1.
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Begin by giving students an overview of the unit and the purpose of the memorial object. Talk about how objects like this are used in other cultures. Make sure students know that they are expected to break the object; otherwise tudents may become attached to the pot after they work on it and may not want to break it. Make allowances if students have strong feelings about this. They may feel differently after others break their pots or they may not.
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2.
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Discuss Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's "Five Stages of Grief" to familiarize the students with the methodology. I suggest that you write the stages on the board or give the students a handout, so they can refer to this information when they are asked to identify the stage they are in.
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3.
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After the introduction is complete, have students take a few minutes to write about people, places, or ideas that they feel grief or loss about. Remind the students that there doesn't have to have been a literal "death" of a person in order to feel grief. People can have grief about loss of pets, dreams, a relationship, childhood, innocence, etc…
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4.
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Next have students respond to the prompts below with a quick write. The primary point of the quick write is to allow students enough time to write down their immediate responses to the questions without allowing them to focus too intensely on any one question. The quick write is the creative brainstorming that gives the students a wealth of beginning images and ideas to work with as they continue the project. Ask students to write something for each of the prompts. The quick write can take any form the student is comfortable with: bulleted list, paragraphs, poem, cluster chart, etc.
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5.
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Prompts: What person, place or thing do you want to memorialize? What are some of the tangible and intangible things you remember about this person, place, or thing? What words and images come to mind when you think about this person, place, or thing? What experience of being with the person, place, or thing are you thinking about most (you don't have to tell the story…just write down enough to remind yourself what the story is…a title might be enough). What stage of grief do you feel you are experiencing in relationship to this person, place, or thing at this moment (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance)?
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6.
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Ground Rules for Sharing: It is always a good idea to provide students a safe environment in which to share…so set the ground rule that students are expected to practice listening without commenting. This can be very hard for students who like to compare, contrast, and critique each other. But in this case opinions are not invited.
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7.
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Sharing: Ask students to choose one answer to a prompt to share with the group. Accept volunteers who are willing to share. This whole process is deeply personal and the rawness of feelings may take students by surprise. Students often like to share what they're thinking and writing and few people ever ask them about grief and loss, so don't be surprised if many students want to share.
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8.
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Bring out the art supplies and let students use their writing from the prior day to put figurative words and symbols in and on their clay pots. You may want to show students some photographs of Grecian Urns, Cave Drawings, and Egyptian Pyramid burial symbols in order to give them some ideas.
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9.
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Students may need between two and three days to research, think about, and work on their memorial pot. Remind students that the purpose of the object is to be broken in order to achieve a feeling of release, relief, or change.
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10.
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Once all of the students have completed their objects prepare to bring students to the agreed upon location for the ceremonial breaking of the pots. (See "Safety Concerns, Administrative and Staff Support, Parental Permission" before you begin).
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11.
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There are many ways in which the ceremonial breaking of the memorial pots can proceed. But at its simplest the students can stand in a circle holding their objects. They should have their journals and pens easily accessible, as hey will be asked to write immediately after their pots are broken. There should be some space between each student and safety goggles should be worn during the breaking. There can be a moment of silence and on the prompt of the teacher (a drum, small gong, or resonating bell sound works well) students should lift their objects up to the sky and then they should throw them down in front of them. They should aim for the piece to hit the ground within a foot of where they are standing…the objects should not be thrown far away from themselves or toward another.
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12.
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Once the objects have been broken, there should be another moment of silence and the prompt should be sounded again. Students should do a quick write immediately in which they reflect on the experience they have just had. There should be no talking until writing step is completed.
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13.
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Prompts could include: How did you feel when you broke your object? How have your feelings about the person, place, or thing you memorialized changed? What stage of grief do you feel you are experiencing at this moment (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance)?
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14.
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Have all students help clean up the area.
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15.
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Sharing: If there is time after the ceremony, allow students who want to share to do so. Again, ask students to choose one thing to share with the group. Accept volunteers who are willing to share. This part of the process can be very emotional and may affect different students in different ways that may surprise the students themselves. Don't be surprised if many students want to share at this point. Remind students of the ground rules listed above.
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