Activity 4 Topic 2
Title
Mapping the journey of life
Duration
100 minutes
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of this activity, students will be able to:
-
Recognise and understand cultural differences
-
Apply critical thinking skills
-
Practice deeper self-reflection and demonstrate greater self-awareness
-
Understand how personal experiences may influence people’s perspectives
Methodology
Storytelling, critical thinking
Required resources
Paper, pencils, colours
Description
This activity will make students reflect on themselves and on their aspirations for
the future, by representing their life moments through arts.
Preparation:
-
Give each participant a large sheet of paper.
-
Explain they have to draw a winding pathway and a circle at its middle.
-
On the left, they will write: “road already travelled”.
-
On the right, they will write: “the path yet to come”.
-
Now, give them some guidelines, following the 4 steps below (you can also download/print them from Annex I.)
Step 1. Your past (30 minutes)
Ask your students to:
-
Reflect on themselves: who they are, where they come from, their language, their culture, their spirituality, their family, friends and on obstacles that they had to face.
-
Draw/list some of their favourite places where they have been.
-
Draw two milestones on their journey: two key happenings in their life.
-
Draw a mountain and a river, that represent two important obstacles.
-
Reflect on how they overcame them.
-
Write a survival kit at the top of the page: identify the elements that helped them during difficult times (people/ values). Link the survival kit to your past timeline.
Step 2. Your future (30 minutes)
Ask your students to:
-
Write their wishes and hope for the future (for instance, over 30 years) to be placed at the end of the path.
-
Mark on the pathway the place they still want to visit.
-
Identify three future milestones: three key goals they would like to achieve in the future.
-
Draw a mountain as a symbol of a future obstacle they think they will face in the future.
-
Identify a song that will accompany their life and reflect on its meaning for them. Link the survival kit to your future timeline.
Step 3. Reflecting on your journey (10 minutes)
Ask your students to:
-
Reflect on their journey and identify some positive events and mark them as stars along their journey.
-
Reflect on a lesson learnt during their life.
Step 4. Share your journey (30 minutes)
Ask your students to:
-
Look at the other participants’ “Journeys of Life”.
-
Form a circle and ask volunteers to share their story.
-
Discuss with all participants:
-
How did you feel?
-
What were the most difficult elements to identify?
-
Did you discover something new?
-
How did you feel while sharing your story?
-
How did you feel listening to the other participants’ stories?
-
With whom are you going to share your ideas about your future?
-
What is your next important step?
Go to the goal planner life and school, available in the Guide for strength-
based learning: https://www.teachmi.eu/strength-based
Relevant topics for
discussion
Notice the similarities and differences in the past and future of the students (and the possible social-cultural impacts). Discussions could focus on their expectations, their dreams etc... and help them to find practical ways to achieve their objectives.
Original source
Retrieved from: KITE fighters (2021). KITE fighters: toolkit. CESIE: https://kitefighters.eu/the-kitefighters-toolkit/
Originally from: www.tellyourstorymap.eu