Who is Invisible? FREE Slideshow – Critical Thinking Activity + Guided Lesson

Who is Invisible is a FREE critical thinking activity for Middle School and High School Students.

This slideshow lesson guides students through the critical thinking process to help students evaluate important questions around self-identity and social identity.

• Do you see people who look like you in this video?
• What about people who look like your family, or your friends?

Don’t just look at the images!

• Are people who look like you included in the stories and the narrative?
• What about the YouTube thumbnail covers, description, and music choices?

Media shapes mindset.

Whose stories do we hear? Are there any patterns (or stereotypes) in how different groups of people are portrayed?

Which groups of people get a lot of screentime? Are some groups of people seen more than others?

Here is the complete Who is Invisible slideshow lesson.

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Teachers:

• If you would like an ad-free experience, you can download a free copy of the Who is Invisible slideshow and lesson plan here. (Microsoft Powerpoint or Google Slides.)
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The WHO IS INVISIBLE? CHALLENGE

What does that even mean?

Invisible Definition:

• unable to be seen
• not visible to the eye

When we say someone is invisible we might mean it literally…

• As in, that person has superhero powers…
• Or, that person can use a magical object to become invisible

Can you think of any examples of characters who can become invisible?

We might mean it figuratively…

• Like, I feel invisible because…
  • no one sees the real me
  • I feel ignored

Can you think of any examples of movies or songs about people who feel ignored or unseen?

When we say a group of people are invisible…

• We might mean that a group of people are not really included or represented in novels, textbooks, media, ads, policies, conversations, YouTube videos about goal setting, etc…

What might we mean by “groups of people”?

Let’s set some ground rules for discussion

CITIZENSHIP

SEVEN GROUND RULES

1. You are allowed to have an opinion.
   1. Our opinion matters to us. We like it when we feel heard .
   2. Our opinion is based on
      • information we have
      • our values and experiences

How would you like to be heard?

2. Other people are allowed to have their opinion.
   1. Their opinion matters to them.
      They like it when they are heard.
   2. Their opinion may be different, but it’s equally valid and based on 
      • the information they have
      • their values and experiences

1. You are allowed to have an opinion.
2. Other people are allowed to have their opinion.
3. Your opinions might be different, and that’s okay!
4. Treat people with respect.
5. It’s okay to agree to disagree. We have different information, personal values, and life experiences
6. It’s okay to change your perspective, but they can also stay the same.
7. Give people space to speak for themselves.

One more thing…

We’ll be thinking about who we are and our personal identity.

CRITICAL THINKING

ASPECTS OF IDENTITY

Here’s the thing about our personal identity… IT’S PERSONAL!

Sometimes, we’re happy to share who we are with others…

Some parts of our identity might change…

We might not know everything about ourselves, yet…

Some parts of our identity might be easier to hide than others

Sometimes, we want to hide parts of our identity from some people…

So as we go through this exercise, it’s important to try to keep an OPEN MIND

• Some people might share an idea that is different from yours…
• Some people might not be as willing or comfortable as you to share their ideas…
• And, that’s okay.

PART 1

Do you see people who look like you?

Watch the following video clip

GUIDING QUESTION:

Do you see people who look like you, your family, or your friends in this video?

Did you see…

People who look like

• you,
• your family or
• your friends

in this video?

Are the people shown as

• leaders or sidekicks?
• active or passive?
• positive or negative?
• the center of the action or on the side?
• or not included at all?

PART 2

Are people who look like you represented in different elements of the video?

There’s more to a YouTube video than just images…

What else is there?

Let’s look at some of the parts that make up a YouTube video…

This is a screenshot of the YouTube video cover

• Video Thumbnail Cover
• Thumbnail TEXT
• Thumbnail IMAGE
• Video Title
• Length of video

This is a screenshot of the program used to make the video

• Image layer
• This is the current image at playhead
• These are all different image / video clips
  • Which clip is the longest?
• Audio layer (Narration)
• Audio layer (Background Music)
• Additional elements (text overlay / sound effects)

Watch the next video clip

GUIDING QUESTION:

Are people who look like you, your family or your friends included in this video?

• text
• images
• audio
• Amount of screen space
• Video cover
• Amount of time
• Narration (story content / topic)

Which groups of people were included?

• Images
• Ideas / Story / Topic
• Music
• Text
• Amount of time / space

Are the people shown as

• leaders or sidekicks?
• active or passive?
• positive or negative?
• the center of the action or on the side?
• or not included at all?

Be careful…

One video cannot possibly include everything and everyone…

We’re looking for patterns…

Are there some groups of people who seem to be:

• left out?
• under represented?
• misrepresented?

PART 3

Stories matter.

Many stories matter

What is a single story?

“…show a people as one thing,

as only one thing,

over and over again,

and that is what they become.”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The single story creates stereotypes…

“and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Stories matter.

“Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize.”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

An example of a single story

“Why is it always a pink princess? Why not an Indian princess or a princess from Thailand or an African princess or a princess from China? There are alternatives.”

Olivia (Ian Falconer)

Olivia gives us language to help identify single stories

• Why is it always ______ ?
• Why not ____ or ____ ?
• There are alternatives.

Can you think of any examples of single stories?

Watch the next goal setting video

GUIDING QUESTION:

Can you find examples that reinforce single stories?

Can you find examples that break single stories?

What examples in the video

• Reinforce single stories and stereotypes
• Break single stories and challenge stereotypes

• Why is it always ____?
• Why not ____ or ____ ?

PART 4

Why does it matter if people or groups of people are invisible?

Psst… we all have many different sides to our identity

We might see some parts of ourselves reflected around us while other parts of our story might still be invisible.

If you DON’T see yourself or your story reflected in novels, textbooks, media, schools, rules, businesses, government, society, etc …

You deserve to be seen and heard as much as anybody else.

If you DO have the privilege to see yourself or your story reflected in novels, textbooks, media, schools, rules, businesses, government, society, etc …

If the situation was reversed, wouldn’t you want someone to lend a hand?

This doesn’t mean speak for other people

It means to help provide opportunity for others to also be heard and seen.

How can allies amplify and draw attention to the stories we’re not hearing?

Either way, this is no easy task.

Surviving and thriving in today’s changing world is not easy, but worth it.

PART 5

I am a biased, imperfect human being.

We all are.

I need your help.

My name is Mike.

I’m the guide on the side in these SEOT goal setting videos.

ACTIVITY #3

I know that I have unconscious (hidden) bias…

It’s kind of like an invisible lens that filters the way I see the world.

I know everyone sees the world a little differently based on…

• who we are,
• things we learn,
• media we consume, and
• our lived experiences

As someone who creates content…

• I choose which stories to research and share.
• I choose the images, videos, timing and order.
• I want to make sure people see themselves reflected in these resources.
• But, I don’t always know who is invisible.

I am biased.

• We all are.
• I see the world through a coloured lens shaped by aspects of my identity and my lived experiences.

We can use something called ASPECTS OF IDENTITY (different parts of who we are) to figure out what our point of view might be, and what other points of view might be missing…

As I talk about who I am, think about who you are…

…and how that might shape your invisible lens

Here are some things to know about me (to help give you insight into the biases behind my choices)

About me.

1. I’m in my 40s.
2. I am a cis male.
3. I use the pronouns he / him.
4. I’m Asian.
5. I was born and raised in Canada.
6. My parents are immigrants.
7. English is my first language.
8. I am physically able.
9. I have anxiety and depression.
10. I was a Grade 8 teacher.

PART 6

Take the challenge.

Who are you?

And how does that help shape the way you see the world?

Now watch the videos

What patterns can you find?

• Who is visible?
• Who is invisible?
• What single stories are reinforced?
• What single stories are challenged?

Analyze the videos

• What could you count or measure to test your ideas?
• How can you be consistent as you collect data?
• How will you show your results?

Evaluate the videos

• What criteria will you use to judge if a group of people are invisible in these videos?
• How could you prove a single story is reinforced or broken?

Create an alternative

• The first half of the video is a story / background info.
• Research / write a different version that makes a group more visible or breaks a single story.

PART 7

Go beyond heroes and holidays.

How can you use the skills from this challenge to explore other parts of life?

Let’s look at the process we used:

How can we amplify and draw attention to the stories we don’t often hear?

1. Ask questions
2. Analyze content
3. Evaluate content
4. Create / promote alternative content

Here’s what we did:

1. Ask questions:
   • Whose stories and contributions do we hear about most often?
   • Which group of people are invisible?
   • Do the things we hear reinforce single stories and stereotypes or challenge them?
2. Analyze content
   • What could you count or measure?
   • How can you be consistent as you explore this issue?
   • How can you communicate your findings?
3. Evaluate content
   • What criteria will you use to judge if a group of people are visible or invisible?
   • How can you prove the content reinforces a single story or breaks the stereotype?
4. Create / promote alternative content
   • How could you research / write a different version of the content that helps make a group more visible or breaks a single story?
   • How else can you draw attention to the stories that we don’t often hear?

When you don’t have a voice, wouldn’t you want someone to stand with you?

• This doesn’t mean speaking for other people.
• It means to help provide opportunity for others so they can also be seen and heard.
• How can we amplify and draw attention to the stories we’re not hearing?

We need to go beyond heroes and holidays.

How will you help make the world a better place?

Good luck with

The WHO IS INVISIBLE CHALLENGE