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Year 7

What does identity mean?

I can explain what identity means and why people have different identities.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 7

What does identity mean?

I can explain what identity means and why people have different identities.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Identity is made up of who a person is, or the qualities of a person or group that make them different from others.
  2. We all have characteristics which help to identify us.
  3. We get our personal identities from both nature and nurture.
  4. People can have multiple identities because they can belong to different groups at the same time.

Keywords

  • Identity - who a person is, or the qualities of a person or group that make them different from others

  • Characteristic - a feature or quality belonging typically to a person in order to identify them

  • Nature - the things you are born with, your biological background, traits and abilities which come from your genes

  • Nurture - the environment and experiences that shape you after you are born

Common misconception

Some people believe that you can only have one identity.

People can have multiple identities because they can belong to different groups at the same time.

Make this lesson more relatable by exploring what makes up pupils' own identities or those of famous celebrities more relevant to your pupils.
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Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
A community involves more than person.
Correct Answer: one, 1
Q2.
If a person is an active citizen they want to see happen.
colours
choices
challenges
Correct answer: change
Q3.
Who do we inherit our eye colour from?
our friends
Correct answer: our parents
our children
our community
Q4.
Match the word to the definition.
Correct Answer:community,a group of people sharing a place or common interests

a group of people sharing a place or common interests

Correct Answer:belonging,feeling accepted and part of a group or place

feeling accepted and part of a group or place

Correct Answer:unique,being one of a kind, with special qualities different from others

being one of a kind, with special qualities different from others

Q5.
What can we expect to learn about in citizenship?
puberty
Correct answer: identities
Correct answer: communities
friendships
Q6.
What can we not change?
our fashion sense
our friendship groups
Correct answer: our genes
our house

5 Questions

Q1.
Which question summarises identity?
Where am I?
Correct answer: Who am I?
How did I get here?
Q2.
Which of the following is true about identity?
Everyone can have the same identity.
Correct answer: Identities are unique to each person.
People can share identical identities with family members.
Identity is always determined by appearance.
Q3.
Which of the two ways in which we form our identity change over time? Choose between nature and nurture.
Correct Answer: Nurture
Q4.
Match the word to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:identity,who a person is, or the qualities of a person that make them unique

who a person is, or the qualities of a person that make them unique

Correct Answer:characteristic,a feature or quality belonging to a person that identifies them

a feature or quality belonging to a person that identifies them

Correct Answer:nature,your biological background

your biological background

Correct Answer:nurture,the way we are brought up

the way we are brought up

Q5.
What is it called when we have more than one identity?
Correct answer: multiple identities
several identities
characteristics