A very useful starting points for exploring issues of identity and citizenship with primary school children is through art. Some excellent guidance on this is available via the article 'Citizenship through Art', by Hayley Lynam (Teaching Citizenship, Issue 19, Autumn 2007, Pages 25-28).

This 4-page article focuses on an art identity project undertaken with Key Stage 2 students in primary school. The main idea of the project was to encourage students to think about how they and others view themselves.  They were given black and white images of themselves and added text and pictures to it to show how they saw themselves and how they think others see them.  They were also given a three-dimensional cardboard structure to represent their heads and they added text and pictures to represent their own identity, including aspects like family, hobbies, dreams, fears, etc.

In the article Lynam states that the students used generally positive words to describe themselves and were surprisingly honest when using words that others would use to describe them, like "bossy." The students were able to learn a lot about their identities and questioned how much a person's appearance is part of a person's identity. They were able to empathise with each other, which led Lynam to follow these sessions with one on the importance of respect.

The key issues identified are students' identities and how they view others. Students examined themselves and how others see them. They tackled the issue of appearance and its importance to a person's identity.

The article concludes by stating that an initial questionnaire sent home with the students before the start of the project was important for the teachers to be aware of the students' backgrounds so they could be prepared for any special needs or issues that may arise during the project. Lynam continues by sharing that she will use this project again and finds it interesting that in different classrooms different issues arise.

For further information, please see the full text of Hayley Lynam's article on 'Citizenship through Art' in Teaching Citizenship, Issue 19, Autumn 2007, Pages 25-28.