Module 2:
Awaken your identity
Introduction:
There comes a time in every teenager’s life when they desire to
create their own identity. Teenagers embark on any path to
achieve this. They are willing to do anything. Sometimes they
even fall into such groups and company of friends, where those
same friends push them into the world of drugs and crime. Later,
they realize their mistake and are ready to do anything to
establish a good image. Therefore, it is very important for them to
know themselves and create a true identity. Understanding
themselves helps them become good people.
What will we learn?
What are the aspects that make up a person’s
identity?
How to identify your strengths and weaknesses?
Why is it important to challenge gender-based
thinking?
Session Session name
2.1 Know yourself
2.2 My hopes and my fears
2.3 New-old thinking
Session 2.1
Know yourself
What will we learn?
What is needed to know myself and my identity?
Support who I am?
a) My identity in the eyes of people
b) My own identity
Understanding your identity socially, emotionally and physically
identifying your strengths and weaknesses.
Activity: Method: Time:
1) Identify who Group discussion 60 minutes
2) Finding yourself Group discussion
MATERIAL
Display Material
2.1(a)- picture of my identity- blank
Board/Flip Chart In my eyes/in the eyes of others
Marker Pen
2.1(b1-12)- picture of my identity- filled
Physically, socially, and mentally
2.1(c)- three aspects of my identity
2.1(d)- good and evil picture cards 1-36
ACTIVITY-1
Who am I?
Process:
1. Tell participants that nature has created us all to be different.
Each of us is special. We all have a unique identity. Today, we will
learn about our identity.
2. Now, one by one, by showing display material 2.1(a), my identity
picture- blank to some participants, ask them about their identity.
What is your identity in your own eyes and in the eyes of
others? For example, I am a 15-year-old boy; my name is
Rajesh; I live in Seelampur village; I like listening to music,
etc.
3. Write down all the participants’ answers on the board or on slips
of paper. Then discuss with everyone whether the answers are
correct.
4. Then share display material 2.1(c), three aspects of my identity
with all participants.
Display material 2.1(c)
Three aspects of identity
Physical identity- this refers to our external appearance, such
as age, height, complexion, hair, features, clothing, etc.
When we meet a person for the first time, we can only see
their external identity.
Social identity- this refers to our identity within our family,
neighborhood, or society. Such as our name, address,
religion, caste, educational level, occupation, and economic
status, etc.
When we meet and talk to someone, we notice that, along
with a person’s physical or external identity, we also begin
to understand their social identity.
Mental/ emotional identity: this refers to our inner identity,
such as our likes/ dislikes, qualities, strengths/weaknesses,
habits, etc.
It is difficult to understand the inner identity of any
person.
5. Then discuss with the participants on the aspects and explain their
answers through these aspects.
6. Now use display material 2.1(b1-12) My Identity diagram (filled in)
to explain the three aspects of my identity in more detail.
7. Finally, tell participants that every child’s identity begins with
their parents. Many of their parents’ traits are passed on to their
children. If there’s any doubt about a child’s father, there’s a DNA
test that can determine who the child’s father is. Their identity is
also shaped by their home and social environment.
8. Now ask the participants what they learned today:
3 new things I learned today.
2 things that I will implement in my life.
1 thing that I want to know or learn more about.
ACTIVITY-2
Finding oneself
Process:
1. While starting this activity, tell the participants that today we will
talk about our good and bad qualities.
2. Distribute to each participant one card from display material
2.1(d), good and evil cards 1-36.
3. Ask participants to look carefully at the photo card given to them
and think whether the photo depicts goodness or evil.
4. Then ask them to put one photo on two different walls.
The wall on which Sachin’s photo is there is meant to show all
the goodness or qualities.
The wall on which Gabbar’s photo is there is meant to show all
evils and shortcomings.
5. The participants should choose for themselves whether the photo
given to them is good or evil.
6. Only after this, put your photo on the wall where Sachin’s or
Gabbar’s photo is placed.
7. Now show all the photos posted by them and take them down
individually, asking the reasons for choosing good or bad.
8. Finally, conclude the activity by explaining to participants that
every person has both good and bad qualities. We should
consider our good qualities as strengths and cultivate them. We
should consider our bad qualities as weaknesses and strive to
minimize them.
Key points
Identity is made up of many aspects. It’s important to know your
strengths and weaknesses.
We can use our strengths for good works.
By identifying your shortcomings, you can improve them.
9. Now ask the participants what they learned today:
3 new things I learned today.
2 things that I will implement in my life.
1 thing that I want to know or learn more about.
Session 2.2
My hopes and my fears
What will we learn?
Know your hopes and fears.
Activity: Method: Time:
1) A fear like this Role play 60 minutes
2) Come, let’s fill Group discussion
60 minutes
some hope
MATERIAL
Display Material
Board/flip chart
Marker pen
Packets of balloons
Double-sided tape 2.2(a)- situations of role play
14 sheets
Pen/pencils
Erasers/sharpeners
ACTIVITY-1
A fear like this
Process:
1. At the beginning of the session, divide the participants into 4
groups.
2. Give each group a specific situation to role-play. The characters
and situations for the role-play are listed and demonstration
cards. Give each group 10 minutes to prepare.
3. Each group should have a boy who can read some situations and
tell them to the other boys.
Role-play situations
Role-play 1
Characters:
Dilip: a 13-year-old boy who goes to school
Rima- Dilip’s 10-year-old younger sister.
Father- a tailor, who does the work of sewing clothes.
Mother- works as a house-help.
Event/situation: Dilip has fallen into bad habits. Because of his
bad deeds, he was arrested by the police.
Role-play 2
Characters:
Rajan: a 10-year-old boy who goes to school
Ujjwal: Rajan’s study partner
Suchita: Rajan’s 45-year-old teacher
Principal: a 50-year-old headmaster of the entire school
Event/situation: Rajan has been given a scolding before due to
his drug addiction. And now he has been caught stealing money
from his teacher’s purse.
Role-play 3
Characters:
Suraj: A 15-year-old boy who is addicted to smoking marijuana.
Afzal: Suraj’s childhood friend.
Kailash: A 19-year-old boy who just returned after serving 3
months in jail.
Adeeb: A drug addict like Suraj who has been to the center
several times since he was 15.
Event/situation: Suraj and his friend committed a crime. The
police tried to catch them red-handed. Suraj’s friends escaped,
but he was caught.
Role-play 4
Characters:
Kabir: A 14-year-old boy who has given up drugs and is now
recovering.
Shashi: Kabir’s 40-year-old maternal aunt.
Anjali: Kabir’s mother
Rattan: 25-year-old Kabir’s neighbor.
Event/situation: Kabir returns home after spending 3 months in
a center.
4. Now ask all the participants of each group to perform a role-play
in front of the larger group.
5. After the role-plays are over, ask the participants and audience-
To participants:
What were you thinking about when playing the character in
your given play? What were the hopes and fears of the
characters in this play?
To the audience:
How did you like what was shown in the plays?
6. Finally, discuss the main characters’ fears and hopes. Ask
participants if the situation depicted in the role play could have
been handled differently.
ACTIVITY-2
Come, let’s fill some hope
Preparation before beginning
Inflate balloons an equal number to the number of participants. Stick
a slip of paper on each balloon with some words written on it, like
height, darkness, fire, police, drug abuse, being confined, being away
from family, a girl leaving you, losing someone close to you, bad
friends, etc.
Process:
1. Ask the participants to sit in a circle.
2. Give each participant a balloon with a slip of paper with different
words on it, such as height, darkness, fire, police, etc.
3. Now ask all the participants to consider two balloons as their
hearts and fill them with air of their deepest fears.
4. Ask participants to stick slips with their fears on the balloons.
5. When all the participants have filled in the air, ask them some
questions one by one, like-
What is my deepest fear?
Why is this my fear?
6. Participants can deflate the balloons only after they have
answered both questions in their minds.
7. What will you do to remove these fears from your heart?
8. Now ask the participants if they might want to either burst the
balloon or deflate it. In such a case, tell them that the balloon is
their heart, which is an important part of the body.
9. Now ask participants to identify a way to overcome their fear. This
could be by untying the knot at the mouth of the balloon or
bursting the balloon. Explain that under the influence of alcohol,
we can sometimes harm ourselves, just as you burst the balloon.
10. Tell the participants that even though they are removing the
fear from their hearts in the form of balloons, there is no
guarantee that the fear will not come back.
11. Now, tell the participants that to remove fear from their
hearts.
12. Now give the participants the balloon again and ask them to
inflate their deepest fear.
13. Now give a slip of paper to each participant and ask them to
put in their own hopes and aspirations, which they have
identified, on the balloon.
Note: If someone does not know how to read or write, the
instructor should help them.
14. Finally, explain to participants that sometimes many
difficulties arise in our lives, which create fear in us.
15. Now ask the participants what they learned today:
3 new things I learned today.
2 things that I will implement in my life.
1 thing that I want to know or learn more about.
Session 2.3
New-old thinking
What will we learn?
We will understand the difference in the discrimination related to the work
done by men and women.
Activity: Method: Time:
1) Who can do what Group discussion 60 minutes
2) Let’s change our Group discussion
60 minutes
thinking
MATERIAL
Display Material
2.3(a)- statement card
Board/Flip Chart 2.3(b)- challenge gender-based thinking- flip
Marker Pen book
2.3(c)- why is story like this? (knowing the
book but unaware of it)
ACTIVITY-1
Who can do what?
Process:
1. Ask all the participants to stand in a line in the center of the room.
Place signs labeled “social” on one wall and “natural” on the
other.
2. Read the written statements to the participants. After listening,
tell them to stand on the side of the wall that best suits their
thinking.
Display material 2.3(a)
Statements
1) Only a woman can run a house.
2) Real men don’t cry.
3) Only women can give birth to children.
4) Men have combative behaviors.
5) Women hesitate to make difficult decisions.
6) Men grow beards and moustaches.
7) Boys’ voices become heavy during adolescence.
8) Only men can face dangers.
9) The head of the household is a man.
10) Only men can do money transactions properly.
3. At the end of this activity, explain that God created man and
woman. Male and Female bodies vary according to gender. There
are certain tasks that only women can perform, such as bearing
children. These qualities are natural. However, societal thinking
often discriminates between men and women.
4. Ask participants how parents’ attitudes differ for boys and girls.
Explain that in India, there are only 914 girls for every 1000 boys.
Why is this? Explain that many girls are killed before they are
born. Even after birth, they receive less care.
5. Now tell the participants that we will discuss this in more detail in
the next activity.
ACTIVITY-2
Let’s change our thinking
Process:
1. Tell participants that nature has created two types of people in
this world- men and women. We call this gender.
2. Tell participants that they should not view men and women
differently because of their different jobs, and calling boys ‘men’
and girls ‘women’ is called gender.
Similarly, certain tasks are divided between men and women
based on their strength and constitution. For example, only
women can give birth to a child, not men.
3. Now ask the participants what do you think about the things in
which men and women are equal and which they are not?
Today, we will discuss this very thing.
4. After everyone has answered. Use display material 2.3(b) to
challenge gender-based stereotypes- flip chart to explain that
women are also keeping pace with men these days.
Information- how to use a flip chart?
Open flip chart
The flip chart is divided into 2 parts:
The first section has red photos. Place all these
photos at the front.
The second section contains green photos. Place all
these photos at the back.
Now, first ask about the red colored photos and bring
forward the green colored photos and explain them
one by one.
Like, you open the front page of Red and tell me, can
only men do comedy? Or can women also do it?
Then pull all the green photos forward, show the first
photo, and tell the woman that women can also do
comedy.
Similarly, ask participants about all the photos and
tell them that nowadays women are no less than
men in any work. Both are equal.
5. After this, discuss this topic further with participants and try to
understand their thinking.
6. Tell the participants that we will read a story on how our society
discriminates between boys and girls.
7. Explain the rules of the display material 2.3(c)- Why is this so?
(knowing the book but still being unaware).
Display material 2.3(c)- why is this?
Rules for reading the story
All three groups will sit in a circle.
Each group should choose its own leader.
Leaders share the story they were given with their
respective groups.
After this, the leader should ask and discuss the think-
aloud questions in ‘Listen to me too’- part 2.
After discussing, the three groups sat back in a large circle.
Now, the leader of each group should tell his/her story.
Then tell everyone about the discussion you had in your
group regarding the story.
8. Then, with the whole group, read the story in display material
2.3(c). Why is this?
9. After reading the story, tell the participants that this story was
related to gender discrimination.
10. Tell participants that gender is a concept created by us and
society.
11. Tell participants that it is because of us that the caste
division between a man and a woman is done in society; there is a
division of men and women according to their work in society.
12. Tell all the participants that looking at men and women from
different perspectives and calling boys male and girls female is
called ‘casteism’.