Identity and belonging in adolescence · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Who am I? Identity and belonging as you grow

Personal & Social Development · Emotional Literacy · ages 12-13
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which of these is an example of belonging to more than one group at the same time?

    • Belonging to one group for your whole life without ever joining another
    • Being part of a family, a friend group and a cultural group at once
    • Choosing one group to belong to and refusing membership in every other group

  2. Which statement about identity uncertainty in the teen years fits the lesson?

    • It can happen while a person explores identity
    • Every teenager must experience it to develop an identity
    • Feeling unsure proves that a person has a serious problem

  3. You can assume a person's social-media posts show their whole everyday life.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Priya's friends post only their favourite holiday moments. She compares those photos with her ordinary weekday and concludes her life is boring. What comparison is she making?

    • Comparing her usual day with selected holiday moments
    • Comparing complete records of both lives on matching days
    • Discovering proof that her entire life is less worthwhile

  5. Jordan follows family traditions at home and talks and dresses differently with school friends. He says both ways feel true to him. Which interpretation fits?

    • Jordan must be pretending in one group whenever his behaviour changes
    • Jordan must leave one group because he acts differently with another
    • Jordan shows different real sides of himself in different settings

  6. Which sentence uses helpful language for talking about feeling caught between two group identities?

    • 'I must pick one group forever before I can belong to anyone at all.'
    • 'I don't know where I belong, and that's okay to figure out.'
    • 'Being unsure proves that I am broken and cannot belong to any group.'

  7. Sam belongs to a close-knit cultural community and also has friends who don't share that background. Sometimes Sam feels pulled between the two. What's the most helpful way to think about this?

    • Sam can value both groups while working out how they fit together
    • Sam must leave the cultural community to prove loyalty to the friend group
    • Sam cannot belong to either group because feeling pulled cancels membership

  8. Alex says, 'My interests and friendships changed since last year, so something must be wrong with me.' Which reasoning error does this show?

    • Failing to accept that every identity change proves a problem
    • Failing to keep exactly the same interests as last year
    • Treating a change alone as proof of a problem
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Who am I? Identity and belonging as you grow W1-mt_p-8Hlf6_9k-s1

  1. Being part of a family, a friend group and a cultural group at once · Belonging to a family, a friend group and a cultural group means three memberships during the same period. Two memberships would also count as more than one.
  2. It can happen while a person explores identity · Uncertainty can be part of identity exploration, but it is not required and does not by itself establish a problem. Distress deserves support.
  3. False · Posts contain selected moments. You cannot assume they provide a complete record of someone's life.
  4. Comparing her usual day with selected holiday moments · The photos were selected for enjoyable holiday moments. They are not complete records that establish the quality of either person's whole life.
  5. Jordan shows different real sides of himself in different settings · Jordan says both ways feel true to him. Different behaviour in different settings does not itself establish pretending or require leaving a group.
  6. 'I don't know where I belong, and that's okay to figure out.' · Naming the uncertainty out loud, without judging yourself, is a healthy way to sit with these feelings while you sort them out.
  7. Sam can value both groups while working out how they fit together · Feeling pulled between groups does not automatically require leaving either one. Sam can consider both memberships and work out what to do.
  8. Treating a change alone as proof of a problem · A change alone does not prove a problem. Alex can consider the circumstances and seek support if the change or uncertainty is distressing.
Worksheet · LightMySky