Vanessa M. Johnson
Pride In Cultural Identity
In the English and Reading classroom, students engage is discussions that enhance learning or to help them to apply what they have learned to new content. Teaching the students about advocacy helps them to be able to voice their thoughts and opinions and know that they can make a difference. The artifacts outlined in this section offer conversation and action related activities that help the students increase pride in cultural identity. To build a positive classroom culture, discussing the issues in culture and identity at the beginning of the year is imperative. Starting each school year with culture building activities where students are able to discuss, read, and write about where they come from, helps them to increase pride and voice their opinions in a safe space.
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Table of Contents:
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Annotated Identity Lesson Plan
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Viewing Guide Student Sample
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Student Self-Portrait Samples
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Identity Interview Activity
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Student Interview Audio
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Culture Chart Reinforcement Activity
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Teacher Reflection
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Annotated Identity Lesson Plan
This lesson plan offers an introduction to discovering identity in my students. The students explored how factors such as race, religion and family shape a person’s personal identity. The overall objective of this lesson plan is to get students to realize the importance of celebrating cultural identity, and to prompt conversation related advocacy. At the beginning of the school year, Unit 1 focused on identity. The unit explored the theme of identity, by asking the students, "What shapes my identity?" To begin, I started with the annotated lesson plan focused around the idea of identity and culture. This lesson prompted students to discuss and share cultural differences. The students then completed the viewing guide that guided them through questions about how identity can affect who we are. Following the viewing guide, students created self portraits to show pride and appreciation of their own cultures. To get the students to learn about different cultures, the students engaged in interviews. The interviews allowed the students to learn and respect cultural differences and learn new traditions. To reinforce pride in culture and identity, the students completed culture charts to address gender roles, food, and stereotypes of diverse cultures. The annotations in the lesson plan describe how its components increase culture in pride in identity.
Viewing Guide Student Sample
The students watched clips a movie titled, "Off and Running." In the story, and African American teenager struggles over her true identity growing up in an home with parents she does not identify with. The story explores how identity has a major impact on who we are. The students completed the viewing guide to increase pride in cultural identity, so that they know it plays a part in who there are. In the sample below, the students was able to reflect on the importance of personal identity and how it shapes their lives. The viewing guided served as a discussion starter to get students in conversation about who they are.
Self Portrait Samples
To increase the sense of cultural identity, the students created a self-portrait made up of objects, symbols, and imagery that represent key elements of his or her identity. Students were given the autonomy to create these self-portraits using whatever medium they choose, including graphic software on the computer, magazine cut-outs, drawings, or 3D artwork. The samples included below exemplify action-related advocacy that builds respect and pride in individual culture.
Identity Interview Activity
In the effort to get students to increase awareness of culture and identity, it was important to me to have them conduct interviews with their peers. Below is the assignment and interview questions that lead students to conversation related advocacy. These interviews guided the students to discuss similarities and differences in their cultures. The purpose of the interviews was to get the students to appreciate where they come from and to advocate for who they want to become.
Student Interview Audio
The students were instructed to find a person who they can speak with about a cultural experience or identity that they felt was distant from their own cultural identity or experience or someone they can identify with. In these three interviews, the students were able to learn and compare cultures. This conversation related advocacy activity pushed the students to discuss injustice and culture.
Student 1 interviews a 12th grade Hispanic Student
Student 2 interviews 26 year old African American Teacher
Student 3 interviews a 40 year old African American Teacher/Coach
Culture Chart Reinforcement Activity
To reinforce pride in culture and identity, the students completed the Culture Charts shown below. After participating in a discussion about identity, the students wrote about gender roles, stereotypes, and traditions. Through this activity, the students were able to compare cultures and gain a sense of understanding and respect of cultures unlike their own. Awareness of other cultures allows the students to challenge prejudice and stereotypes.
Teacher Reflection
Self-advocacy teaches students to increase pride in their culture and identity. Through these activities, it was imperative to get the students to talk about why identity matters. Open discussions prompt students to speak confidently about where they come from. To see the effect of identity, the students watched the film about Avery, a young teenager like them who struggles with an identity crisis. The film alongside the viewing guide helped the students to reflect and make informed opinions about who they are. I really wanted my students to be proud of their culture, so creating the self portraits gave them the ability to create something that truly represents who they are. To get the students to follow through and talk about culture from multiple perspectives, they participated in the interviews and the culture chart activity. Doing this reinforced what they have learned about cultural differences to break stereotypes and build respect. As a teacher, it is important to discuss who we are and how we differ so that the students can be open minded as they continue to grow and learn.