UST 110X (University Studies 110X) International First Year Experience Seminar

Fall 2015
Week 8
Transitional Issues: issues of racism and microaggressions
Recitation Activity 8
Learning outcome: students will be able to identify the dimensions of their
personality they are proud to share with their classmates. Students will be
able to talk openly about their positive and negative experience and share
ideas about dealing with issues of racism and microaggression.
Group activity What Makes Me, Me
Part 1 (students work in mini-groups of 3 people). Write your name in
the center circle. Then fill in each satellite circle with a dimension of your
identity you consider to be among the most important in defining yourself.
Examples could include: female, athlete, Jewish, brother, educator, Asian
American, middle class, etc. 5 minutes.

UST 110X (University Studies 110X) International First Year Experience Seminar
Fall 2015

Part 2 - once students are done filling in the circles, they will work with IDD
activity sheet and answer questions 5-7 minutes.
Part 3 students work in mini-groups of 3 people 10 minutes.
a. Write/share a story about a time you were especially proud to identify
with one of the descriptors you used above.
b. Write/share a story about a time it was especially painful to be
identified with one of your identifiers or descriptors.
c. Name a dimension you identify with that is consistent with who you
are. Fill in the following sentence:
I am proud to be (a/an) _____________________ because
_____________________.
E.g., if one of my identifiers was "brother," I might say I am proud to be a
brother because of my awesome relationship with my siblings.

UST 110X (University Studies 110X) International First Year Experience Seminar
Fall 2015
Part 4 - Group discussion 5 minutes.
Questions for discussion or blogging prompts:
1. What are parts of your identity that you consider important? Why?
How do these parts of your identity differ from the parts other people
use to make judgments about you?
2. Do you think you share these parts of your identity with anyone? If so,
what part(s) do you share, and what is one difference you noticed?
3. Did you hear anybody challenge a stereotype/generalization that you
believed to be true? What was the stereotype? Did you change your
opinion the stereotype/generalization?
Part 5 students work in mini-groups of 3 people, 5 minutes.
Head/Heart/Hands. Ask yourself: What is one thing I will think about,
feel, or do this week to support the things I learned today?