Objects tell stories

Aims of the activity

- Explore, define and reflect needs/hopes.
- Help with the help of an object to avoid thresholds towards personal stories that students might consider too intimate.
- For all, the aim is a little analogue or digital exhibition of the objects.

Resources, Materials needed

- Objects as examples.
- Presenting software.
- Hardware (mobiles, tablets or computers).

Duration in minutes

90 – 180 minutes.

Step-by-step - what has to be done

1. As an introduction, everybody has to collect little objects, photographs or items to remember certain experiences, dates, meetings, holidays, changes in life.
2. Search, identify and name objects in your biography, that are important for you. One should be positive, and other negative. Work with image stimulus (big pictures, posters, collection of photos). Select one or two pictures and make metaphorical examples more concrete for the own biography. Put down storylines in keywords.
3. Search and name objects of your own personal biography, prepare some keywords for the next meeting and ask yourself, what are you willing to be told/shown for a broader public and what you want to reach by telling the story of the object.
4. Collect aims: "nobody knows a story like that", "something like that hasn´t been told yet", "this story is very important to be told", "I like the story", "the story is entertaining", etc.
5. Develop a story together with the students.
6. Examine several ways of publishing in a digital way by questions you to whom the story should be addressed to, etc.

Learning Outcomes - which skills are adressed?

- Formulate biographical stories without always using "I" and "me".
- Letting speak an object, a memory that doesn´t have to be too personal.

How do you check the outcomes are reached?

Take a look at the guestbook of the exhibition.

Further Links/Readings

[ https://www.drk-wedpre.de/ueber-uns/aktuelles/berichte/meldung/mitmach-ausstellung.html Previous project by the Red Cross ]