“Where are you Going, Where have you Been?”

How we imagine our futures depends on who we are and where we come from–the context that makes our selves, our families and our society. Society is made up of more than what we see in the media. History is made up of more than names, dates, and battles. Both are being made all around us and we are a part of it. This story project gives you the opportunity to research your own personal and family story, and to test your digital skills in the process. Every family has a story to tell that shapes where we are going, what’s yours?

This project has 5 parts with parts 1-3 due the first week of classes, and parts 4-5 due the second week. Note that you may feel related to a place, to animals like your dog, or local loons, or to some other beings in your world. When you think of family, you may explore this kinship broadly.

Part 1: Family Interviews 

Interview 1-2 family member(s) that will help you to better understand your family’s cultural traditions, where they came from originally, and how and where they made a home. Submit interview questions you used (pick 10-12 of the most relevant from interview questions)  See also tips for good interview stories. You may record the interview any way you would like video, audio tape, written notes. The interview should be about 5-10 minutes in length. Add photos of relevant members to your “interview”-either from your photo collection, or by requesting photos from other family members.

Part 2: Family Artifacts   

Artifacts tell us a great deal about people and events in history. Please bring into class  2-3 artifacts from your family history–you may use photos to show these artifacts. (See attached sheet for more information) It’s best of these relate to one or more parts of this assignment, but they can also tell a story of their own, or open up a mystery you’ve wanted to explore. One artifact may be a photograph of a key place in your youth, for example.

Part 3: Your Story 

Pick three moments that give a snapshot of your life. Pick your moments from the following list: 1) an incident that shaped you, 2) a turning point, 3) a key moment with a family member(s), 4) a favorite memory, 5) a tough challenge, 6) an event in a place that’s really important to you, 7) a mystery.

Part 4 Your Education

What are your goals for education now? Clearly a job lets you earn money to have things, but imagine instead work that fulfills you and that contributes to the kind  of world that you value and want to live in. How can you prepare for this kind of work? What skills will you need? How will you learn them? How do you balance in and out of school learning? If you can imagine work that fulfills you and generates the kind of world you want to live in, you can make it happen–as many NMD students have.

Part 5: A Day in Your Future

How does the story of your family, and your own story help you envision the kind of future you want? What would you change about your own story? What would you want to keep? (For example, perhaps you’d want to keep those yearly family picnics at Schoodic, or those Christmas lottery parties, or the time spent in the apple orchard; or perhaps you’d want to play meaningful video games with your children, or perhaps you’d want to spend more time playing sports with them, or maybe you want a job with an easier schedule than your parents, or a house full of children that all know how to hunt or grow their own food, or a quiet place alone in the mountains.) Focus on quality of life issues–make a list of your top ten. Then describe a day in the future that meets most of your quality of life goals.

Artifacts

Everyday artifacts may seem insignificant but they can tell us a lot about the past. Try to find artifacts that relate to your family history. Some examples of artifacts include:

1. Photographs
2. Documents
3. Newspaper clippings
4. Recipes
5. Handmade items
6. Tools
7. Journals

Each item you choose will also have a story. For each item you must answer the following questions:

1. What is it?
2. What does this item tell about yourself and  family history?
3. Why did you choose this article?