TMS3731
Assignment 5
Portfolio
Due 14 October 2025
,TMS3731 Assignment 5 Portfolio
Due Date: Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Module: Teaching Social Sciences in the Senior Phase
Portfolio Task 1: Reflective Narrative on Creating Inclusive Social Sciences
Lessons
1. Introduction
Inclusive education is the foundation of quality teaching because it ensures that every
learner—regardless of background, ability, or circumstance—participates meaningfully
in the learning process. During my teaching practice, I facilitated a Grade 8 Social
Sciences lesson in a multilingual township school. The class embodied extensive
diversity: many learners were English second-language speakers, some had diagnosed
learning difficulties, and a significant number faced socio-economic hardship. My
primary aim was to design an environment where all learners could equitably access
content, engage actively, and experience recognition of their identities within the lesson.
2. Lesson Context and Topic
• Topic: The Impact of Colonisation on African Societies
• Grade: 8
• Context: A township school with 46 learners characterised by multilingualism
(isiZulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English as LoLT) and socio-economic
inequalities. Many learners lacked textbooks or access to digital resources at
home, underscoring the importance of classroom-based inclusivity.
, 3. Inclusive Strategies Implemented
3.1 Language Accommodation
Language barriers presented a major challenge. To address this, I employed code-
switching, clarifying complex terms in isiZulu and Sesotho, while encouraging peer-
assisted translation. This strategy aligns with Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which
underscores interaction and scaffolding as pivotal to learning (Vygotsky, 1978). By
bridging learners’ home languages with the LoLT, I facilitated deeper comprehension
without undermining English as the medium of instruction.
3.2 Differentiated Instruction
Recognising cognitive diversity, I introduced tiered activities:
• Advanced learners analysed colonial maps and letters, evaluating bias and
perspective.
• Learners requiring support engaged with simplified timelines and visuals
summarising colonisation.
This approach reflects Tomlinson’s (2014) framework for differentiated instruction, which
adapts content, process, and outcomes to learner readiness. Differentiation enabled all
learners to engage meaningfully at levels of challenge suited to their abilities.
3.3 Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
I integrated UDL principles to ensure multiple entry points for engagement:
• Visuals: Comparative images of African societies before and after colonisation.
• Audio: Short video clips reinforcing historical shifts.
• Kinesthetic activity: Role-play, where groups assumed the roles of colonisers or
local chiefs in debate.
UDL fosters flexibility in teaching by recognising diverse learning profiles (CAST, 2018).
The role-play, in particular, cultivated empathy and critical thinking, as learners engaged
with history through multiple perspectives.
Assignment 5
Portfolio
Due 14 October 2025
,TMS3731 Assignment 5 Portfolio
Due Date: Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Module: Teaching Social Sciences in the Senior Phase
Portfolio Task 1: Reflective Narrative on Creating Inclusive Social Sciences
Lessons
1. Introduction
Inclusive education is the foundation of quality teaching because it ensures that every
learner—regardless of background, ability, or circumstance—participates meaningfully
in the learning process. During my teaching practice, I facilitated a Grade 8 Social
Sciences lesson in a multilingual township school. The class embodied extensive
diversity: many learners were English second-language speakers, some had diagnosed
learning difficulties, and a significant number faced socio-economic hardship. My
primary aim was to design an environment where all learners could equitably access
content, engage actively, and experience recognition of their identities within the lesson.
2. Lesson Context and Topic
• Topic: The Impact of Colonisation on African Societies
• Grade: 8
• Context: A township school with 46 learners characterised by multilingualism
(isiZulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English as LoLT) and socio-economic
inequalities. Many learners lacked textbooks or access to digital resources at
home, underscoring the importance of classroom-based inclusivity.
, 3. Inclusive Strategies Implemented
3.1 Language Accommodation
Language barriers presented a major challenge. To address this, I employed code-
switching, clarifying complex terms in isiZulu and Sesotho, while encouraging peer-
assisted translation. This strategy aligns with Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which
underscores interaction and scaffolding as pivotal to learning (Vygotsky, 1978). By
bridging learners’ home languages with the LoLT, I facilitated deeper comprehension
without undermining English as the medium of instruction.
3.2 Differentiated Instruction
Recognising cognitive diversity, I introduced tiered activities:
• Advanced learners analysed colonial maps and letters, evaluating bias and
perspective.
• Learners requiring support engaged with simplified timelines and visuals
summarising colonisation.
This approach reflects Tomlinson’s (2014) framework for differentiated instruction, which
adapts content, process, and outcomes to learner readiness. Differentiation enabled all
learners to engage meaningfully at levels of challenge suited to their abilities.
3.3 Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
I integrated UDL principles to ensure multiple entry points for engagement:
• Visuals: Comparative images of African societies before and after colonisation.
• Audio: Short video clips reinforcing historical shifts.
• Kinesthetic activity: Role-play, where groups assumed the roles of colonisers or
local chiefs in debate.
UDL fosters flexibility in teaching by recognising diverse learning profiles (CAST, 2018).
The role-play, in particular, cultivated empathy and critical thinking, as learners engaged
with history through multiple perspectives.
