I, Me, You, We: Individuality Versus Conformity, ELA Lessons for Gifted and Advanced Learners in Grades 6-8

I, Me, You, We: Individuality Versus Conformity encourages students to ask themselves: Who am I? Where do I belong? What are the consequences of conforming to a group? When does social conformity go too far? In this unit, developed by Vanderbilt University's Programs for Talented Youth, students will explore texts related to belongingness, community, civil disobedience, self-reliance, and questioning the status quo. Students will tackle the fine line of individuality versus conformity through the close-reading of short stories, poems, and primary source documents and engaging in creative activities, writing, discussions, and debates. The unit features short stories from Kurt Vonnegut and Ray Bradbury, poetry from Emily Dickinson and Maya Angelou, art by MC Escher and Picasso, and primary source documents from Plato, Eleanor D. Roosevelt, William Bradford, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau.