What makes up a person's identity? Where does it come from?
8th grade can be a difficult year for students. Not only are they exploring their own identities and how they fit into their school and community, but they are also facing the possibility of creating new identities and erasing old ones as they enter high school. The term “identity” may be difficult for some students to understand, for it can encompass many characteristics and traits, such as race, gender, ability, etc. Exploring a unit on Identity and how it affects characters in literature, as well as how it relates to students in the classroom can help students understand what motivates them, who they are, and how others may perceive them. Literature that best highlights an individual’s discovery of identity is often young adult literature. The students in an 8th grade classroom can easily relate to a protagonist that is near their own age and that may be experiencing an identity crisis similar to their own.
Knowing what makes up a person's identity and what threatens an individual's identity, such as stereotypes, is valuable knowledge that young adolescents need to know, not only to know who they are as an individual but also how they perceive others that my have a different culture, gender, religion, etc. Though some critics may not suggest the use of young adult literature in the classroom, I believe that students will be able to quickly identify with the protagonists in young adult literature more than in canonical texts, since protagonists in young adult literature are frequently at the same age and development level as the students. Students can then relate what the protagonist identifies as characteristics of their identity to their own ideas of identity, further expanding their knowledge of identity and how it influences behavior, which is a skill that is valuable in life and in literature studies.
Being aware of the elements that make up one's identity allows students to also have deeper analysis and appreciation for literature. By understanding their own identities and how they influence their decisions, students will be able to apply that same level of reasoning when examining characters in literature. This ability to compare their lives with those in literature and in society helps students to gain a valuable perspective on the identities of individuals that may be different from their own, a skill that is needed for that student to be a better individual in their community and larger society. By using the text, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, students will be able to see how the protagonist’s identity is shaped by his school and culture, a culture that may be vastly different than their own, which gives students a unique perspective into another culture, and how that, among other things, shapes that individuals identity.
Knowing what makes up a person's identity and what threatens an individual's identity, such as stereotypes, is valuable knowledge that young adolescents need to know, not only to know who they are as an individual but also how they perceive others that my have a different culture, gender, religion, etc. Though some critics may not suggest the use of young adult literature in the classroom, I believe that students will be able to quickly identify with the protagonists in young adult literature more than in canonical texts, since protagonists in young adult literature are frequently at the same age and development level as the students. Students can then relate what the protagonist identifies as characteristics of their identity to their own ideas of identity, further expanding their knowledge of identity and how it influences behavior, which is a skill that is valuable in life and in literature studies.
Being aware of the elements that make up one's identity allows students to also have deeper analysis and appreciation for literature. By understanding their own identities and how they influence their decisions, students will be able to apply that same level of reasoning when examining characters in literature. This ability to compare their lives with those in literature and in society helps students to gain a valuable perspective on the identities of individuals that may be different from their own, a skill that is needed for that student to be a better individual in their community and larger society. By using the text, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, students will be able to see how the protagonist’s identity is shaped by his school and culture, a culture that may be vastly different than their own, which gives students a unique perspective into another culture, and how that, among other things, shapes that individuals identity.