Education - Social Studies Resources (Elementary)

"The dynamic relationship between citizenship and identity forms the basis for skills and learning outcomes in the program of studies...The sense of being a citizen, enjoying individual and collective rights and equitable status in contemporary society, impacts an individual's source of identity.  Individuals need to feel that their identities are viewed as legitimate before they can contribute to the public good and feel a sense of belonging and empowerment as citizens."  Program Foundations, Alberta Social Studies Program of Studies

"Personal identity is shaped by an individual’s culture, by groups, by institutional influences, and by lived experiences shared with people inside and outside the individual’s own culture throughout her or his development...In the early grades, young learners develop their personal identities in the context of families, peers, schools, and communities. Central to this development are the exploration, identification, and analysis of how individuals and groups are alike and how they are unique, as well as how they relate to each other in supportive and collaborative ways. Themes of Social Studies, National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies

Fitt, S & Gross, L (2010, Sept-Oct). I am from Delicious Lasagna: Exploring Cultural Identity with Digital Storytelling. Social Studies and the Young Learner, 23 (1) 8-10. - Describes a multi-media poetry  activity encouraging students to reflect on personal experiences, past achievements, and family traditions that have been meaningful in shaping their identities.(print copy of journal in Doucette)