In this unit pupils will develop an awareness of their own identity, investigate their emotional responses to identity and diversity and recognise that their identity can change. Pupils will have opportunities to investigate the diversity that exists around them and explore some of the challenges and opportunities that people’s responses to diversity may pose.
What makes me, me? |
Learning Intentions
Pupils are learning … |
Possible Learning, Teaching and Assessment Activities |
…to appreciate that identity is influenced by many factors.
… to illustrate aspects of their individual identity.
…to categorise and make links between factors which affect their identities.
…to give reasons for their choices.
Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making
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Provide opportunities for pupils to develop an understanding of the word ‘identity’ through brainstorming or discussion and record all comments. Allow some time for the class to talk about the various ideas that they have generated.
Pupils now focus on their individual identities. They think of as many factors as possible that influence their identity and, on an A4 sheet, label these factors on a cut out of the human body. Pupils could write or draw inside the body-shape aspects of their identity that they are born with. Outside the shape pupils write or draw aspects of their identity which involve choices.
Display the pupils’ work. Allow time for them to share and discuss their drawings. As a class, discuss and reflect on the activity.
- What aspects of your identity were important for you?
- Did you find it difficult to find others with similar identities?
- Which aspects of identity are people born with and which ones do we choose?
- What factors could sit both inside and outside the body shape?
Comments could be recorded on a flipchart or graffiti wall for future reference.
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Can my identity change? |
Learning Intentions
Pupils are learning … |
Possible Learning, Teaching and Assessment Activities |
…to appreciate that identity can change with time.
… to explore and illustrate how their identity has changed and how it will continue to change.
… to compare and contrast aspects of their identity that have remained the same/changed over time.
Thinking Skills, Problem Solving and Decision Making |
Pupils think about how their identities have changed in their lives so far. Some examples could be given to guide pupils, for example, starting a new school, joining a sports team, becoming a brother or sister etc.
Handprints of identity
Ask pupils to draw around their hands on paper, cut them out and make a number of copies. Pupils write examples of how their identity has changed so far in the handprints. String all their handprints together.
Now encourage pupils to think about how their identity might change in the future, for example, becoming a teenager, a student, an employer, a parent etc. Ask them to complete the hand string with the future possibilities.
Ask pupils to volunteer to share with the class their ‘handprints of identity’.
- How has your identity changed?
- What things have stayed the same?
- What does this activity tell you about your identity?
- How much influence do you have in shaping your identity?
Display the handprints of identity in a prominent place.
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The same only different ? |
Learning Intentions
Pupils are learning … |
Possible Learning, Teaching and Assessment Activities |
… to work co-operatively and collaboratively with their peers in activities.
Working With Others
…to recognise and respect similarities and differences between one another
…to reflect on what has been learned and how
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Diversity
Provide opportunities for pupils to participate in a range of activities to deepen their understanding of diversity. Activities could include People Bingo* or ‘Change places if you…’ etc.
As a follow up to the exercise, allow time for pupil debriefing and reflection. This could take the form of a class discussion, writing thoughts and experiences on a graffiti wall or a learning journal:
- In what ways are we the same?
- In what ways are we different?
- Were you surprised by anything you found out?
- What are the exciting things about diversity?
- What are the difficult things about diversity?
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How does diversity in our classroom measure up? |
Learning Intentions
Pupils are learning … |
Possible Learning, Teaching and Assessment Activities |
…to recognise the importance of respecting differences and similarities between individuals and groups.
…to demonstrate skills of working in groups (active listening and sharing opinions, organising roles for tasks and take personal responsibility for work with others etc).
Working with Others
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Pupils brainstorm the categories or groupings which they think reflect the diversity within their classroom, for example, where you live, how you travel to school, sports played, size of family, celebrations and observances, eye colour etc.
Discuss with pupils, possible ways of capturing the range and variety of information that has emerged from the discussions.
Use the information gathered to create a visual display to reflect the class findings on the types of diversity that are present within the classroom.
For example:
- Encapsulating the views of pupils in speech bubbles;
- Compiling simple statistics;
- A diversity fact sheet;
- A pie chart;
- Bar graphs;
- A Venn diagram etc.
Opportunity to assess Using Maths
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…to present information appropriate to audience and purpose
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Display the work in a prominent place.
Pupils in small cluster groups could explore and reflect on the following questions:
- What does this activity tell us about our identity?
- How do you know you belong to a group?
- How does it feel to be part of a group?
- Has anyone ever been left out of a group?
- How did it feel?
To conclude this section of the unit allow pupils time to reflect and recap on the main issues they have explored so far.
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What does identity mean to you? |
Learning Intentions
Pupils are learning … |
Possible Learning, Teaching and Assessment Activities |
…to sequence and order information.
…to justify their choices.
Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making
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Pupils take part in a Four Corners Walking Debate* activity on ‘What identity means to you’. Label the four corners of the classroom ‘Agree’, ‘Disagree’, ‘Strongly Agree’ and ‘Strongly Disagree’. Read out a number of statements about identity, for example:
- Identity is how other people view me.
- Identity is permanent, you are born with it.
- Depending on who I am with, I have different identities.
Pupils consider each statement and move to the corner of the room that best reflects how they feel. Throughout the activity, pupils justify their choice of corner. A follow-up activity could be used to discuss the issues upon which there was a consensus and those which divided the class.
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What’s the diversity temperature in our school? |
Learning Intentions
Pupils are learning … |
Possible Learning, Teaching and Assessment Activities |
…to know in what ways their school is diverse.
…to follow through the stages of an action plan
Managing Information
…to work collaboratively with others as a team on set tasks and take personal responsibility for work with others
Working With Others
…to monitor their individual progress and review their learning
Self Management
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Action project opportunity: Taking the diversity temperature in our school.
Pupils carry out an action research project to
- investigate diverse is their school
- find out how their school caters for diversity
- and to raise awareness about diversity with other members of the school community.
Provide pupils with an action plan for carrying out a Citizenship action project. For example:
Step 1: Deciding on a task/issue;
Step 2: Form groups with areas of responsibility;
Step 3: Plan group tasks;
Step 4: Do the action;
Step 5: Report the action;
Step 6: Evaluate the action;
Step 7: Review the learning.
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What does diversity look like where you live? |
Learning Intentions
Pupils are learning … |
Possible Learning, Teaching and Assessment Activities |
… to recognise and respect diversity within their local community
…to generate ideas
Managing Information
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Pupils identify the signs of diversity in their community. Encourage pupils to think about any features in their surrounding area that seem to be important to its character. Record all comments.
Pupils research and gather information about what they think diversity looks like in their local community. They create a diversity notice board highlighting:
- Sports events;
- Music events;
- Variety of restaurants;
- Churches services;
- Evening classes;
- Shops;
- Community organisations/associations.
The notice board must include relevant information (both text and pictures).
Pupils evaluate the work of each group. |
… to work collaboratively with others on set tasks
Working With Others
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Alternative activity:
As a class or in small groups produce a short documentary on ‘Diversity in our community’.
Pupils should be involved in all stages of the process, for example: |
… to construct a representation of diversity in their community using ICT
Being Creative |
- Choosing the visuals for the documentary;
- Choosing and contacting the people they would like to interview;
- Designing the questions they would like to ask their interviewees;
- Writing the script;
- Editing the materials;
- Marketing of their documentary etc.
Opportunity to assess Using ICT
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The documentary should include information on:
- The extent of diversity in their community.
- What does diversity look like in their community?
- How could your community become more inclusive and welcoming to others? For example, by providing language classes, community activities etc.
- An area of need in your community and what action could be taken to make a difference.
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Pupils could premiere their documentary by organising a Diversity Evening to raise awareness of the issue in the local community. Invite members of the community, guest speakers, and include the different tastes of the community, music, dances, groups etc.
Opportunity to assess Communication
As a follow-up pupils could design a collage or mural which reflects the diversity within their communities. This could be displayed in the local council offices or hospital. This task could be carried out with another school in the area.
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What have I learned and how? |
Learning Intentions
Pupils are learning… |
Possible Learning, Teaching and Assessment Activities |
…to reflect on what has been learned and how.
…to develop an awareness of the skills they have developed.
…to identify aspects of learning that might be improved.
Self-Management
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Pupils reflect on what they learned and how they learned throughout the unit. Pupils record their thoughts in their Citizenship portfolio/journal. The following prompts could be given to pupils:
- What I now know……
- What I now think ……
- What I now can do ……
- What I would like to find out more about……
- What activity I liked best and why…
- What I enjoyed least and why…
- What I would do differently next time ………
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Who I am! |
Learning Intentions
Pupils are learning … |
Possible Learning, Teaching and Assessment Activities |
…to affirm their perception of their own identity.
…to select the most appropriate method to present information.
Managing Information |
Concluding activity
Ask pupils to reflect on all the issues they explored throughout the unit.
Pupils create a representation of ‘This is who I am’ reflecting how they see themselves and their identity/identities in Northern Ireland. This could be done through song, poetry, art, writing, drawing etc. |