La caja de identidad | Identity Box, Grade 9

This lesson supports Alberta Education's Program of Studies and can be adapted to different grade level outcomes. Teachers are encouraged to be intentional when targeting vocabulary, grammar, and transcultural competencies so that students can leverage their full language repertoire to deepen understanding and improve communication.

Guiding Questions

Diferentes artefactos representan la evolución de nuestra identidad. ¿Cómo puedo crear o seleccionar objetos e imágenes para narrar mi pasado, presente y futuro?

Pre-Task Learning Activities

Administer journaling prompts over the course of the week. Students will respond to them individually in a visual notebook. They can write a standard journal entry or do sketch-noting, comic-making, etc.

Sample journal questions:

• Describe a time in your life when you felt a strong sense of belonging: what were the circumstances? Who was involved? What happened specifically that had you feeling you belonged?
• Write about an experience or event that you always carry with you. Why does this instance stick in your mind?
• Write about a time when you learned a hard truth about yourself. How did you feel afterward?

Hook/Task Launch

Pregunta(s) para conversar oralmente:

¿Cómo ha evolucionado mi identidad con el pasar del tiempo? 

• ¿Cómo has cambiado desde que eras más joven?
• ¿Cómo habrás cambiado en cinco años?

Ask students to make a booklet using 5 sheets of 11X17 paper. This will be a booklet that contains their journal entries, jot notes, etc.

• On the first page, ask them to draw a circle and in the centre write their name and hobby. On the outside of the circle, ask them to draw spokes for each of the following: language, gender, ethnicity/race, religion, age, intellectual ability, physical ability, education... then ask students to indicate whether each aspect of their identity is a privileged or underprivileged position. They can choose what they share with peers. (Navigating Difficult Conversations, Krishauna Hines-Gather)
• Draw a timeline and ask students to think back five years and five years from now...
• Prompt students to populate the timeline with personally relevant events, moments and relationships
• Direct teaching around verb tenses

Engage & Model

• Gather students around a display of objects and images you have brought or created that symbolize the evolution of your identity over time. These can be objects such as toys, flags, tapestry, photographs, an object with a symbolic color, etc.
• Model the linguistic structures with a co-teacher or student that students will need to demonstrate gratitude and curiosity about a presentation of objects. Ex. Yo aprecio /tengo curiosidad sobre… ¿Qué notaste y observaste /¿Qué te despierta la curiosidad?
• Model & rehearse structures with target vocabulary that allow students to express curiosity, make connections, express gratitude.

Question examples listeners/viewers could ask the presenter:

• ¿Qué valores personales y colectivos crees que están representados por los objetos? (What personal and collective values do you think the objects represent?)
• ¿Qué pensaste inicialmente cuando viste los objetos? (What did you think when you first saw these objects?)
• ¿Cómo indican estos objetos algo sobre la evolución de la identidad? (How do these objects tell something about our evolving identities?)
• ¿Qué importancia tienen los objetos y las imágenes para comunicar un significado?  (What importance do objects and pictures have in communicating meaning?)

Build & Rehearse

Task description/Challenge/Invitation

• Provide a paper filled with 20 circles. When you say, ‘go,’ students will transform as many circles as possible into an object they associate with their memory. Give them two minutes. Prompt them to associate their memory with different objects by asking questions about what they saw, smelled, wore, heard, etc.
• Students return to their journal entries/timeline
• Select one moment in time
• Draw or list 10 possible representations of the moment
• Select one to represent the moment

Discuss symbols. Explain that symbols and images can have meaning but may not be familiar or known to someone who sees them. Therefore, a viewer can politely ask questions to learn about and appreciate the cultural and political values some objects and images have for people.  

Present various objects related to identity as it evolves over time. Discuss the different meanings these objects could have. Ask students to brainstorm the physical characteristics of each object using verbs such as tener, estar, representar, etc.  

Have each group look at objects and images placed on the tables in small groups. Tell each group to choose three objects and list as many meanings as they can think of on a chart.

Now, encourage students to select and/or create and bring to class by an agreed-upon date three to five items (objects, photographs: artefacts) to school and store them in a student-provided box or bag.

Model linguistic structures and give students time to practice what they will say to explain the story of their evolving identity through each object. Also, teach students how to express appreciation, respect and curiosity about their peers’ selected objects and spoken contributions.

Apply, Speak & Interact (rehearsal phase):

Meet with 2-3 students at a time. Students will display their items to an audience and tell the story of their evolving identity through the objects. Encourage them to share curiosity, respectful observations, and ask questions. 

Have a gallery walk or small group shares to practice presenting -- teacher can give formative / corrective feedback. For the summative assessment, students will present to a different audience.

Apply, Speak & Interact (summative assessment):

As above, but with different peers for their audience.

Assess students’ ability to tell the story of their evolving identity as well as their speaking competency by listening to their interaction and by giving them the following oral response:  

• ¿Qué objetos tienes en tu caja y qué simbolizan? What objects do you have in your box and what do they symbolize?  
• ¿Por qué escogiste esos objetos? Why did you select the objects?
• ¿Cómo has reflejado sobre la evolución de tu identidad a través de objetos e imágenes en tu caja/bolsa?  How did you reflect on the evolution of your identity through the objects and images in your box?  

Assessment

How will I know my students are learning?

What self-assessment and formative assessment will be used?

What will students do, say and produce that will demonstrate their learning?  

• Video record a 10-15 minute student speaking interaction.
• Use an interactive speaking rubric to summatively assess their speaking performance.