Identity: Who Am I? by Katie Baker

Identity- Who Am I? 4
them, leaving no room for the girls’ creative license. It is important that these girls realize that
every person is unique and it is okay to be an individual instead of being part of a stereotype.
“Many units can be justified because they respond to the psychological needs of students.
Literature often deals with common human experiences about the pressures, changes, dilemmas,
aspirations, conflicts, and so on that make growing up (and being grown up)such a challenge”
(Smagorinsky, 2008). This unit was created after noticing that the girls in the school were
struggling with their self-perception, and the texts were selected based on giving the girls a better
understanding and appreciation of individuality and acceptance of themselves in addition to
others.
Throughout the duration of the unit, the girls will be shown various clips from the
television show, Hannah Montana. This show is based on a teenager, Miley Stewart, who leads a
secret life of a pop star. Instead of being Hannah Montana, the pop star, all the time, Miley wants
to experience life as a normal kid instead of living as a celebrity. During the day, Miley is a
down to Earth, normal girl. However, at night she’s a big-shot celebrity who has famous friends,
attends exclusive parties, and leads a lavish lifestyle. These clips will lead into class discussions
about the stress it causes someone to keep their identity hidden. Being Hannah Montana is a
huge part of Miley’s life and instead of telling everyone that she’s Hannah, she keeps it hidden
because she wants her friends to accept her for who she is as a normal person, and not for the
perks that come along with being famous. Miley is constantly seeking the approval of other
people instead of being true to herself. The girls will be challenged to look at Miley’s situation