Authentic Task for History garde 12

1. Authentic Task
Subject: History
Grade: 12
Topic or Theme: The Soweto uprising
Abstract
The 1976 Soweto uprising signalled a turning point in South African
politics. Firstly, it showed that people, especially students were
starting to be conscious about their education and the injustices
which were caused by the apartheid government to them. Moreover,
it gave a spectacle of the viciousness of apartheid to other overseas
countries who were reluctant on posing sanctions on South Africa’s
Apartheid government; namely United States of America and Britain.
The Soweto uprising have laid a foundation for the quest for
inclusive education. Thus the activities require students to
contextualize the 1976 Soweto uprising through answering the
questions.

2. Source A: A picture of students during the 1976 Soweto uprising.
Sub-Authentic task 1.
Answer the following questions individually.
1. What was the significance of Soweto uprising? (6)
2. Look carefully at the above picture. What do you think those students are
doing? Why are you saying so? (4)
3. If you lived in the period of 1976, were you going to do what the students were
doing? (5)
[15 MARKS]
What happened during the protest?
THE CROWD BETWEEN 3.000 AND 10.000 OF STUDENTS,
MADE THEIR WAY TOWARDS THE AREA OF SCHOOL.
HOWEVER THE STUDENTS WERE SINGING AND ALSO WOVE
PLACARDS WITH SLOGANS. “DOWN WITH AFRIKAANS,” “VIVA

3. AZANIA” AND “IF WE DO AFRIKAANS, VORSTER MUST DO
ZULU.”
“THE POLICE TOLD US TO DISPERSE, BUT WE REFUSED,
SAYING THAT ‘NO WE ARE NOT GOING TO LOOT, WE ARE NOT
GOING TO DO ANYHTING WRONG. WE ARE JUST GOING TO
MARCH AND DEMONSTRATE AND SING THEN GO BACK
HOME.’ THEY AGAIN SAID THAT WE MUST DISPERSE.”
JON-JON MKHONZA, ABOUT POLICE INTERVENTIN JUST
PRIOR TO THE POLICE DOGS BEING RELEASED
Source B: Police used dogs to disperse the protesters and
some students were severely wounded by dog bites.

4. Sub-authentic task 2: Questions based on source B, answer
in pairs
a. Were the police justified to release dogs to disperse the students? (2)
b. If you were a police, what other means would you use to disperse
students rather than using dogs? (2)
c. What are similar incidents which occurred in the 21st
century where
police dealt harshly with the protesters? What similarities can you
draw between the 1976 and those incidents? (6)
[10 marks]
Watch the video about the Soweto uprising in the link
below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyicKHs_cSg
Main Authentic task
Examine source A and B, the account by Jon-Jon Mkhonza and
other external sources such as textbooks and listen to the video
which is accessible in the link provided above. Answer the following
question.
Amongst things which students fought for in the 1976 Soweto
uprising was, ‘quality education’ (which includes proper updated
textbooks, reasonable ratio of teachers and classes, e.g. ‘one
teacher, one classroom’ and building of schools in each location to
accommodate every learners.
In groups comprised of four individuals write a report of seven pages
where you comment on whether those students’ aspirations of 1976
have been achieved or not in this 21 years old democratic South

5. Africa. Before doing your task, it is advisable to divide the work
amongst your selves and give each member a part of work to do.
Instructions on writing your report:
Start by examining the situation at your own school and
comment on it.
Secondly you may expand to situations at other schools;
interview teachers, fellow students and parents to gather
information.
Lastly, write your own view based on the evidence you
gathered whether those aspirations of 1976 students have
been achieved or not.
[50 MARKS]
Due date: 13 October 2015.

6. Africa. Before doing your task, it is advisable to divide the work
amongst your selves and give each member a part of work to do.
Instructions on writing your report:
Start by examining the situation at your own school and
comment on it.
Secondly you may expand to situations at other schools;
interview teachers, fellow students and parents to gather
information.
Lastly, write your own view based on the evidence you
gathered whether those aspirations of 1976 students have
been achieved or not.
[50 MARKS]
Due date: 13 October 2015.