Saliman and the Memory Stone is perfectly complimented by a memory stone project. For older students/ children my questions for readers (and listeners) can help guide a discussion about the themes this craft explores. As with all of my worksheets, this is available as a FREE download on my website under the resource tab on my homepage.
In the book, Saliman carries a stone with him that he calls his memory stone. Talk to students about what that meant to Saliman.
I can bring this project to your classroom or you can implement it on your own. Depending on where you live, students might be able to search for rocks outside. This isn’t practical in most parts of Hong Kong so I ordered a bag of rocks from Amazon.
If you do choose stones similar to the ones pictured, they need to be primed first. A thin layer of base coat paint is fine for this. We used acrylic paint because that is what we had, without some initial paint layer, the dark color of the stone will be visible. This can be done ahead of time or just before the lesson to allow time for the base layer to dry. I had an artist friend recommend oil paints as an alternative as they would adhere to the surface without the primer, but they’re cost prohibitive. There are also actual primers available online and in art shops.
Have students think about what home means. Home can be a place, a person, or a feeling. It can be multiple places at once or a journey from one place to a new one. This is a chance for students to think about their own lives and what is most important to them. This craft can be nicely paired with a writing exercise for older students.
To decorate the rocks, we used a combination of acrylics and permanent markers.
I’m always happy to bring this craft to your classroom. If you do this on your own, please send photos of your finished work to me. I would love to see it. I also have a craft (Tzedakah boxes) that is paired with Zhen Yu and the Snake on my website. I will add additional projects from time to time so check back in.
Enjoy! Be creative!