The following activities have been developed for educators to use in both formal and informal education settings and provide a way to engage with the history of the Eastern Shawnee.
Activity 4.1 – Exploring Identity: Who am I?
Summary: In this activity, students will explore the factors that shape individual and community identity by examining their own personal identities. Students will each create an identity chart that answers the question “Who am I?” and compose a biopoem following a template. Through this process, students will begin to understand the factors that shape identity, including (but not limited to): language, gender, family, cultural traditions, environment, personal experiences, religion, hobbies/interests. Students will conclude the lesson by considering how Eastern Shawnee culture and heritage specifically has impacted their identity.
Essential Questions:
- What is identity? What forces shape individual and community identity?
- How can cultural heritage influence individual and community identity?
Activity Materials:
Activity 4.2 – Five Card Identity
Summary: In this activity, students will explore the complex nature of identity and the outside forces that sometimes exert control over personal and community identity. Students will each select five components of their personal identity to write on five separate index cards. Through a series of steps, students will eliminate cards one-by-one until they have only one card left. Students will then write a short personal essay on how they would feel to be understood and represented by this single aspect of their identity only. Using the Eastern Shawnee as a case study, students will conclude the lesson by discussing the dangers of representing a person or community through only one aspect of identity.
Essential Questions:
- What is identity? What aspects of our lives shape identity?
- What are the problems associated with representing a person or community through only one aspect of identity?
Activity Materials: