As part of project week, junior kindergarten students are learning about their community, how stores operate and have changed over time and how we all have a personal history. Ten Thousand Villages, a non-profit, charitable organization, came to speak to junior kindergarten. Through this in school field experience students learned how things found in stores were made by people. They interacted with and experienced items from the store and learned about the people who made these items and where they are from. Learning the histories of the artisans helped lay the groundwork for the autobiography project. As the students shared their personal history, we dictated the story of their lives so far. This aided in the students’ oral language skills and ability to express the beginning of their lives until now. The project assisted students in exploring themselves and their history as well as using presentation skills to share this history with their classmates.
Below are some samples of autobiographies junior kindergarten students wrote, which will be used as part of their culminating event – the opening of their own store, a donut shop.
“I started out when I was a baby. I was like maybe one. I played with my two brothers. I got bigger because I drinked milk. I like to play with my monster trucks. I am learning about donuts and opening a donut shop. Maybe my mom and dad are gonna come. I like donuts because they have sprinkles.” Caden
“I was a baby. I grew up. I live with mommy and daddy and Nathan and Kaylee. For my first birthday when I was one I think I went to Chuck E Cheese. And when I was three we went again. I don’t rembember when I was two or four. But when I was 5 I went to Dave and Busters. I like donuts because you can eat them for breakfast. I am excited to maybe be one of the bakers.” Marc
“I was really small. I was born in my house. My mommy and daddy were there. I went in a crib. Then I started growing. Then when I was growing a little bit higher I was still in a crib. Then I started growing even more. In the middle of the night I hopped out of my crib and I was scared. Then mom and dad came into my room. Now they took me out of my crib. Now I’m see look how big I am. I definitely don’t need a crib. Now I sell donuts because they taste good.” Lucas
“I started out as a little baby in my mom’s tummy. I got out of there. Then there was also a big snow storm. We had to stay at the hospital till it stopped. Then I growed up. We live in an old house and now a new house. We are making donuts but I like donuts and pumpkin pie.” Parker
“I started in my mom’s tummy. I came out. I am big when I was born. Like magic I got bigger. I live with my parents in Chicago. I like to eat icicles after I eat my lunch and only one ice cream. Sometimes my dad says I can drink coffee.” Siri
“I was one years old that’s when I was a baby. I started touching the oven and I got hurt. I was still there. Now I’m gown. I was somewhere else by the hospital place. Then I got bigger and bigger. I started going to church and school. Now I am going to have a donut shop. I am excited because I am giving real donuts. I like to eat em.” Jacob
