On Hand: The book Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox and a basket of objects that not only spark my childhood stories, but hopefully my students' memories as well. At one time or another I have had in my basket: a scrap of silk, a flashlight, a worn teddy bear, a child's ring, and a cat's collar.
Mini-Lesson: I read Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, a story about a little boy who brings a basket of objects to Miss Nancy, an old woman who has lost her memory. Miss Nancy takes the objects out of the basket one by one and consequently remembers stories from her childhood.
Then I bring my basket out. I, too, lift objects into the air and tell my own stories. For example, I show the scrap of silk and tell students how my parents had a silky blanket on their bed that my brothers and I fought over. One day when we were tussling-each pulling in a different direction, the coveted blanket tore.
You probably know what the primary students are doing while I'm telling my stories: They're waving their hands in the air, desperate to share the memory that my story helped them to recall. Instead of encouraging them to tell their stories (though you could invite a couple if you wish), I have them identify the topic of their story and send them off to write. They practically run to the writing center for their folders.
I have never found that the students don't relate to my objects or stories. The slip of silk solicits wonderfully detailed narratives about beloved "blankies" and often the heart-pulling story of having to part with that security object. One student will say, "I'm going to write about the blanket I had as a baby," and suddenly four more hands shoot up. Those kids are going to write about their "binkies," their "nappies," and their "night-nights", too.
for primary teachers
