TeachersFirst's Resources for Self-Identity
Encourage your students to develop positive self-identities based on their membership in various groups in society. Help your students to feel confident to express pride and healthy self-esteem about their own self-identity, without devaluing the dignity of those that may be different than they are. The resources shared in this section help teachers to enable students to recognize that people have multiple identities and are members of multiple groups within our society, creating complex and unique individuals.
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Reading Treks: The Distance Between Us - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 9tag(s): hispanic (31), identity (29), immigrants (33), mexico (30)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). After reading this book and completing the activities found in the Reading Trek, ask students to document their identity using a tool like Odyssey, reviewed here. Use Odyssey to create a map-based story that includes images, text, videos, and photos. Find more ideas for teaching identity at this Discover My Identity Lesson Plan, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Nappy - Jacques and Dahcia Bastien
Grades
K to 12tag(s): creative commons (28), diversity (37), images (261), photography (118)
In the Classroom
Bookmark Nappy as a resource for high-quality black and brown images to use throughout the year, be sure to share with students for use in their projects. Use Padlet, reviewed here, or another bookmarking tool to share a variety of free photo and image sites for student use. Ask students to be aware of using diverse images in their work. Use images from this site when making posters with Canva Edu, reviewed here, on web pages created with Carrd, reviewed here, or in digital books published on Book Creator, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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7 Easy Activities That Encourage Students to Open Up About Identity and Privilege - Jodi Tandet
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): character education (77), disabilities (30), diversity (37), identity (29)
In the Classroom
Include activities from this article to get to know your students or as part of character education lessons that focus on diversity, identity, and privilege. Be sure to take advantage of the tips that offer suggestions for including all students, especially those with disabilities such as vision, hearing, or mobile impairments. Some activities, such as the fourth one, include vocabulary that may or may not be familiar to students. Enhance learning by creating word clouds using WordClouds, reviewed here, that encourage students to brainstorm concepts associated with these terms.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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5 Powerful lesson ideas to help students find self-identity - Lucie Renard
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): character education (77), identity (29), professional development (404)
In the Classroom
Use ideas found in this article to encourage students to reflect upon their self-identity and reflect upon how they want to be viewed by others. The fifth lesson suggests using Bitmoji, reviewed here, to build avatars to reflect self-image. Incorporate this activity with the 250 character response to extend learning and tie together students' physical identity ideas with their concept of what makes them unique. Use Canva Edu, reviewed here, and have students upload their Bitmoji and response to create a flyer that introduces them to others.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Promoting A Sense Of Self: Experiences And Activities - Virtual Lab School
Grades
K to 1tag(s): bias (26), bullying (50), character education (77), difficult conversations (60), diversity (37), identity (29), professional development (404)
In the Classroom
Share this lesson with your peers to use as a learning opportunity or review the included ideas to support students' identity and awareness of others' diversity. Consider sharing a link to this article with parents to help them develop skills for discussing character issues and diversity at home. Use Padlet, reviewed here, to share this article with parents and curate other information from a variety of resources to support and provide education with dealing with character education issues at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Identity and Characteristics Lesson - Equality and Human Rights Commission
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): bias (26), character education (77), identity (29)
In the Classroom
Use this lesson, and others found on this site to teach students about identity characteristics and assist in understanding bias. Incorporate the use of Google Slides, reviewed here, to enhance instruction by creating cohesive activities within the slides. Within your slide presentation, create slides for each group to use for the different activities. For example, the starter activity asks students to compare images of babies and adults. Use a table for students to add their thoughts under each of the categories. Add links within your slide presentation to the worksheets shared on the site and to WordItOut, reviewed here, to create a class word cloud.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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'Me And White Supremacy' Helps You Do The Work Of Dismantling Racism - Eric Deggans/NPR
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): bias (26), black history (129), cross cultural understanding (160), identity (29), racism (78)
In the Classroom
Include this article with your other materials when teaching about racism, bias, identiy, or cross-cultural understanding. The interviewee shares responses in the article by raising questions for individuals to consider and use for reflection. Ask groups of students to take different questions to discuss and respond to as part of your article's discussion. Extend learning by asking them to share their findings by creating concept maps using a tool such as mindmaps, reviewed here, or with a presentation using tool like Prezi, reviewed here. Consider using Wakelet, reviewed here, as a curation tool for collecting and sharing resources with students, and also as a presentation tool for students to share their learning with peers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Exploring My Identity Learning Plan - Learning For Justice
Grades
K to 5tag(s): bias (26), bullying (50), character education (77), diversity (37), identity (29)
In the Classroom
Although this learning plan is labeled for use with grades K-2, it includes several texts for grades 3-5, and the materials easily adapt to use with older students. Use the ideas and materials found on this site during character education lessons, when teaching about identity and diversity, or as you introduce younger students to the concept of bias. Include additional texts of your choosing to supplement learning with this lesson plan and share it with students. Consider creating an audio recording for each text, such as those found on this site. Vocaroo, reviewed here, is an audio recording site that offers tools for you to record and share messages without any time restrictions. Extend learning further by creating a class book containing student stories about identity. Use WriteReader, reviewed here, with even the youngest students. WriteReader includes options for adding video, audio recordings, images, and more. This book creation app even includes tools for sharing student writing along with correct spelling underneath.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Discovering My Identity Lesson Plan - Southern Poverty Law Center & Learning for Justice
Grades
3 to 7tag(s): bias (26), character education (77), difficult conversations (60), identity (29), racism (78)
In the Classroom
Include this lesson during character education lessons that teach students about racism, bias, and identity. Use Edpuzzle, reviewed here, to enhance students' viewing of the video included with the lesson. Search the YouTube portion on edpuzzle to find the video, then place the discussion questions within appropriate portions of the video. edpuzzle integrates with several learning management systems, including Canvas, reviewed here, making it easy to include your annotated video as part of a larger teaching unit. As students complete their book reviews during the lesson, use Gravity, reviewed here, to create video book reviews. Use this Gravity topic throughout the year to add additional book reviews for students throughout the school year. Upload the book review graphic organizer to your topic for easy access whenever students are ready to add a new review.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Social Justice Standards: Unpacking Identity - Learning for Justice
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): character education (77), cross cultural understanding (160), difficult conversations (60), empathy (28), identity (29), professional development (404), racism (78)
In the Classroom
Use this course as an introduction to understanding bias and identity from both a personal and professional level. Adapt information from this course to include in your lessons on racism, empathy, and difficult conversations. For example, use the images and charts in the application section to identify and understand that first impression and physical characteristics don't always provide a complete picture of another person's identity. Include these activities as part of a larger teaching unit using a learning management system such as ClassFlow, reviewed here. ClassFlow includes many options for building interactive lessons that promote critical thinking skills through various response formats, media options, and teacher feedback.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mini Lesson: Identity Iceberg - Anti-Defamation League
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): character education (77), empathy (28), identity (29)
In the Classroom
Use this interactive as a professional guide to understand the concept of identity and stereotypes and as inspiration on how to guide students through the topics of empathy, bias, and racism. This mini-lesson uses Padlet, reviewed here, for you to share your thoughts and reflections upon the lesson. Use Padlet as part of your lessons for students to share their thoughts and reflection as part of your ongoing discussions. Ask students to share examples of bias found in the media on a Padlet and discuss strategies for recognizing bias. Extend learning further by asking students to create infographics sharing different ways to recognize bias and use of stereotypes. Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, has a large selection of infographic templates for students to use and modify. When finished, share infographics on your class web page or as part of a digital collection shared on a webpage created with Carrd, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Antiracism/Diversity Bookroom - unknown
Grades
K to 6tag(s): black history (129), book lists (161), civil rights (197), identity (29), racism (78)
In the Classroom
Include this slide with your other resources used when teaching racism or discussing self-identity. Share a link with students to use as part of a reading center to offer various read-alouds during center time. For younger students, use Symbaloo, reviewed here, as a bookmarking tool to share other videos, books, and activities as part of your unit on racism or bias. Include videos and books from this presentation as part of a learning unit created using Curipod, reviewed here. Add quizzes, videos, documents, and more to create digital lessons that easily adapt to any student's ability levels. Use this presentation as a model to create an interactive bookroom using books, videos, and additional materials of your choosing. Use The Brown Bookshelf, reviewed here, as an excellent starting point to find additional books featuring Black voices.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Black Illustrations - John D. Saunders
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use images from this collection with any digital projects, and be sure to share with students to use with their digital work. These images are perfect to use with any projects that involve discussions and presentations on racism. Use images in a variety of ways such as to include in explainer videos created with Adobe Creative Cloud Express Video Maker, reviewed here, in digital books made with Book Creator, reviewed here, and in multimedia presentations made with Sway, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: American Born Chinese - TeachersFirst
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (160), identity (29), racism (78), virtual field trips (84)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). Consider using the historical information and primary sources from the book to have students research places and events discussed in the book to create interactive timelines. Find a variety of free online timeline creation tools at located here. Using the map and locales, trace and then calculate distances for some of the locations shared. Use Google My Maps, reviewed here, to create and share custom maps.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: Malala's Magic Pencil - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 5tag(s): asia (69), cross cultural understanding (160), identity (29), virtual field trips (84), women (140)
In the Classroom
Investigate many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). With younger students, use Gravityreviewed here, as a video response platform for students to share how they would use a magic pencil. Use Gravity with older students and ask them to generate specific ideas to address local or world issues. Extend learning by asking older students to research cultural concerns around the globe then use Odyssey, reviewed here, to tell their story through combining maps with text, video, and additional interactive content.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Humans of New York - Brandon Stanton
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (160), identity (29), new york (22)
In the Classroom
Each story included on this site is only about a paragraph long, perfect to use with reluctant readers or as a short introduction to lessons on a variety of social issues. Help students identify the key concepts found in each story by creating a word cloud using Wordsift, reviewed here. Use the keywords found in your word cloud as a starting point for students to begin researching the topic further - examples might be research into refugees, drug abuse, or childhood illness. As students become familiar with the site, use it as an example to create your own site as a class related to your curriculum. For science create a Humans of Chemistry, in social studies create a Humans of the American Revolution, or in language arts create a Humans of Shakespeare. At the beginning of the year use Humans of New York in a self identity and "getting to know you" lesson(s). In small groups or as a class analyze several of the stories and have stidents use the key concepts to create their own interview questions. Then have students interview each other or others on campus (adults included). Use a presentation tool like Sway, reviewed here, to share finished projects that include student writing, photographs or drawings, videos, and other multimedia. Use Sway for a variety of assignments in any classroom that is integrating technology as an enhancement, modification, or transformation. Have students work together to compare and contrast their findings as part of a discussion within ongoing podcasts. Spotify for Podcastors, reviewed here, is an augmentation tool offering free podcasting creation and sharing and many features for both new and experienced podcasting teams.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Quarry: A Social Justice Poetry Database - Split This Rock
Grades
10 to 12tag(s): authors (104), creativity (90), environment (237), identity (29), poetry (190), sexuality (15), sociology (22)
In the Classroom
Be sure to preview any work on this site before sharing with your students. Take advantage of this database for use when looking for contemporary poetry to use in your classroom. Enjoy sharing poetry with students as models for poetry writing and reading or to introduce poets to your students. Be sure to ask students what the poem says about the poet as part of a self identity unit. Once students have written their own poems, ask them what the poem says about their own self identity. Instead of asking students to create a written journal of poetry, replace the written journal and build a poetry portfolio by having them use a bookmarking tool like Wakelet, reviewed here. Use Wakelet to add links to student-created poetry, poems from their favorite poets, audio recordings of their poetry, and videos sharing different structures of poetry. As a final project, ask students to extend learning and classroom technology by creating podcasts discussing and featuring both their work and the work of favorite poets. Spotify for Podcasters, reviewed here, is a free, easy to use podcast creation and sharing site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Diversity Toolkit - USC School of Social Work
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (160), cultures (131), difficult conversations (60), diversity (37), identity (29)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the activities shared within the guide to use as part of community building in your classroom or to teach diversity and encourage self identity. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. Before and after activities have students or groups collect ideas and thoughts about diversity using Dotstorming, reviewed here. The Dotstorming application creates free online bulletin boards. Embed Dotstorming on your class website for students to access at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Carlisle Indian Industrial School - Dickinson College
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): colonial america (93), cross cultural understanding (160), difficult conversations (60), diversity (37), history day (39), identity (29), native americans (92), westward expansion (38)
In the Classroom
Too often US history survey classes broadly consider Native Americans and their role in the original colonization of North America, or their role in Westward Expansion, without taking the time to understand the differences among nations, or the impact of European settlement on these pre-existing societies. Even if there isn't time for in depth study, consider asking students to study the individual record of one young man or woman approximately their own age who attended the Carlisle Indian School. How old was he when he left home? What skill was she trained in? What happened to him after he left Carlisle? Enhance student learning by having students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about the individual they researched. This personal contact with the real life of another student from another time and another culture will reduce the tendency to stereotype Native Americans as they so often are during the study of US History. Of course, the site is also a wonderful resource for in depth research such as a National History Day project. Were the identities of these people stolen? Use the resources Analyzing Before and After Photographs... and the Telling Lives: The Lost Ones Documentary Film to discuss identity and whether or not that was taken from these students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum - Common Sense Education
Grades
K to 12tag(s): cyberbullying (40), digital citizenship (88), identity (29), internet safety (113), media literacy (103), social networking (64)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this website as your first stop for any lessons related to responsible digital behavior. Share a link to videos on your classroom website or blog for students (and parents) to view at home. Download and use lesson plans and materials as part of your digital safety planning. Many lessons include suggestions for modifications to use as a quick activity instead of a complete lesson. Enhance learning and have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as Word Clouds for Kids, reviewed here, for younger students, or WordClouds, reviewed here, for older students. Enhance learning and ask students to collect ideas on a collaborative bulletin board like Pinside, reviewed here, (quick start- no membership required!) demonstrating information presented from these Digital Literacy & Citizenship lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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