This resource, developed within the Pestalozzi Programme, provides teachers with ideas and activities for exploring objects collected within various contexts, supplementing them with personal stories and biographies. In doing so, teachers help learners to research and learn more about their own cultural heritage and that of others; to become more open and appreciative towards cultural diversity.

The activities in this resource involve learners in individual research, presentation, pair and group discussions, writing narratives and creating an exhibition. By empowering open discussions and asking and responding to questions through selected objects, learners practice verbalising their thinking; they get to express ideas, opinions, feelings and changing perspectives with imagination, humour, creativity and sensitivity. The tasks contribute to increasing students’ curiosity about the world around them and achieve a better understanding of past events, people, places, living things and the work people do.This resource can be used with all ages, bearing in mind that the sentence structures are adapted to reflect learners’ levels.

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To cite this resource:  Verkest, H. (2012). A shoebox full of memories.  In Council of Europe Pestalozzi Programme Training Units.