The Suitcase Project

Below is the introduction the children received to a new project we are doing that looks at memory as an experience of migration. Each week, a different child will present their suitcase and we will post photos of each of them as they are completed. To give the children an example to work from , the first two were packed by adults (one teacher/parent and one professor/parent):

Hello Traveller,

 Today you must pack a very special suitcase. This little case that you carry with you will contain all that you are able to bring, apart from the clothes on your back, as you leave home tomorrow to embark on a great journey to a new land. You don’t really know where you are going or how you will travel but it is likely that you will not be coming back for a long time. You may also face challenges on your journey or hardship upon arrival in your new land. When you pack your suitcase, think for a moment about what you consider to be your fundamental needs for this journey. Will you take with you only the things that you hope will secure your physical survival or will you expand your definition to include some things that will act as a balm for your spirit or bring you comfort as you travel far from home? There are just two requirements for this project. The first one is that all your objects must fit into the suitcase so that it closes easily. The second is that one of the objects in your suitcase must tell a story of someone from the past in your family. If you are able to find a story about their experience of migration, that would be ideal. The object could be just the actual story itself or you could also include an object or photograph of them. Just please make sure you write their story down (or have your parents do it) and be ready to share it, along with the contents of your suitcase, next Monday in class.