OBJECTIVES

Through this lesson, students will:

• Identify categories that contribute to social identity
• Explore how identity relates to group affiliation, action, morals and values
• Reflect on personal identity characteristics and social behavior

MATERIALS:

• The short film, Redneck Muslim
• Teacher Resources: markers/chart, internet access
• Student Handouts: “Redneck Muslim: Film Notes,” “Redneck Muslim: Discussion Questions,” “Identity Map,” and "Journal Prompt"

ESTIMATED TIME:

One 50-minute class period, with take-home assignments

Step 1: Introducing Identity (pre-viewing activity) (15 min)

Provide definition of identity:

• The collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing or person is definitively recognized or known.
• The set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group.

Webster’s II New College Dictionary

Think-Pair-Share:

• Give students 2-3 minutes to write out as many components that shape or contribute to identity as they can.
• Give students 2-3 minutes to review their responses with a partner, compare similarities and differences.

Group Reflection:

Discuss the question as a class. Write answers on board or chart.

• What categories or characteristics make up our identity?
  • Examples: Gender, Ethnicity, Race, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Socioeconomic Status, Language, Family Composition, Education, Career, Place of Origin, Ability, Age

Expand discussion by asking the following questions:

• How do identity characteristics connect us to groups, institutions or communities?
• How do categories of identity shape our social actions, morals, or values?

Step 2: Film Viewing (20 min)

• Explain that students are going to more deeply explore concepts of identity, group affiliation, and social action through the film Redneck Muslim.
• See handout “Redneck Muslim: Film Notes” for this activity.
• Distribute handouts and ask students to fill out as they watch.
• (Optional) Review glossary of terms to define unfamiliar terms in the film.

Screen film, Redneck Muslim (17 min)

Step 3: Film Reflection – Small Group (10 min)

• See handout “Redneck Muslim: Discussion Questions” for this activity.
• Have students form groups of 3-4. Assign 1-2 questions from the handout (questions below) to each group to discuss.

1. What family histories, life experiences, and social norms have shaped Shane’s identity?
2. Is Shane’s identity in conflict with social norms? Explain.
3. Think about the people in Shane’s life. How is his identity similar or different from their identities?
4. How did Shane’s identity change or shift over time?
5. How does Shane’s identity as a white man shape his group affiliations and personal relationships?
6. How does Shane’s identity as a Muslim shape his group affiliations and personal relationships?
7. How do Shane’s identity characteristics shape his morals, values, and actions?

Step 4: Film Reflection – Large Group (5-10 min)

Invite groups to share with class and invite additional questions prompted by the film.

Step 5: Take-home work

See handout “Identity Map” for this activity. Distribute handout to be completed at home. In this assignment:

• Students will map eight of their personal identity characteristics.
• Students will note their affiliations with groups and communities related to these identity categories.
• Students will note social actions, morals, or values they hold which are related to these identity categories.
• Students will note which identity categories develop or shift over time.

Journal Reflection

In this assignment, students will independently reflect on various aspects of identity while engaging with the film, Redneck Muslim. See "Journal Prompt" in the Redneck Muslim Handouts for this activity.

About the Author

Debbie Brubaker is Ph.D. student at Vanderbilt University in the Graduate Department of Religion. She is a Fellow with Vanderbilt’s Theology and Practice Program and with the Public Theology and Racial Justice Collaborative. Her current work explores the impacts of gentrification on race and religion in Nashville, TN.

Lesson Plan Producers, POV

Courtney B. Cook, Education Manager

This resource was created, in part, with the generous support of the Open Society Foundation and the MacArther Foundation.