The Personal Identity Wheel is a worksheet activity that encourages students to reflect on how they identify outside of social identifiers. The wheels can be used as a prompt for small or large group discussion or reflective writing on identity by using the Spectrum Activity, Questions of Identity. On the other hand, the Social Identity Wheel worksheet is an activity that encourages students to identify social identities and reflect on the various ways those identities become visible or more keenly felt at different times and how those identities impact the ways others perceive or treat them.
- The Personal Identity worksheet prompts students to list adjectives they would use to describe themselves, skills they have, favorite books, hobbies, etc. It is best used as an icebreaker activity or in conjunction with the Social Identity Wheel in order to encourage students to reflect on the relationships and dissonances between their personal and social identities.
- The Social Identity worksheet prompts students to fill in various social identities (such as race, gender, sex, ability, disability, sexual orientation, etc.) and further categorize those identities based on which matter most in their self-perception and which matter most in others’ perception of them.
- Both wheels can be used as a prompt for small or large group discussion or reflective writing on identity by using the Spectrum Activity, Questions of Identity.
- The Personal Identity Wheel, when used as an icebreaker, can be used to help students find common ground with their peers and learn more about one another, helping students build community.
- The Social Identity Wheel encourages students to consider their identities critically and how identities are keenly felt in different social contexts.
- The activities sensitize students to their shared identities with their classmates as well as the diversity of identities in the classroom, building community and encouraging empathy.
Downloads
Read more about the identity maps and how to use them here. The worksheets are also available for download.