Story PromptsHeritage Inquiries at Home for Social Studies K-12

Here’s something your students can do while they are stuck at home during the COVID-19 situa>on.

Story PromptsThese ques>ons can be used to s>r thinking about heritage and culture, about >me and place, and about a person’s place within their family and community. They can be done at home using objects and people at hand, or can include reaching out to others by phone, text, or email. they can be done solo or with the other people at home. Younger students may need some help from an adult for reading or responding. The prompts are arranged into four categories:

Delivery‣ could be a one-off -- give it a try and see how it goes‣ weekly ques>on -- lends itself to shorter responses; can contribute to a weekly plan or rou>ne‣ longer-term project -- students pick a ques>on or two that really sparks something and move into

more of a project than a single response‣ students can choose ques>on(s) or have them assigned by a teacher‣ students can change the ques>on a bit if it helps them find an answer‣ the idea here is to explain a bit, to find out “why,” and not just answer the ques>on ‣ the term “family” comes up -- it can mean anything a student wants -- the people they live with, but

also rela>ves or other special people that are a part of their life‣ each ques>on is meant to pull out a liRle story from the memory of students and the people around

them -- the stories can be short, like a quick reply, but they can also be longer if there is more to tell‣ the prompts can be >ed to specific curricular competencies or content by the teacher, or students

can be challenged to make these connec>ons themselves

Ways of responding‣ a picture or artwork that captures what was observed, learned, or inspired‣ a web, notes, or graphic representa>on of the thinking or learning that has occurred‣ a audio recording of a student’s learning, or an interview with an adult‣ a piece or series of short pieces of wri>ng‣ something larger perhaps, a poster, a short story, a presenta>on, a wriRen or mixed media piece

with an introduc>on, pictures, notes or wri>ng organized by themes, etc.

Curricular CompetenciesUsing the heritage inquiry, whether through the choice of story prompts or the types of responses, could involve >e-ins to other curricular standards from areas such as ADST and especially ELA. As well, some of the prompts are directly connected to core competencies. Here are some ways to adjust this learning specifically for Social Studies curricular competencies by grade level:

Grade K-3 4-6 7-8 9+Inquiry Use story prompts to

ask ques>ons, gather and sort out ideas, and share what was learned

Use story prompts to ask ques>ons; gather and interpret ideas; and communicate what was learned

Use inquiry processes with story prompts to develop inquiry ques>ons, gather and interpret/analyze ideas, and communicate what was learned

Use inquiry processes and other skills and strategies with story prompts to develop inquiry ques>ons, gather and interpret/analyze ideas, and communicate findings and decisions

Significance Explain the significance of personal or local events, objects, people, or places

Construct arguments defending the significance of individuals/groups, places, events, or developments that are connected to the prompt

Assess the significance of people, places, events, or developments at par>cular >mes and places. Iden>fy what other people connected to the prompt have determined is significant

AZer inves>ga>ng points of conten>on, reliability of sources, and adequacy of evidence, determine whether compe>ng explana>ons for the significance of people, places, events, or developments connected to the prompt at par>cular >mes and places

Evidence Ask ques>ons, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the content and features of different types of sources related to the prompt

Ask ques>ons, corroborate inferences, and draw conclusions about the content and origins of a variety of sources related to the prompt

Assess the credibility of mul>ple sources and the adequacy of evidence used to jus>fy conclusions about the prompt

AZer inves>ga>ng points of conten>on, reliability of sources, and adequacy of evidence Assess the jus>fica>on for compe>ng interpreta>ons of the evidence related to a prompt

ConJnuity and Change

Sequence objects, images, or events, |and dis>nguish between what has changed and what has stayed the same

Sequence objects, images, or events, and determine con>nui>es and changes between different >me periods or places

Characterize different >me periods in history, including periods of progress and decline, and iden>fy key turning points that marked periods of change

Compare and contrast con>nui>es and changes for different groups )or people who are somehow connected to the prompt) at the same >me period

Cause and Consequence

Recognize causes and consequences of events, decisions, or developments in their lives as inspired by the prompt

Differen>ate between intended and unintended consequences of events, decisions, or developments connected to the prompt, and speculate about alterna>ve outcomes

Determine which causes most influenced par>cular decisions, ac>ons,or events, and assess their short- and long- term consequences

Assess how prevailing condi>ons and the ac>ons of individuals or groups affect events, decisions, or developments

PerspecJve Acknowledge and explore different perspec>ves on people, places, issues, or events in their lives

Explain why people’s beliefs, values, worldviews, experiences, and roles give them different perspec>ves on people, places, issues, or events

Take stakeholders’ perspec>ves and/or construct narra>ves that capture the a^tudes, values, and worldviews commonly held by people at different >mes or places

Explain different perspec>ves on past or present people, places, issues, or events, and compare the values, worldviews, and beliefs of human cultures and socie>es in different >mesand places

Ethical Judgement

Iden>fy fair and unfair aspects of events, decisions, or ac>ons in their lives and consider appropriate ways to respond to the unfairness

Make ethical judgments about events, decisions, or ac>ons that consider the condi>ons of a par>cular >me and place

Make ethical judgments about past events, decisions, or ac>ons, and assess the limita>ons of drawing direct lessons from the past

Recognize implicit and explicit ethical judgments in a variety of sources, make reasoned ethical judgments about ac>ons in the pastand present, and determine appropriate ways to remember and respond

Curricular ContentGrade Possible Content Focus

K ‣ relationship between, individuals, families, and communities‣ important stories and traditions within families, cultures, and communities‣ taking stock of where we are, what it’s like, who lives here then and now

1/2 ‣ diverse cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives within the local and other communities relationships between a community and its environment roles, rights, and responsibilities in the local community

2 ‣ diverse cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives within Canada and around the worldrelationships between people and the environment in different communities‣ roles, rights, and responsibilities of individuals regionally and globally

3 ‣ cultural characteristics and ways of life of local First Peoples and global indigenous peoples and how these compare to local examples from and around us‣ oral history, traditional stories, and artifacts as evidence about past culture ‣ interconnections between culture, technology, governance, and social organizations‣ relationship between humans and their environment

4 ‣ comparison of modern trade, cooperation, and conflict with that of the past, e.g. contact between First People and Europeans, the inland and coastal Fur Trade, settler-indigenous relations in early British Columbia‣ taking stock of local Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge, adaptations to the environment, history and

culture, issues and injustices, demographic changes‣ human and physical characteristics of places and landscapes -- local and beyond

5 ‣ the development and evolution of Canadian identity over time ‣ the changing nature of Canadian immigration over time and expressions of multiculturalism and Indigenous

culture in Canada‣ human rights, past discriminations, and shifts in attitudes about race and identity over time in Canada‣ connection with self and various levels of government

6 ‣ urbanization and migration of people (e.g. compare rural and urban artifacts)‣ issues of global poverty, injustice, globalization, technology, resource management, conflict, and environmental

concerns‣ how different groups in Canada are represented: in the media, by organizations, by government

7 ‣ connections between the present and our deep history, going back to through key developments to the anthropological origins of humans‣ human responses to particular geographic challenges and opportunities, including climates, landforms, and

natural resources ‣ origins, core beliefs, narratives, practices, and influences of religions and other cultural practices and exchanges‣ scientific, philosophical, and technological developments

8 ‣ important shifts in science, technology, philosophy, and culture from 7th to 18th Century‣ interactions and exchanges of resources, ideas, arts, and culture between and among different civilizations

changes in population and living standards and how these compare with the present as evidenced by artifacts9 ‣ important shifts in science, technology, philosophy, and culture from 1750-1919

‣ evidence of local and global cooperation and conflict‣ past injustices (up to 1919), including impacts of colonialism‣ nation-building, regional and global conflicts‣ evidence of place: connections, physiographic features, natural resources, adaptations to environment

10 ‣ important shifts in science, technology, culture, politics, environment, and economy from 1914-now in Canada‣ Canadian identity and important “national” stories from 1914-now‣ past and present injustices (1914-now), including impacts of residential schools, advocacy and comparison of

human rights then and now‣ evidence of local and global cooperation and conflict

11/12 ‣ various themes and concepts from the Social Studies 11/12 electives

AccessThe vast possibili>es for curricular connec>on can be daun>ng -- start with the idea the story prompts are simply a way to leverage what is available at home for students as windows on self, place, ideas, and culture. Everyone has a story to tell, some>me they just need a prompt or two.

The Prompts

ArJfacts1. What do you think is the oldest object in your house? Perhaps it is something that has been passed

down in your family -- an “heirloom.”2. If you had to pick two or three objects from your home that showed who you are or where your

family came from, what would they be?3. What is something in your home that’s not really worth a lot of money, but is s>ll quite special to you

or your family? Something of “sen>mental value” -- but not a pet!4. Is there an old photo in your home that has a story behind it? If not, is there any photo that helps

capture what your family is like?5. What is something interes>ng in your home from the past that you or your family has displayed or

put up somewhere?6. What are two objects in your room that could be used to explain what is is like to be a Canadian to

someone from another country?7. Some>mes tools or object that were once commonly used everyday items but were replaced by

more modern objects that to the job differently. What is something in your home that used to be used but is hardly used at all nowadays? A “relic.”

8. Imagine that one day you will be a grandparent. What is an object or “heirloom” that you would pass on to your grandchild?

9. If you could have a pain>ng or photograph of anything at all to place in your home for family and guests to see, what would be in it?

10. What is an imaginary object that you wish was real and that you could have?

Culture11. You probably think of yourself as a Canadian. Is there another na>onality or culture that you are

connected with? How do you know about this?12. What is your favourite ac>vity that your family does on a regular basis?13. Is there a tradi>on in your family that probably goes back a long >me, maybe since before your

mother or father was born?14. “Heritage” means something that is passed down to others. This could be a language, tradi>on,

property, dance, recipe, and so on. What is something that has been passed down to you?15. “Culture” is a word for all of the things that make a group of people unique from other groups, like

art, tradi>ons, beliefs, and ways of making a living. Culture takes many forms, like ethnic groups (Irish, Cree, or Mexican), or groups that have things in common, such as teens, farmers, schools, or hip-hop dancers). Do you belong to a culture? Do you belong to more than one culture?

16. Do you think your family has a connec>on to something important that happened in history? This could be anything that made an impact on the past.

17. Think about experiences you have had with other people’s families or with your friends? What is a tradi>on they have that you really enjoyed?

18. Some people build tree diagrams to show parents, step-parents, cousins, grandparents, great-grandparents or other rela>ves. How far back can you go? Do you know the name of a great-grandparent?

19. Of all the food that gets made at your home, which one goes back the furthest? In other words, is there a recipe or way of making something that has been passed down for a long >me?

20. Using your imagina>on, what would be an amazing tradi>on to start?

QualiJes21. What you ask if you could interview an ancestor of yours that has passed away?22. What is something sad or funny that happened in your family’s past that you can share?23. Families some>mes have beliefs or a^tudes that make them unique -- some>mes these are called

“values.” What are one or two values that you come to mind when you think about your family?24. If you found yourself in a situa>on where other people asked you to tell them a interes>ng story

about your family, what would you say?25. Is there something your family does that you think might be unique -- something that would not be

common in other families you know? This could be an ac>vity, tradi>on, meal, holiday, belief, and so on.

26. What’s something that it is important for you to do on a regular basis? Nothing gross, please! Where do you think this ac>vity came from -- what are it’s “origins?” Maybe it’s something your whole family does.

27. Do you have a lot of elderly people in your life? What is a good memory you have about an elderly person?

28. What is the longest conversa>on you have had with an elderly person? How did the conversa>on come to be, and what did you talk about?

29. What is the best quality a person can have? Who do you know that has this quality?30. If you could only pass on one value, quality, or belief to others, what would it be? Think of a >me

you showed this value, quality or belief.

Places1. Of all the places in the country or the world, your family lives here. How did your family end up living

where they do? How about other rela>ves?2. What is a built place, something made by people, that is important to you? Perhaps this is a place

that has special memories for you. Think about what makes it special.3. What is a natural place, something outdoors, that is important to you? Perhaps this is a place that

has special memories for you. Think about what makes it special.4. What your earliest memory of nature? Think about what your remember about this experience.

Maybe it’s not the earliest, but one of the earliest.5. What is a place that you have visited that really stands out in your memory? Is this place important

to other people as well?6. If you could change one thing about the place you live (home, neighbourhood, town or city), what

would it be?7. What place in your home town or city is probably the most important? Think about who it is

important for, and what makes it important. You could limit this ques>on to just your neighbourhood if you want.

8. How do you think your life would be different if you were born in another country?9. What comes to mind when you think about a place that is safe? How about a place that is

dangerous?10. What is an imaginary place that you wish you could visit?