Who are you?

“What is a bell and whistle? It’s some other thing that is unique to the student and what they want to present…
I can’t expect every kid to do the same bell and whistle, but it’s coming from a place of 'I get this!'"
~Kyra Fries (Middle School English Teacher)

Who are you?

In the Activity: Students will be asked to reflect on what identity means to them. They will then be asked to do a pictorial representation of their own identity. The students will present their pictorial representations in a creative manner.

Literacy: Visual Literacy, Reflexive Literacy

Why?: What forms a person’s identity?

Ages: Sixth-Eighth Grade

How

Start by talking to the students about what identity means
- What does identity mean to you?
- When have you been able to show parts of your identity and felt good about it?
Continue this conversation by having the students write a free write about what shapes their identity.
- This should be with a series of prompts for this writing exercise dedicated towards what makes these students different from one another in a positive way. Make sure the students are aware the these will be shared with the class. This can either be in smaller groups or with the class as a whole.
  - What are some talents you would say would shape your identity?
  - What was a moment of self discovery?
  - What activities do you think show people who you are?
  - What in your life make you feel different in a positive way?
  - Ect.
After thinking about and writing from these prompts the students will then be asked to underline the different visual imagery, or what could be visual imagery, that they have written about in their write ups.
- This could be things like food, culture, sports, talent, language, ect.
From the visual images that the students have written themselves have a discussion on how one could take these images and represent an identity by just showing images.
- For example, if the person plays soccer that could be one of the images, or if the person had a life changing experience while on vacation in England they could include images of the place they had the experience and/or they could include images of what that experience actually entailed.
Have the students choose/create fifteen to twenty images to show their identity.
- To present these images they must find a creative format
  - This could be a type of poster, powerpoint, scrapbook (online or print format), flipbook, or even go as far as some sort of board game.
Each student will be asked to present his or her project
- With this presentation the student should have a written explanation that covers both the write up they did at the beginning of this activity and what the images say about the person’s identity.

Common Core Standards

Sixth Grade
W.6.2a, c, e, f

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

a. Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

c. Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

e. Establish and maintain a formal style.

f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the information or explanation presented.

Seventh Grade
W.7.2a, c, e, f

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

c. Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

e. Establish and maintain a formal style.

f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

Eighth Grade
W.8.2a, c, e, f

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

e. Establish and maintain a formal style.

f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.