Whole Earth Curriculum WEC
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Lesson 08 — My Identity Map and Every Family's Shape

Learners assemble the threads from Lesson 7 into a full identity map: a center "me" surrounded by many connected bubbles — family, culture, place, history, language, interests, and more. They explicitly honor that every family shape (two parents, one parent, grandparents, adoptive, chosen, blended) and every place and history belongs, and they celebrate the many maps in the room.

D01 P1: Emotional & Social Awareness D01.S2 45 minutes Draft
Objectives

Objectives

  • D01.S2.05.02 Explain how a person's identity is shaped by family, culture, place, and history.

Essential question

How do I map the many parts that make me, me — and honor every family's shape?

Key vocabulary
identity mapfamily shapebelongingmany partshonor
Materials

Standard materials

  • Identity map poster · 1 A poster of a center "me" with many surrounding bubbles — family shapes, place, culture, language, interests, history
  • Blank identity map page · 1 per learner A page with a center "me" and empty bubbles for the learner to fill in
  • Pencils and crayons · per learner

Low-tech / no-cost

  • A map drawn in the dirt or sand Draw a center 'me' and bubbles in the ground, and place a stone in each bubble while naming that part of you
  • A spoken map Say your identity map aloud — center 'me,' then each part — no paper needed

Enriched / lab & device

  • Laminated identity map with dry-erase markers · 1 per learner A reusable map to update as the learner's identity grows over the year
  • A class identity map gallery · 1 A wall of maps read side by side, celebrating the many family shapes and histories in the room
Works in different contexts
  • large-group Build one shared map together, then have learners fill their own in small groups and post them for a gallery walk
  • multi-age Younger learners draw each part while older learners label it and write a sentence about one part that matters most to them
  • self-directed A learner fills their map, then writes two sentences — one naming their parts, and one naming a part they are proud of
  • level-grouped Learners ready to extend connect two bubbles with a line and write how those two parts of their identity meet in their life
  • outdoor-only Build the map on the ground with stones and sticks, each object standing for a part of you, then walk and name each part; no paper needed
An identity map diagram. In the center is a circle labeled "me" with a friendly face. Around it are connected bubbles labeled "my family," "my culture," "my place," "my history," "my language," and "my interests," each with a small icon. Below, a caption reads "Many parts, one whole self — every family's shape belongs." The map prints clearly in grayscale.
An identity map diagram. In the center is a circle labeled "me" with a friendly face. Around it are connected bubbles labeled "my family," "my culture," "my place," "my history," "my language," and "my interests," each with a small icon. Below, a caption reads "Many parts, one whole self — every family's shape belongs." The map prints clearly in grayscale.

Lesson 8 — My Identity Map and Every Family’s Shape

Summary

Learners assemble the threads from Lesson 7 into a full identity map: a center “me” surrounded by many connected bubbles — family, culture, place, history, language, interests, and more. They explicitly honor that every family shape (two parents, one parent, grandparents, adoptive, chosen, blended) and every place and history belongs, and they celebrate the many different maps in the room as a shared strength.

Objectives

  • Explain how a person’s identity is shaped by family, culture, place, and history. (D01.S2.05.02)

Connection

Draw a dot in the middle and call it me. Now draw a ring of bubbles around it and fill each with a part of you — the people who care for you, the language you speak, the food you eat, the place you call home, the story of how you got here. That ring is your identity map. No two maps are alike, and no map is “more complete” than another — a child raised by grandparents, a child in a blended family, and a child who moved across the sea each has a map that is whole and true.

Materials

  • Identity map poster
  • Blank identity map page
  • Pencils and crayons

Preparation

  • Print or draw the identity map poster (center “me,” ring of connected bubbles).
  • Copy a blank identity map page for each learner.
  • Arrange a space for a gallery walk at the end.

Facilitator note

This lesson is written to the learner (“you”). The idea to land is that identity has many connected parts, and every family’s shape, place, and history is whole and worthy. This is the unit’s deepest “honor every family” moment — be explicit that families come in many shapes: two parents, one parent, grandparents, adoptive or foster parents, siblings, chosen family, and blended families, and that all belong. Model inclusivity naturally (mention adoption and moving as ordinary, not “special cases”). If a learner reveals a loss, receive it with calm care; never require detail. The gallery walk should celebrate difference, never compare maps as better or worse. See docs/facilitation.md and docs/art-style.md on representing many kinds of family.

Procedure

  1. Gather (5 min). Last time you met four shapers of you. Today you draw the whole map — the many parts that make you, you.
  2. Meet the map (10 min). Look at the poster: a center me, with a ring of bubbles connected to it — my family, my culture, my place, my history, my language, my interests. Each bubble is a part of your whole self. Here is a worked example: one child’s map has “my grandmother” (family), “my two languages” (culture), “the village by the river” (place), “we moved last year” (history), and “football” (interests). Every bubble is a real thread.
  3. Draw your map (20 min). On your page, write me in the center, then draw your own bubbles and fill each one. Add any part that matters — a friend, a faith, an ability, a dream. Your map is yours; there is no “right” way to be a family or to belong.
  4. Gallery walk (10 min). Walk quietly and look at the maps around the room. Notice: how many different family shapes? How many places? How many languages? Each map is whole and true. Find one thing on someone else’s map you admire.
  5. Close (5 min). You are many parts, one whole self — and every person’s map deserves honor. Carry that with you.

Differentiation

  • Support: Provide pre-drawn bubbles with picture prompts to fill in; scribe labels as needed.
  • Extension: Connect two bubbles with a line and write one sentence about how those two parts of you meet in your life (e.g., “my language and my family meet at our holiday meals”).

Assessment

  • Formative (observation): Can the learner produce a map with several connected parts and name how at least one part shapes who they are?
  • Portfolio: The identity map, kept as a growing artifact to revisit later in the year.

Home connection

Show someone at home your map and invite them to add one bubble you may not have thought of — a story, a place, a person, or a dream.

Resources