Piecing Me Together

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Think of the multiple parts of your identity—the things that make you you. Make a list of all the components you can think of; note when those components are congruent and when they seem somewhat contradictory or inconsistent. Do you consider yourself a “brother/sister”? How about a “student”? Or an “athlete”? Which parts of your identity complement each other? Do some seem to conflict with each other?

Teaching Suggestion: Ask students if they have ever heard of the sociological term “intersectionality” and talk about what it means to them. To draw out the importance of Intersectionality, focus students’ attention on the numerous facets of their identity, having them come up with comprehensive lists of the many ways they might describe themselves. This could include roles in their family (brother/sister, cousin, son/daughter), their race, their age, roles in school (student, athlete, band member), their cultural affiliations, their hobbies, and many more.

• In this Learning for Justice clip entitled “Intersectionality 101,” students are given a 3-minute overview of the sociological concept.