Young historians research the connections between their personal histories and the histories of our country to gain a deeper understanding of who they are. To begin, class members write about an object that they consider significant to their history. Using a jigsaw strategy, class members then analyze four stories about items or places the authors feel are important part of their personal or family histories. To conclude, individuals visually represent their object and explain what it represents to them about their past.

Concepts

identity, self identity, american history, social-emotional learning, artifacts, ancestry

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Instructional Ideas

• Model the lesson by bringing in your own artifact that represents your own history

Classroom Considerations

• The fifth of six lessons in the "Exploring Identity in the United States" unit

Pros

• The four stories offer models for the closing activity
• Includes an extension activity in which class members add their images to a mosaic representing the class

Cons

• None

Common Core

RI.9-10.1 RI.9-10.2 RI.11-12.1 RI.11-12.2