Operation Granny Files · Page 1 of 2
Start with your story
01
BEGIN
No JavaScript needed: Print both pages and gather extra paper. Talk with a grown-up. Write, draw, or ask an adult to scribe your words. Use a safe label instead of a full name. You may skip private topics or use a fictional family; label invented stories as practice.
1 · Meet the storyteller
Use this starter alongside “Who Am I?” in the workbook. Share only what feels comfortable; you do not need to explain an unknown relative, adoption, estrangement, or loss.
My safe label / three things that make me unique
A favorite activity, skill, interest, or something I learned from someone.
2 · A story and a respectful question
A family story I have heard / where I heard it
Use safe labels. “I don’t know yet” is a useful answer. Try another story starter on workbook page 4.
What I know / what I have only heard / what I don’t know yet
One respectful question / who or what could help / my next step
Ask a willing, adult-approved person, or look at an adult-approved source. Anyone may skip a question or stop.
Optional mystery: Workbook page 5 has room for a one-paragraph puzzle, what you know, what you do not know, and clues to seek. You can leave it for later.
After both pages · family check-in
- We had a grown-up–learner conversation.
- I completed the identity and story starters and named a question.
- We assembled five items with explanations, attached the story, and dated the capsule.
- We chose what to keep private and where to store it. The mystery challenge is optional.
Operation Granny Files · Page 2 of 2
Pack a little of today
3 · Assemble and date five items
With a grown-up, choose five items showing your family now. Try one from each category below. Use safe copies or drawings when needed; label a fictional capsule as practice. Keep precious originals safe.
Capsule date / safe label / current year:
Photograph or a safe drawing in its place
My item and one-sentence explanation of why it belongs:
Recipe or a picture of a dish
My item and one-sentence explanation of why it belongs:
Letter or note for a future reader
My item and one-sentence explanation of why it belongs:
Small object or a drawing of it
My item and one-sentence explanation of why it belongs:
One-page story from the past year
My item and one-sentence explanation of why it belongs:
Attach the story on extra paper: write or dictate one page about a true family event from the past year. For fictional practice, invent and label it. Invite each willing family member to add a letter or note; no one has to share.
4 · A note to future me
What do I hope to learn? What might a future reader understand about us?
Private storage label / who may see it:
Use a sturdy box, large envelope, or folder labeled “Our Family — [Current Year]” (or a safe practice label). Date the outside. Keep these pages and the five item explanations with it. Add your later unit artifacts and revisit this beginning at Unit 6.