Let’s have a look again at Joe, the character in the comic book we read in Grade 7, and try
to identify why he chooses to gamble, despite increasingly bad consequences.
ENHANCING
Develop learners’ understanding of the reasons for people engaging in risky
behaviour.
STEP 2 - ACTIVITY
Hand out the Comic Book, “Chances Are”.

Hand out Learning Activity Sheet 9.2 (2) – Why Does Joe Gamble?
Allow about 20 – 25 minutes for this exercise.

Put up Summary Sheet 9.2 (4) – Why Do People Gamble?

Refer to the notes below for further discussion of each of the reasons.
Say, for example:
From the long history of gambling, that we looked at in unit 9.1, it is clear that people have
always gambled. Different societies at different times have engaged in some kind of
gambling. Gambling has existed for centuries in most cultures and civilizations. There are
many forms of gambling and different people gamble for different reasons.
Ask:
• Why do you think people choose to gamble?
(Encourage learners to identify reasons, and then take them through the list below)
Let’s look at some of the reasons why people gamble 1:
• To win money
Gamblers see playing as an opportunity to win “easy” money. They see the possibility of
potential profit coupled with entertainment at “no cost”. Some even dream of “winning big”,
of becoming rich. A significant number of unemployed South Africans rely on gambling as
their main means of income (Frankel, 2006: 34). Ironically, many gamblers play in order to
pay their gambling debts!
• For entertainment and recreation

Slot machines have constant movement, lights and music. There is an energy and
excitement in a casino that is fun and stimulating. Just like you would buy a ticket for the
thrill of going on a roller-coaster ride, so gamblers who play for entertainment pay do so
because they enjoy the thrill. Gambling is a ticket to a fun fantasy world.
• To belong to a special group

The shared experience with other gamblers, the special language and words used in the
specific game, and the sense of belonging to a distinct group of individuals are all reasons
why people gamble. Controllers of gambling and other related activities, often with links to
organized crime, offer incentives for youngsters to join what is perceived as an exciting and
privileged membership in an elite group with power and money. Many gamblers live in hope
1 Based on Gambling: Reducing the Risks, Grade 7, p.46. Saskatchewan Health, 1999.

of becoming rich and influential gambling operator themselves, for example of ultimately
“owning a fafi bag”.
• To alleviate boredom
Many slot machines are situated in gaming arcades in shopping malls, a frequent gathering
place for the young who seek some entertainment. Also, large numbers of unemployed
people who idle on street corners for long periods of the day or night seek some activity to
break the boredom.
• To support a charity
For some gamblers, the opportunity to be entertained while supporting a worthy cause (e.g.
buying a raffle ticket to support the local choir) is a reason to participate.
• To escape problems or to get away from home

Gambling may be an escape from problems, depression or negative feelings. Playing a
game can give gamblers a thrill and concentrating on the game can make them forget about
other issues they’d rather avoid. However, if a person gambles in order to escape financial
problems, the chances are that he or she will only increase their debts!
• For mood change

The action and excitement of gambling can be a form of escapism. Gamblers may
experience a “high” while playing. This excitement, with “feeling lucky” or the belief that it is
“their turn” to win, can create in some people a desire or even a need to gamble. In
adolescents, in particular, the “feel good” factor is strong when they think they have “beaten
the system”.
• To experience that winning spirit

Winning feels good. It’s exciting and can give you an adrenaline rush, a “high”. When you
think back of winning a sport event, you may remember how good you felt. For some
gamblers, that exciting, positive memory of how they felt when they won in the past is the
motivation to carry on gambling. They try to capture that experience again. In addition,
focusing only on winning, makes them forget how much money they may have lost.
• Because friends and family do

Many gamblers, especially adolescents, say that their parents or caretakers gamble, and
school learners who see their friends gamble are often keen to try gambling themselves.

STEP 4 - ACTIVITY
Leave up Summary Sheet 9.2 (4) – Why Do People Gamble?

Ask each group to compare the reasons they’ve written down in their Learning Activity 9.2
(3) – Why Does Joe Gamble? to the ones listed in the summary sheet.
Are there some additional reasons why Joe and Tiger gamble?
Allow learners to add to their written responses.
SYNTHESISING
Consolidating learners’ understanding, skills and values with regards to being able to
identify and assess the purposes or reasons for risky behaviour. The learning activity
will have shown learners that there are some sound and solid (healthy) reasons why
some people gamble, but that there are also some bad or unhealthy reasons for
choosing to gamble. Learners should be able to evaluate which can be “acceptable” or
“sound” reasons and which are “unacceptable” or “bad” ones for making particular
lifestyle choices.
Introduce the notion of evaluating the soundness or wisdom of each reason. Discuss
why some reasons are “healthy” or “acceptable” or “good” and why other reasons are “bad” or
“inappropriate”.
Put up Summary Sheet 9.2 (5) – Good and Bad Reasons
Say, for example:
Imagine the following situation:

The school is hosting the annual regional inter-schools choir competition and the principal has
asked for students from your class to volunteer to help with the arrangements. You will need
to show the various choirs to their seats and to ensure that each choir is lined up in time for
their performance.
You volunteer.
Ask:
• What might be some of the reasons for your wanting to work as a choir marshall?

(Encourage learners to come up with a range of different reasons.)
Here are some of the reasons we can imagine for your wanting to work as a choir marshall:
• You enjoy bullying people and ordering them around
• You look forward to meeting some of the students from the other schools
• It gives you an excuse not to do your homework
• You hope you can get a chance to slip behind the stage, out of sight of the teachers, for a
quick smoke
• You think it is a contribution to strengthening the school spirit
• You hope that you can learn from the experience of working in a team.
(Note to teacher: Take each reason, one by one, and invite learners to say whether they think
it is a good or bad reason. Encourage those responses that link their evaluation of the
reason to the probable outcome of the action. For example: )
1. You enjoy bullying people and ordering them around

A bad reason: bullying people around is likely to cause friction and fighting. You will very
likely cause the other students to resist you and think badly of you and your school.
2. You look forward to meeting some of the students from the other schools
A good reason: meeting new people is likely to make you a more mature and capable
person, skilled at social interaction (a very necessary skill in life!)
3. It gives you an excuse not to do your homework

A bad reason: not doing your homework just means that you’ll either have to catch it up
at a later stage or you will miss out on a crucial bit of training. Come the test, it’s likely
that you won’t do well when that topic is examined.
4. You hope you can get a chance to slip behind the stage, out of sight of the teachers,
for a quick smoke
A bad reason: you may get a thrill out of smoking when you’re not allowed to, but it is
likely that you may get caught and punished. Of course, by smoking you are putting your
own long-term health at risk as well.
5. You think it is a contribution to strengthening the school spirit

A good reason: studies have shown that students who are committed to the school are
likely to be well-adjusted and stable individuals; whereas low commitment to the school is
likely to lead to problematic behaviour.

6. You hope that you can learn from the experience of working in a team.
A good reason: a very important skill in personal relationships as well as in professional
employment is the ability to work well in a team. It’s not always an easy thing to do, so by
gaining experience, you are likely to strengthen you own skills.
So, we can see that one way to evaluate our reasons for doing something is to look at the
possible consequences the action may have. Bad reasons are likely to have bad
consequences and good reasons are likely to minimize the risks of those bad consequences
happening.
Let’s now go back to Joe and Tiger and see which of their reasons are good ones and which
ones are bad .
STEP 6 - ACTIVITY
Learners continue to work in groups on responses written down in Learning Activity

9.2 (2) – Why Does Joe Gamble?
Ask learners to put a big coloured dot (wth any coloured pen) next to those reasons of Joe
and Tiger that they think are “good” or “appropriate” reasons.
STEP 7 - ASSESSMENT
Take in the completed Learning Activity Sheet 9.2 from each group for marking and
inclusion in the assessment portfolio.
Refer to the Teacher’s Completed Learning Activity Sheet 9.2 (3) for the answers.

Summary Sheet 9.2 (1) | Know Your Reasons
Generally people get involved in a specific risky behaviour because it gives them a
thrill or makes them “feel good” - the reward. There are, however, many different
reasons why people choose to do the things they
do.
Peer-
Self- pressure
Thrill
esteem
Prizes,
Prestige
money
??? Reasons ????
Applying the PRICE process when making decisions about risky behaviour is not so
much a matter of what to decide, but rather how to make sensible decisions. It is a
process that can be applied to a whole range of risky situations.
The first step in the PRICE decision-making process is to identify your purpose (or
the reasons) for choosing to get involved with the specific risk-taking behaviour.
When the choice is no longer “free” - when a person is seriously addicted to drink or
drugs or gambling, he or she no longer “chooses” to do so because it makes them
feel good.

GROUP ACTIVITY
Learning Activity Sheet 9.2 (2) | Why Do Joe and Tiger

Gamble?
Write down the names of all the people in the group:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Read the story about Joe in the Comic Book “Chances Are”.
Then, as a group, discuss and write down your responses to the following:
1. Write down all the reasons why you think Joe gambles.
2. Why does Tiger gamble?
3. Why doesn’t Sister Bucks gamble? Does he know something about gambling that
Joe doesn’t?

Teacher’s Memorandum Learning Activity Sheet 9.2 (3)

Why Do Joe and Tiger Gamble?
Answers are in blue. The “P” indicates the page number of the comic book where
the refered incident happens.
Read the story about Joe in the Comic Book “Chances Are”.
Then, as a group, discuss and write down your responses to the following:
1. Write down all the reasons why you think Joe gambles.
P1 – Joe is bored. He’s looking for some excitement.

(People buy entertainment in order to be amused. It’s not inappropriate to buy
some fun when you’re feeling bored and are looking for some entertainment.)
P2 – Joe decides to gamble because Tiger, his friend, does.

(This is an inappropriate reason. Studies show that many problem gamblers
started gambling because their friends or a family member did. See lesson
8.1 for Risk Factors.)
P2 – Joe says he’s going to try gambling just for fun.

(To gamble for fun is an appropriate reason. You buy leisure time activities -
like going to the movies, or going to listen to music, or going on a roller-
coaster - because it gives you pleasure.)
P2 - but very soon it’s clear that he wants to continue because he thinks he can get
rich.
(This is a “bad” reason for gambling. In Lesson 7.4 we started looking at why
dice and coins are games of pure chance. We’ll see in lesson 8.3 and 9.3 and
9.4 that it is not possible to become rich through continued gambling.
Thinking that you can is likely to lead more and more gambling, and more and
more losses.)
P3 – Joe is sweating with the excitement and thrill of having won some money.
(Getting a thrill or “high” from gambling is not necessarily a bad reason, as
long as you manage to keep the amount of money and time spent on
gambling in control. People who go on roller-coaster rides scream with
excitement and delicious fear!)
P4 – Joe bets on the soccer game because he remembers the sweet feeling of
having won at dice before.
(This could be an appropriate reason – it’s the same reason that people go
back for a second ride on the roller coaster – as long as the gambler keeps
the number of times he or she goes back under control, or within the limit that
was set beforehand.)
P5 – Joe thinks he has “beaten the system” and wants to gamble because he thinks
he can become a millionaire – “easy” money!

(This is a “bad” reason for gambling. In Lesson 7.4 we started looking at why
dice and coins are games of pure chance. Games of chance are based on
random processes and that means that there is no system or pattern in the
outcomes)
P6 /7– He feels bad about losing and so wants to gamble again to win back the
money he lost.
(Again, this is an inappropriate reason. In lesson 8.3 and in lesson 9.4 we will
examine why there is very little probability of winning back your losses.
Thinking you can, is highly likely to lead to just losing more and more money.)
P6/7 – Despite his increasing losses, Joe continues to gamble because he thinks he
knows the dice numbers and that his luck will turn.
(As above, this is a “bad” reason because in lesson 7.4 we learnt that the
outcome of a game of dice is unpredictable.)
P9 – He borrows money from Sister Bucks to gamble because he thinks he can win
back all the money he’s lost.
(A “bad” reason – Joe is unlikely to win back his losses and so he just gets
himself deeper and deeper into debt.)
2. Why does Tiger gamble?
P2 – Tiger gambles for fun. He knows that it’s a game of luck, and he’s enjoying the
thrill of seeing whether he will be lucky. If he is, that’s great; if he’s not, it’s not a
problem.
(This is an appropriate reason for gambling. Tiger knows that he is likely to
lose the money, but he enjoys playing the game anyway.)
P2 – Of course, Tiger is hoping to win some extra money as well (and a huge lunch!),
but that’s not his main reason for gambling.
(Tiger’s reasons for gambling are appropriate. Of course, he’s hoping to win
some money back, but knows that the probability is very small.)
3. Why doesn’t Sister Bucks gamble? Does he know something about

gambling that Joe doesn’t?
P9 – Sister Bucks knows that he can’t win with gambling and also knows that there is
a “mean” crowd of controllers, a gang, who runs the Nine Lives gambling joint.
(A “good” reason – knowing that you are likely to lose more money and are
likely to get beaten up, is a sound reason for avoiding that risky behaviour!)

I am Socrates, the famous ancient Greek philosopher. In

order to live well, you need to know yourself.
(This means knowing the reasons why you choose to do
certain things …)
Why do people gamble?

• To win money - Gamblers see gambling at getting “easy” money. In the next
lesson, we’ll see there is very little probability of that happening!
• For entertainment and recreation – It’s fun to gamble and get a thrill.
• To belong to a special group – To gamble can make you feel as if you are part
of a special group. Unfortunately, many of these gambling groups have
criminal connections.
• To alleviate boredom - The thrill and the lights of a slot machine add to the
excitement.
• To support a charity – Some people buy a lottery ticket or raffle ticket because
they want to be both entertained and to support a local charity at the same
time.
• To escape problems or to get away from home - Some people gamble

because it is an escape from problems, depression or negative feelings.
• For mood change - Some people gamble because they experience a “high”
while playing.
• To experience that winning spirit - For some gamblers, that exciting, positive
memory of how they felt when they won in the past is the motivation to carry
on gambling. They try to capture that experience again.
• Because friends and family do - Especially true for adolescents who see their
family or friends gamble and are often keen to try gambling themselves.

PAIR ACTIVITY
Summary Sheet 9.2 (5) | Good and Bad Reasons
You can do the same action, but you may have either good (sound or appropriate or
wise) reasons for doing so, or bad (inappropriate or unwise) reasons.
As a necessary skill in informed, mature decision-making, you need to be able

evaluate your own reasons.
Imagine the following situation:

The school is hosting the annual regional inter-schools choir
competition and the principal has asked for students from your
class to volunteer to help with the arrangements. You will need
to show the various choirs to their seats and to ensure that
each choir is lined up in time for their performance.
You volunteer.
Let’s imagine some of the reasons for your wanting to work as a choir marshal:
• You enjoy bullying people and ordering them around
• You look forward to meeting some of the students from the other schools
• It gives you an excuse not to do your homework
• You hope you can get a chance to slip behind the stage, out of sight of the
teachers, for a quick smoke
• You think it is a contribution to strengthening the school spirit
• You hope that you can learn from the experience of working in a team.
Which of these reasons are “good” or “appropriate” reasons and which are “bad”
reasons for volunteering to help out?
Reason Good or Bad?
You enjoy bullying people and ordering them around
You look forward to meeting some of the students from the other
schools
It gives you an excuse not to do your homework
You hope you can get a chance to slip behind the stage, out of
sight of the teachers, for a quick smoke
You think it is a contribution to strengthening the school spirit
You hope that you can learn from the experience of working in a
team

Unit 9.3
Warning Signals of a Potential Crisis

• Recognize the warning signals of a potential gambling problem
• Access help if they or someone they know has a gambling problem
Main concepts:
Warning signals
Problem gambler or problem gambling
Counselling help line
Resources:
Summary Sheet 9.3 (1) – Warning Signals
Comic Book - Chances Are
Learning Activity Sheet 9.3 (2) – Warning Signals
Teacher’s Memorandum 9.3 (3) – Warning Signals
Summary Sheet 9.3 (4) – Is This Heading for a Crisis?
Summary Sheet 9.3 (5) – Where to Get Help


Orientating
STEP 2: ACTIVITY
Introduce the notion of “warning
signals” of risk-taking behaviour. Learners identify warning signals of a
Put up Summary Sheet 9.3 (1) potential crisis.
Comic Book – Chances Are
Enhancing
STEP 3: FEEDBACK
Invite responses from the class on
the learning activity.
Teacher’s Memorandum for
Learning Activity Sheet 9.3 (3)
Synthesising
STEP 4: EXPLANATION
Link Joe’s gambling problem to other STEP 5: EXPLANATION

forms of risk-taking behaviour.
Learning Activity 9.3 (4). Tell learners where to get help.

ORIENTATING
It is unlikely that learners in Grade 9 themselves have a gambling problem, but it is likely that
they know of someone, maybe a close friend or family member, who does. It is therefore
important that learners are able to recognize the warming signals of possible gambling
problems and should know where they can go to seek help. Since gambling is a form of risk-
taking behaviour, the notion of “warning signs” is key to other potential behavioural
problems, like drinking and drug abuse.
Note for Teachers

Most people who gamble enjoy it and manage to control their buying of gambling
pleasure. However, there are those for whom too much gambling can lead to serious trouble. In
extreme cases, it can become an addiction and can ruin the lives of the gambler as well as harm
those close to them. Since we don’t yet know much about problem gambling, it is wise to make
safety a priority by developing an awareness of signs that may warn a person who is at risk of
developing a gambling problem.
Psychological studies have shown that when people are rewarded every now and then in an
unpredictable pattern, they develop a strong persistence to keep on with the activity. In poker
machines, this factor (i.e. that players have a win from time to time) can trap a person to keep
playing until all their money is gone. Irregular winnings or payouts cause some gamblers to think
they can predict with certainty when the next payout or win will occur, but in games of chance this is
impossible to do. The poker machine’s lights and the music it plays when a player gets credits
encourage the person to keep on playing, making it even harder to stop.
Studies have shown (e.g., Frankel, 2006) that those youth who are vulnerable to problem gambling,
are mainly those with poor education and limited employment opportunities, some psychological
problems and are at a socio-economic disadvantage in general. Gupta and Derevensky’s (1998)
research suggests that adolescent problem gamblers are more likely to be extroverted, anxious,
have lower self-discipline, are less able to conform and have poor coping and adaptive skills.
Introduce the notion of “warning signals” of risk-taking behaviour.

Put up Summary Sheet 9.3 (1) – Warning Signals
Say, for example:

Remember Joe from the comic book? When we first met him, he was a regular school boy. By the
end of the comic, he is in serious trouble.
Ask:
• How would knowing about risk-taking behaviour have helped Joe?
Maybe if Joe had known that gambling is a form of risk-taking behaviour, and maybe if he had
known how to make responsible decisions about how to handle this risk better, he would not be in
such trouble.
You, as youth, are at a stage when you’re starting to be drawn into adult forms of entertainment and
to sample some new kinds of experiences.
Ask:
• How does what you do now in your leisure time differ from what you did five years ago?
• Do you think it is healthy for people to explore new possibilities? What are some examples?
Exploring new possibilities is a healthy part of growing up. If people did not try new things, it is likely
that they won’t develop much. Certainly, the human race would not have survived if our ancestors
hadn’t been willing to explore!
But at the same time that you are faced with lots of new possibilities, you are also required to make
more and more decisions on your own. This is what makes certain forms of behaviour so risky –
you are keen to try new things, but don’t yet have the experience of knowing some of the serious
consequences that some forms of action can lead to.
Ask:
• So, how can you deal sensibly with risk-taking behaviour and the temptation to try new
things?
(Invite responses. If no-one can tell, prompt them by saying: “We have already looked at
one way in which you can manage risky behaviour. What is that?” Remind them of the
decision-making process PRICE –Purpose of action, Risks involved, Information,
Compromises, and Enjoyment from knowing you’ve thought it through carefully – that will
help them make informed, responsible decisions, thus minimizing the risks of creating a
problem later on.)
1. We have already looked at the PRICE decision-making process which is one way in which you
can manage risk-taking behaviour more responsibly.

2. However, apart from having the skills to make informed and wise decisions, there is another way
of minimizing the potential problems of risky behaviour:
Ask:
• What might alert you, for example, to the risk that all those fatty hamburgers you have been
eating are starting to create a health problem for you?
(Invite responses: prompt learners to recognize that the scale may show a serious weight
increase; that they may be getting lots of pimples from the fatty burgers; that they have
difficulty breathing, etc.)
So, you can minimize the risk of a potential problem developing further by being able to recognize
the warning signs that you are (or someone you know is) heading for trouble.
Let’s have a look at Joe again and see whether there are some warning signals that make us aware
that he is heading for trouble, even if he doesn’t know it himself!
STEP 2 - ACTIVITY
Hand out the Comic Book, “Chances Are”.

Hand out Learning Activity Sheet 9.3 (2) – Warning Signals
ENHANCING
Deepen learners’ understanding of the warning signals that go with many forms of risk-taking
behaviour: the lack of self-discipline, the mistaken belief of being able to control the process,
the increasing criminal activity, and the unwillingness to face up to the problem.
STEP 3 - FEEDBACK
Once learners have completed the activity, invite some responses from the class.
See the Teacher’s Memorandum for Learning Activity Sheet 9.3 (3) - Warning Signals

SYNTHESISING
Once learners have discovered for themselves the warning signals that accompany Joe’s
risky behaviour and growing gambling problem, discuss the list of warning signals that point
to problem behaviour in general.
Introduce the list of warning signals by linking Joe’s gambling problem to other forms of risk-
taking behaviour. Many of the descriptions on the list of Summary Sheet 9.3 (4) – Is This Heading
for a Crisis? could also act as warning signals for other kinds of problems, like excessive drinking
of alcohol, and drug abuse.
Say, for example:
Ask:
• What are some of the reasons why people gamble?
• Do you think that everyone who gambles is heading for serious trouble?
(Allow the class to offer various reasons for why someone might gamble. Refer back to unit 9.2.
Some of the reasons are unlikely to lead to serious problems - such as, for example, gambling
for a bit of fun or to support the local running club fundraising event - but learners may offer
other reasons that may be more likely to lead to a problem, e.g. people who gamble because
they are determined to win the big jackpot.)
People gamble for various reasons: to win money, to belong to a special group, to reduce boredom,
to support a charity, to escape problems or get away from home, for entertainment, for a thrill, or
because friends and family do. While most individuals don’t take gambling that seriously or manage
to stay in control of their gambling, for some people gambling becomes a problem.
Ask:
• When do you think gambling might start developing into a problem?
(Highlight particularly responses that identify that gambling starts to become a problem when
on a repeated basis more time or money or effort is being spent gambling than the person feels
he or she can comfortably afford, and when the person cannot control or stick to his or her
decision to set limits on gambling time and money. Learners should start to formulate a
possible definition of “problem gambling”.)

It’s not always easy to know when someone is heading for trouble. Gambling can start out to be fun
and then suddenly it becomes the most exciting thing for the individual. However, as more and
more time (and money) is spent on gambling and less time enjoying sports, or other recreational
activities, or just having fun with friends, this is a signal for concern. This is a warning signal that a
problem may be developing!
So we can say, that:

Gambling becomes a problem when someone continues to gamble despite bad
consequences. Problem gamblers on a repeated basis spend more time and money
they can afford, and thereby neglect their other responsibilities (like school work or
employment tasks), or damage the relationships that are important to them (e.g. with
family or friends).
So, how do we know if someone is heading for a problem? Let’s have look at the warning signs, not
just of problem gambling, but of other problems like substance abuse as well.
Tell learners where they can go if they or someone they know has a gambling problem.
Put up Summary Sheet 9.3 (5) – Where to Get Help

Warning signals!
Joe from the comic book is an ordinary school boy at the start of the comic, and in very
deep trouble by the end of it.
You, like Joe, are at a stage when you’re starting to be drawn into adult forms of
entertainment and to sample some new kinds of experiences.
• Do you think it is healthy for people to explore new possibilities? What are some
examples?
Certain forms of behaviour involve serious risks for you.
• Can you think of what kinds of behaviour are “high-risk”?
You are keen to try new things, but don’t yet have the experience of knowing some of the
serious consequences that some forms of action can lead to.
• So, how do you deal with high-risk behaviour and the temptation to try new things?
1. The decision-making process PRICE
Purpose of action, Risks involved, Information, Compromises, and Enjoyment of having

chosen wisely – will help you make informed, responsible decisions, thus minimizing the
risks of creating a problem later on.
• What might alert you, for example, to the risk that all those fatty
hamburgers you have been eating are starting to create a health
problem for you?
2. Learn to see the warning signs
Know what the warning signs are that you or someone you know is heading for trouble.
Since we don’t yet know much about problem gambling, it is wise to make safety a priority
by developing an awareness of signs that may warn a person who is at risk of developing a
gambling problem.

PAIR ACTIVITY
Learning Activity Sheet 9.3 (2) – Warning Signals

Names: ____________________________________________________________
Read the comic about Joe and his gambling again. On page 1, Joe is an ordinary school
boy, but by the end of the comic, Joe is in serious trouble. How did he get there? Were
there signs that he ought to have recognized as warnings that he might be developing a
problem with gambling?
Write down your responses to each of the questions and then with your partner, discuss
your replies.
1. What is the first sign that you think that Joe might be heading for a gambling problem?
2. What further things does he do, or fail to do, which show that he is becoming a problem
gambler?
3. What does Tiger recognize as a warning signal?
4. How does Sister Buck encourage Joe, despite it being obvious that Joe is getting into
serious debt?

Teacher’s Memorandum for Learning Activity Sheet 9.3 (3) –

Warning signals
Answers are in blue. The “P” refers to the page number of the comic.
Read the comic about Joe and his gambling again. On page 1, Joe is an ordinary school
boy, but by the end of the comic, Joe is in serious trouble. How did he get there? Were
there signs that he ought to have recognized as warnings that he might be developing a
problem with gambling?
Write down your responses to each of the questions and then with your partner, discuss
your replies.
1. What is the first sign that you think that Joe might be heading
for a gambling problem?
• P3: After Joe has won for the first time, he wants to continue
playing.
• He doesn’t know when to stop.
• He thinks he knows how the system works and that he can
continue to win money.
• He is even willing to miss the first class of school.
2. What further things does he do, or fail to do, which show that
he is becoming a problem gambler?
• P4: He starts to gamble on other things - he bets
with Sister Bucks on a soccer game.
• P5: When he wins, he thinks that gambling is
“easy” and that he will get rich through gambling.
• P5: Even though he thinks he’ll play just one game
of dice and will stop after that, he carries on
gambling for an hour, until all his money is lost.
• Despite continuing to lose money, Joe thinks he
knows how the system works.
• Joe thinks that if he blows on the dice, he can
control the outcome. We know that dice throwing is a game of chance and that nothing
or no-one can determine its outcome with certainty.
• P6: he used the money that was meant to buy bread for
gambling instead.
• He is under the mistaken belief that if he can have just one
more chance (“lend me one Rand” that he will be able to
win it all back.
• He steals money from his mother’s purse, trying to tell
himself that he is just “borrowing” it and will return it once
he has won all the money he has lost back.

• P7: Despite the fact that he keeps losing, he thinks he’ll win. He
continues to steal from his mother, goes back and back to the gambling
game, and keeps losing and losing.
• He tries to borrow money from Tiger.
• P8: he steals from the till at work.
• He tries to lie to Tiger, his friend, about the fact that he is stealing.
• He thinks that he doesn’t need help – not from anyone!
• P9: He borrows money at high interest rate from Sister Buck – a very
shady moneylender and drug dealer.
• Joe thinks that by going to a gambling place (Nine Lives) he will win
everything back.
• P11: he tries to ignore his conscience telling him that he’s doing wrong.
3. What does Tiger recognize as a warning signal?

• P3: Joe finds it difficult to stop after he has won some
money the first time he gambles on a game of dice.
Tiger knows when to stop, Joe doesn’t.
• P3: Tiger prevents Joe from missing the first class of
school Tiger tells Joe “Enough!”
• P5: Tiger, unlike Joe, knows that there is no “system” in
a game of dice.
• P6: Tiger refuses to lend money to Joe because Tiger
knows that Joe will lose it.
• P8: Tiger catches Joe stealing from the till, even though
Joe tries to deny it.
• Tiger recognizes that Joe has a problem and gives him the telephone number of the
problem Gambling Counselling Line.
4. How does Sister Buck encourage Joe, despite it being

obvious that Joe is getting into serious debt?
• P4: He encourages Joe to take a bet on the soccer
game and pays Joe a lot of money when Joe wins.
• P5: He flatters Joe (“You sure know how to play my
friend”), encouraging Joe to think that he is a good
gambler.
• P5; Sister Bucks tells Joe that he can always come
and borrow money from him at any time.
• P9: Sister Bucks loans Joe money (R100). Joe will
have to pay back Sister Bucks R130. (Sister Bucks
makes his money not from gambling, but loaning problem gamblers money who have to
pay back Sister Bucks the loan and an extra amount! – called “interest”)
• P9: Knowing the risks of gambling, Sister Buck himself doesn’t gamble!

Summary Sheet 9.3 (4) - Is This Heading for a Problem?
The following are signs that a young person may have a problem with
a risk-taking behaviour, like gambling or substance abuse. Of course,
there may be other reasons for why the person displays any of these
forms of behaviour, but if she or he does the following in order to carry
on with the risk-taking behaviour or as a result of the risk-taking
behaviour, it signals a possible problem1:
• Being so busy thinking about gambling that other activities and tasks are neglected
• Selling, pawning or stealing valuables
• Stealing money
• Skipping classes at school
• Not doing homework assignments and neglecting school work
• Lying about whereabouts
• Mood swings and emotional withdrawal
• Being argumentative, irritable, restless and have difficulty concentrating
• Breaking promises, forgetting commitments and being generally unreliable
• Hanging out with a dubious gang of friends
• Repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop the specific risk behaviour
• Trying to win back losses (in cases of a gambling problem)
• Needing to gamble with ever-increasing amounts of money in order to attain the desired
effect

Summary Sheet 9.3 (5) - Where to Get Help
If you think you are in trouble, talk to someone about it. If you think you (or someone close
to you) may be heading for a problem, seek professional advice. The free helpline number
is:
Tel: 0800 006 008

Send SMS: 076 675 0710
Or go to
http://www.responsiblegambling.co.za
Because gambling is illegal for anyone under 18, many young people are reluctant to seek
help because they are scared that the police will target them. This will not happen,
because, the helpline doesn’t ask your name and doesn’t want to know your contact details.
If you phoned the free helpline 0800 006 008, the person answering the phone will:
• be a professional counsellor
• not ask your name
• keep your call and information absolutely confidential
• talk about what you want to talk about
• offer further advice as to where you can go for further help
• offer free services

Unit 9.4
Crisis Management: When Gambling Becomes a Problem

• Explain why some people develop a problem with gambling whereas many others
don’t
• Identify the negative consequences of problem gambling
• Apply useful strategies on to cope with a situation when a close family member or
friend is a problem gambler
Main concepts:
Psychology of gambling
Emotional payoffs or rewards
Entrapment
Problem gambling
Negative consequences
Coping strategies
Resources:
Gambling while Many Others Don’t?
Summary Sheet 9.4 (2) - What are the Bad Consequences of Problem
Gambling?
Learning Activity Sheet 9.4 (3) - How Do I Cope With a Friend or Family Member
Who Has a Gambling Problem?
Summary Sheet 9.4 (4) – How Do I Cope With Someone Who Has a Gambling
Problem?


Orientating
Introduce considerations about

the psychology of gambling
Put up Summary Sheet 9.4 (1)
Enhancing
STEP 2: EXPLANATION
Make learners aware of the serious
consequences of problem gambling.
Synthesising
STEP 4: ACTIVITY STEP 5:

EXPLANATION AND
Role play on how to cope with a friend FEEDBACK
or family member who has a gambling
problem. Look at various coping
Learning Activity 9.4 (3). strategies.

ORIENTATING
In the previous unit 9.3 learners discussed the warning signs displayed by
someone who may be developing a problem with high-risk behaviour, and
gambling. In Grade 8 learners examined strategies for staying in control while
gambling. Drawing on these insights, learners in Grade 9 analyse the
psychology of gambling and learn how to cope with someone (including
themselves!) who has a gambling problem.
Note for Teachers

The units dealing with gambling are aimed at developing skills that will enable
learners to cope sensibly with high-risk behaviour. Much has been written about problem
gambling and addiction to gambling. In Grades 10-12, learners will delve deeper into the
issue, but for now, it is important that learners in Grades 7-9 are able to recognize when
gambling becomes “problem gambling”, understand what its possible consequences are and
know how to deal with it.
Of course, it is illegal in South Africa for anyone under the age of 18 to gamble. Therefore, all
gambling by minors is problematic to the extent that it is illegal and is likely to lead to
problems with law enforcement agents. The more long-term concern is when youth gambling
leads to addiction-like behaviour and self-damaging excesses.
Often a young person is directly affected by the gambling problem of someone close to them.
Young people who are exposed to problem gambling in the family are affected in various
ways. They may learn that promises may be kept or broken, according to the gambler’s wins
and losses and time spent gambling. The gambler may feel guilty about this behaviour and try
to “make it up” to the children. The children, meanwhile, have to live with inconsistent and
confusing parenting. Children often think they are the cause of the family’s problems and
may:
• Feel abandoned, helpless, hurt, depressed or ashamed
• Try to make things better, try to solve the problem, or try to make up for the neglect or
financial difficulties
• Feel angry at the gambler or resentful of the gambler’s neglect or the family’s lack of
money
• Develop problems of their own such as inappropriate behaviour, being withdrawn,
and being at risk of making unhealthy lifestyle choices themselves.

It is therefore important for young people to know what the possible consequences of problem
gambling are and know how to cope with someone who has a gambling problem.
In order to give learners an understanding of why some people gamble more than
they can afford to whereas others don’t, introduce key considerations in the psychology of
gambling and re-visit the notion of “warning signals” of risk-taking behaviour.
Put up Summary Sheet 9.4 (1) – Why Do Some People Develop a Problem with
Say, for example:
Ask:
• Does everyone who gambles develop a gambling problem?
(Learners should be able to recognize that most people who gamble don’t develop a
gambling problem. They may, from time to time, gamble too much or be irresponsible,
but a few times of excessive gambling mishaps don’t necessarily constitute a problem.)
Most people who gamble don’t experience a problem with it. Some people choose not to
gamble at all, so they are non-gamblers. Others again gamble once in a while. This is simply
for fun or entertainment and doesn’t cause problems for such individuals. Many people
gamble regularly without there being any problems. They spend money that they can afford
and see gambling as fun or entertainment. However, there are others who constantly
gamble more than they can afford in terms of time or money, and for whom gambling
becomes a problem.
Ask:
• When does gambling become a problem for the person?
(In grade 7 and 8 learners were introduced to the notion of problem gambling. Test to
see whether they can remember the main points of the definition that was provided in
7.5:
Gambling becomes a problem when someone continues to gamble despite bad

consequences. Problem gamblers on a repeated basis spend more time and money they
can afford, and thereby neglect their other responsibilities (like school work or employment

tasks), or damage the relationships that are important to them (e.g. with family or friends).
Another way of putting it:
A problem gambler is a person who, on a repeated basis, feels that he or she has
lost more money than they could comfortably afford to.
Problem gamblers are unable to place limits on the time and money spent on
gambling. They cannot control or stick to their decisions about the amount of
time or money they spend on gambling.
Ask:
• Why do you think some people develop a gambling problem whereas others don’t?
The psychology of gambling

To get a better understanding of why some people gamble whereas others don’t, let’s take
a brief look at the psychology of gambling 1. There are three main reasons why some people
develop a problem with or get addicted to gambling whereas others don’t.
1. The thrill of uncertainty and the thrill of surprise

The first reason is the thrill of uncertainty and of not being able to predict when or how much
you will win. We have seen that the outcomes in almost all gambling games with dice, slot
machines, roulette, and most table and card games, are uncertain because these games are
based on random processes. People who gamble will occasionally win differing amounts of
money. These wins however are scattered among many more losses. The fact that players
cannot know when they will win or even how much they may win on certain games makes it
difficult for them to stop playing. There is always the thrill of the unknown, or the excitement
of the possibility of winning on the next round. Not knowing when they’re going to win or how
much they’re going to win is the attraction for many players.
2. Rewards or emotional payoffs

The second key factor in playing games is the rewards or emotional payoffs of winning. In
Grade 7 we saw that people get involved in high-risk behaviour because it gives them a
thrill; it makes them “feel good” in different ways. We live in a very competitive culture,
where winning – whether it is in sports, quiz games, schoolwork, etc – is seen as highly
desirable. When winning is coupled with a money prize, which in itself is a highly valued item
in today’s world, the emotional reward becomes even more significant. So, the emotional
payoffs of gambling, together with the thrill of uncertainty in the game itself, make gambling
a powerful attraction for some people – one that is not easily ignored.
1Taken from How Gambling Works, the Addiction Foundation of Manitoba, Canada.
www.afm.mb.ca/Learn%20More/gambling

3. Entrapment
The third main factor why some people gamble too much is that they have fallen victim to
entrapment. To be entrapped means you’re caught and can’t escape. Players who are
“entrapped” become more and more determined to continue with an uncertain plan. Imagine
waiting for a bus to go a short distance; if the bus doesn’t come along after a while, how long
should you continue to wait? Two competing thought patterns can develop. One is to leave
the bus stop, accept the loss of time and energy, and walk to your destination. The other is
to reason as follows: “If I wait long enough, the bus has to come. I’ve seen this bus before,
so I’m sure it will come again. If I leave now, the bus is bound to arrive and I will feel foolish
for leaving and wasting all that time waiting. I’ll therefore wait until the bus comes and then
I’ll be proven right.”
This entrapment at the bus stop has a direct parallel to gambling. Gamblers spend time,
energy and money on their games. The gambler then starts to see this expense not as the
cost of entertainment, but rather as an “investment”. The gambler, like the person waiting at
the bus stop, may become increasingly reluctant to stop gambling to show that he is not a
loser – that he can and will win. Just like the person who is convinced that the bus will turn
up soon, “at any moment”, so the gambler continues to gamble because he thinks that he
will win soon, “just the next round!”. This results in more gambling, mounting losses and a
growing determination to gamble.
So, we know that high-risk behaviour has certain rewards, but what are the consequences of
repeatedly gambling too much and of being unable to control or stick to the decision on how
much time and money will be spent on gambling?
WHY DO SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO GAMBLE?
The thrill of uncertainty and of surprise
Rewards or emotional payoffs
Entrapment

ENHANCING
Deepen learners’ understanding of the fact that although most people who
gamble don’t develop a problem, there are some who on a repeated basis
spend more money and time on gambling than they can afford and who cannot
control or stick to the decision on how much time and money they will spend
on gambling. People who repeatedly gamble too much and who repeatedly
cannot adhere to limits create serious problems for themselves and others.
Make learners aware that although gambling for most people is a form of harmless
entertainment, for some it leads to serious problems.
Put up Summary Sheet 9.4 (2) – What Are the Bad Consequences of Problem Gambling?
Say, for example:
Ask:
• When does gambling become a problem?
(Encourage learners to recognize that it is repeated gambling excesses and the lack of
control to stick to the decision on setting limits for time and money spent on gambling.
Remind learners that although they cannot control the outcome of games of chance,
they can control their own decisions to set limits.)
People who on a repeated basis feel that they spend more time or energy or money
on gambling than they can afford and who are unable to control or stick to the
decision on how much time and money they will spend on gambling are likely to
develop a gambling problem.
Joe [the character from the comic book], for example, instead of spending some of his own
spare money, spends his mother’s money on gambling and instead of being in school,
spends the time gambling. Joe is therefore a problem gambler because he repeatedly
spends more time and money than he can afford on gambling.
Ask:
• What are some of the possible consequences for a person who has a gambling
problem?

(Remind learners of the character Joe whom they met in the comic book in the revious
two units, 9.2 and 9.3.)
When gambling becomes a problem, it negatively affects a person’s physical or

psychological health, or impacts on significant areas of their life such as schooling,
employment, family and peer relationships, financial stability, or contributes to a person’s
involvement in illegal activities in order to finance gambling.
People may experience a range in the severity of the problems affecting them, ranging from
minor difficulties to severe problems. Problems are often characterized by increasing the
time spent gambling, and increasing the amounts of money gambled. Problem gamblers are
unable to place limits on the time and money spent on gambling.
Let’s see what some of the bad consequences are that problem gambling can cause:
• Financial problems and debts

Although the gambler may be placing only small bets, these can mount up to a
significant debt, especially if the desperate gambler tries to win back money to pay for
the increasing debts. Instead of solving money problems, a gambler’s continued
gambling only increases the problems. Ususally, the gambler is more in debt than ever
before.
• Family conflict
Owing money to family invariably leads to tension and where the gambler is a major
source of family income, serious conflict and even violence can result over the
distribution of winnings. When a gambler steals from his or her family, they will be both
angry and immensely disappointed in the gambler who,in turn, is likely to feel both guilty
and resentful.
• Problems with friends

Spending less time with friends as a result of gambling or borrowing money from them
inevitably leads to friends feeling neglected or exploited. Fights over money and the
ending of friendships are likely to follow.
• Problems at school or work

Taking time off from school or work to gamble can lead to poor work performance or
loss of employment. Also, being depressed and anxious as a result of problem gambling
hinders study and productivity, often with the outcome of dropping out of school
altogether or being fired from the job.

• Medical or psychological problems

Given the pressure under which many gamblers live, it is likely that anxiety, depression,
and health problems will manifest themselves. In some cases the township money
lenders, “mashonisas”, enforce payment of debts through brute physical
force.Sometimes money lenders also work with traditional healers, “sangomas”, and
because it is believed that they are able to curse people, gamblers are terrified and see
themselves as getting sick. After their first win, problem gamblers are usually ecstatic,
but gradually become more and more anxious and depressed when losses start
mounting.
• Addiction problems
In order to escape the anxiety, depression and tension that come with problem
gambling, many gamblers turn to substance abuse, like alcohol and drugs. Instead of
solving their gambling problem, this usually makes it worse since alcohol and drugs tend
to increase risk-taking behaviour, including taking bigger gambling risks and thereby
losing even more money. A vicious cycle makes it difficult to break out of the
increasingly problematic situation.
• Involvement with criminals and risky activities

Studies indicate that adolescents who are involved in (illegal, underage) gambling often
try and get the extra money they need for gambling by turning to petty crimes and sex
work. In order to pay back debts, gamblers often turn to theft and more serious forms of
crime. In turn it also means that problem gamblers start getting more involved with
criminal gangs and criminal activitites.
• Problems with the police

Anxiety about money and desperation to pay back the lenders, may encourage
gamblers with money problems to seek “easy” solutions like theft, drug running and
prostitution. These are illegal activities and chances are that the police will sooner or
later be involved.
• Reduced work ethic and productivity

Problem gamblers are usually preoccupied with making plans to go and gamble,
organizing games, finding ways to pay their debts, and are therefore constantly anxious
or depressed. These are factors that reduce concentration and therefore productivity.
Young problem gamblers are thinking constantly of their next bet and their schoolwork is
likely to suffer as a result of this problem.

• Depression and thoughts of suicide

The anxiety about losses and poor performance is likely to show in physical problems
such as sleep disorders, depression or headaches. In young people, gambling is often
used as a form of escape from the realities of daily life. However, when the “realities” of
repeated excessive gambling – such as debt, poor school achievement and tension with
family and friends – can no longer be ignored, young gamblers report feeling suicidal
and sometimes actually commit suicide.
Financial
problems
Involvement with and debts
criminals
Family
conflict
Addiction
problems
Problems
with friends
Consequences of
problem gambling
Medical or Problems at
psychologic school or
al problems work
Depression
and thoughts
Problems Reduced of suicide
with work
police ethic
SYNTHESISING
Consolidate learners’ understanding of how to cope with a family member or
friend who may have a gambling problem. First introduce them to various
responses and then invite them to explore how they can apply these to their
own role-play scenario.

STEP 3 - ACTIVITY
Divide the class into groups of about 4-5 members.

Hand out Learning Activity Sheet 9.4 (3) - How to Cope With a Friend or Family Member
Who Has a Gambling Problem?
Since this is a role-play activity, allow about 10-15 minutes for preparation.
Invite the groups to perform their role-play for the class. If there is not enough time for all the
groups to
STEP 4 – FEEDBACK AND EXPLANATION
Often a young person is directly affected by the gambling problem (or other high-risk
behavioural problem) of someone close to them. Following their role-play, put up Summary
Sheet 9.4 (4) – How Do I Cope With Someone Who Has a Gambling Problem?
Link their own role-play responses to the list in the Summary Sheet. Stress that these
responses can be applied to situations with other forms of problem behaviour as well, not just
to problem gambling.

• Does every one who gambles develop a gambling problem?
Most people who gamble don’t experience a problem with it. They spend money that they can
afford and see gambling as fun or entertainment.
• When does gambling become a problem for the person?
A problem gambler is a person who, on a repeated basis, feels that he or she has lost more
money than they could comfortably afford to.
A problem gambler is unable to place limits on the time and money spent on gambling. The
person cannot control or stick to their decision about the amount of time or money spend on
gambling.
• Why do you think some people develop a gambling problem whereas others don’t?
The thrill of uncertainty, of anticipated surprise, and of

not being able to predict when or how much they will win. Not
knowing when they’re going to win or how much they’re going to win
is the attraction for many players.
The rewards or emotional payoffs of winning. People

get involved in high-risk behaviour because it gives them a
thrill; it makes them “feel good”. Our society likes “winners”
and so the chance to win at gambling is a powerful attraction.
Entrapment. To be entrapped means you’re caught and can’t escape.

Players who are “entrapped” become more and more determined to
continue with an uncertain plan. The gambler continues to gamble because
he thinks that he has “invested” so much already and thinks that he will win
soon, “just the next round!” This results in more gambling, mounting losses
and a growing determination to gamble

Summary Sheet 9.4 (2) - What are the Bad Consequences of Problem
Gambling?
Problem gamblers, on a repeated basis, feel that they have lost more money than they could
comfortably afford to. They are unable to place limits on the time and money spent on
gambling. They cannot control or stick to their decision about the amount of time or money
spend on gambling.
A young problem gambler, for example, instead of spending his or her own spare money,
spends someone else’s money on gambling and instead of being in school, spends the time
gambling. What, do you think, are some of the negative consequences of having a gambling
problem?
Financial problems and Problems at school or

Family conflict Problems with friends
debts work
Involvement wiht
Medical or psychological
Addiction problems criminals and risky Problems with the police
problems
activities
Reduced work ethic and Depression and thoughts

productivity of suicide

GROUP ACTIVITY
Learning Activity Sheet 9.4 (3) - How Do I Cope with a Friend or Family
Member Who Has a Gambling Problem?
Role Play Scenarios
With the group, read through the following scenarios.
Choose one, decide what characters each person will play and plan how you will role-play
your coping responses to the class.
Scenarios:
1. Your older sister is feeling very depressed about all the money she’s lost on gambling.
When you visit her, she starts to cry and says, “I live alone and am often lonely. When I
go out and gamble, I forget about that.”
2. Your father has been losing a lot of money on gambling. When the family confronts him
about the increasing debts, he says, “I don’t have a job and so need to gamble to get
money for household expenses and clothes.”
3. Your friend has been gambling and losing a lot of money. He’s asked you for a loan and
says, “I know how the system works. I’ll now be able to win a lot of money. If you don’t
lend me the money, I will never speak to you again!”

Summary Sheet 9.4 (4) - How Do I Cope with Someone who Has a
Gambling Problem?
Help the problem gambler by using some of the following strategies:

• Don’t lend the gambler money; the person will be tempted to use the money for gambling
instead for paying debts.
• Allow the problem gambler to face the consequences of their actions; don’t protect them;
• Allow the person to take responsibility for his or her own behaviour
• Encourage the gambler to seek professional help
• Offer to assist the person to get therapy
• Help them get involved in non-gambling activities
• Treat excessive gamblers in the same way as you would treat other addicts – with
detachment and kindness.
Protect and help yourself from the negative consequences of the other person’s gambling
problem by using some of the following strategiers:
• Put your energies into protecting yourself financially, physically and emotionally
• It is normal to feel betrayed and angry. Acknowledge your feelings and learn appropriate
ways to express them
• Be honest
• Talk to people you trust about your situation
• Solve your own problems – you can’t solve someone else’s problems for them
• Understand that you are not to blame for the problem and that you cannot force the
person to stop gambling
• Start living your own life and doing things you enjoy
• Be clear about your boundaries – make up your mind what you are and are not willing to
accept
• Seek professional support and advice to help yourself

Additional Resources
Gambling Help Line:

0800 006 008
Novel:
Jacobs, Rayda (2003). Confessions of a Gambler. Cape Town: Kwela Books
Websites of school programmes and curricula:
National Responsible Gambling Programme (NRGP):

http://www.responsiblegambling.co.za/
NRGP Schools Programme:

http://schools.nrgp.org.za/
Youth Making Choices: A Curriculum-Based Gambling Prevention Programme (10 units)

(Ontario)
http://www.problemgambling.ca/EN/ResourcesForProfessionals/Pages/CurriculumYouthMaki
ngChoices.aspx
Youth Bet: an interactive resource for learners (Canada)

http://youthbet.com/
Tacade publication on gambling:

http://www.tacade.com/gamble_form.php
http://www.tacade.com/gambling.php
Gambling Sense: A Responsible Gambling and Financial Literacy Education Resource

http://www.austgamingcouncil.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&sectionid=20&task=cat
egory&id=103&Itemid=99999999
A Guide for Problem Gambling; Children and Young People (New South Wales)
http://www.gamblinghelp.nsw.gov.au/asset/cms/Download%20resources/Documents/Guide_t
o_problem_gambling_TAFE_Teachers.pdf
Teachers’ Resource: Calculating the Risk

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/gambling/
Teachers’ Resource: What’s the Real Deal? (Tasmania)
http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/gambling/gambling_archive/programs/whats_the_real_deal
Problem Gambling: A Resource Guide for Schools (Victoria)

http://professionals.problemgambling.vic.gov.au/brochures-resources/for-schools
A Teaching and Learning Resource for Responsible Gambling Education: Building Resilience
for Young Learners (Victoria)
http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/library/publications/resources-and-education/teacher-
resources/responsible-gambling-building-resilience-for-young-learners.pdf
Responsible Gambling Teaching Resource Kit (Queensland)

http://www.ethikkommission-kaernten.at/ICME11/ICME11_TSG13_p15_peard.pdf
http://www.olgr.qld.gov.au/responsibleGambling/educationInfo/schoolStuff/schoolstuff/index.h
tml
Health and Wellbeing: A Teaching Resource (Queensland)

http://rsc-vcal12.wikispaces.com/file/view/Health_Intro.pdf
Reach Out: Online Youth Mental Health Service (Australia)

http://au.reachout.com/
Talking with Children about Gambling (USA)

http://www.ncrg.org/public-education-and-outreach/college-and-youth-gambling-
programs/talking-children-about-gambling
Facing the Odds: The Mathematics of Gambling and Other Risks (USA)
http://www.ncrg.org/public-education-and-outreach/college-and-youth-gambling-
programs/facing-odds
Teens, Know Your Limits: an interactive resource for learners (USA)

http://www.teensknowyourlimits.org/
Learner’s pre-programme survey
1. I am in: Grade 10  Grade 11  Grade 12 

2. I have gambled before: Often  Sometimes  Never 
3. I have a friend or family member or someone close to me who has a gambling problem:
Yes  No 
4. English is my first language, the one I speak most often: Yes  No 
Read the following statements and then answer “yes”, if you agree with the statement, “no” if
you disagree, or “not sure”. Tick the appropriate box.
What I know about high-risk behaviour and gambling: Yes Not No

sure
1. High-risk behaviour can lead to bad consequences.
2. By the time a person reaches adolescence, the brain is fully developed.
3. Gambling involves taking risks over which you have no or little control.
4. I know how to make responsible choices and manage my risk-taking

behaviour.
5. The longer the time a person spends gambling, the better the chances
of winning more money.
6. Adolescents are more likely to take part in high-risk behaviour than
adults.
7. A person will win money on the slot machines or on the Lotto if he or
she knows how the system works.
8. Although some people develop gambling problems, many manage to
gamble responsibly.
9. I know where to go for help for either my own or someone else’s
gambling problem.
Complete the following sentences about gambling (dice, coin tossing, sports betting, Lotto,
card betting, fafi, etc):
10. I am interested to know more about _________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
11. I do not believe that _______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
12. I want to add that ________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Learner’s post-programme survey
1. I am in: Grade 10  Grade 11  Grade 12 

2. I have gambled before: Often  Sometimes  Never 
3. I have a friend or family member or someone close to me who has a gambling problem:
Yes  No 
4. English is my first language, the one I speak most often: Yes  No 
Read the following statements and then answer “yes”, if you agree with the statement, “no” if
you disagree, or “not sure”. Tick the appropriate box.
What I have learnt about high-risk behaviour and gambling: Yes Not No
sure
1. High-risk behaviour can lead to bad consequences.
2. By the time a person reaches adolescence, the brain is fully developed.
3. Gambling involves taking risks over which you have no or little control.
4. I know how to make responsible choices and manage my risk-taking

behaviour.
5. The longer the time a person spends gambling, the better the chances
of winning more money.
6. Adolescents are more likely to take part in high-risk behaviour than
adults.
7. A person will win money on the slot machines or on the Lotto if he or
she knows how the system works.
8. Although some people develop gambling problems, many manage to
gamble responsibly.
9. I know where to go for help for either my own or someone else’s
gambling problem.
Complete the following sentences about gambling (dice, coin tossing, sports betting, Lotto,
card betting, fafi, etc):
10. I am interested to know more about _________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
11. I do not believe that _______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
12. I was surprised to learn that ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Grades 10-12 Taking Risks Wisely
Teachers’ Feedback Survey
Some background details:
(Tick the relevant box/es)
1. The school at which I teach is located in area that’s regarded as

urban semi-urban rural
2. I taught Taking Risks Wisely to the following grades:

Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
3. In total, I taught the following number of lessons from Taking Risks Wisely
Less than 5 5-10 10-15 15-20 More than 20
4. The school at which I teach has mainly first language English speakers.
Yes No
5. The learners at my school have easy access to computers at school

Yes No
(On a scale of 1-3, tick one of the boxes: 1 = poor, bad; 2 = average; 3 = excellent, good)
1 2 3
poor average good
The content of the teaching and learning resource
6. Relevance of content to learners’ interests and needs
7. Link of content with aims of CAPS and the rest of the Life Orientation
curriculum
8. Logical and systematic development of topics from one lesson to another
within the grade
9. Logical and consistent development of topics across the grades
10. What I liked about the content: (add your own comments)
11. What I didn’t like about the content:

Language use in the teaching and learning resource 1 2 3
poor average good
12. Appropriateness of the level of language difficulty used (matching the
level of language to the learners’ fluency)
13. Clarity of the concepts (explanation of difficult words)
14. Suitability of the tone used
15. What I liked about the language and the tone:
16. What I didn’t like about the language and the tone:
Pedagogy used 1 2 3
poor average good
17. Suitability of the level of difficulty in the learning tasks
18. Relevance of learning tasks to learners’ interests and needs
19. Level of variety of learning tasks
20. Degree of interactivity that’s promoted by the learning tasks
21. Level of learner engagement in the learning tasks
22. Reinforcement of previous learning entailed in the learning activities
23. What I liked about the pedagogy promoted by the material:
24. What I didn’t like about the pedagogy promoted by the material:
Layout and design of the teaching and learning resource 1 2 3
poor average good
25. The usefulness of the colour-coded grades
26. The usefulness of the step-by-step lesson plans
27. The attractiveness of the drawings and design
28. What I liked about the layout and design:
29. What I didn’t like about the layout and design:
Overall comments on the resource 1 2 3

poor average good
30. The usefulness of the website linked to the resource (if accessed)
31. What I would like to see added to the resource manual, workbooks or web:
32. Comments on specific lessons (indicate which lessons, e.g. 7.3 or 9.2)
MANY THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND COMMITMENT TO COMPLETING THIS FEEDBACK FORM.
PLEASE POST IT TO: NATIONAL RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING PROGRAMME, PO BOX 782494,
SANDTON 2146

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Teacher’s Manual

Developed by the South African National Responsible Gambling

Tel: +27 11 026 7323

TAKING RISKS WISELY

National Gambling Act 2004

Overview of CAPS curriculum: Grades 7-9

Pre- and Post-learning surveys

All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 1

Background to the Taking Risks Wisely programme

All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 2

The website has:

This initial programme was piloted in 5 provinces in 64 schools. Based on a programme

All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 3

Here follows a discussion of each of these five essentials:

1. Life Orientation - Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS)

The specific aims of Life Orientation are to:

2. Relevance and neutrality

All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 4

3. Making your task as a teacher easier

4. Flexibility and adaptability

All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 5

Notes on how to use this manual

Each grade has 4 units.

To help teachers, icons are used for quick visual orientation:

background information on the topic for the teacher

the learners will perform a task

Since much of learning is facilitated by means of asking questions to engage learners,

The resource consists of the following:

All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 6

Thanks and acknowledgments

All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 7

All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 8

2 No. 26670 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 12 AUGUST 2004

Act No. 7, 2004 NATIONAL GAMBLING ACT, 2004

It is desirable to co-ordinate activities relating to the exercise of that concurrent

* gambling activities are effectively regulated, licenced, controlled and policed;

It is expedient to establish certain national institutions, and to recognise the

All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 9

All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 10

All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 11

All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 12

Overview of CAPS topics

Topic Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9

Constitutional rights and • Human rights as • Nation building • Issues relating to

World of work • Importance of reading • Different learning styles • Time-management skills

Physical education • Participates in fitness • Participates in physical • Improves own physical

All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme 13

Overview of Grade 7 curriculum on Taking Risks

By the end of the 4 units, learners will be able to:

• recognize the various forms that peer pressure can take

7.0 All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme

Taking Risks Wisely: Unit 7.1

Assessment Time Marks

7.0 All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme

Assessment form Time Marks

Assessment form Time Type of

7.0 All contents copyright © 2017 National Responsible Gambling Programme

Assessment Progamme – Grade 7

Term Assessment Marks per term