Establishing a Claim through Social Identities

Name: Connar Kelley

Subject: English

Grade Level: 12

Common Core Standard:

(CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1.B)
Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant
evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner
that anticipates the audience's knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
Focus: In order for the students to generate an idea for their personal narrative, which is
influenced by their personal experiences, we will brainstorm how social identities can be
used to make claims regarding issues regarding their personal experiences.
Objectives:
The students will be able to:
Identify social identities that pertain to them
Brainstorm controversial issues that arise from ones own social identity
Develop a claim that is rooted in their social identity
Materials:
Abstract from Promoting The Role Of The Personal Narrative In
Teaching Controversial Socio-Scientific Issues. (see below)
Social Identity Wheel (see below)
Daybooks
Smartphones or laptops
Activities and Procedures:
1. Introduce the activity as being important in terms of implementing a personal
position in an argumentative claim.
2. Have a student read aloud Abstract from Promoting The Role Of The Personal
Narrative In Teaching Controversial Socio-Scientific Issues.
3. Ask a student to summarize what was just read to ensure the class grasps the
importance of using a personal position in context with a controversial issue.
Discuss a claim made in the abstract. This should take about three to five minutes
overall.
4. Have students take five minutes to write as many social identities as they can
think of. Have them look at the Social Identity Wheel to stimulate some
categories of personal identity.
5. Have students read their list of social identities to a partner. Encourage partners to
ask any questions about the social identities (What is the most controversial social
identity on the list? What is the most intriguing social identity?) This should only
take three minutes.
6. Have students return to their own lists and individually choose three social
identities that appeal to them in regards to writing on controversial issues that
arise from these identities.
7. Encourage students to free write a short list of issues that arise from these
identities. After ten minutes of this, allow them to get out their phones or laptops

and explore issues on the Internet. This should take an additional 20 to 30

minutes.
8. After generating a short list of issues for each identity, have students pick one
issue to make a claim that is rooted from each social identity. Provide an example.
(As a teacher, I feel that standardized testing is detrimental to the way in which
teachers implement writing in the classroom.)
9. Take a minute to have students share their claim with a partner. Ask for volunteers
to share their identity-driven claims with the class.
10. Wrap-up the lesson by explaining how such claims will transcribe to a researchbased personal narrative.
11. For homework, explain that they will have to narrow down their options to just
one social identity that they want to root their personal narrative in. Have them
bring the list of claims with them to class for that particular chosen social identity.

Abstract from "Promoting The Role Of The Personal Narrative In Teaching

Controversial Socio-Scientific Issues."
Citizens participating in contemporary socio-scientific issues (SSI) need to draw on
local knowledge and personal experience. If curricular developments in the teaching of
controversial SSI are to reflect contemporary notions of citizenship then the personal
narrative is an indispensable instrument in bridging the gap between the local/personal
and the emergent science. In the context of controversy personal narratives help
contending parties to see events in the light of those who do not share their views. A goaloriented protagonist is the narrator in the personal narrative, which consists of three
components - situation-event-reactionthe reaction being an evaluation of the event.
Levinson, Ralph. "Promoting The Role Of The Personal Narrative In Teaching
Controversial Socio-Scientific Issues." Science & Education 17.8/9 (2008): 855-871.
Education Source. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
Summary?
Claim?

SocialIdentityWheel