Lesson video

Hello everybody, and welcome to the National Oak Academy, citizenship lessons.

My name is Miss Elmi, I'll be your teacher over the next few weeks.

And during this unit work, what we'll be exploring is concepts around identity diversity and the changing UK population.

The key overarching question that we'll be looking at is how is the UK society so diverse and changing.

So before we get into the lesson.

I just want to make sure that you are ready to learn.

That you are in a quiet space where you can focus.

You have a pen and paper where you can make some notes and jot a few things down.

So, like I mentioned, our overarching question that we're going to explore over this unit of work is how the UK is so diverse and changing.

And within that, we're going to be looking at concepts such as identity, diversity community, and also the changing UK population.

And what impact that has both in our local communities, but also in the wider national picture.

So in today's lesson, we're going to be focusing on that first concept, which is identity.

And so the title for today, is 'What is identity and can it be defined?' So by the end of today's lesson, I want you to be able to explain and define what identity means.

what does it mean to you? and how is it shaped? and whether or not identity can change.

These are the key concepts that we're going to be getting across in today's lesson.

And by the end of this lesson, you should be able to explain what identity means, and how it can be shaped.

So, how do we define identity? Now, sometimes it can be really complicated to really understand one's identity, because it's really personal, it's personal to an individual, but the clearest and easiest definition to really know is the following, so I'm going to read this out and I just want you to follow along and just jot down a few notes.

Identity can be defined as who a person is, or the qualities of a person or group that make them different from others.

Now, that is the Cambridge definition of identity.

Identity can also be expanded and developed to mean the following: A person's identity can be defined in many ways.

It is generally who someone is or how they see themselves, or how others see them.

Now let's put that into a bit of context.

So if identity means how you see yourself, or how others see you, then it leads to the question of what can shape that identity? What can shape who you are.

There are several things that can shape who you are, and I've got here just a few examples of what they are.

Your religion, whether you believe in a religion or you don't can shape your identity.

The role you play within society, whether it's your job or career or your life as a student can also influence and shape who you are.

Nation that you belong to, or the local or regional area that you live in can shape who you are.

Your gender.

Or your social identity, which is the things that you do, your hobbies, your interests, the people around you, can also influence and shape who you are.

Your age can have a huge impact on that too.

And also your culture and ethnicity.

So all these things can influence and shape your identity.

So if your identity is who you are, the things that inform that, are the things that are listed here.

So if we look at me as an example, for instance.

I can describe my identity down to several key things that have shaped it.

For example, my religion, I'm a Muslim, I believe in Islam.

And that has shaped me and informed who I am as a person and how I live my life.

And also how I see myself, I'm also a black woman.

Okay, So my race also has shaped who I am, and it's a huge part of my identity.

I am Somali ethnically, and my parents and my heritage and culture originally, originated from Somalia.

So that has also shaped who I am.

Being a woman.

And also some of my interest like sports.

I really loved boxing, and that has influenced who I am.

So all of these things have shaped my identity and how I see myself.

But there are other aspects that can influence what shapes your identity or how others see you.

For example, your role.

The role that you play.

I'm a teacher, teaching you guys citizenship here at National Oak.

And that is part of my role.

That means it's also part of my identity, I am an educator.

And so some people might see me, or you might see me as your teacher, as an educator and that shapes my identity.

So just to recap, identity is how you or others might see you.

What shapes your identity are many things like your interests, your hobbies, your gender, your origin, your ethnic origin, culture, or where you live.

Now, some of these things are things that we are born with.

Some of these things are things that we learn and develop and grow up and are part of our surroundings.

And this can be referred to as nature versus nurture.

So what shapes and influences our identity could be from nature, the things that we are biologically born with.

So for example, race.

So I was born as a black woman and I identify with that gender.

Okay.

That I was born with, However, my upbringing, and how I was raised and how I was influenced, can also shape my identity.

So for example, my culture and my heritage is things that I learned growing up from my family.

So you can be influenced, your identity can be influenced, both by nature and also by nurture.

The way you are raised and how you learn as you are growing up.

Do we only have one identity? Okay.

What do you think about that question and think about it for yourself.

Do you only have one thing that influences who you are? Well, the answer to that question is no.

We have multiple identities.

So like I showed you, there are many things that shape who we are and how we see ourselves and how others see us.

And those things influence our identity and shape how we see ourselves.

So there, isn't just one singular thing that makes us who we are, or how we see ourselves.

There are many things.

We have multiple identities, multiple things that shape and influence identities and multiple ways that we see ourselves.

I'm going to read this out, and as I read I just want you note down these key points.

Most people have multiple identities.

This is because our identity is shaped by many factors.

So like I mentioned before, there are many things that influence our identity.

Multiple identity means a person can take on different identities at different times and in different situations.

For example, a person with an English mother and a Somali father may identify with both cultures.

A person may also be British, Muslim with a Pakistani heritage.

Similarly, how others see us can also shape and influence our identity.

For example, a person's family identity may also be seen as both a mother and a daughter.

So just to recap, identity is not singular, It's not one thing that shapes who you are and how you see yourself.

It can be many things.

Secondly your identity, does not stay the same, it can change over time.

Okay? So you can have multiple identities that are shaped over time.

And how others see you can also influence your identity.

So for example, you could have a family identity.

I am also a daughter.

I have several brothers and sisters.

And so they see me as their sister.

And I see them as my brothers and sisters.

And that family identity is also a part of my identity.

So just want you to think about that.

And now I want check, that you understood some of the core concepts.

And I just want you to point to the screen, based on what you think is the correct answer.

So true or false? A perfect of identity can be defined in many ways.

It is generally who someone is or how they see themselves, or how others see them.

If you think the statement is true, please point to the screen.

I'm going to give you a second to do that.

And the answer is true.

You're absolutely right.

Well done.

Question number two, just to check that you understand some of that core concepts that I was trying to get across.

True or false? A person's identity is shaped by one thing.

Point to the screen.

Okay.

The correct answer is false.

Most people have multiple identities.

Okay, So it's not singular.

It's not shaped by one thing.

This is because our identity is shaped by many things.

Again many factors influence who we are, how we see ourselves and how others see us.

Now, this then leads me to the next question.

Can our identity change? So I just want you to think about that question.

Can our identity, how we see ourselves and how others see us change? Okay.

Well, the answer again is yes.

Identity can change.

Most people's identity can change, and this is because identity is fluid and it's not fixed.

It can change over time.

So with time, our views, values and beliefs may change because of our experiences.

For example, an individual may not have a religious belief at young age, but this may change as they get older.

Also, as we begin to understand ourselves better, we may self identify with different things that shape our identity.

For example, our gender.

So just to clarify, our identity is not fixed, It's not static.

So if you put it into your own personal perspective and ask yourself five years ago, was I the same person? Did I think in the same way? Did I act in the same way? Did I see myself in the same way? Most often I know, the answer is no.

People change, and they often change due to experiences, and they change over time.

Also, some of the things that naturally influence our identity, which many people see as fixed, for instance, it's not really fixed.

We can self identify with things that we may naturally be born with.

So biologically, you may be born into a particular sex but you identify with a particular gender.

That means that aspect is fluid.

It's not fixed.

You can identify, and self identify with something different.

Okay.

So just to recap, identity is shaped by multiple things and not one thing.

Two, your identity can change, Okay.

How you see yourself and how others see you can change over time and it can change due to your experiences and due to self identifying with different things.

Okay.

So just to check your understanding, I want you to again, do this true false, point to the screen.

A person's identity can never change? True or false.

Point to the screen.

The answer is false.

Of course, identity can change because it is not fixed, it is fluid.

Okay, well done.

Now just to check your understanding, I want you to pause this video and complete this task.

Complete this gaps fill by filling in the gaps with the missing words.

Once you finished, come back to the task and we'll go through the answers.

Brilliant.

Well done, for giving that a go.

Okay.

So let's go through some of the missing words and where they were supposed to be placed.

So I'll read this out loud and I just want you to check your work and make sure you've entered the correct words in the correct spaces.

So just to remind you, how can your identity change? A person's identity can change over time.

With time, views, values and beliefs may change because of our experiences.

For example, an individual may not have a religious belief at a young age, but this may change as they age.

As we begin to understand ourselves better, we may also self identify with different things that shape our identity.

For example, our gender.

Have you got all of those points, correct? If you have brilliant, if you haven't, don't worry, feel free to go back and check your answers, and have a go again.

Okay and well done for completing that task and getting this far.

So far we looked at identity, how it's shaped, knowing that is shaped through multiple ways and not one singular way.

And we also explored how identities can change and we learnt that it can change over time through our experiences, through how we self identify with things.

So now that we've learned that.

I want us to apply our knowledge to two key questions.

Okay, the two core questions of the lesson.

So have a go at the following.

Giving an example, explain how identities are shaped? Okay, How are identities shaped? Question two, Explain two ways in which individuals identities can change? So those are the two questions that you need to answer.

Now the best way to do this.

And I've given you some sentence starters to support, but the best way to do this is to ensure that you answer in full sentences.

Okay.

And you use some key terminology to support your answer.

Secondly, both questions give a slight indication of what you need to do.

So in question one, it asked for, ask you to give a specific example, so when you're talking about how identities are shaped, give an example of how it's shaped.

And in question two, it's asking for you to explain two ways, not one, but two ways, Individual identities can change.

So provide two explanation of how identities can change.

So pause the video now and when you're done, come back and we'll go through the answers.

So have a go, I'll see you in a minute.

Okay.

And welcome back.

So let's go through some of those answers.

So question one, was, giving an example, explain how are the identities are shaped? So a correct answer to this question is identities are shaped through our experiences such as our social interests like football.

Now that is correct because it's identifying that through social interests, our identity can be influenced.

Okay, so it's shaped through the things that we do, but a better answer and a more detailed answer that would have answered the question in what it demanded is the following: Our identity is shaped through the way we are brought up and our experiences.

For example, our identity may be shaped by our religious beliefs, which may have been shaped by our upbringing.

Now if you don't have that answer.

Not to worry.

Feel free to go back and try again.

Okay.

Or correct your answer with what is written down on your screen here.

Okay.

Question number two, explain two ways in which individual identities can change? Now correct answer is as follows, It can change over time through there own self identification.

Now you would have got one Mark for that answer.

Okay? Because the question asks for two ways.

Now, while the is correct, it's not the best answer that can be given.

A better answer is as follows.

One way individual identity can change through time.

This is because as people get older, their views, values, ideas and beliefs can change due to new experiences.

Another way identity can change is through self identification.

This is because as people begin to understand themselves better, how they see their self can change to.

For example, biologically someone can be one gender, but later identify as another.

Okay.

And well done for getting this far.

Now, just to recap on the key things that we learned in today's lesson.

The four main key things were, what identity is? and what in terms of what it means and why it can be difficult to define.

We also learn, I should be able to explain, how our identity is shaped and how it can change.

Okay.

So there are multiple things that shape our identity and our identity is not fixed, it's fluid, and it can change over time due to our experiences and how we self identify.

So those were the key things that we learned today.

And as we explore and go through unit of work, there's going to be so much more that we're going to build up.

So keep your notes together.

Come back next lesson.

When we look at how the UK population is changing and why it's becoming so diverse.

And until then, do make sure you go out and complete your quiz.

And I look forward to seeing you all next lesson, take care.

And don't forget to complete your quiz.

Bye.