Identity Collage Activity

Identity Collage

Objectives
1. To identify public vs. personal identity and how those identities are represented or hidden by clothing (perceiving, analyzing, and responding.)

2. To understand how clothing can identify culture, gender, ethnicity, and class (historical and cultural understanding.)

3. To create a collage representing the whole of the student's identity, prompting them to think about what identity traits are public, which are private, where those traits came from, and how they are revealed or concealed by clothing (creating and performing.)

New Mexico State Content Standards
Arts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Vocabulary
Clothing: garments in general
Collage: an artistic composition made of various materials (as paper, cloth, or wood)
glued on a surface
Costume: an outfit worn to create the appearance characteristic of a particular period,
person, place or thing
Dress: anything on the body including clothing, jewelry, make up, tattoos, etc.
Gender: the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex
Identity: the distinguishing character or personality of an individual
Perception: quick, acute and intuitive observation
Personal: relating to an individual or an individual's character, conduct, motives, or
private affairs
Personality: the complex of characteristics that distinguishes an individual
Public: exposed to general view; accessible to or shared by all members of the
community
Stereotype: a standardized mental picture that represents an oversimplified opinion,
prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment

Materials
You will need boxes with lids (shoe boxes work best), or any other small boxes which have easy access to the inside, images from magazines, catalogues, photos, newspapers, and other print media, various colored and patterned paper, felt, white drawing paper, collage materials (i.e., sequins, feathers, ribbon), pencils, markers, glue or glue sticks and scissors.

Motivation
1. Ask questions of the students about identity. (What is identity? How does identity change depending on differing locations or situations? How does clothing represent, convey and/or conceal these different identities?)

2. Ask questions of the students relating to gender. (How do clothes differ if you are male or female? Are there always differences?)

3. Ask students to think of one outfit they wear (could be a favorite or a hated outfit). Have a few kids share their outfit, and ask them when, where and why they wear that outfit.

4. Explain the collage project the students will make. Hold up examples of collage artists. Demonstrate the project for the students using yourself as an example, or an example given by students.

Procedure
1. Choose a box to cover. Explain that the outside will focus on the student in a specific outfit (using a photo, a drawing, or a catalog or magazine image), and the inside will be the other parts of the student's personality that are concealed by the outside identity. Ask students which of these represents public identity and which represents personal identity.

2. Explain that in collage artists use various materials to make a composition by cutting and pasting them to a piece of paper, fabric, wood, etc. Recommend use of texture, color, and overlapping materials.

3. Use collage materials to cover the outside of the box with an image of the student in their chosen outfit, as well as representations of the people encountered when in the outfit depicted. Encourage students to incorporate words and phrases that they may hear in response to who they are perceived as being when in that outfit.

4. Open the box and cover the inside with images and drawings of the other parts of identity. Explain to the students that these parts of their identity may be less well known and less visible to others. Symbols and words can be part of the collage as well as these parts of their identities may be less associated with an exact image.