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Identifying Family Memories

This modelling the tools is incorporated into critical challenges at grade 1, however, it can be adapted for use at all grade levels.

 

Session Four

Introduce the idea of sharing memories.

  • Revisit the powerful memories selected the previous day and explain that students will now share their powerful memories with the rest of the class. If any students have a powerful memory that is upsetting, encourage them to choose to share another, more positive memory. Students may use one of two options for sharing of their powerful memories, drawing or dramatic representation.
  • Option 1: Draw the memory
    Students will tell a partner about the memory, draw and write about the memory, and then share the drawing with the class.

    Organize students into pairs, so that they can tell their partner about their most powerful memory. Students may want to use their puppets to tell the story. After talking about the details of their powerful memory with their partner, invite students to record their memory in a more detailed picture. Use My Powerful Family Memory for students to illustrate and write about their memory (or have scribed, perhaps, by a buddy from an older class). When students have completed their writing and drawing, ask them to share their memory and its representation with the entire class.
  • Option 2: Represent the memory dramatically.
    First model how to develop a silent role play, and then students will prepare and practise the tableau.  After presenting their tableaux to the class, students will write about it. 

(1) Demonstrate how to do develop a silent role play (or a tableau––a freeze frame snapshot) using one of the memories introduced at the beginning of the previous session; e.g., finding the falcon or Christmas time. Model the following steps for developing a tableau with a group of students so that the class is clear about how partners can cooperate:

  • One student tells the rest of the group about a powerful memory.
  • The group decides what is the one most important moment during the memory; e.g., releasing the bird.
  • The student explains who of his/her family (and other people) were present at the important moment.
  • Students pick who in the group will take on the role of each person in the memory.
  • All the actors stand together pretending that they are part of the memory.
  • Each person must have the feeling that their person might have felt; e.g., scared, happy, nervous.
  • At the right moment, everyone stays perfect still as though they were frozen right at the most important part of the memory.
  • Take a photograph of the tableau.

(2) Organize students into groups of three to prepare and practise their tableaux. Help students find a way to decide who will share their powerful memory first. After they have told their memory to their group, students are to work together to prepare a tableau that illustrates each powerful memory. You may want to walk the class collectively through each of the steps discussed above. You may prefer to have each group present one tableau before getting back together to develop and present a second and eventually a third tableau.

(3) After groups have sufficient practice time, gather the class in a circle. Each student group presents its tableau for the class. Photograph each presentation. Ask the class to watch the role play and when it is finished, to try to identify the powerful memory. Students tell why they selected that memory as their most powerful.

(4) Distribute My Powerful Family Memory for students to paste the picture of the tableaux in the space provided and to write about (or have scribed) their memory and why it is powerful.

Identify learning.

  • When all students have shared their memory (regardless of the option followed) discuss what is the same about the memories and what is different about the memories (e.g., memories create different feelings). Ask students what they learned about families (e.g., people in families do different things, people in families like different things, someone's family moved here from far away). Record students' statements about memories on a chart that can be retained for further reference.

Add to memory box.

  • Suggest that students keep the record of their powerful memory with the other items that will become their memory box.
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Last updated: July 1, 2014 | (Revision History)
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