{"id":147,"date":"2026-03-18T13:53:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T17:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=147"},"modified":"2026-03-20T20:18:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T00:18:33","slug":"identity-memory-storytelling-and-listening","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/chapter\/identity-memory-storytelling-and-listening\/","title":{"raw":"Identity, Memory, Storytelling, and Listening","rendered":"Identity, Memory, Storytelling, and Listening"},"content":{"raw":"In this lesson, students will explore how memories are shared through storytelling and how listening and interpretation help shape meaning and understanding.\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nStudents will be able to:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>analyze how storytelling communicates identity and memory in a graphic memoir.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>reflect on active listening and understanding when engaging with someone else\u2019s story.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>recognize the role of collaboration and interpretation in storytelling.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Guiding Questions<\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>How do stories help us understand both ourselves and others<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>Materials<\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>excerpt from \u2018A Kind of Resistance\u2019<\/li>\r\n \t<li>student journals or loose-leaf paper<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>Lesson Activities<\/h2>\r\n<h3>Introduction<\/h3>\r\nHave students respond to <strong>one<\/strong> of the following prompts in their journals.\r\n\r\n<strong>Journal Prompt 1: <\/strong>Think of a moment when something changed for you\u2014a place, routine, or situation. What do you remember most about that moment, and why do you think it stayed with you?\r\n\r\n<strong>Journal Prompt 2: <\/strong>Think of a time when someone really listened to you. How did that change the way you felt about your story or yourself?\r\n\r\n<strong>Journal Prompt 3: <\/strong>Think of a time when you listened to someone else\u2019s story. What helped you understand their experience better?\r\n\r\n<strong>Turn and Talk (Optional) - <\/strong>Students may discuss the following questions:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Why do you think certain moments stay with us longer than others?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Why do you think listening matters when someone is sharing a personal story?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Connecting Personal Experience to David\u2019s Story<\/h3>\r\nBriefly, introduce the story and provide general context. Explain that the memoir was created through a collaborative process, where memories were interpreted and represented visually. In the introduction, emphasize that stories gain meaning through both sharing and listening. Teacher framing could include:\r\n\r\n\u201cJust like the moments you wrote about, David\u2019s story is built from memories that shaped who he became. Today, we\u2019re going to look at how his identity comes through graphic storytelling. David\u2019s story didn\u2019t appear on its own. It was created in collaboration with an artist who listened to his memories and helped translate them into images. That means this memoir is not only about remembering\u2014it\u2019s about being heard. In this unit, we\u2019re not just learning how to tell our own stories. We\u2019re also learning how to listen carefully, respectfully, and thoughtfully to the stories of others. Understanding someone\u2019s story takes just as much skill as sharing one.\u201d\r\n<h3>Introduction to Analysis<\/h3>\r\nProject this page: Page 27 -<em> A Kind of Resistance<\/em>. On the first read, remind student to focus on Noticing. Prompt students to notice:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>emotions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>visual details.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>words or details that stand out.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Guided Analysis<\/h3>\r\nHave students work individually or in pairs to respond to the following questions:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>What do we learn about David from this moment?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What does this panel tell us about <strong>how<\/strong> David\u2019s story was created?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What role does David play in this moment? What role does the artist (Miriam) play?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>How does this panel show that storytelling can be a shared process?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Class Discussion<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Debrief the guided analysis. Potential discussion prompts include, \"What responsibility does a listener have when hearing someone\u2019s personal story?\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Narrative Collaboration Video<\/h3>\r\nWatch the following video: <strong><em>If We Had Followed the Rules, I Wouldn\u2019t Be Here, <\/em><\/strong><strong>Miriam Libicki &amp; David Schaffer<\/strong>\r\n\r\nFull Film: <a href=\"https:\/\/holocaustgraphicnovels.uvic.ca\/films\/index.html\">https:\/\/holocaustgraphicnovels.uvic.ca\/films\/index.html<\/a>\r\n\r\nDiscussion Questions:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>What stood out to you most in the film?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What new information did you learn about how the graphic memoir was created?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What does the film suggest about trust between a storyteller and the person sharing their story?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>How does the film show the difference between remembering an experience and representing it in art?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Why might some details be emphasized, changed, or simplified in the graphic memoir?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What challenges might arise when turning memories into images?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\r\nIn wrapping up the lesson, remind students that stories don\u2019t exist on their own. They are shaped by memory, but also by listening, trust, and interpretation. David shared his experiences, and another person listened carefully and helped turn those memories into something we could see and understand. The students are now stewards of these stories.\r\n\r\nDiscussion or Journal Prompt:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>How might David\u2019s story feel different if it had not been listened to carefully?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nA reminder for next class, the class is going to look closely at the choices that were made when David\u2019s story was turned into a graphic memoir\u2014how images, spacing, and visual details help readers understand experiences that are hard to put into words.\r\n<h2>Additional Resources<\/h2>\r\nBiography of David Shaffer - <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2605\/2026\/03\/Bio_D_Shaffer.pdf\">Biography_D_Shaffer<\/a>","rendered":"<p>In this lesson, students will explore how memories are shared through storytelling and how listening and interpretation help shape meaning and understanding.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Students will be able to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>analyze how storytelling communicates identity and memory in a graphic memoir.<\/li>\n<li>reflect on active listening and understanding when engaging with someone else\u2019s story.<\/li>\n<li>recognize the role of collaboration and interpretation in storytelling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Guiding Questions<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>How do stories help us understand both ourselves and others<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Materials<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>excerpt from \u2018A Kind of Resistance\u2019<\/li>\n<li>student journals or loose-leaf paper<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Lesson Activities<\/h2>\n<h3>Introduction<\/h3>\n<p>Have students respond to <strong>one<\/strong> of the following prompts in their journals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Journal Prompt 1: <\/strong>Think of a moment when something changed for you\u2014a place, routine, or situation. What do you remember most about that moment, and why do you think it stayed with you?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Journal Prompt 2: <\/strong>Think of a time when someone really listened to you. How did that change the way you felt about your story or yourself?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Journal Prompt 3: <\/strong>Think of a time when you listened to someone else\u2019s story. What helped you understand their experience better?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Turn and Talk (Optional) &#8211; <\/strong>Students may discuss the following questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Why do you think certain moments stay with us longer than others?<\/li>\n<li>Why do you think listening matters when someone is sharing a personal story?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Connecting Personal Experience to David\u2019s Story<\/h3>\n<p>Briefly, introduce the story and provide general context. Explain that the memoir was created through a collaborative process, where memories were interpreted and represented visually. In the introduction, emphasize that stories gain meaning through both sharing and listening. Teacher framing could include:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust like the moments you wrote about, David\u2019s story is built from memories that shaped who he became. Today, we\u2019re going to look at how his identity comes through graphic storytelling. David\u2019s story didn\u2019t appear on its own. It was created in collaboration with an artist who listened to his memories and helped translate them into images. That means this memoir is not only about remembering\u2014it\u2019s about being heard. In this unit, we\u2019re not just learning how to tell our own stories. We\u2019re also learning how to listen carefully, respectfully, and thoughtfully to the stories of others. Understanding someone\u2019s story takes just as much skill as sharing one.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Introduction to Analysis<\/h3>\n<p>Project this page: Page 27 &#8211;<em> A Kind of Resistance<\/em>. On the first read, remind student to focus on Noticing. Prompt students to notice:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>emotions.<\/li>\n<li>visual details.<\/li>\n<li>words or details that stand out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Guided Analysis<\/h3>\n<p>Have students work individually or in pairs to respond to the following questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What do we learn about David from this moment?<\/li>\n<li>What does this panel tell us about <strong>how<\/strong> David\u2019s story was created?<\/li>\n<li>What role does David play in this moment? What role does the artist (Miriam) play?<\/li>\n<li>How does this panel show that storytelling can be a shared process?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Class Discussion<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Debrief the guided analysis. Potential discussion prompts include, &#8220;What responsibility does a listener have when hearing someone\u2019s personal story?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Narrative Collaboration Video<\/h3>\n<p>Watch the following video: <strong><em>If We Had Followed the Rules, I Wouldn\u2019t Be Here, <\/em><\/strong><strong>Miriam Libicki &amp; David Schaffer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Full Film: <a href=\"https:\/\/holocaustgraphicnovels.uvic.ca\/films\/index.html\">https:\/\/holocaustgraphicnovels.uvic.ca\/films\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Discussion Questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What stood out to you most in the film?<\/li>\n<li>What new information did you learn about how the graphic memoir was created?<\/li>\n<li>What does the film suggest about trust between a storyteller and the person sharing their story?<\/li>\n<li>How does the film show the difference between remembering an experience and representing it in art?<\/li>\n<li>Why might some details be emphasized, changed, or simplified in the graphic memoir?<\/li>\n<li>What challenges might arise when turning memories into images?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>In wrapping up the lesson, remind students that stories don\u2019t exist on their own. They are shaped by memory, but also by listening, trust, and interpretation. David shared his experiences, and another person listened carefully and helped turn those memories into something we could see and understand. The students are now stewards of these stories.<\/p>\n<p>Discussion or Journal Prompt:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How might David\u2019s story feel different if it had not been listened to carefully?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A reminder for next class, the class is going to look closely at the choices that were made when David\u2019s story was turned into a graphic memoir\u2014how images, spacing, and visual details help readers understand experiences that are hard to put into words.<\/p>\n<h2>Additional Resources<\/h2>\n<p>Biography of David Shaffer &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2605\/2026\/03\/Bio_D_Shaffer.pdf\">Biography_D_Shaffer<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1929,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[50],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-147","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":103,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1929"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/147\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":364,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/147\/revisions\/364"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/103"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/147\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=147"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=147"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/artsbasedholocaustremembrance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}