Identity
Lesson Plans & Materials
Lesson #2: What Kind of Citizen?
Lesson #3: Diversify the Stories in Your Life
Three “I”s of Oppression Covered
Internalized and interpersonal
Overview/Goals/Objectives/The “Why”
Identity is the collection of characteristics, experiences, and beliefs that make each person unique. It includes aspects like race, ethnicity, gender, culture, family background, and personal values. Understanding our own identity helps us recognize what shapes our perspective and how we connect with others. In the context of racial injustice, examining identity allows us to see how societal systems can shape the experiences of individuals and groups in unequal ways.
The goal of this curriculum is to help students explore their own identities and appreciate the diverse identities of others. By reflecting on what makes them who they are, students will better understand the intersection of individual and shared experiences. They will also examine how aspects of identity can influence privilege, bias, and systemic inequality. This awareness is essential for fostering empathy, celebrating diversity, and working toward a fairer, more inclusive community.
Key Concepts
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Identity: Identity is who you are—what makes you unique, like your culture, family, beliefs, and experiences. Everyone's identity is different, and that’s what makes our world interesting and diverse.
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Respecting Diversity: Learning about other people and their identities helps us understand and respect differences.
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Identity and Inequality: Sometimes, parts of our identity can impact how we’re treated or the opportunities we have because of systems in society.
Guiding Questions
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What are some things that make up your identity? How do they shape who you are?
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How do you think your identity is similar to or different from the identities of your friends or classmates?
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Why is it important to understand and respect the identities of others?
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Have you ever felt like a part of your identity wasn’t understood or appreciated? How did that make you feel?
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How do systems in society treat people differently based on parts of their identity, like their race or gender?
Resources/Readings
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“We need to educate our children to go and change the world. And we need them to first have a true understanding of who they are…so they can be comfortable in who they are, they can be confident about who they are. So that when the world comes for them, they are also ready to come for the world.” --Thabiti Brown, Codman Academy, Boston, MA
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If you look at DNA sequencing… “humans are 99.9% the same at the level of their genome.” “There is as much genetic diversity within any racial group as in the human population as a whole.” --Dr. Francis Collins, Director, National Institute of Health
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“It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity.” -- W.E.B. DuBois link
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Statistics:
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Out of 362 movies made 2017, only 14 had at least one black lead
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Only 8 BIPOC actors in the main cast of 200 TV shows on 10 different networks
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Of all the top billed Latino/a characters in the 200 most popular movies, 28% were portrayed as criminals
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In 2018, 78% of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) characters were portrayed as trained terrorists/agents, soldiers or tyrants
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Only 1% of indigenous characters out of a selection of 3134 children's books
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5% were latino/a
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7 percent were AAPI
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Between 2007 and 2018, 3% of the top grossing 1,200 films were directed by Latino/a people. Only 1 was directed by a woman.
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APA Quote
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Gholdy Muhammad article → link
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Westheimer & Kahne (2002) → Studied several different schools and the messages/opportunities they present about “good” citizenship/civic participation
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Westheimer, J., & Kahne, J. (2002). Educating the “Good” Citizen: The Politics of School-Based Civic Education Programs.
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The Parable of the River → link
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The Story of the Star Thrower → link