PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE ME – Never-Ending Card

Students will be able to:

• demonstrate chronological thinking;
• create a never-ending card using coloured pencil techniques;
• use the never-ending card to tell stories about the past, present and future; 
• demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity.

Have students:

• write a story on a topic of their own choosing;
• create a larger version of the never-ending card by using a piece of 30.5 cm x 45.5 cm (12" x 18") Bristol board;
• include their written text along with the imagery;
• present their never-ending stories to students in other grades.

1. Create a sample.
2. Cut enough paper for each student to have one piece.
3. Gather and make available books about jobs and careers, for example, What Do Grown-ups Do All Day?, by Virginie Morgand; Mighty Mommies and Their Amazing Jobs: A STEM Career Book for Kids, by Donald Jacobsen, and Graham Evans; The Beeman, by Laurie Krebs, and Melissa Iwai; National Geographic Readers: What Is an Archaeologist?, by Libby Romero; and Wild Work! Animal Trainers, by Jessica Cohn.
4. Gather and make available books about family history, for example, The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family, by Ibtihaj Muhammad, S. K. Ali, and Hatem Aly; The Quilt Story, by Tony Johnston; The Keeping Quilt, by Patricia Polacco; The Name Jar, by Yangsook Choi; and Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family's Journey, by Margriet Ruurs, Nizar Ali Badr, and Falah Raheem.

1. Read a story about family history to get students thinking about their own past and relatives who might inspire them as they think about the future.
2. Ask students to think about what they were like in the past.
   - How far back can you remember?
   - What did you look like as a baby?
   - What stories do your parents tell about you?
   - What is your favourite family story about you?
3. Introduce the challenge.

Have students work in pairs.  

1. Demonstrate how to flip through the card continuously, and then ask students to use their cards to take turns telling something interesting about each page, for example,
   - Student A showing the baby page - “In the past, when I was a baby I really liked to get into the pot cupboard. It drove my mother crazy!”
   - Student B showing the baby page - “In the past, when I was a baby I loved to chase the cat . . . and pull her tail! It made the cat run away every time she saw me.”
2. After everyone has had a chance to share in partners have some students flip through their entire card telling stories as they go.
3. Ask students to reflect on the experience:
   - What was challenging?
   - What was the best thing about it?
   - What was the worst thing about it?
4. Ask student how they might use this never-ending card in a different way.

1. Observe students as they work  – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting.
2. Observe students as they discuss the never-ending cards – active listening, insightful contributions, supporting ideas with evidence found in the artwork and from personal experience.
3. Use a checklist to track progress. (Downloads - Never-ending_tracking.pdf)
4. Have students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Downloads - Never-ending_self-assessment.pdf, or Never-ending_self-assessment_Primary.pdf)