Aug 3 & 10: Mini Museums- My Culture, My Story
Assigned Teachers:
Theme:
Curation of a tiny museum in a box: to share something special about their identity, traditions, or daily life.
You will need:
Shoeboxes, small cardboard boxes, or large folded paper to act as a museum base,
felt pens, crayons, colored pencils,
glue,
scissors,
colored paper,
recycled materials or found objects (such as bottle caps, fabric scraps, or strings),
old magazines for images or backgrounds,
masking tape,
scrap fabric, yarn or ribbons,
optional personal mementos (photos, ticket stubs, postcards) that kids can safely include to reflect their personal stories.
Guide
Step 1: Introduction
Introduce the idea of a museum as “a place where stories, memories, and treasures are kept and shared.”
Explain: “Today, you will design your own mini museum that shows something about you—your culture, home, language, food, music, or traditions.”
Show 1st video (full video), and a quick glimpse (1 min each) of the other ones (videos 2 and 3 just for comparison and ideas)
Step 2: Icebreaker (5min)
ask:
“What’s one thing from your culture or home that makes you proud or happy?”
(Examples: a dish, a song, a holiday, a costume, a word, or even a smell!)
Step 3: Guided Visualization:
“Imagine you’re walking into a museum that’s all about YOU. What’s the first thing you see? What colors are there? What sounds or smells?”
Then ask:
“What do you want to show in your museum today?”
“Will you include drawings, small objects, words, or symbols?”
Kids sketch a layout or draw quick items they want to include (just planning ideas).
Older kids can brainstorm “gallery sections” like Music, Traditions, My Name, Food, Special Places, Stories from Grandma, etc.
Step 4: Making & Problem-Solving (30 min)
Kids start building their Mini Museum using a box, folder, or a folded sheet as a base.
Ideas for components:
Labels (e.g. "This is my family tree")
Drawings or photos of foods, holidays, homes
Mini 3D objects (like a tiny lantern, basket, flag, traditional tool, etc.)Words in their language, poems, proverbs
Mini maps showing where their family comes from
Encourage sharing as they work—kids can walk around to gather ideas from others.
5. Midway Exercise (5 min)
Quick Pair Share: Each child turns to a partner and shares one thing they’ve made or are proud of in their museum so far.
Ask: “What is something new you learned from your partner?”
6. Community Building (10 min)
Form a “Museum Walk”: Lay all mini museums on the table.
Older kids can write a title and 1-line museum intro (e.g. “My Museum: Life Between Two Cultures”)
Younger ones can describe their favorite object to the other kids.
questions and appreciation: “What inspired this part?” or “Is this a tradition in your family?”
7. Conclusion & Reflection (10 min)
Gather and ask:
“What was your favorite thing you shared?”
“Did you learn anything new about yourself or others?”