Activity B: What Is My Relationship to the Histories of This Place? | Time and Place at UBC: Our Histories and Relations

To develop a personal connection with the local histories at UBC against the backdrop of broader historical contexts.
To address multiple ways in which people with different backgrounds are related to histories of this place.

You can facilitate the activity in two ways – either in Variation 1 or 2. Variation 2 requires you more preparation time than Variation 1, but it gives you more flexibility and control over the content that you would like participants to explore.

Participants investigate and list key events from their family history (e.g., when their family immigrated to Canada, significant events for their family members, political events that impacted their family).
Participants review the timeline and select 2-4 events that correspond to their family history or that speak to them.
Participants reflect on the learning process. Some reflection questions to consider:
- What surprised you? (e.g., things you didn’t know or expect)
- How is your history related to the history of this place?
  - Do you see your relationship with this place differently before and after going through the timeline? How? Why?
  - What did you find challenging and/or interesting when you related your history to the histories presented on the timeline? Why?

Participants get paired up and discuss based on the homework (Note: They share only what they are willing to share):
- The events they selected from the timeline and how the selected events are related to them.
- Their learning reflections.
- Differences and similarities between the partners’ family histories and reflections.
Participants discuss in a large group and (or reflect individually) what they have learned from the exercise. Some discussion/reflection questions to consider:
- What did you learn from sharing your history and reflections with your partner?
- What do the differences and similarities between people’s histories tell us about our social relations in this current time and place?
- How did you feel in the sharing process? Why?
- What would you like to learn more about?

Select 5-10 events that you would like to highlight from the Canada/BC row of the timeline and write the years and events on flipchart sheets (one event per sheet).
Select 5-10 events from UBC and UBC Aboriginal Engagement rows of the timeline and write each event on a large sticky note (one event per sticky note).
- You may select UBC and UBC Aboriginal Engagement events that match (approximately or exactly) the years that you selected from the Canada/BC row.
(Optional) On large sticky notes, write key events in your teaching subject that you would like to address (one event per sticky).
- Examples: The years when important policies passed, key historical events in another country, key historical events for a particular group of people, important disciplinary figures’ (e.g., writers, politicians, composers) life events.
- Alternatively, you can make this research/selection process an assignment for participants.
Put up the flipchart sheets (from #1) on the wall in a chronological order. Place enough space between sheets.

Facilitator walks around the room and explains the key Canada/BC events that are placed on the wall one by one. To demonstrate multiple layers of Canadian history, as going through the Canada/BC events, the facilitator places the sticky notes about UBC/UBC Aboriginal Engagement events (from Preparation #2 above) and optionally subject events (from Preparation #3 above).
Participants jot down their thoughts on sticky notes (an item per sticky note). Some reflection questions to consider:
- What stood out to you?
- What is your relationship with the year/event?
- What is missing?
Participants place their sticky notes (only those that they are willing to share with others) on the wall. (See Image below.)
Historical events on the wall (after participants posted their comments. (See Activity #3)
Participants walk around the room to review the posted comments on the wall.
Participants stand in front of the year/event and tell a story: “This year/event is significant to me because…”
Participants discuss in a large group and/or reflect individually what they have learned from the exercise. Some discussion/reflection questions to consider:
- What stood out to you in this exercise?
- What do the differences and similarities between people’s histories tell us about our social relations in this current time and place?
- What would you like to learn more about?