What Matters to Me

Educators can use this activity to introduce students to the concept of personal storytelling.
No Materials Needed

1. Gather students in a circle or a comfortable space. To model, you should begin by sharing your own short personal story of an object important to you.

2. Ask students to think of an object they want to share a story about. Make sure students know that they'll be asked to share this story with a partner or with the full class.

3. Give students a few minutes to think about what they want to share and how they want to tell the story of that object. Encourage them to pick something that holds meaning or inspires them.

4. Put students in pairs and have them take turns sharing their stories with each other in more detail. Once they've shared, ask partners to share one thing they really liked about the story and one thing they think their partner could add to make the story more compelling (e.g. add more details, think of a clear beginning, middle or end, etc.)

Reflection Questions:

• What did you learn about yourself through this activity?
• How did it feel to share your story or skill with your partner?
• What feedback did you receive, and how did it help you improve your story or skill?