What can a suitcase, a scarf, or a simple embroidered bag tell us about history? This lesson invites students to explore family heirlooms not as sentimental keepsakes, but as witnesses to time. Drawing on Karolina Sulej’s reflections on material culture and memory, participants will examine how ordinary objects carry extraordinary stories — of war, survival, displacement, love, and identity. Through discussion and creative work, students will discover how “small lives” intersect with grand history, and how objects can become anchors of memory across generations.
Anchors of Memory: How Objects Hold Our Histories
Anchors of Memory: How Objects Hold Our Histories
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pdfGrandparents. Grand Stories – Handy Question DeckThe Handy Questions Deck is a thematic guide designed to support meaningful intergenerational conversations. It offers open-ended questions on childhood, family, work, daily life, historical events, values, and treasured objects, encouraging rich storytelling rather than brief answers. With practical tips on active listening and using photographs or heirlooms as prompts, it reframes family dialogue as a way of preserving memory and understanding how personal lives connect to larger histories.Open in new tab and download
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pdfGrandparents. Grand Stories – Souvenirs. How to find themStories & Souvenirs – And How to Find Them is a practical guide to discovering and preserving meaningful family treasures. It explains what makes an object a true heirloom, where and how to search for it, and how to document and care for photographs, documents, textiles, jewelry, and other items. Through inspirational historical examples and creative storytelling ideas, it encourages participants to see objects as living carriers of memory rather than mere possessions.Open in new tab and download
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Watch the trailer for the “Grandparents. Grand Stories: Family Treasures” contest.
Grandparents. Grand Stories: Family Treasures
