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Celebrating identity in your classroom is a powerful way to help your students thrive into confident, courageous and empathic citizens. Let me know how you promote identity in your classroom.

You can find additional resources and books here, including lesson plans like this one from Teaching Tolerance.

What are your favourite children's books to help your students embrace their identity and develop positive self-esteem? Add the title into the comments below!

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18 of the Best Children's Books about Identity

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Celebrating identity in your classroom is a powerful way to help your students thrive into confident, courageous and empathic citizens. Let me know how you promote identity in your classroom. You can find additional resources and books here, including lesson plans like this one from Teaching Tolerance.

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Image

This first book in a trilogy about a boy who one day "became a rabbit" and has "been a rabbit ever since" won the 2007 Japanese Children's Book Award. In lushly painted, highly immersive vignettes, we're shown that while Sato wears a costume, his sensory nature has been transformed. The taste of watermelon spreads throughout his body. He cracks a walnut and finds rooms inside. He plucks a cloud from a puddle's reflection and hangs it over his bed, where he "sips stories" from melted multicolored ice containing the emotions of a fully lived and dreamed life.

60 pp. Enchanted Lion. $17.95. (Ages 4 to 8)

Written and illustrated by Sarah Hwang

Smart, subtle, yet laugh-out-loud wit that will delight both children and adults, plus abundant cartooning talent, mark this stellar debut from a young author to watch. Hwang even manages nuanced character development - for a piece of toast! Toasty wants to be a dog so much that he wears a collar. Getting down on all fours results in a face plant and rolling over is more like folding. But who can resist an aspiring canine who exits a house through the mail slot?

32 pp. Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House. $17.99. (Ages 4 to 6)

Yolen has said a picture by Corace, of a little girl looking out confidently from the mouth of a bear, inspired her to write this book. It's easy to understand why. Innovative in its perspective and moving in its execution (gouache that, like our emotions, sometimes bleeds outside the lines), Corace's art perfectly matches Yolen's words in this nuanced exploration of our inner selves. "Some folks have a lion inside, or a tiger. ... I wear my bear on the outside." And yes, it's a "she."

32 pp. Neal Porter/Holiday House. $18.99. (Ages 4 to 8)

Jennifer Krauss is the children's books editor of the Book Review.

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8 Picture Books About Imagination and Identity

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This first book in a trilogy about a boy who one day "became a rabbit" and has "been a rabbit ever since" won the 2007 Japanese Children's Book Award. In lushly painted, highly immersive vignettes, we're shown that while Sato wears a costume, his sensory nature has been transformed.

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Books for Teaching Kids About Identity - The Responsive Counselor

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Social justice is a big concept - break it down when you're teaching kids about it by using books and starting with identity

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This is the first in a series of self-paced presentations for individuals, easily modified for a group.

ability to access audio and video on your device;

pen and paper;

and about one hour.

Learn

What is identity?

The collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing or person is definitively recognized or known.

The set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group.

Source: Websters II New College Dictionary

Go Deeper

Think about how a person's different identity categories might create sameness as well as uniqueness.

Our identity consists of the various characteristics we use to categorize and define ourselves and the various characteristics that are constructed by those around us. Sometimes people only think of identity as those visible characteristics of a person, but sometimes our identity characteristics are invisible.

Read the following identity characteristics list:

Gender

Ethnicity

Race

Religion

Socioeconomic status

Language

Marital/relationship status

Parent or childless

Family size and composition

Sexual orientation

Education

Career

Think about which of these characteristics are visible, and which are invisible?

Apply

Think about the list of characteristics again. For each image, use the categories to describe the subject.

Look at the picture. Complete the table below.

Working in a cohort? Share your thoughts with a partner.

Go Deeper

Match the picture to its story.

Name: Elizabeth
I am a high school student. Everyone thinks that I am a Hispanic female. I am skinny and have long brown hair, and I wear glasses.

Name: Brandon
Everyone thinks that I am in high school. I am athletically built. I always get complimented on my smile, and people tell me that I must be happy all the time because of it.

Name: Guadalupe
I am Guadalupe. Everyone thinks that I am in grade school and a child. I am short and Latina. I have dark brown eyes and long brown hair. People always compliment me on my manners and say that I am very nice and polite.

Let's learn more about each of the subjects in the previous pictures.

Reflect

Take a few moments for reflection using these questions:

1. Did you match Elizabeth, Brandon and Guadalupe to their respective pictures?

2. What were the identity characteristics you established for each of their stories?

3. Why do you think you were successful or not successful in defining those categories for someone else?

4. What assumptions did you make in order to do that? What do those assumptions tell you about yourself?

5. What did you learn from their individual stories?

Working in a cohort? Share your answers with the group.

Now, let's spend some time thinking about our own identities.

The following activity will take you through a series of statements about your identity.

Step 1-Create a two-column chart like the one below on a sheet of paper.

Step 2-For each statement, offer one to three different endings. For example, if the statement begins with "I am," you can complete the sentence by saying a teacher, happy, a runner.

Go Deeper

You now have a list of approximately 21 statements that contribute to your personal identity. These are all important pieces that contribute to who you are.

Next, add a third column to your chart. Identify if each statement is visible/invisible/both.

How many of the characteristics you included in your list fit neatly into one of the following categories: Gender, Ethnicity, Race, Religion, Socioeconomic Status, Language, Sexual Orientation, Education, Career, Relationship Status?

Reflect

Take a moment to look back at the statements about yourself.

1. Were you surprised by any of your answers?

2. How do these statements help you to better understand who you are as a person?

3. What are the visible characteristics of your identity?

4. What are the invisible characteristics?

Learn

Now that you have begun to think about the many different pieces that make you unique, we will look at how we have developed this identity or how this identity is socially constructed.

Watch the Geneva Gay video then answer:

1. What does Gay say about the social construction of identity?

2. What does Gay say about the individual's capacity to independently construct him or herself?

3. What identity characteristics are socially constructed and which are independently constructed?

Working with a cohort? Share your ideas whole group.

Go Deeper

Geneva Gay talks about the many different characteristics of identity and how these characteristics can be used as baselines for the creation of identity. However, she is careful to warn that these baseline concepts should never be used as descriptions for specific individuals, but as a place to begin the conversation around the different categories and groups that we use to define others and ourselves.

Let's consider how this relates to Learning for Justice's Social Justice Standards.

Learning for Justice's Social Justice Standards establishes the following five standards within the Identity domain.

Students will:

ID.1. develop positive social identities based on their membership in multiple groups in society;
ID.2. develop language and historical and cultural knowledge that affirm and accurately describe their membership in multiple identity groups;
ID.3. recognize that people's multiple identities interact and create unique and complex individuals;
ID.4. express pride, confidence and healthy self-esteem without denying the value and dignity of other people; and
ID.5. recognize traits of the dominant culture, their home culture and other cultures and understand how they negotiate their own identity in multiple spaces;

Consider what these standards might look like in a school setting through the following scenarios:

Scenario 1:

For show and tell, Joi brings in a picture of her family on a church camping trip. "My family goes camping a lot. I like camping," she says. "I'm a Christian, and sometimes my family goes camping with church. I'm also a big sister, so I have to help my parents take care of my little brother, especially when we go camping."

Which of the five identity standards are demonstrated in Joi's story?

Working with a cohort? Share your ideas with a partner.

Scenario 2:

Omar's mother is serving as a chaperone on her son's field trip. On the bus ride, the teacher, Ms. Robin, overhears a conversation between Omar and Peter. "What is your mother wearing on her head?" Peter asks.

"It's called a hijab," Omar replies. "Many Muslim women wear them."

"Why does she wear it?"

"Our religion teaches us that the hijab is a way of being humble and modest. Muslim women wear it to show they love God."

Which of the five identity standards are demonstrated in Omar and Peter's discourse?

Working with a cohort? Share your ideas with a partner.

Scenario 3:

Patrick is being raised in a traditional Christian home. This year in Mr. Sanderson's social studies class, he has been learning about the world's different beliefs systems. Patrick enjoys the company of friends from different religions and is interested in their beliefs and practices. Though he remains devout, he wonders if being curious makes him a bad Christian. Patrick talks to his Sunday school teacher Mrs. Patterson who assures him that he can be Christian and befriend and learn form people of different religions as well. In fact, her best friend of thirty years is a Jewish woman she grew up with!

Which of the five identity standards are demonstrated in Patrick's story?

Working with a cohort? Share your ideas with a partner.

Scenario 4:

As part of a class project, Rebecca completes the following personal mission statement: "I am more than one identity. I will celebrate all of my in-group and out-group identities and work to understand how they overlap to make up who I am as an individual. I will not allow others to put me into boxes." Rebecca explains to her peers in small group discussion that being a student, sister, female, Latina, Spanish speaker and dancer are all interconnected and equally important. She displays her personal mission statement on the outside of her class binder.

Review the identity anti-bias standards. Which identity standards are present in Rebecca's scenario?

Working with a cohort? Share your ideas with a partner.

Apply

Stop and think about your students.

How do your students display the identity anti-bias standards? How can you help your students develop these skills?

One way to help students develop these skills is by exploring the anti-bias standards through text.

The following text illustrates Identity standard 2: Students will develop language and historical and cultural knowledge that affirm and accurately describe their membership in multiple identity groups.

"The black woman's role has not been placed in its proper perspective, particularly in terms of the current economic and political upheaval in America today. Since time immemorial, the black man's emasculation resulted in the need of the black woman to assert herself in order to maintain some semblance of a family unit. And as a result of this historical circumstance, the black woman has developed perseverance; the black woman has developed strength; the black woman has developed tenacity of purpose and other attributes which today quite often are being looked upon negatively. She continues to be labeled a matriarch." ("The Twin Jeopardies of Race and Class" Shirley Chisholm)

The following text illustrates Identity standard 3: Students will recognize that people's multiple identities interact and create unique and complex individuals.

"I really had this idea that I could do everything a hundred percent. You know like you can be a hundred percent worker, a hundred percent mother, a hundred percent wife. And you can't. It's impossible. And you have these terrible decisions to make: Do you stay home? Do you work? Do you go after the brass ring in your career? What do you do with your children? You unconditionally love them and you would give anything for them. You would give up your life, you career, your home. It's complicated. It's complicated." ("StoryCorps: Job Interview" Tia Smallwood and Christine Smallwood)

Reflect

How can you use one of these texts in your class to facilitate the growth of students' understanding of identity?

Evaluate your materials.

Pick a text you currently use. Reference the text directly or think about the text, depending on your familiarity with it.

Evaluate the text's effectiveness to help students develop identity by answering the following question:

Which identity standard(s) is illustrated in this text and how?

Working in a cohort? Share your ideas as a group.

Learn

Let's examine identity in the classroom. Think about the following while watching the video.

What is unique about Anna's students? How does Anna's practice help her students develop positive identity?

Think about the following while listening to Robert.

What does Robert learn is important about the teacher's influence on student self-identity during his people colors activity?

Think about the following while listening again to Anna.

What is key to understanding the Social Justice Standard: "Students will recognize that people's multiple identities interact and create unique and complex individuals"?

Working in a cohort? Share your ideas as a group.

Go Deeper

Complete the following matrix thinking about what you observed from Robert's and Anna's videos. Return to watch the video(s) a second time if necessary.

Apply

Our identities are ever changing. Let's take a minute to revisit our goals and objectives for this module:

Define what shapes our identities

Understand the five identity anchor standards in the Learning for Justice Social Justice Standards

Relate how identity has many characteristics and affects relationships within the school building and classroom

Set a SMART goal for your practice.

What specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and relevant, timely goal can you set for yourself in your practice that will help to facilitate identity understanding in your students?

In Summary

Although we construct our identities to some extent, society does, too.

Our identities affect the way we interact with the world.

Our identities affect the way the world interacts with us.
Meredith Schilsky is president and chief creative director of the Warehouse Project & Gallery.

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Social Justice Standards | Unpacking Identity

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This is the first in a series of self-paced presentations for individuals, easily modified for a group. ability to access audio and video on your device; pen and paper; and about one hour. What is identity? The collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing or person is definitively recognized or known.

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*also on Sharepoint

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51325154-your-name-is-a-song?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=gEksqGChrt&rank=1

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37506301-the-day-you-begin?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=HhOdqQVSKN&rank=1

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http://www.artwithmrsfilmore.com/2nd-grade-art-lessons/

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Framework

The Census Bureau projects that by the year 2042, the U.S. majority population will become a minority, as non-Hispanic whites will then make up just under half of the U.S. population. As the United States becomes more and more culturally and ethnically diverse, with growing percentages of African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and other minority groups, schools have become more diverse too. In fact, schools are actually more diverse than the nation as a whole. No doubt students will need to learn how to interact in a diverse environment for success while they are in school and once they leave. One way to help students learn about, experience, and appreciate different cultures and their contributions to society is through a study of family cultural journeys. After all, everyone has a family and everyone's family has a story to tell. Our cultural histories can help teach us who we are, connecting us to a heritage and identity handed down across generations. It can also help to teach students about the unique contributions that every culture brings to a community.

Family stories, in particular, can be a relevant resource for historical research that provides a uniquely personal insight into our past. As students trace their family's journey, they can see where they came from, learn how traditions affect their lives, and consider which elements of that cultural history they would like to pass on. It's important to note that each family's retention of ethnic traditions may be as unique as their country of origin. Some families may continue to follow their ethnic traditions while others may not. And some students, including adopted or foster children, may not be comfortable sharing their personal history, may not have access to their birth family's history, or may feel they must "choose" between their birth and adoptive families in deciding whose stories to tell. Rather than single out reluctant students, give all students the choice of sharing the journey of anyone who cares about them. After all, everyone in a community helps to shape our identity, and this may provide an equally interesting opportunity to share a story nobody knows!

Glossary

ancestor [ an-ses-ter ] (noun) a person from whom one is descended

culture [ kuhl-cher ] (noun) the behaviors and beliefs of a certain social, ethnic or age group

diversity [ dih- vur-si-tee ] (noun) variety, differences

family [ fam-uh-lee, fam-lee ] (noun) a group of people going through the world together, often adults and the children they care for

historian [ hi- stawr-ee- uhn ] (noun) an expert in past time periods

location [ loh- kay-shuhn ] (noun) a place of settlement, activity or residence

unique [ yoo- neek ] (adjective) having no like or equal

Activities

Note: Before beginning the lesson, address any special concerns that families with adopted children and those living in foster care may have about the activity. You may want to call parents or guardians in advance to find out whether the activity raises sensitive issues with their child. Encourage parents or guardians to be involved with children completing the activity. For example, adopted children may want to include both sets of parents, or solely the adoptive parents or the biological parents.

On the day before the lesson, ask students to find out the name of the city/country where they were born and the name of a city/country where a grandparent, great-grandparent, other relative or an important adult in their lives was born outside of the United States. You may have some students in your class who are adopted, undocumented or living in foster homes. Instead of singling any students out, you may want to remind all students that they can choose someone who is not related but who makes a special contribution to their lives. Before students enter the room, hang a large world map in a central location and place a pushpin over the city/location of your school.

1. Today we are going to take a journey. Share with a partner what you think the word "journey" means and share answers with the class.

2. Today's journey might be different from other journeys you have taken. This journey is called a "Family Journey." It will take you back in time to learn about your family history. You'll also learn how that history connects to your life now.

3. Look at the world map. A pushpin shows the location of our school. If you were born somewhere else, find the location of your birthplace and place a new pin there. You may need to do this one person at a time. How many different places are marked on the map? Who was born the farthest from your current town?

4. Now, one at a time, try to find the location of the city/country where your ancestor or an important adult in your life was born. (Note: Share the Framework at the beginning of the lesson with the students.) Place a pushpin at that location. Then take a piece of string and use it to connect your pushpins. Start with your ancestor's location, then your birthplace and finally to your school. Your birthplace and place you live now may be the same.

5. After everyone in your class has had a chance to connect their strings, take a look at the map. These strings show part of the family journeys of your classmates! Share with a partner how you think those journeys have had an influence on the community we live in. For example, are there certain restaurants, celebrations or stores that reflect the cultural journeys that community residents have taken? Have each partner present your ideas to the class.

6. These journeys have helped to shape American culture. All of your ancestors and the important adults in our lives have brought unique customs and traditions to our community! So these journeys are important to you and to the community.

7. Sometimes it is hard to keep our cultural traditions alive. You are going to be a cultural historian for your family. You will interview a family member or an important adult in your life. You'll learn more about where your family comes from and the traditions and customs that you have contributed to American life.

8. Distribute the Family Interview handout (Grades K-2, 3-5). Choose a family member or important adult in your life who came to this country from another country. Explain to the person that you would like to interview them about their unique cultural history. Complete the handout together.

9. Bring your completed handouts to class. Pair up with another student and share what you learned about your cultural history.

10. Then, one pair at a time, present to the class this information about your partner's cultural history:

Partner's name

Number of people in family

Languages spoken

State or country where ancestor or important adult comes from

One special tradition that has been passed down and why it is special to the partner

11. After each pair has presented, have volunteers share something they learned about a classmate's culture that they didn't know before.

Extension Activity

Imagine that a family member 50 years from now is trying to learn about you. You can put five objects into a time capsule that will tell that person what is important to you and what family traditions are important to you. Write a list of the five objects and explain how each one would help them understand your part in your family's cultural journey.

Activities and embedded assessments address the following standards from the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts: CCSS: SL:1, SL.3, SL.4, SL.6, W.1

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This lesson is the second in the series "Family Tapestry." One goal of these lessons is to help students recognize and accept differences among themselves and within the larger community. Another is to recognize how each student's unique family contributes to a richer society.

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*there are many resources for I Am poems. Here's one.

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These easy portraits were a great way to wrap up the school year in 2nd grade at Brimfield. I was inspired by the article "Contour Line Portraits; Excited About Artistic Abilities" from the March issue of Arts & Activities﻿ of this year. The article is written by Kari Gertz Neal and I loved the polished look of this tracing process that is so simple I feel like I should have thought of it myself! I also found a very similar project over at Dali's Moustache that turned out awesome too.

We've already done portraits and abstract paintings in 2nd grade this year, so the students were already familiar with the vocabulary and concepts for this project. They chose either warm or cool colors and created abstract paintings (with Biggie Cakes) while I took their photographs one at a time. During our next class we taped transparencies to the black and white photos that I printed for them and the students just traced all the details they could find with Sharpies. To complete them we made nametag titles and stapled the tracings to the paintings. The kids were amazed by how much their "drawings" really looked like them and I was really happy with the success the kids clearly felt with their work.

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These easy portraits were a great way to wrap up the school year in 2nd grade at Brimfield. I was inspired by the article "Contour Line Portraits; Excited About Artistic Abilities" from the March issue of Arts & Activities﻿ of this year.

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Materials:
- Student Photographs
- Pencil
- Eraser
- Fine Point Sharpie
- Extra Fine Point Sharpie
- White Drawing Paper

I LOVE doing portrait projects with my students and I always do an identity project to begin their art term. I thought this would be a great way to combine the two.

I teach my students about micrography and how it differs from typography. I took photos of all my students and printed them out for their guides. I also gave them a worksheet where they needed to list 40 POSITIVE characteristics about themselves.

1. Trace all major outlines of the face. Include neck, shoulders, eye brows, hair lines. I avoid doing individual teeth and emphasize do not draw a triangle around the nose. My students always want to draw a whole shape for their nose because they mentally know there is a nose there, but I have to point out that we don't see a shape around our nose like our eyes or mouth. I demonstrate how to do the nostrils and bridge.

I did mine on tracing paper as an example for my students to see what I'm looking for. It's hard to see pencil marks on a black and white image from far away. Tracing paper is not needed for this lesson, but you can definitely add it as an extra step.

If you did do this on tracing paper, you would now have to transfer the contour drawing onto a "good piece of paper." If not, I approve the outline, and then students can sharpie the outline right onto the print out.

2. NOW we trace the contour line onto a "good piece of paper" either using a light box or a window. The students should have a pencil contour line drawing on their final paper similar to what is seen above.

3. Fill in with words! The actual lines (ex. neck, chin) are just written on with words. Students will start to notice the smaller the letters and the less space between, the more "filled in" the image appears (just like pointilism, eh?). This part is all done with pencil.

5. Next step is to extra fine point sharpie over the words.

6. Erase any visible pencil marks.

Some images I use as examples:

All are from: http://gawno.com/2009/05/micrography-text-art-and-typography/.

* You might also like Micrography Thumbprints.

** On a side note, does anyone know how to easily place pictures side by side? I'd rather post that way than have to keep scrolling...

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Materials: - Student Photographs - Pencil - Eraser - Fine Point Sharpie - Extra Fine Point Sharpie - White Drawing Paper I LOVE doing portrait projects with my students and I always do an identity project to begin their art term. I thought this would be a great way to combine the two.

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Curated by history Link

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http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/interviews.htm

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Cordova, Fred and Dorothy

Active in Seattle's Filipino American community for more than fifty years, the Cordovas created the Filipino Youth Association in the 1960s, the Demonstration Project for Asian Americans in the 1970s, and the Filipino American National Historical Society in the 1980s.

Martinez, Frank and Blanca

Frank Martinez and Blanca Estella met at the UW during the 1970s. Active in MEChA and the farm workers movement, they were also principle actors and organizers of Teatro del Piojo, the activist Chicano theater troup that performed throughout the Pacific Northwest during the 1970s.

Sanchez, Ricardo

Ricardo Sanchez was Director of El Concilio for the Spanish Speaking of King County that called attention to the dearth of Latinos hired by the county, organized cultural events, and published a newspaper called La Voz. In 1998, Sanchez founded LEAP, which played an instrumental role in introducing legislation for in-state tuition and financial aid for undocumented students.

Sandoval, Tomas and Julia

The Sandovals were part of the first large cohort of Chicanos recruited by the UW in 1968. They were founding members of UMAS and involved with the anti-Vietnam War movement. From 1972 to 1974, Tomas Sandoval was the Director of Activos Mexicanos that provided transition services to Chicanos relocating to Seattle such as emergency housing and job referrals.

Smith, Charles Z.

Born in Florida, Charles Smith moved to Seattle in 1955 to attend law school at UW. Active in African American civil rights efforts, he also became a member of the Japanese American Citizens League. He served as Dean of the UW Law School and In 1988 became the first African American to serve on the Washington State Supreme Court.

Uhlman, Wes

Mayor of Seattle from 1969 to 1977, Uhlman presided over one of the most turbulent and significant eras in Seattle's history. Only 34 years old when he took office and more liberal than his predecessors, Uhlman changed the tone of city politics.

Villanueva, Tomas

Founder and past President of the United Farm Workers of Washington state, Tomas Villanueva was 14 when his family immigrated from Mexico, settling in Toppenish three years later. Since the mid 1960s, he has devoted his life to the struggle to unionize farm workers.

Winslow, Barbara

A member of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of Washington, WInslow quickly became a leader of the emerging women's liberation movement in Seattle, helping to found both Radical Women and Women's Liberation in Seattle in 1968.

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Veterans of Seattle’s civil rights campaigns tell their stories in streaming video oral histories. Acevez, Pedro Born in Wapato, Washington, Pedro Acevez was part of the first contingent of Chicano students to enroll at the University of Washington. He served as President of MEChA de UW and ...

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https://collections.follettsoftware.com/collection/5faf399e062b6d00127dfdf9

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https://collections.follettsoftware.com/collection/5faf2e2824ab980012107c8e

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Collections by Follett is a new, collaborative way for educators to collect and share resources from anywhere, at any time, and with anyone.

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Featuring titles that celebrate our LGBTQ+ community

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Collections by Follett is a new, collaborative way for educators to collect and share resources from anywhere, at any time, and with anyone.

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"A well-worded question is the quickest way to connect after a long day. Get a deeper conversation started with these ideas for all ages."

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Conversation - The Family Dinner Project

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Research shows that kids who are more familiar with family stories are more resilient than their peers. Here are some questions to help you share stories of ancestors who have survived difficult times.

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Includes teaching resources, videos, books in our library

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Collections by Follett is a new, collaborative way for educators to collect and share resources from anywhere, at any time, and with anyone.

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Books in our library celebrating Latin American Heritage.

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Collections by Follett is a new, collaborative way for educators to collect and share resources from anywhere, at any time, and with anyone.

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Picture Books featuring grandparents and other community elders.

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Collections by Follett is a new, collaborative way for educators to collect and share resources from anywhere, at any time, and with anyone.

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by Kevin Carroll

Your MES teachers and staff are working hard to make our school one of those wonderful places the author talks about "where you belong, just by being you."

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A Kids Book About Belonging by Kevin Carroll

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16 Ways to Help Children Become Thougtful, Informed, and BRAVE about Race

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16 Ways to Help Children Become Thougtful, Informed, and BRAVE about Race

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From an excellent resource for families & educators: Embrace Race

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"This short story collection is a call-to-action that invites all families to be anti-racist and advocates for change. Thirty diverse authors and illustrators engage young people in frank discussions about racism, identity, and self-esteem."

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The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love & Truth

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Read 191 reviews from the world’s largest community for readers. This short story collection is a call-to-action that invites all families to be anti-racis…

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Gender Identity Pronouns: An Animated Explainer

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Gender Identity Pronouns: An Animated Explainer

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https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/gender-identity-pronouns-video-explainer

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What is gender identity and how do you learn and use someone's pronouns in a conversation? In partnership with the Pride Centre of Edmonton, the team at Onlea created an animated primer about Gender Identity and Pronouns.

The video provides a brief explanation of the difference between sex and gender, defines the word cisgender, shares how to use someone's pronouns correctly, and demonstrates what to do when you make a mistake.

Using the correct name and pronoun is about showing basic respect. If you're not sure, you can just ask. A great way to ask someone's pronoun when you first meet them is to say your name, state your pronouns, and then ask the person you're meeting with what their name and pronouns are...

We all make mistakes though. If you slip up, apologize and try to avoid being defensive.

Related resources for educators and parents include Defining LGBTQ Words for Children from The Human Rights Campaign's WelcomingSchools.org.

KQED Mindshift also shares What Teachers Can Do To Be More Inclusive Of LGBTQ Students. The article includes tips from A Queer Endeavor [.pdf], a University of Colorado Boulder School of Education initiative, to help teachers create LGBTQ-friendly classrooms, intervene in anti-LGBTQ bullying situations, be there for students who identify as gender-fluid, and properly address kids who use gender-neutral pronouns. A few ideas:

* Let students identify themselves on the first day of class. Ask them to fill out index cards with their preferred name and pronouns, then be sure to update the class list and share that list when there's a substitute teacher.

* Avoid using gendered language to address students ("ladies and gentlemen," "boys/girls"). Instead, use words like "scientists," "readers," "athletes," "writers," "artists," "scholars," etc.

* Avoid grouping students by gender. Instead, use birthdays, ice cream preferences, pet preferences, etc.

* If there are all-gender bathrooms, make sure students know where they are and that they are for everyone.

* Make your ally status known by hanging a rainbow flag, sharing your own pronouns and/or supporting the school's LGBTQ groups.

Watch these videos about kindness, empathy, community, communication, and words next:
* Kindness, a Thought Bubble by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
* Right On Tracks: Music videos that encourage kindness, inclusion, and empathy
* Greetings Around the World
* What is Intersectionality?
* The word Indigenous, a CBC Kids News explainer

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Gender Identity and Pronouns, an animated explainer | The Kid Should See This

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What is gender identity and how do you learn and use someone's pronouns in a conversation? In partnership with the Pride Centre of Edmonton, the team at Onlea created an animated primer about Gender Identity and Pronouns.

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https://collections.follettsoftware.com/collection/5faf36b017b405001246cf40

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Collections by Follett is a new, collaborative way for educators to collect and share resources from anywhere, at any time, and with anyone.

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Asian & Pacific American Heritage (MES Library)

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Asian & Pacific American Heritage (MES Library)

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https://collections.follettsoftware.com/collection/60b6f49d942aca0012cdce21

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Collections by Follett is a new, collaborative way for educators to collect and share resources from anywhere, at any time, and with anyone.

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Collections by Follett is a new, collaborative way for educators to collect and share resources from anywhere, at any time, and with anyone.

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https://spscatalog.seattleschools.org/cataloging/servlet/handlebooklistform.do

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Welcome to Seattle Public Schools Libraries

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https://spscatalog.seattleschools.org/cataloging/servlet/handlebooklistform.do

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Welcome to Seattle Public Schools Libraries

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Video: Talking Gets Us There: Amanda Gorman on Racism

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Video: Talking Gets Us There: Amanda Gorman on Racism

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https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/talking-gets-us-there-with-amanda-gorman-and-pbs-kids

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"It's normal to notice what makes us different because what makes us different is what makes each of us so special," begins Inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman in her original poem titled Talking Gets Us There. The piece is a part of the PBS KIDS Talking to Young Children About Race and Racism initiative, a resource to help parents and kids navigate ongoing conversations within their families.

"There's beauty in every type of face and in every type of freckle. From the curl of your hair to the color of your skin, no one is exactly the same, not even twins.

But across time and place, people have been treated unfairly just because of their race. So heroes get into good trouble. They have to struggle for a long while, but when they win, it's worth every mile."

"People of color still experience racism today. So, it's up to all of us to say, 'Enough is enough.' To speak out with all our hearts, and that starts at home, starts with asking questions about race when we're taught about it.

Together, I know we can tackle racism. But first, we have to talk about it."

Related resource for Black History Month and all year long at PBS Parents: Celebrating Black Leaders.

Plus, watch these related videos on TKSST:
* 'The Hill We Climb' by Amanda Gorman
* A Kids Book About Racism and Belonging
* What is systemic racism?
* Being 10 in 2020, a kid-driven episode of Self-Evident: A PBS American Portrait Miniseries

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"Talking Gets Us There" with Amanda Gorman and PBS Kids | The Kid Should See This

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"It's normal to notice what makes us different because what makes us different is what makes each of us so special," begins Inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman in her original poem titled Talking Gets Us There.

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https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/what-is-intersectionality

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Videos: Making Space with Christian Robinson

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Videos: Making Space with Christian Robinson

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzW_SBxroAj5hclD4q5KwZw

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My name is Christian Robinson, and I am an author and illustrator of books for children. MAKING SPACE is a video series in which I invite anyone, big or smal...

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Identity Activities from the Linking Network

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Identity Activities from the Linking Network

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https://thelinkingnetwork.org.uk/resource/identity-activities/

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We suggest starting with some work on Names as these are very important to us as a part of our identity. You can choose whether to do some or all of the following, but it is important to do something about this before moving onto further discussions about identity.

Open a discussion to ensure that there is some understanding of the following:

Why we need names

Why our names are special to us

Why we usually have a first name and a surname

1. To develop this further, for homework, ask the children to find out who gave them their name, why it was chosen and what it means. (They may already know but if they don't it gives them a chance to find out.) If there are children for whom you know this will be upsetting because they do not live with the person who gave them their name, be sensitive and think of other ways to find out, e.g. looking up meanings of names together.

2. Following the homework, ask children to work in pairs or small groups to interview each other about their names. You could give them the following questions:

Who gave you your name?

Does your name have a meaning?

Do you like/dislike your name?

Have you ever chosen to be called something different?

Have other people ever called you something different?

Discuss different naming traditions from around the world

Traditions where names are symbolic of people's qualities

Discuss the following

What it feels like to be called names we don't like

Why we should not make fun of people's names

The sorts of things people get called names about

What we can do to stop name-calling

Develop the discussion to ensure some understanding of the following:

People can feel very sensitive about their name(s)

People sometimes choose to change their names (you may want to link this to famous people you have learned about, e.g. pen names)

Reflecting

Give everyone a sheet of paper/journal and give them time to complete these statements:

What I feel about my name is...........

Other names I like being called are...............

When people call me bad names I feel................

WHO AM I?

To follow this you will need to carry out further identity work using the different aspects to guide children's thinking. The aspects could include; our physical appearance (eye colour, hair, glasses, etc), facts about ourselves and what we are like on the inside (Religion, age, hobbies, personality, etc), our experiences (in terms of people and places) and our hopes and fears.

When carrying out activities on identity it is effective if you participate while you facilitate. If you are willing to share your own experiences, the children are more likely to feel open and willing to share their own.

Throughout your work on identity discuss labelling and stereotyping with the children. Could someone else do any of the activities, for them without asking them? Would they like someone else to label them/choose their identity? Is it ok to label other people? What kind of effect could this have?

IDENTITY CIRCLES

Children could draw a large circle in the middle and five outer circles. They then draw a picture of themselves in the centre circle and write about the different aspects of their identity in each of the outer circles, starting with information about their name.

PIECES OF A PUZZLE

Children could make a jigsaw puzzle of themselves, by drawing a self portrait and cutting it up into five or six pieces. On the back of each piece they could write about an aspect of their identity. This activity is a good way to open a discussion about how complex identity can be, due to the many factors shaping it, a bit like pieces of a puzzle.

I AM - ORANGE MOBILE TV ADVERT

Show the class the orange mobile TV advert - I am... as a stimulus for identity work, discuss what the person in the advert means by I am... (Insert a statement from the advert). Discuss how the person in the advert can be all those different things. Ask the children, if they were the person in the advert, what would they want people to know about them? What aspects do they feel make up their identity? Who do they feel has played a part in shaping their identity so far in their lives? What events in their life do they feel have shaped their identity? Children could make their own adverts about themselves, or you could record a whole class one (who are we - as a class), with each child contributing the one aspect they feel is most important to their identity.

COATS OF ARMS
www.yourroots.co.uk
This website has information about the origins of Coat of Arms and a search engine to find examples of Coat of Arms

Show examples of Coats of Arms and discuss what they were used for in the past. Use the, your-roots website to find out if any members of the class had a Coat of Arms related to their surname. Search the Bradford Coat of Arms using this website by typing Bradford in the search

Make explicit the link between Coat of Arms and identity. Children then design their own Coat of Arms. This activity could also be used for work on Who are we? - Children could design a group Coat of Arms.

STORYTELLING
Deepening an understanding of who am I? Who are we?
" The more you refuse to hear my voice the louder I will sing!" Labi Siffre

Sharing stories is a powerful tool, to enable children to develop a deeper understanding of their own identity and heritage, making them feel valued and giving them a voice. It also opens an opportunity for them, to begin to understand the diversity, within their own class, through hearing the stories of others. Give the children opportunities to share stories, about themselves with their class, e.g, a story about a time they felt proud/achieved something, a story that reminds them of a family time, a story about a journey they have taken. Ask the children to find out stories from their parents, grandparents or other family members to share in class. Ask the children where possible to bring in objects or photos to support their storytelling. Make a class display with their stories, objects and photos.

WHO ARE WE? WHAT COMMUNITIES DO WE BELONG TO?

Once the children have had the opportunity to explore the theme - Who am I? They are ready to begin to explore the idea of community - Who are we? This work can begin with a focus on the groups and communities the children feel they belong to (school, home, their street, class etc).

Ask them - How and where do you feel you belong within this local community? (e.g. your school and where you live) Imagine the triangle in the box represents you. Give them stickers to write the names of the communities and groups they belong to, and ask them to stick them inside or outside the box, to show how strongly they feel they belong to that particular community. Explain the closer they stick the stickers to the triangle the stronger their sense of belonging. E.g. school, street, family, clubs, place of worship, friends etc

WHO ARE WE AS A CLASS?

Once the children have thought about the communities they belong to, explain that their class is a community and you will be looking at what you hold in common as a community and also the diversity within.

Follow one of the above Who am I? Activities, by putting children into groups and asking them to share information about their identity (remind them only to share what they feel comfortable with). The aim of this activity is to find out what they have in common with their group and form a shared identity. They must also find something about themselves, which they feel is unique from the group and shows their individuality. Come back together as a class and share what the children have found out e.g. "I am a Hindu and Sarah is a Christian". "My mum was born in Bradford and so was Harpreet's".

CROSS THE LINE

You will need a large space for this activity. Line the children up in a long line across the space and ask the children to walk across to the other side if a statement applies to them. e.g.

"Cross the line if you..."...go to an after school club...go to a place of worship...have been to a different country...fast during Ramadan

Children will begin to notice they hold different aspects of their identity in common with many children in the class. If you notice any times when everyone walks, discuss the idea that this could form part of a class identity.

IDENTITY CAPSULE

Create a whole class identity capsule discussing what to include to represent the whole class e.g. a class photo, a picture of the class room, the school logo, objects representing things the whole class is interested in/likes etc. This can then be delivered to your link class for them to share.

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Identity Activities | The Linking Network

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We suggest starting with some work on Names as these are very important to us as a part of our identity. You can choose whether to do some or all of the following, but it is important to do something about this before moving onto further discussions about identity.

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Who Am I? Activities: The Linking Network

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Who Am I? Activities: The Linking Network

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https://thelinkingnetwork.org.uk/resources-2/primary-school-resources/home-learning-resources/who-am-i/

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I am, I wonder Poems

Using our really easy structure, these resources guide children through creating a poem about their identity, their thoughts and feelings and the things that are important to them. Leave them just as spoken word or write them out and decorate them to create something beautiful to display.
I am, I wonder PowerPoint I am, I wonder PDF
Identity Bags

Sharing information about the things we like and the things that are important to us is a great way to show family and friends who we are. Using this activity, why not create your own Identity Bag filled with items that show who you are or help to tell your story. When completed, the bag could even be shared with others (at a safe distance of course) over the phone or by video call!
Identity Bag Home Learning Activity
Magic Box

Imagine having your own Magic Box and being able to put anything you want inside it. Use the poem by Kit Wright, to think about what you would put into your Magic Box - set your imagination free! You could then use our PowerPoint and Home Learning Activity to create your own box or write your own poem.
Magic Box PowerPoint Magic Box Powerpoint PDF version Magic Box Home Learning Activity
Self Portraits

Exploring who we are can be done in a really thoughtful way through the use of self portraits. This PowerPoint gives you a number of ways to make a self portrait in your home with a limited number of resources.
Self Portraits Powerpoint Self Portraits Powerpoint PDF version

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Using our really easy structure, these resources guide children through creating a poem about their identity, their thoughts and feelings and the things that are important to them. Leave them just as spoken word or write them out and decorate them to create something beautiful to display.

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https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/two-wolves-fighting-in-my-heart

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There's a story, usually attributed to the Native American tradition, which illuminates different ways of paying attention. An elder, talking to a child, says, "I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is fearful, vengeful, envious, resentful and deceitful. The other wolf is compassionate, loving, generous, truthful and peaceful."

The child asks, "Which wolf will win the fight?" The elder responds, "The one I feed."

The Story of the Two Wolves and the power of mindfulness are the focus of this promo video for mental health company Happify. Animation by Kim Alexander and Katy Davis of SuperDoodle.

Mindfulness, The New York Times explains in this Mindfulness for Children guide, is "the simple practice of bringing a gentle, accepting attitude to the present moment. It can help parents and caregivers, too, by promoting happiness and relieving stress."

The narration continues from meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg:

Mindfulness allows us to see our thoughts and feelings as they are beginning. It's very powerful to know what we're feeling as we're feeling it, know what we're thinking as we're thinking it.

With mindfulness, we can choose what we'll strengthen and bring into action and we can choose what we will gently let go of. We don't have to be at the mercy of old habits, or old ways of thinking, or old ways of being. We are empowered. It just takes practice.

Related reading: The Mindful Child and Three Ways for Children to Try Meditation at Home.

Plus: FirstPeople.us, a kid-friendly educational resource about Native Americans and members of the First Nations. Organized from Abenaki to Zuni, it contains over 1,400 Native American legends, as well as information on treaties and agreements.

Follow The Story of the Two Wolves with these: The Importance of Staring Out Of The Window, The Uses of Envy, and How to Forgive.

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The Story of the Two Wolves | The Kid Should See This

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There's a story, usually attributed to the Native American tradition, which illuminates different ways of paying attention. An elder, talking to a child, says, "I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is fearful, vengeful, envious, resentful and deceitful. The other wolf is compassionate, loving, generous, truthful and peaceful."

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Connecting Kids to make change!

https://kidnectedworld.org/

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The Kidnected movement is helping kids explore, connect and serve their way to a brighter future.

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https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/identity-charts

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Use identity charts to help students consider the many factors that shape their own identity and that of groups, nations, and historical and literary figures.

Advisory

English & Language Arts

History

Social Studies

Using the strategies from Facing History is almost like an awakening.

- Claudia Bautista, Santa Monica, Calif

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Use identity charts to help students consider the many factors that shape their own identity and that of groups, nations, and historical and literary figures.

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https://wakelet.com/wake/FJHRoOWJYIlVVlukg0stB

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BIPOC Voices in Poetry for Kids (grades 3-5+) - Wakelet

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A wide range of voices covering a wide range of topics, plus lesson plans, videos, and more

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sample lesson based on Gholdy Muhammad's equity framework: 

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sample lesson based on Gholdy Muhammad's equity framework: 