The Blue Dress

Share this book

After reading The Blue Dress, invite students to explore the many threads that shape Yasmin’s identity. Discuss the people, experiences, traditions, and expectations that influence who Yasmin is. Which threads are woven for her by others? Which does she choose for herself? Which threads come from her experiences, and which represent her hopes for the future?

Then invite students to consider the threads that shape their own identities. Explain that, like Yasmin, each person’s story is woven from a unique combination of traditions, choices, experiences, and dreams. Have students create an original work of art that represents their identity using materials such as yarn, embroidery floss, paper strips, fabric scraps, colored markers, and other supplies.

Encourage students to represent their identity through colors, patterns, words, symbols, textures, and woven elements. Students should annotate their work to explain the meaning behind their artistic choices and include threads from the categories below.

• Threads I Inherited: family, culture, traditions, languages, communities, places, beliefs, or values passed down
• Threads I Chose: interests, friendships, hobbies, values, goals, and skills
• Threads of Experience: meaningful moments, accomplishments, lessons learned, people who have influenced me, places I’ve been, and books and stories that have shaped my thinking
• Threads I Am Still Weaving: dreams, aspirations, qualities I hope to develop, and future goals

Conclude with a gallery walk where students notice both shared and unique threads represented throughout the class. Ask students to reflect on what surprised them, what common threads they discovered, and how artistic choices communicated meaning. End by discussing how our individual stories are uniquely woven, yet many of the threads that shape us connect us and strengthen our understanding of one another.

Questions for Discussion or Reflective Writing

• Why does Yasmin feel like she has to change herself in order to fit in? Which expectations come from her family? Which expectations come from American culture? What expectations has she created for herself? Have you ever felt pressured or expected to look a certain way? How did you handle it?
• How is the family dynamic of Yasmin’s best friend, Carmen, different from Yasmin’s? How does being around Carmen and her mother impact Yasmin? How does what Yasmin learns about the dynamics of her own mother’s family affect her relationship with her mother? How do your own relationships impact how you feel about yourself or your appearance?
• How would you describe Yasmin’s friendship with Carmen? How does the way Yasmin feels about herself impact their relationship?
• How does Yasmin’s relationship with Zoe change throughout the book? What do they come to understand about each other?
• What happens when Peyton calls Yasmin a terrorist? Have you ever experienced a moment where someone said something mean to you in front of other people? How did it make you feel? Have you ever seen this happen to someone else? What did you do?
• What would you have done if you were in Carmen’s position and found out about Yasmin making herself throw up? Why is it important to talk to trusted adults when someone is struggling with body image or eating habits?

Related Resources

The Blue Dress Discussion Questions from Rebecca Morrison

National Eating Disorders Association

Identity Charts from Facing History and Ourselves

Books and Questions to Help Students Explore Body Image from MiddleWeb