China

You have entered cyber-region of Asia and are now in the cyber-country of:

**China** You have a mission to learn about **Self-Expression and Identity** dealing with:

**// Who Are You, Online? //** = Your job, if you chose to accept this mission, is to complete as many **//'Activities'//** below that will allow you to earn up $20 American Dollars. Remember, to earn that many American dollars you will have to complete at least 2 (//two//) "Activities" =

= = = To earn EXTRA American Dollars, there is 'Covert Operation' available for this section. Click here: Covert Operations to locate __**China #5**__ **operation**. = = =

**Think** about how you represent yourself when you are online. **Does** the way you represent yourself online differ from the way you represent yourself offline? What is similar and what is different about your online and offline selves? **The** Internet gives people the chance to express different parts of themselves and even try on different personas. In the lesson, they will explore how they represent themselves online, and all the possibilities, risks, and benefits involved in experimenting with their online selves.

**Key Vocabulary **

 * **Represent:** To depict yourself to others as being a certain way or having particular characteristics
 * **Persona:** An image and personality that you show to others
 * **Avatar:** A graphic image that represents a person online
 * **Anonymous:** Without a name or other information that identifies who you are
 * **Inhibited:** Careful or restrained about your actions or impulses

**Activity #1** **Watch** this slideshow: [|Avatar Slideshow from the New York Times]

**Make notes** of the //similarities// and //differences// between the real people and their avatars. Address characteristics beyond physical looks and remember that you should avoid passing judgment or making fun of anyone’s avatar. You can speculate on why the people in the photos might have created these avatars. (//You should understand that you cannot be certain of these people’s intentions without talking to them – they can draw conclusions based only on the information available in the photos.)//

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">**In** creating their avatars, people may make choices based on what kind of online world the avatars will inhabit.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">Suggest in your summary activity below how an avatar designed for a social networking site their friends use might differ from one created for a virtual world like Second Life or for a competitive gaming site.


 * Write** a summary paragraph of your notes taken above from reviewing these Avatars in your Travel Logs under the Intellegence Activities tab and title your summary; "**Interesting Points about Avatars**".

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">[Worth upto $10 American Dollars}

<span style="color: #17261d; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 14pt;">**Being** "**Real**" or "**Fake**" **Online** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">What do you think it means to be “real” or “fake”? Do you think it’s easier for people to be “fake” online than in real life? Why or why not? These are some questions to think about as you:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">Activity #2 **

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">**WATCH** the Self-Expression and Identity Student Video — Ramon’s Story.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">Ramon talks about how some people exaggerate or seem very different online than in person. How do you explain these differences between their online and in-person personas? //(Draw on points that Ramon has made. He thinks some people want to seem tougher or cooler than they are offline so they will be more accepted.)//

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">Are there risks for creating an online presence that is very different than the offline one? Are there benefits? //(Identify risks, such as setting up false expectations for others, spurring violence, and depending on online communication to the detriment of in-person communication. Benefits are that you can enter interest driven communities that you couldn’t before, you can take time to compose your thoughts before responding to others, and you can experiment with the opinions you put forth and how you present yourself.)//

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">What are other reasons why people might feel they can act in ways online that they wouldn’t act offline?

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">Write up answers from the above questions, along with your thoughts of what Ramon discussed in his video. Post this summary to your Travel Logs under the discussion tab; Intellegence Activites with a title of "**Ramon's Story**".

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">[Worth upto $10 American Dollars]