UNDERSTANDING THE

SELF
 Chapter 1: Defining The Self: Personal And
Developmental Perspective On Self And Identity

Lesson 1: The Self From Various Philosophical

Perspective

Activity Do you truly know yourself?

Answer the following question about yourself as

fully and precisely as you can.

1. How would you characterize yourself?

2. What makes you stand out from the rest? What

makes your self special?
3. How has your self transformed itself?

4. How is your self connected to your body?

5. How is your self related to other selves?

6. What will happen to your self after you die?

APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT

In your own words, state what "self" is for each of

the following philosophers. After doing so, explain
how your concept of "self" is compatible with how
they conceived of the "self."
1. Socrates
2. Piato
3. Augustine
4. Descartes
5. Hume
6. Kant
7. Ryle
8. Merleau-Ponty
9. Aquinas
10. Bible

Lesson 2: The Self, Society and Culture

ACTIVITY: My Self Through The Years
Paste a picture of you when you were in
elementary, in high school and now that you are in
college. Below the picture,list down your salient
characteristics that you remember.

My Elementary My high My College self

self school Self

Analysis
After having examined your "self" in it's different
stages, fill out the table below:
Similarities in all Differences in Possible reasons
stage of my my "self" across for the
"self" the 3 stage of differences in
my life me

APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT

Answer the following question cogently but
honestly. Write your answer in the space provided.
1. How would you describe yourself?
2. What are the influence of family in your
development as an individual?

3. Think of a time when you felt you were your

"true self"? what made you think you were truly
who you are during this time of your life?

4. Following the question above can you provide a

time when you felt you were not living your true
self? why did you have to live a life like that?what
did you do about it?
5. What social pressures help shape your self?
Would you have wanted it otherwise?

6. What aspects of your self do you think may be

changed or you would like to change?
Lesson 3: The Self As Cognitive Construct

ACTIVITY: "You" Through Others' Eyes

This activity has two parts that try to compare

how we look at ourselves against how people
perceive us depending on how we present
ourselves to them. For the first part, list ten to
fifteen (10-15) qualities or things that you think
define who you are around the human figure
representing you.

For the second part, in the space below, write "I

am (your name). Who do you think I am based on
what you see me do or hear me say?" Pass your
paper around for two to three (2-3) minutes
without looking who writes on it. As you fill out the
paper of your classmates, write briefly and only
those that you observe about the person. Do not
use any bad words and do not write your name.
After the allotted period, pass all the paper to your
teacher who will distribute them to the respective
owners.

ANALYSIS

Compare what you wrote about yourself to those

written by your classmates. What aspects are
similar and which are not? What aspects are always
true to you? What aspects are sometimes true or
circumstantial? What aspects do you think are not
really part of your personality? Write your answers
below.

APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT

Do a research and list ten (10) things to boost your
self-esteem or improve your self-concept. Cite your
sources. Analyze which of those tips are more likely
to backfire and make someone conceited or
narcissistic and revise them to make the statements
both helpful to the individual as well as society in
general.
Lesson 4: The Self in Western and Eastern
Thoughts

ACTIVITY: Two Sides of the Same Planet

Write top five (5) differences between Western and
Eastern society, culture and individuals in the table
below. Cite your sources.

Western Eastern

ANALYSIS
Do you agree with the differentiation between the
West and the East? Where can you find the
Philippines in the distinction? What are the factors
that make the Philippines similar or different from
its Asian neighbors? Is there also a difference
between regions or ethnolinguistic groups in the
Philippines?
APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT

Create a representation, diagram, or concept map

of the SELF according to Filipino culture. Provide a
brief explanation of your output. You can also cite
books and researches about Filipino culture, self,
and identity to further elaborate on the topic.

CHAPTER II UNPACKING THE SELF

Lesson 1: The Physical and Sexual Self

ACTIVITY: Defining Beauty

Complete the sentences below.

1. For me, beauty means,

2. A beautiful person is

3. I am beautiful because

4. List down names of people you know who are

beautiful.

Fill out the table below by listing the common

secondary sexual male and female characteristics.

Male Secondary Sexual Female Secondary Sexual

Characteristics Characteristics
ANALYSIS

1. When do we usually observe the changes listed

above for males and females?

2. Were you able to experience the same changes?

When?
3. If you were not able to experience the above
listed changes, what might have caused such
difference?

4. How does the society shape the sexual behavior

of an individual?

5. Can we really change our natural or innate sexual

organ and sexual response?
APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT

1. Creative Work. Propose a program in school or

community that will raise the awareness of the
students and to help eliminate sexually transmitted
diseases especially among the youth.
2. Agree or Disagree. Are you in favor of legalizing
marriage among homosexuals and transgenders?
Why?

Lesson 2: To Buy Or Not To Buy? That Is The

Question!

ACTIVITY Debit Card Challenge

A very wealthy person gave you a debit card and

told you to use it as much as you want to make
yourself happy. What are you going to do with it?
Make a list of what you want to have. Write as
many as you want.

LIST:

ANALYSIS
Answer the following questions:

1. How do you feel as you do the Debit Card

Challenge?
2. Which among the items in your list you like the
most? Why?

3. If ever you were given the chance in real life to

have one among the list, which would you choose?
Why?

4. Does your choice different from what you answer

in question number 2? Why or why not?

5. Let your classmate read your list. Ask her/him to

give or write a quick impression of yourself based
on the list you showed him/her.

6. Is the quick impression of your classmate has

some truth about who you are?
APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT

Debit Card Challenge List

1. Go back to your Debit Card Challenge List. Put a

mark on the left side of each item with the
following categories:

B-if the item is related with your body

C- if the item is related with clothes

F- if the item is related or intended to your family

H- if the item is related with home

2. Answer the following questions:

•Which among the categories you have the most in

your list?

•What do you think these things tell you about

yourself?

3. Make a reflection paper about material self. You

may use your answers from the above questions in
making your paper.

Collage Making

Create a collage of your treasured possessions

including your current clothing style. You may use
symbols or pictures of your treasured possessions.
Put a short note why you treasure each item.

Lesson 3: Supernaturals: Believe It or Not!

ACTIVITY: Art Recall

Recall:
When was the first time you realized that there is a
higher being than yourself? How old were you
then? What made you believe that there is a higher
being?
Draw:
 Make a poster about the instance or situation that
made you believe in the existence of higher being.
Show:
Have a classroom Gallery Walk showcasing the
posters you and your classmates have made.
Observe similarities and differences in each other's
experiences, expressed in the artworks. Initiate
discussions about beliefs on higher being based on
the showcased posters.

ANALYSIS: Buzz Group Sharing

In groups of three or five, answer the following
questions:
1. From the posters you see, what commonalities
and differences did you observe?
2. How these experiences affect your belief on
higher being?
Big Group Sharing

1. Share the summary of your discussion from the

buzz group.

2. Discuss the following questions:

a. How is the belief on higher being related to your

self?

b. Do you consider having a spiritual self? Why or

Why not?
Lesson 4: The Political Self and Being Filipino

ANALYSIS
Answer the questions below in relation to what you
have posted in the previous activity.

1.How do the pictures remind you of your being a

Filipino?

2.Are you proud of being a Filipino? Why and why

not?
3.Imagine that you were of a different nationality.
What would change in you aside from your
citizenship and origin?

4. How extensive are the effects of being Filipino in

your selfhood?

APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT

1. Make an acrostic below which will describe you,
in relation to your being a

Filipino:
F
I
L
I
P
I
N
0
2. Discuss how being a Filipino affects your "self."
How can becoming a better Filipino influence your
duty to becoming a better version of yourself?

Lesson 5: Who Am I in the Cyberworld? (Digital

Self)

ACTIVITY

Three Facts, One Fiction

Construct four sentences that should start with "I

am____________."Three of the four sentences
should be true about yourself. You can talk about
your characteristics, strengths, weaknesses,
accomplishments, personalities, and behavior. One
statement should be a lie-something that you just
made up about yourself. Make the activity more fun
by making your classmates believe that the
statement is true.

1. I am____________________________________

2. I am____________________________________

3. I am____________________________________

4. I am_____________________________________
ANALYSIS

What have you learned from the activity? Did you

learn something from your classmates that you did
not know before? What were the clues that helped
you figure out which statements were facts and
fiction? Were your classmates able to discern easily
the facts and fiction about you? Why?

Applying the same activity in the virtual world or

cyberworld, how do people. portray themselves
online? What are the things that you would want to
post/share online? What are the things you want
others to share online?
CHAPTER III: MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE
SELF

Lesson 1: Learning To Be a Better Learner

APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT

Scenario: You are about to study for your final

examinations and it is as if the universe conspired
for a heavy finals week, all your subjects provided at
least three new reading materials and topics one
week (7 days) before the examination period.
Create a diagram or schedule using at least five of
the metacognitive strategies, skills, and studying
techniques mentioned in this lesson on how you
would prepare for the next seven days before your
final examinations.
ANALYSIS
Envisioned Self Plan

Answer the following questions.

1. Who are you or what would you become:

a. In five years

b. In ten years

C. In twenty years

2. What are your motivations for your envisioned

self:
a. In five years

b. In ten years

C. In twenty years

3. Outline your plans on how you will make your

envisioned self into reality:

a. In five years

b. In ten years

C. In twenty years

4. How do you feel after doing this exercise?

5. What is your perception on goal setting?

APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT

1. Jack Canfield Quote Hunt. Using Canfield's quote

on success at the beginning of this lesson, identify
the elements of Bandura, Dweck, and Locke's
Theories. Give explanation to your answer.

2. Self-efficacy Collage. Make a collage of your own

perceived self-efficacy using Dr. Albert Bandura's
four sources of influence for the development and
maintenance of self-efficacy.
3. Graphic Organizer. Make an artistic graphic
organizer to differentiate fixed mindset from
growth mindset of Dr. Carol Dweck. Highlight the
definition, description, characteristics, examples of
situations where each mindset are developed, and
their advantages and disadvantages.

4. Goal Setting Plan. Make a goal setting plan (short

term for one semester only) based on what you
learned from Locke's goal setting theory.

5. Dream Board. Make your dream board, five years

after college graduation.

Lesson 3: Less Stress,More Care

ANALYSIS
Have a discussion in the class with the following
questions:

1. How do you feel while you were doing the

checklist?

2. Is the result near to your present perceived stress

level? How do you feel with the result?

3. How do these identified life events affect your life

now?

4. What is your reflection after sharing your

answers with a classmate?
5. What is your perception about stress and self-
care?