What makes you, you? The question may seem simple, but as Intermediate students are learning, there's a lot that goes into who we are and who we’ll become.

Hilary Hairston, Falk’s Social Justice teacher, has spent the last few weeks emphasizing this point with fourth- and fifth-grade classes and teaching students that their identities—everything from religion and skin color to hobbies and best friends—are worth noticing and celebrating. 

The unit started off with an introduction to identity paired with an identity mapping activity. Keeping in mind that identity encompasses who we are, how we feel, who our friends are, and even what jobs we want to have, students created drawings to show off what makes them, them. 

Ms. Hairston made a list of traits and categories for students to consider, encouraging them to focus on what makes them special and to include positive characteristics that they’re proud of. “Are you funny?” she asked. “Are you smart? Are you social? Are you considerate?” 

While students worked, Ms. Hairston read I Knew You Could! A Book for All the Stops in Your Life, a sequel to Watty Piper’s famous book, The Little Engine That Could. The story emphasizes each person's unique path in life, telling readers to “find your own track" and remember that "doing your best is sometimes slowing down and getting your rest.” 

The book encouraged students to have confidence in their chosen track and explained that while self-consciousness and envy are natural, it’s important to focus on the unique merits we do have, not the ones we don’t. 

The next lesson in the identity unit included a gallery walk and show-and-tell. As students viewed each other’s identity maps—which highlighted everything from favorite professional sports teams to dream houses and jobs—Ms. Hairston challenged everyone to find one new and interesting fact on each classmate’s map. 

Next, students presented items of personal significance they had brought in from home. Many students chose to highlight their favorite activities by sharing books, swim goggles, ski masks, instruments, and more. Others highlighted their faith or presented photos of beloved family members and pets. 

To wrap up the unit, Ms. Hairston read George Ella Lyon’s poem, “Where I’m From,” and asked the class to write their own versions of the poem to highlight the people, sayings, objects, sounds, smells, and memories that they come from. 

In their last class together, Ms. Hairston facilitated a poetry reading. Each student had the chance to read their poem aloud or opt for Ms. Hairston to read it on their behalf. The rest of the class participated by snapping in praise and sharing feedback about the parts they especially enjoyed. 

In the coming weeks, students’ identity maps and poems will be stapled together and put on display outside the fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms. 

“This was a fun unit,” Ms. Hairston shares, “because not only does it allow me to get to know the students better, but it also allows the students to learn more about their peer group and to either connect with or show appreciation for others in a way that they haven't previously.” 

“It was also great to see the students really consider their personal identity—maybe for the first time—and to think about what is most important to them, who they are now, who they want to be in the future, and how knowing this can help to guide the choices they make going forward.”