Suggested Activities
In this two-part challenge, students further their understanding of the characteristics of a group by selecting and presenting an artifact that represents a group to which they belong. To introduce the activity, present several artifacts representing various groups (e.g., school t-shirt, safety monitor or library helper badge, brownie or cub hat, family or group photo or, if appropriate for your class, a religious symbol). Explain that when we see people wear these items or see them pictured in the groups, we know they are members of that group. Ask students to look for clues in each artifact to determine the identity of the groups.
Invite each student to bring an artifact to class that identifies a group to which he or she belongs (e.g., their family, a church group, a cultural or linguistic community). As each student shows the artifact, invite the rest of the class to ask questions about the artifact and the group. If the name of the group is not apparent from the artifact, suggest that students ask questions until they guess what group the student belongs to. Discuss how each group, no matter its purpose, is made up of people who have something in common and care about each other. If possible, take photos of each student presenting the artifact and display the photos under the caption "People in our group belong to other groups."
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