Below are the four activities we created for teachers to use within their classrooms. These activities have lesson plans attached and can be modified to fit any grade level. We designed these activities to fit with some of the selected literature that is also featured on this website in another tab.
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Activity 1: Identity Silhouette
This lesson serves as a way to allow students to express and reflect on what makes them unique. Whether it be their hazel eyes, their German background or their love for horses. This activity strives to teach students to appreciate their own identity while respecting and learning about the identity of their fellow classmates.
Activity 2: National Geographic
This lesson is intended to have students circulate the classroom while reflecting on their own personal experiences. National Geographic images will be spread out around the classroom on the walls, while students circulate to each image writing/drawing what that image reminds them of, or how it makes them feel.
Activity 3: Compliment Cards
This lesson serves as an introduction to students creating weekly compliment cards for their classmates. This lesson may need to be referred back to as time passes, but it is the aim of this activity to create a classroom culture that surrounds a positive and productive routine of seeing the best in everyone around them. Students will understand how their words and actions affect their classmates, and how being a positive influence can change how their peers view themselves.
Activity 4: Family Sharing
This lesson would be used for students to bring in members of their families, or someone special in their life to share their identity with the class. For some students, this may be a special object that has been passed down for generations, traditional food, a story, a picture, music etc. There will be 5 days chosen (one per week for one month) where parents, guardians, grandparents or anyone the student wants can sign up and come in to help their child present their special object. Students who are presenting that day are also encouraged to invite other family members to watch the presentations if they would like. This lesson will also focus on teaching students how to ask appropriate questions that are informative and not offensive. During these presentations, students will most likely be exposed to different cultures and it is important that students are learning while also being respectful to the students within their class and the families that come in.