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'''Teaching Goals''' | '''Teaching Goals''' | ||
*''Help class members understand the alternatives for creating a personal history.'' | *''Help class members understand the alternatives for creating a personal history.'' | ||
*''Help class members understand how to start writing a personal history.'' | *''Help class members understand how to start writing a personal history.'' | ||
*''Help class members identify and resolve challenges to writing a personal history.'' | *''Help class members identify and resolve challenges to writing a personal history.'' | ||
*''Create an awareness of other issues involved in finishing a personal history.'' | *''Create an awareness of other issues involved in finishing a personal history.'' | ||
*''Help class members learn what resources are available.'' | *''Help class members learn what resources are available.'' | ||
'''Preparing to Teach''' | '''Preparing to Teach''' | ||
*''Contact class members and learn their expectations for the class.'' | *''Contact class members and learn their expectations for the class.'' | ||
*''Bring samples of personal histories by others. Try to include examples of alternatives to a written history.'' | *''Bring samples of personal histories by others. Try to include examples of alternatives to a written history.'' | ||
*''Consider the ages and life stages of the class members, and plan accordingly. For example, if your class members are all under age 30, you don’t need to teach about writing about retirement and other issues that do not concern them.'' | *''Consider the ages and life stages of the class members, and plan accordingly. For example, if your class members are all under age 30, you don’t need to teach about writing about retirement and other issues that do not concern them.'' | ||
'''Teaching Ideas | '''Teaching Ideas''' | ||
*Ask the class members why they want to write personal histories. Ask who will benefit from their histories. Discuss their answers. This discussion may bring new insights. | '''During the first class''' | ||
*Discuss different types of personal histories and their advantages and disadvantages. | |||
*Explain how to gather personal artifacts that will help recall life events. | *''Ask the class members why they want to write personal histories. Ask who will benefit from their histories. Discuss their answers. This discussion may bring new insights.'' | ||
*Share the following brief story with your class members: | *''Discuss different types of personal histories and their advantages and disadvantages.'' | ||
“My mother really didn’t want me to be born on April Fool’s Day, so she convinced her doctor to induce her labor in the morning of March 31. Things have changed a lot since 1951, but in those days it was almost unheard of in London, England, for a birth to be induced for the mother’s convenience. The young Scottish doctor was willing to be innovative, and I was born three hours before April Fool’s Day. The doctor was given the privilege of choosing my name, possibly as part of the inducement deal, and I was given the good Scottish name of Lindsey Mary to go along with my family name, Adams.” | *''Explain how to gather personal artifacts that will help recall life events.'' | ||
*''Share the following brief story with your class members:'' | |||
“My mother really didn’t want me to be born on April Fool’s Day, so she convinced her doctor to induce her labor in the morning of March 31. Things have changed a lot since 1951, but in those days it was almost unheard of in London, England, for a birth to be induced for the mother’s convenience. The young Scottish doctor was willing to be innovative, and I was born three hours before April Fool’s Day. The doctor was given the privilege of choosing my name, possibly as part of the inducement deal, and I was given the good Scottish name of Lindsey Mary to go along with my family name, Adams.” | |||
'''Activities''' | '''Activities''' | ||
*Have class members write an example of an opening paragraph for their personal history. Challenge them to write without using the traditional “I was born day/month/year in town/state/country.” Help them to write in a way that will get the reader’s attention. It may be helpful to have class members to write two or three opening paragraphs and to choose the one they like best. | *''Have class members write an example of an opening paragraph for their personal history. Challenge them to write without using the traditional “I was born day/month/year in town/state/country.” Help them to write in a way that will get the reader’s attention. It may be helpful to have class members to write two or three opening paragraphs and to choose the one they like best.'' | ||
*Encourage class members to come to the next class with a story about an event in their lives and a photograph or memento to support the story. | *''Encourage class members to come to the next class with a story about an event in their lives and a photograph or memento to support the story.'' | ||
*Encourage class members to begin writing a list of 30 events they remember from their lives. | *''Encourage class members to begin writing a list of 30 events they remember from their lives.'' | ||
'''During the second class''' | '''During the second class''' | ||
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Share the following two statements with the class: | Share the following two statements with the class: | ||
Statement #1 “I did chores in the barn every night.” | ''Statement #1'' | ||
“I did chores in the barn every night.” | |||
''Statement #2 '' | |||
“Every night was an adventure in the barn. Josie was a cow with a bad attitude and a wicked sense of humor. She also had perfect aim. Whether I was milking her, feeding her, or cleaning up after her, she was a constant challenge. As soon as the milk pail was full, she would watch for her opportunity to kick it over. She never tried until the bucket was full. Every time I passed behind her to bring her hay or with a shovel to clean up, I had to move fast and keep a close eye on her. She could move that right hind leg so fast and hard that I often had to jump to avoid it. She would lull me into false confidence by being calm for a few days, and then she would get me with perfect aim. Depending on my emotional state, it was either a challenge and a game or a totally infuriating burden in my life.” | |||
Ask which of the above was more interesting. Then do the following. | ''Ask which of the above was more interesting. Then do the following.'' | ||
*Have one or more class members share a story they wrote during the past week. | *''Have one or more class members share a story they wrote during the past week.'' | ||
*Ask the class members who desire to exchange their written stories with another class member. Give them time to read the stories, and then let them ask questions about the stories. Encourage them to get clarification and additional details about the stories and to give suggestions. Explain how this activity can help make a better personal history. | *''Ask the class members who desire to exchange their written stories with another class member. Give them time to read the stories, and then let them ask questions about the stories. Encourage them to get clarification and additional details about the stories and to give suggestions. Explain how this activity can help make a better personal history.'' | ||
*Ask the class members what items they collected during the week to remind them of events. | *''Ask the class members what items they collected during the week to remind them of events.'' | ||
*Ask class members what they want their descendants to know about them. How will they incorporate that information in their personal history? | *''Ask class members what they want their descendants to know about them. How will they incorporate that information in their personal history?'' | ||
'''Activities''' | '''Activities''' | ||
*Review the suggested Web sites and books the class members could use for help. | *''Review the suggested Web sites and books the class members could use for help.'' | ||
*Review the list of topics in Appendix A, and ask class members to think of something they could add to that list. As class members come up with new topics, have them add those topics that interest them to their lists. | *''Review the list of topics in Appendix A, and ask class members to think of something they could add to that list. As class members come up with new topics, have them add those topics that interest them to their lists.'' | ||
= Appendix A = | = Appendix A = | ||