Lesson Plan 2
Lesson 2
The Bear that Wasn’t
This activity explores the construction of our identities further and begins to help learners to see that our identity can often determine how we are treated and how we treat others.
Key Question:
What are the factors that shape our identity?
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- How do I see myself?
- How do I believe others see me?
- What makes you who you are?
- What influences your identity?
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Resources:
Step 1
- Begin by reading the story, ‘The Bear that Wasn’t’ together as a class.
- Read the story to the class or begin reading and then ask a learner to continue until he/she would like to stop. Another learner then continues reading the story until he/she wants to stop, etc.
Step 2
- Ask the learners to answer the following questions by themselves:
What made the bear challenge how he saw himself?
What techniques did the men use to convince the bear that he wasn’t a bear?
What made the bear realise in the end that he was a bear?
- Discuss the answers as a class.
Step 3
- In pairs or small groups learners create an identity chart for the bear.
- Invite pairs to share their identity charts with the rest of the class.
Step 4
- Conclude the lesson by discussing the issue of identity further:
How much of who we are is determined at our birth?
How much of it is something we decide?
How does our identity change over time, within certain conditions?
How much of it something that is determined by your experiences with others?
How do these perceptions affect the relationships we have in society?
- You could ask them how they might feel if someone were to judge them on only one aspect of their identity to lead them into the next lesson on group identity and exclusion.
Download The Bear That Wasn’t
