Year 2s Conduct an Exploration of Identity | Aga Khan Academies

Year 2s Conduct an Exploration of Identity

11 May 2015

The Year 2s held a special celebration for the culmination of their Unit of Inquiry ‘Who We Are’. In this unit, the students explored the idea of identity and the impact individuals have on their communities in each of their subject area.

The big idea around this celebration revolved around Action, and how the ideas surrounding identity could be applied to the students’ everyday lives. In order to do this, they examined ways in which ordinary people doing ordinary things could have extraordinary impacts. The case studies they looked at were varied, ranging from Mother Teresa and Bill Gates to Wangari Maathai and their very own parents.

They then had to think about how they would use the inspiration from these figures and convert it into action to help themselves and those around them. Some included actions like promptly finishing their homework to make the most of their lesson. They also displayed an awareness of how they could help others around them, whether it was simply making their own beds to help with the housework or teaching their younger siblings how to set up a toy train set.

The students had been studying the genres of biography and autobiography for the literacy component of their curriculum, and they displayed the skills they learnt through creating a profile of an inspirational person and their achievements. This tied in with areas of basic data collection and statistical analysis covered in numeracy. Furthermore, they were also encouraged to learn how to tell their own stories, and in collaboration with the Art component, the students created beautiful ‘me-collages’, featuring a personalized self-portrait, as well as a photographic timeline of their lives so far.

Thank you, Year 2s! The parents and Senior School students learnt a great deal about the importance of our identities, and the different ways we can influence our communities and better ourselves. We look forward to more creative and inspirational projects from you in the future.