10.3 English 1

​Unit: Identity

Novel: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds​

​

• ​What factors shape your identity?

• What parts of your identity do you choose for yourself?

• What parts of your identity are determined for you by other people or by society?

Open Ended

In the most general sense, we can define identity as a person's sense of self, established by their unique characteristics, affiliations, and social roles.

How can making connections between stories and our own lives help us to understand ourselves better?

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Open Ended

Think BEYOND stories. What other elements affect our identity?
(Example: friends, family dynamics)

In Long Way Down, Jason Reynolds shows readers how where we live, how we were raised, how we see ourselves, and how we wish or want others to see us impacts our identity.

Before we begin the novel, we're going to view a series of statements (4). Read each statement and choose "agree" or "disagree." THINK before you choose. Be prepared to defend your choice!

Poll

We are defined by our past.

• AGREE

• DISAGREE

Poll

No single decision is life-changing.

• AGREE

• DISAGREE

Poll

Other people's choices affect you more than your own.

• AGREE

• DISAGREE

Poll

Our environment determines who we will become.

• AGREE

• DISAGREE

Remember:

• Our past, whether we like it or not, typically impacts the way that we see things, how we interact with others, and how we view ourselves.

• EVERY.CHOICE.THAT.YOU.MAKE.MATTERS!

• In the text, our main character, Will, is going to encounter a series of people from his past. They all teach him something about choices he has made. They also impact the choices that he will make in the future.

​As you begin the novel, remember:

​When we read literature, we are not simply reading to be able to "spit-back" the plot. We are reading for MEANING. We are reading to see how the text APPLIES to our own lives.

• L: Literal

  • What is happening?

  • Who are the key characters?

  • Plot summary

• I: In the world

  • How does this apply to something happening in the world today?

  • How does this apply to my own life?

• T: Theme + Title

  • Keep the title in mind and question it! Why is this the title?

  • Theme = the LESSON, universal, what can we take away from this?

​What to think about for/before Thursday's Google Meeting:

​Creating your identity profile in Canva!

Open Ended

Before you go - we just talked about how poems, stories, songs, movies, experiences, etc. help us to learn more about ourselves and others. These things even help us to build empathy in our own lives. Tell me a story, song, movie, poem, etc. that has helped to build your identity. For me, my dad grew up extremely poor and in an abusive household. He has never had a day of college, but SACRIFICED so much - sometimes working 3-4 jobs at a time, and now owns his own business. This spring, he was able to see me complete my PhD. The stories that he has told me about his own life motivate me to be a hard worker and to see him, as a child, in the faces of my own students.

Your turn: Tell me a story, a song, an experience, etc. that has helped to shape your identity.