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    Visible and Invisible Me!

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    Subject: SEL (Social-Emotional Learning)

    Lesson Length: 20 - 30 mins

    Topic: Self Awareness and Diversity

    Grade Level: 4, 5, 6

    Standards / Framework:

    Brief Description: Students will define visible characteristics that describe who they are and then explore the invisible characteristics, or things that are unseen and felt inside, that define who they are but people may not know.

    Know Before You Start: Students should be familiar with the terms identity and characteristics to the class before or during this lesson.

    Hook:

    • Ask students if they think they can tell who someone is only by the way they look. As students share, remind them that physical identity is only a part of the story. We can’t make assumptions based solely on someone’s physical appearance.
    • Next, ask them about the characteristics that make us who we are that go unseen. Remind them to think about mental health, gender, religion, learning ability, culture, etc.
    • Discuss how we often don’t really know someone unless we get to know them better and they tell us more about themselves.  
    • Explain that this lesson is about celebrating what makes us, us, by embracing our visible and invisible identities. 

    Activity:

    • Read and discuss the sample comic. 
    • Using the sample comic as a guide, have students create a six-panel “Visible and Invisible Me” comic. 
      • Panels 1-3: Should include three different physical; visible traits they want to celebrate, e.g., hair color, height, eye color, freckles, glasses, etc.
      • Panels 4-6: Should describe three invisible personality traits, e.g., confidence, anxiety, humor, worries, kindness, etc.

    Closure:

    • Have students share their completed comics in small groups or with the entire group.
      • Were you surprised by any of the invisible traits of your peers? Why or why not? 
      • Can knowing about visible and invisible traits help you be kinder? More patient? How?

    Differentiation:

    • Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
    • Provide a copy of the sample comic to students as needed.
    • Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.

    Resources:

    Suggested Content Packs:

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