Individual Condition

This section focuses on the Individual Condition and asks you to consider “Who are you? What is your purpose?”

When looking at the Individual Condition, two central ideas arise: first, the sense of who we are is fluid, changing over time and depending on context, and second, the sense of who we are stems from our societal roles, as well as our relationships with others.

Participants’ responses include advocating for positive change:

“I’m trying to create a better world using whatever resources I have.”
“I want better for myself; I want better for my community; I want better for all of us.”

Explore suggestions for using Prism.K12 strategies to create arts-integrated lessons in the section below. Check out Question Bridge’s educator resources for additional lesson ideas on the Individual Condition.

Using the Prism.K12 Strategies

Question Bridge’s videos about the Individual Condition invites students to investigate their identity and sense of self. Learning the importance of language in terms of self-definition, students can identify the multiple facets that make them who they are. The “In the Classroom” activity outlines how students can write a poem that reflects their identity groups to express their understanding of themselves.

Having students consider their individual experiences prepares them to think about the power of communication and the ways that individuals are limited—or empowered—based on how others perceive them.

In the Classroom

The activity below serves as an example of how to use the Prism.K12 identify and express strategies to combine the visual and language arts.

Begin by showing students Question Bridge’s video about the Individual Condition on this page and ask students to discuss how they would respnd to the questions “who are you?” and “what is your purpose?” This may be a group discussion, a pair and share, or a written activity.

On a paper plate or circular piece of paper, have students draw an “X” to section their circle into four equal parts. For each section of the circle, students should label and shade in color accordingly:

Yellow: friends and family roles
Red: inherited traits
Yellow: hobbies and interests
Blue: groups I’m a part of

Students will then identify elements of their identity in each section (e.g. 1. granddaughter, 2. Latino American, 3. soccer, 4. volunteer community service).

Next, have students write an identity poem based on their primary color wheel to express their identity. Students will practice color-mixing by writing an orange, green, or purple poem by combining two elements of their identity.

For example, to create a green poem, students would choose one of their family roles—such as a son—and a role in a group they are a part of—such as a musician—to write a poem entitled, “What it’s like to be a son and a musician, for those of you who aren’t.”

Have students share their color wheels and poems. Reflect with them on what they learned about themselves and their peers through the process.