Having students create identity self-portraits are excellent activities to help students reflect on who they are, and for them to learn about the diversity in their classroom.

Here are three excellent lesson ideas – all are very good, though I have to say Shana White’s is my favorite (she even gave me permission to include a description of it in our last book!):

Creating a Learning Environment Where All Kids Feel Valued is by Shana White, and it appeared in Edutopia. Here’s a video about it:

 

Self-Portrait Ideas for ESL Students is from English Teaching 101.

Create a portrait exploring identity and expression is from The Adobe Education Exchange.

ADDENDUM: Who am I? comes from Facing History.  You’ll need this excerpt from The House on Mango Street to do it.

Also, check out Poetry and Identify from Facing History.

I like the idea in this tweet, and think that students in some classes could create it for themselves:

Facing History Identity Charts

Learning To Give Self-Portraits

Celebrating Linguistic Diversity in Your Classroom is from Edutopia.

Please let me know of others that you think are particularly good!