Key learning points

1. Belonging to a group can give you a sense of safety and security and it helps form your identity.
2. Identities can change over time for many reasons, including personal choice, experiences, influences and life events.
3. Some parts of our identity are fixed including genes inherited by our parents, e.g. eye colour and facial features.
4. Countries' identities can also change. The United Kingdom has changed its identity many times over the years.

Keywords

• Identities - who people are, or the qualities of a person or group that make them different from others

• Belonging - the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group

• United Kingdom - an island country that sits north-west of mainland Europe. It is made up of mainland Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) and the northern part of the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland)

Common misconception