Part 1 

Step 1: Preparation 

Have all students bring an object that means a lot to them and that means “home” to them. Encourage them to talk to family members about this. Announce that each student may tell the story related to their object and suggest that they can use [minority language] to talk about it.  

 

Step 2: Introduction 

Discuss the assignment. All children brought something that represents “home” to them. Collect these items in a basket/bin. Take the basket and tell the students that you will take an object from it one by one and that the students can tell their story in [minority language] if they wish when they see their own object. The class can either stay at their desks or sit in a circle. 

 

Step 3: The Story Basket 

• Take the first object from the basket and ask the students who brought it. The student who owns the object may then tell their story and explain what the object is, where it comes from and why this item is important to them. 

• Encourage the students to tell their story in [minority language]. In a linguistically diverse group, the teacher might mediate or explain important words to the other students. 

• Write the name of the object on a piece of paper and post it to the blackboard. In a group with few [minority language] speakers, translate the word into [the minority language] / ask the [minority language] speakers to translate the word and add the translation to the note. 

 

Step 4: Talking about “Home” 

• Look at the collection of words on the blackboard and discuss with the students that “home” can mean and include many things. 

• Which objects are connected to a certain place (a house, a street, a city, a region)? 

• Which objects are connected to special persons? 

• Which objects are connected to traditions? 

• Arrange the pieces of paper on the blackboard according to these categories. The students could also arrange them into a shape that means “home” to them (a house, a speech bubble, a tree, a map, …). 

• Explain how language can also make a place or a group of people feel like “home”. Connect this idea to the exercise and the stories told in [minority language]. 

 

Step 5: Closing 

Discuss what it was like to tell the class something about your own home, family or traditions. If not all students have had a turn, an extra moment for storytelling can be scheduled. 

 

Part 2: 

Step 1: Preparation 

Have the following ready: writing sheets, possibly coloured pens, coloured pencils, glue, scissors and coloured A3 paper. Optionally, photos can be taken of the students with their object. 

 

Step 2: Introduction 

Discuss with the students what was done in the last lesson: telling stories about home. Tell the students that this was very nice to hear. Then tell them that they will continue working on these stories that day. 

 

Step 3: Write 

The students start writing their own story (they write the story after telling it so that they do this without reading aloud). The students, if they can, write the story in [minority language] or using some of the newly learnt [minority language] words. 

 

Step 4: Poster 

The written texts are then pasted on a coloured A3 sheet. A drawing or decoration can be added and possibly a photo of the student with the object. These posters can be hung in the classroom. 

 

Step 5: Closing 

Discuss with the students which languages they used in their stories. Which ones were difficult to speak/write? Which one is easy?