Armen MenechyanTeaching Mockingbird

July 14-16th, 2015

Individual and Society

Individual and Society – Essential Questions1. What is identity?

2. What are stereotypes and how do they affect how we see ourselves and how others see us?

3. How does our need to belong influence identity?

Psychologist Deborah Tannen writes: “We all know we are unique individuals, but we tend to see others as

representatives of groups. It’s a natural tendency, since we must see the world in patterns in order to make sense of it; we wouldn’t be able to deal with the daily onslaught of people and objects if we couldn’t predict a lot

about them and feel that we know who and what they are. But this natural and useful ability to see patterns of similarity has unfortunate consequences. It is offensive to reduce an individual to a category, and it is also misleading.

• Identity Charts p. 11

Two Names, Two Worlds p. 13

• What does Jonathan mean by the phrase “two names, two worlds”? What are the two worlds his name represents?

• How does he resolve these two worlds? What does he think is the essence of his identity?

• What parts of Jonathan’s identity are reflected in his name? What parts are hidden?

• What values and traditions are reflected in his name?

Rainbow Creation p. 15

• Stereotype Threat

Claude Steele is the Dean of the Stanford School of Education and a social psychologist by training. In this video he explains the nature of stereotype threat and how it can influence our behavior and affect our performance on tests, in social situations and in all areas of our lives.

p. 21

Individual and Society – Essential Questions1. What is identity?

2. What are stereotypes and how do they affect how we see ourselves and how others see us?

3. How does our need to belong influence identity?