Relationships & Identity

Activity 1: Exploring your immigrant Stories

Social Justice Standard:
Identity 2 ID.9-12.2: I know my family history and cultural background and can
describe how my own identity is informed and shaped by my membership in multiple
identity groups.
Diversity 8 DI.9-12.8: I respectfully express curiosity about the history and lived
experiences of others and exchange ideas and beliefs in an open-minded way.
Diversity 9 DI9-12.9: I relate to and build connections with other people by
showing them empathy, respect and understanding, regardless of our similarities or
differences.
Description of the Activity:
The activities in the classroom are designed to encourage empathy, awareness of
diversity, and discussion of immigration-related topics. Students participate in a requiring game
in which they go forward or remain in line based on personal identifiers, allowing them to reflect
on feelings of isolation and unity. Following that, visuals, debates, and reflections on similarities
and differences are used to explore immigration themes and the experiences of children around
the world. In addition, students hear a story about young immigrants who share personal
experiences of worry, difficulty, and achievement, underlining connections between their lives
and the stories heard. These activities foster an environment in which students can engage in
meaningful discourse, develop empathy, and get a better understanding of immigration-related
issues.
Reason for Selecting this for my portfolio:
This lesson is critical for 11th and 12th grade English Language Arts (ELA) students because it
promotes multiple ways of learning. For starters, it enhances critical thinking by digging into
complex societal issues, allowing students to examine many points of view in the context of
immigration. Second, it improves their communication skills by encouraging respectful and open
debates, allowing students to voice their points of view while recognizing and accepting those of
others. Third, it encourages cultural literacy and empathy, providing students with a broader
awareness of global experiences and varied narratives, both of which are necessary for
navigating an interconnected world. Finally, by combining storytelling and debate approaches, it
fits with ELA goals by improving students' comprehension, analysis, and interpretation of
literary works that frequently reflect or overlap with immigration issues.
Link to the lesson plan:
https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources/lessons/exploring-young-immigrant-
stories
External links that are connected to the lesson plan:
My Immigrant Story
Children's Books about the Refugee/Immigrant Experience
My Brown Eyes (video trailer)
Kid's Talk: The Stories of Refugee Children (video)
Children Of Asian Immigrants Reveal Sacrifices Their Parents Made (video)
Copies of the “Kids Around the World” handout
Steps to the Lesson: Copy and Pasted from the lesson link
Introduction
 To prepare, create a visible line on the ground with string or tape. Arrange
the classroom so there is ample space for every student to stand around the
line. Separate students into two lines, facing one another on either side of
the line. Students should begin by standing about a foot or two away from
the line. Instruct students to complete this activity in silence, but to think
about who is standing next to them after each statement. You may want to
have a conversation with students ahead of time about classroom norms
surrounding conversations. For ideas, refer to our Speak Up at School and
Let’s Talk guides.
 Explain to students that in this activity you will call out a series of
statements and that you want them to walk to the line if the statement is
true. Use the following statement as a model: “Step to the line if you are a
student.” Let students know that they don’t have to move if they feel
uncomfortable.
 Then read the other identifiers on this list, using “Step on the line if
you…” each time. Pause after each statement and notice who moved and
who didn't.
o Have brown hair
o Have straight hair
o Like to play outside
o Speak another language
o Like the color blue
o Have a brother or sister
o Enjoy listening to music
o Have blonde hair
o Enjoy watching movies
o Like strawberry ice cream
o Like playing video games
o Like playing sports
o Have dark eyes
 o Have lived in another state
o Have lived in another country
o Were born in this city
o Wear glasses
o Were born outside this country
o Are an only child
o Have more than two siblings
o Are afraid of something
o Have ever felt left out
o Struggle in school sometimes
o Sometimes don’t know what to say
o Think about what happens at home while you are at school
o Worry about what you look like.
 When all descriptors have been called out, have students discuss the following:
o How did it feel when you stepped to the line?
o Did anything surprise you?
o At any point during the activity did you feel alone or isolated?
o At any point during the activity did you find you had more in common with others
than you thought?
o What did you learn about your classmates?
 Assess Prior Knowledge: What Is Immigration? Assess background knowledge by asking
students questions around the following:
• What is immigration?
• What do you know about immigration?
• Who is an immigrant?
• Why do people emigrate?
• Who is a refugee? How is a refugee different from an immigrant?
 Create a classroom anchor chart based on student responses so that students can have a
continuous reference for thinking about immigration. Additional questions may be added
to make further connections. Teachers can review “10 Myths About Immigration” for
your own background knowledge. Determine where additional knowledge can be built.
Plan direct experiences such as a guest speaker, a virtual experience or a cultural show
and tell.
Kids Around the World
Next, choose which way you want your students to view images.
• For younger students, we recommend Gabriele Galimberti’s work entitled “Toy
Stories.” This website shows young kids from all over the world with their favorite toy.
 • For older students, we recommend a Youtube video of 30 different images of kids from
countries all over the world.
 Have students form small groups and assign one image to each group, or have students
watch a video together and choose an image with which they connect. Images may be
viewed in a digital format on computers or may be printed out for each group.
 In their small groups, have each student complete the top portion of the “Kids Around the
World” worksheet. Ask students to list the similarities and the differences they see
between a child in the photo and themselves.
 Then, as a whole class, ask students to share what they discovered.
 Next, ask students to complete the section on the handout entitled “The World I See” with
their small group. Encourage students to list what else they see about the children’s
worlds based on what they see in the images. Encourage students to use context clues to
help them answer these questions:
• What is happening in this picture?
• In what location was this picture taken?
• What else do you see in the picture?
Return to whole class setting again, and ask for student volunteers to share their group’s
responses.
 Using a projector, share each group’s image with the whole class. Alternatively, the
printed image may be held up. Ask students:
• What are your feelings about the image?
• What does it remind you of?
• Which children in the images do you identify most with? Why? How?
 Explain that the children in the pictures are not immigrants, but many children like them
from around the world come to live in the United States each year.
Discussion
 Select one “Meet Young Immigrants” story and share it with students.
 Ask students to take notes about the worries, struggles and successes they
hear in the narrative. Discuss notes with the whole group. Responses can
be recorded on the board in three labeled columns.
 Next, ask students to share a time when they felt worried, had to struggle
or experienced success. Record responses on the board in the same kind of
chart as before.
Assessment:
 Objective: The assessment aims to evaluate students’ comprehension of immigration-
related themes, empathy development, and their ability to reflect on similarities and differences
among diverse populations.
Reflection Journal:
 Students maintain a reflection journal throughout the activities, recording
personal thoughts, emotions, and newfound understandings.
Group Presentation:
 Students work in small groups to create a presentation summarizing their
insights and discussions from the "Kids Around the World" activity.

Activity 2: Looking Closely at Ourselves

Social Justice Standard:
Identity 1 ID.9-12.: I have a positive view of myself, including an awareness of
and comfort with my membership in multiple groups in society.
Identity 4 ID.9-12.4: I can express pride and confidence in my identity without
perceiving or treating anyone else as inferior.
Description of the Activity:
This set of exercises leads students through an introspective exploration and debate of the
importance of closely watching, examining skin color, and perceiving beauty. Students
participate in a variety of group discussions about the value of close observation in academics
and in broader life contexts. They dive into the significance of skin tone, its impact, and the
difficulties associated with discussing this element, promoting open and safe dialogue. Students
investigate self-perception through mirror self-portrait painting, generating awareness on how
closely watching oneself changes self-perception and thinking. The practice also includes
reviewing each other's artwork and promoting specific compliments and constructive remarks,
which helps to improve understanding and empathy. Finally, students reflect on the meaning of
the activity and propose more questions, fostering greater introspection and understanding.
Reason for Selecting this for my portfolio:
This lesson intertwines introspection, societal awareness, and critical thinking. Firstly, it
prompts students to engage in sophisticated discussions surrounding identity, beauty standards,
and perception, aligning with the exploration of these themes often found in literature and
literary criticism. Secondly, it cultivates empathy and understanding by encouraging students to
consider differing perspectives, facilitating a more profound comprehension of complex societal
issues that often intersect with race and self-perception. Thirdly, it fosters artistic expression and
interpretation, employing creative mediums like self-portrait painting to explore how visual
representation influences personal introspection, a valuable skill in analyzing and interpreting
literary and artistic works. Lastly, it promotes a reflective mindset, encouraging students to ask
probing questions and fostering a habit of critical inquiry crucial for both literary analysis and
broader societal understanding.
Links in the lesson:
https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources/lessons/looking-closely-at-ourselves
External links that are connected to the lesson plan:
None
Steps of the Lesson: Copy and Pasted from the lesson link
1. Have students talk about these questions in small, diverse groups: What does it mean to
look closely? Why is looking closely important in school? Why is it important in life
outside of school? Encourage each group to share one or two key points. (Note: With
older students, you may have them write about the questions instead.)
2. Help students understand that one reason that we look closely at ourselves is to start
understanding who we are as physical people, which is often the first thing we notice
about ourselves and each other. One thing we often notice—also one of the first things
other people notice about us—but sometimes don’t talk about is the color of our own skin
and each other’s skin. With your class, discuss these questions: What is color? What is
skin? What is skin color? Why is it important? Why isn’t it important? Why might some
people find it challenging to talk about these topics?
3. One important reason for looking closely is to find beauty in ourselves and in others. As a
shared-class writing activity, make a list of other words or ideas students associate with
the word “beauty.” (Note: With older students, have them write their own lists in
journals.) Encourage students to consider these following questions: What does beauty
mean to you? Are there different ways to be beautiful? Do you think beauty is important?
Why or why not? (Note: During your conversation about skin color, the concept of race
might come up. Help students speak openly about their understanding concerning race. It
is important to assess where your students are in their conceptual understandings and to
provide a safe and open forum for talking about race and how it relates to skin color. You
might have children talk with partners or as a class about what they think race might
mean or how they have heard this word used. Lesson 2 in the series will explore race
more explicitly.)
4. Artists look closely at themselves when they paint self-portraits. Explain that a self-
portrait is a picture you create of yourself. Pass out a mirror to each student or each group
of students. Show students how they can use mirrors to pay attention to what they look
like: the shapes of their faces, the different shades of skin, and the different features they
have. While still looking in the mirror, have them use a pencil to draw an outline of their
face on painting paper. They can mix the paints together in many ways to show the
different colors present on their faces. (Note: Lesson 5 in the series will include more
explicit and targeted explanations of mixing colors. This is to give students a starting
point; then they’ll have something to look back on at the end of the series to see how their
 vision of themselves may have changed.) Help students consider this question: How did
looking closely at yourself influence the way you see and think about yourself? (Note: If
students have performed similar activities in the past or are very experienced with self-
portraits, encourage them to notice something about themselves this time that they have
never focused on before.)
5. When students finished painting the portraits, leave them to dry. As a class, talk about
what it means to critique others’ art, and develop students’ comments into guidelines for
the critiques. For example: When students workshop one another’s artwork, they should
focus on giving specific compliments and maybe one thoughtful suggestion. Chart the
guidelines your class comes up with for a helpful workshop. Some starting points for
conversation could be colors used, attention paid to detail, or favorite parts of the portrait.
6. Take time to visit each group and to look at students’ self-portraits so you may give
helpful feedback. Share anything you noticed about your students, their portraits, and
their critiques during this activity. (Note: Try to focus the conversation around the theme
of skin color or, if it has come up, race. If students are struggling to stay with these
themes, you may want to start a separate conversation about why skin color can be
difficult to talk about and what might make it a more comfortable topic.)
7. Either in groups or in journals, have students reflect on why or how this activity was
helpful or important. Direct students to discuss and/or write down any further questions
the activity brought up for then. Have students talk about these questions in small, diverse
groups: What does it mean to look closely? Why is looking closely important in school?
Why is it important in life outside of school? Encourage each group to share one or two
key points. (Note: With older students, you may have them write about the questions
instead.)
Assessment:
Objective: The purpose of the evaluation is to assess the students' understanding of
introspection, the influence of carefully studying oneself, views of visual appeal, and
participation in open debates regarding skin tone.
Reflective Essay or Journal Entry:
 Students write a reflective essay or journal entry summarizing their overall
experience and learnings from the activity