TASKs for democracy

Activity 23
Tell me your story
DESCRIPTION
Original activity contributed by Liutauras Degesys
Focus: this activity intends to explore intercultural understanding and misunderstanding by means of philosophical,
critical and creative thinking. It is based on the belief that each person’s point of view becomes richer
and more comprehensive when it is seen in the context of many other points of view. It aims to enrich the
inquiry focusing on improving relations among people of different backgrounds and different mentalities. It
can be adapted to classroom use.
Target group: pre-/in-service teachers of age groups 14-18/adult learners
Expected learning outcomes:
A_DIV_1 Acceptance of diversity as a positive value for the environment and the survival of humankind
A_EPIST_1 Acceptance of the fact that every individual constructs knowledge differently
A_EPIST_3 Willingness to identify and accept one’s own and other people’s strengths and weaknesses
S_SELF_1 Aptitude to cope with complex issues and avoid one-dimensional answers
K_DIV_2 Understanding of the changing nature of identities and cultures
K_EPIST_2 Understanding of the ways in which meanings of concepts are influenced by contexts
and power relations
K_SELF_2 Understanding of the subjective nature of all knowledge of self and others
Type of activity: Core/main activity
PROCEDURE
Introduction (5 minutes)
It has to be stressed that this activity is principally aimed at the exploration of intercultural understanding
and misunderstanding by means of philosophical, critical and creative thinking. The school curriculum should
contribute to the development of students’ sense of identity through knowledge and understanding of the
spiritual, moral, social and cultural heritages of diverse societies and through acquiring the knowledge, skills and
attitudes necessary for the interpretation of the local, national, European and global dimensions of their lives.
Step 1 (individual – 15 minutes)
1. Give a copy of the same work of art to each participant. Ask them to reflect on the painting, the extract
you selected from a text, the fragment of a novel, the movie scene or the newspaper article you chose
for them (see samples attached). Ask them to be prepared to tell a story about the painting, text, movie,
newspaper or novel, interpreting the situation, emphasising rightness or wrongness of action, intention
and outcome.
2. Working individually, the participants should prepare to tell their story about the work of art (Antonello
da Messina’s St Sebastian in the example here), interpreting the situation, emphasising rightness or
wrongness of action, intention or outcome. They should think about or write down what the story is:
what happened, who was responsible for what (right or wrong) action, what were their intentions (positive
or negative), and what kind of outcomes they discover. Are these outcomes positive or negative?
Page 125