Frame a Special Item

This activity uses a short video from Jason Reynolds’s video series Write. Right. Rite.  Reynolds is an author, poet, and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. In his video series, produced in conjunction with the Library of Congress, Reynolds shares his passion for storytelling and provides inspiration for young people to write. Speaking directly to youth in each short video, Reynolds shares a writing prompt, which he contextualizes with personal vignettes and guiding questions.

Students tell a story about the item they chose to frame. Their story should help convey the significance of the item.

While you should create an assignment handout for your students, consider having them describe the item in detail and then list the stories they associate with it. Jason Reynolds names a pair of sneakers as an example. A story could be a memory of the first time lacing them up, or a significant win or loss while wearing them.

Finally, students choose one of the stories to tell in a short piece of writing that they draft in Part 2 of the My Very Special Item handout.

Creative Story-Sharing Ideas

• Include a photograph of the special item with their submission.
• Draw the special item inside of a frame and then handwrite or type the story. 
• Use a video tool, such as Flipgrid or Screencastify, to create a short video, similar to Reynolds’s “Frame a Special Item.” Outline the story in writing and then record it on video, perhaps showing the special item if it is available. 
• Imagine the item is framed and hanging in a museum. Title the special item and then write the description that would appear alongside it.