Preliminary Area of Study: Identity

Text Anthology

Short film – “Zero” by Zealous Creative

Digital photographic exhibition – Celebrity Diptychs by Andrew H. Walker

Poem – “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop

Diary entry – “29 April” by Katherine Mansfield

Article – “Creating a Cultural Identity” by Zoya Patel

Rationale

The development of a strong sense of identity is a fundamental pursuit of young people

navigating their adolescence (Steinberg & Morris, 2001). In this crucial period, this Area of

Study invites students to explore the ways in which identity is represented within and through

texts. Students will reflect on the varied constructions and conceptualisations of identity, and

explore the ways in which identity is shaped by and shapes perspectives of ourselves and our

world. Moreover, this Area of Study will challenge students to examine their own assumptions

about the nature of identity, facilitating nuanced reflection on their perceptions of identity as

deeply personal, social, and culturally constructed.

The five short texts selected for this Area of Study provide a diverse array of textual

material in terms of mode, form, and genre, which will appeal to the range of students’ textual

preferences, and broaden their understandings of the ways in which meaning is represented in

texts. Moreover, these texts provide students with diverse representations of how identity is

shaped by perspective and context, and how this concept intersects with issues of power and
privilege. Students will engage with some key questions about the complexities of the

representation of identity in these texts, including:

Is identity socially constructed and oppressive, or is it self-determined and empowering?

How is identity shaped by social and cultural context?

Is there one true identity, or is identity multifaceted and fluid?

What happens when identity is uncertain or contested?

How is identity intertwined with power?

In Zealous Creative’s (2010) short film, “Zero”, identity is presented as a static, socially-

constructed characteristic, which functions to empower privileged groups and oppress others.

This text explores the relationship between identity and power, and provides a grim view of the

ways in which social constructions of identity are used to justify inequitable and unjust social

systems. Given the current widespread condemnation of particular ethnic and religious groups in

the Australian media, “Zero” affords students a valuable opportunity to consider implications of

reducing the rich complexities of human identity to a single characteristic, and to challenge

structurally oppressive institutions.

Andrew H. Walker’s (2016) digital photography exhibition, Celebrity Diptychs, provides

a profoundly contrasting representation of identity to that explored in Zero. In Walker’s exhibit,

identity is presented as a multifaceted, self-determined concept, which is actively shaped by the

individual in order to meet their needs. This text is complex, in that students are invited to

engage with the visual elements of individual portraits from the exhibition, and consider the

impact of both the exhibition’s digital form in the construction of meaning, and the subversion of

the portrait photography genre through the portrayal of multiple ‘authentic’ identities.
 This social preoccupation with the authenticity of identity is explored in “29 April” (n.d.),

an unpublished diary entry by modernist short fiction and poetry writer, Katherine Mansfield. In

this text, students explore the vivid visual imagery of Mansfield’s style as they navigate the

space of identity as a singular, enduring concept, or as something that is fluid and multifaceted.

This text invites questions about the contested nature of identity, and the rich prose provides an

excellent opportunity for deep exploration of how this complex representation of identity is

achieved through features of language.

Given the complexity of identity as a concept, it is unsurprising that navigating and

defining personal identity can be a deeply challenging experience. This is explored in Elizabeth

Bishop’s (1977) poem, “In the Waiting Room”, which details a six year old’s existential crisis in

defining her identity as an individual being and as a member of the human collective. Bishop’s

questioning of “[w]hy should I be my aunt, or me, or anyone?” provides insight into the

troubling experience of attempting to conceptualise and define the self in the complex social

world.

The social and cultural nature of identity is also explored in Zoya Patel’s (2016) article,

“Creating a Cultural Identity”. This text provides important commentary on the fluid and

contested nature of identity in the multicultural Australian context, which will directly relate to

many students’ experiences as they attempt to navigate their own social and cultural identities.

In the text, Patel delves into social alienation which drove her rejection of her Indian-Fijian

heritage, affording students with the opportunity to reflect on the intersection of power and

privilege in the shaping of identity.

 Lesson Plan One – Identity in “Zero” and Celebrity Diptychs

Class: Year 11 (Advanced) – 23 students Time: 60 minutes

Teacher: Objectives for self

 To broaden students’ understanding of the contested nature of identity

 To provide constructive verbal feedback to students to develop their visual literacy

Syllabus outcomes for students:

2.1 identifying and describing similarities in and differences between texts

2.2 identifying and describing the connections between texts

Lesson Plan Rationale: In previous lessons, students have explored the concept of identity, and
began to explore how identity is developed, understood, and experienced within society. In this
lesson, students will explore the contested nature of identity, in terms of whether identity is self-
determined by the individual, or assigned by the society in which they live, in relation to Zealous
Creative’s “Zero” and Andrew H. Walker’s Celebrity Diptychs. Students will work
collaboratively to develop their understanding of how visual techniques contribute to the
representation of identity, and will reflect on the similarities, differences, and connections
between texts.

Resources

 Electronic whiteboard
 Students’ personal electronic devices (iPad or mobile phone)
 Modelled response (Appendix A)
 Power Point presentation (Appendix B)
 Comparative table (Appendix C)
 Teacher-completed table (Appendix D)

Homework from last class

Students were asked to watch the short film, “Zero”, at home, and to take note of any visual
elements of interest, in order to prime them for the visual analysis they will be engaging in
throughout the lesson.
Time Organisation Teaching and learning activities
5 mins Individual Students – Do now activity
Think-pair-share (Quigley, 2014) on the following question:
Paired
Does an individual always have the power to determine their identity in a
Whole class given society?

Teacher – marks roll and loads resources onto electronic whiteboard, then
leads ‘share’ component, asking students to elaborate on their perspective,
including reflection on their own experiences (through questioning e.g.
“has this been your experience of defining your identity?”). This think-
pair-share activity draws students’ attention to the contested nature of
identity, which is a key concept for the lesson.

Teacher then asks students if they think identity is self-determined or

socially-assigned in Zero. Teacher uses open-ended questions (e.g. ‘what
makes you think that?’ or ‘can you think of an example?’) in order to
informally assess students’ comprehension of the topic.

15 mins Whole class Teacher – Introduces next task: whole-class analysis of Zero. “We are
going to look at the opening scene together. I want you to pay attention to
the visual techniques that are used, and to think about their effects on the
responder.”

Teacher – plays 00:00-1:59, then asks questions below. Teacher allows

students to respond, re-playing small parts to direct students’ attention to
specific elements of the text (e.g. use of narration, sound) and how they
work to represent identity as socially-constructed and restrictive.

1) What do you notice about the narrator’s voice? How does this have an
impact on the ideas about identity in this society that are established in the
opening scene?
[Teacher’s notes: Narration with deep male voice – suggests omniscient
power (perhaps Biblical- God?) – gives authority to the social commentary
which responder trusts. Narrative comparison of different numbers
establishes social caste system – identity is tied up with power and
opportunity – “But for some, life will be a constant struggle with zero
opportunity”]

2) How does the sound work with the close-up when the midwife is holding
baby Zero?
[Teacher notes: close shot showing ‘O’ symbol on baby’s chest paired with
ominous thunder pairs Zero’s numerical identity with a sense of doom –
sense of horror and shame associated with birth]

3) So, let’s address this question again. Who has the power in terms of
defining Zero’s identity? How do we know?
[Teacher notes: his identity is socially constructed and assigned as lesser –
structural oppression (lesson showing social hierarchy) – he is
disempowered and is reduced simply to his number – alienated from
society and victimised]
30 mins Whole class Students – form groups of 4-5, while teacher distributes one of the
following questions to each group of students:
Small groups
1. How does the use of gaze in 1:11-1:19 position the responder to
sympathise with Zero?
2. How does the changing use of framing and foregrounding in 9:30-
10:36 reflect a shift in the crowd’s attitudes to the pregnant Zero?
3. How does the use of colour in 6:06-6:26 symbolise an emotional
shift for the two Zeros?
4. How does the use of both high and low camera angles in 4:53-5:02
emphasise the power imbalance between Zero and the higher
numbers?
5. How does the shift from longer shots to rapid shot changes in 7:27-
7:48 reflect the Zeros’ experience of being attacked?

Teacher – “You are going to work collaboratively to answer the question.

Before you get started, I’m going to give you a modelled example of a
finished response, so that you know what is expected of you.

Teacher loads example question and modelled response on board

(Appendix A) for student reference, then talks students through the
response, highlighting that students must:
- Identify the visual element or technique
- Explain the effect of this technique on the representation of identity

After groups have finished writing, teacher calls on a student from each
group to read response to class. Teacher affirms successful analysis and
asks questions to help students to fill in any gaps, for example:
“Can you explain how this has an effect on the responder? What sort of
tone does this establish about identity being socially constructed?”
After discussion, teacher collects responses to be collated and posted onto
the class Google doc for future reference, with teacher annotations for
concrete feedback.

35 mins Individual Teacher – Introduces Andrew H. Walker’s Celebrity Diptychs digital

exhibition to students on interactive whiteboard, giving a brief look at the
webpage and some of the portraits without providing any context to the
text.

Students – After looking on with the teacher, students access the exhibition
on their personal devices and navigate it themselves. Once students have
had a look, teacher asks for initial opinions on text, with questions such as:
- What do you think Walker’s purpose was in this exhibition? What is he
trying to achieve with these portraits?
- Choose one picture that you like. Why do you like it? What is it that drew
you to this image?

45 mins Whole class Teacher talks students through the Power Point presentation on Celebrity
Diptychs (Appendix B) to provide context to exhibition and develop
students’ understanding of how identity is represented as multiple, fluid,
 actively shaped by the individual, self-determined, etc. through visual
techniques (e.g. composition, body language), along with form and genre.

55 mins Small groups Students - In groups of 2-3, students complete the table (Appendix C) to
identity the similarities and differences between the texts in terms of the
representation of identity.

Teacher – Moves from group to group, providing assistance by directing

students to particular details of each text, utilising the teacher resource
sheet (Appendix D) to guide their responses.

60 Whole class Teacher – Sets homework – completed scaffold, and 2 readings (Katherine
minutes Mansfield’s 29 April and Elizabeth Bishop’s In the Waiting Room) then
dismisses class.

Evaluation:

Teacher makes use of informal questioning throughout the lesson to provide formative

assessment to guide further teaching and learning activities. Teacher also evaluates student

learning and provides feedback by reading and annotating group responses.

Extension:

1) Students select one of Andrew H. Walker’s portraits and do a close reading of the text,

analysing the visual techniques utilised by the composer to represent ideas about the subject’s

identity. This activity hones students’ visual literacy by directing their attention to conflicting

identities in a single photograph, giving them the opportunity to practice their analysis of body

language, composition, and other visual elements in the representation of identity.

2) Students choose one scene from Zero (10-30 secs), and analyse 5 visual elements of the scene

which contribute to the representation of identity as a repressive social construct. Again, this

activity hones students’ visual literacy and develops their understanding of how elements of film,

such as camera angle, lighting, and soundtrack, impact upon this bleak representation of identity.