As an initial "entry event" for this unit, we started with an activity in which we displayed eight pieces of chart paper around the classroom. On each piece of chart paper were ten words/phrases that a staff member at OES provided to describe their own identity. Students had a list of the participating staff members and walked around the room trying to figure out which descriptions matched which staff member. In the end, they realized that there are a lot of things that we, in our school community, know about each other, but there are also many important things that we may not know as well. This got students thinking about visible vs. invisible identities.

Using the character traits from the video, as well as other traits of their choosing, students created "Identity Illustrations" in which they combined words and images that best represent who they are as unique individuals. The Identity Illustrations were displayed on a bulletin board in our middle school hallway so that the rest of the middle school community to start learning more about each student.

Afterward, students filled out a "#IWanttoBe" document with a personal goal for themselves (ex. I want to be the kind of friend that people feel comfortable talking to about anything that is bothering them). They then chose the character trait (or two) that best describes what is needed to achieve this goal (ex. honesty & humility) and use it as their hashtag. Examples of Identity Illustrations and #IWanttoBe docs are included below.

Students also recorded Flipgrid videos explaining the character traits that currently define them and the trait that they hope to increase throughout the year. Those videos were linked to their Identity Illustrations using a QR code.