120-180min

Pop-up Words: Postcard Workshop

Learners use and create postcards, photographs, or museum artifacts to practice descriptive writing, emotional vocabulary, and cultural storytelling. This creative activity blends memory, culture, and self-expression, fostering connections between personal experiences and cultural heritage.

Themes:

Storytelling

Game-based learning

Problem solving

Emotions and associations

Objectives

  • Promote cultural identity and heritage through storytelling.
  • Empower learners through creative expression and personal narratives.
  • Use authentic language in creative, meaningful contexts.
  • Integrate language skills (writing, speaking, listening, reading).
  • Encourage cultural exchange and inclusivity.

Settings

In-person: Heritage sites, museums, exhibitions, or open-air spaces.

Online: Virtual platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams) with breakout rooms.

Materials

Physical

  • Paper, pens, markers
  • Glue, scissors, cutters
  • Postcards/photos
  • Lined paper/writing templates
  • Educational materials, work sheets, audiovisual resources
  • Stickers, tape, decorative items

Digital

  • Wordwall or Padlet
  • Smartphones, cameras
  • Canva (for digital postcards)
  • Audiovisual resources

Overview

What is it? A creative literacy activity where learners design postcards inspired by museum artifacts, personal photos, or cultural memories. Participants explore emotional and cultural associations, practice descriptive writing, and exchange their creations, blending storytelling, art, and language learning.

Step-by-step description

  1. Introduction: Begin with ice-breaking activities to foster connection. For example: ”Get to Know Each Other” circle (introductions and cultural backgrounds); Mirroring exercise (pairs replicate movements to build rapport); Balloon Game (using target language words for playful interaction).
  2. Museum Exploration: Guide participants through the museum, exhibition, or outdoor space. Encourage them to select images, objects, or characters that resonate with them.
  3. Postcard Creation: Provide postcards, photos, or templates for participants to use. Learners write a short story or message in the target language, incorporating: cultural artifacts from the museum, personal memories or associations, target language words or phrases. Offer art supplies (markers, stickers, collage materials) for decoration. Optional: Use pop-up techniques, decoupage, or digital tools (Canva, Padlet).
  4. Reflection: Participants present their postcards in a sharing circle, explaining: the inspiration behind their design, the cultural or personal significance of their chosen elements. Display the completed postcards in a mini-exhibition. Encourage participants to exchange postcards or take photos to share digitally.

Practical insights

What worked well:

  • Online Adaptability: Use digital postcards (Canva, Padlet) or voice recordings for virtual sessions.
  • Flexible Materials: Replace museum artifacts with personal photos, plants, or household objects for online/offline adaptability.
  • Outdoor/Indoor Flexibility: Conduct the activity in museums, parks, or classrooms, or adapt for virtual tours.
  • Creative Engagement: Participants immersed themselves in the storytelling and artistic process, reflecting personal and historical connections.

Common challenges and solutions:

  • Energy Levels: Combining multiple activities in one session can lead to fatigue. Reorder the schedule - conduct the museum visit before the postcard activity for inspiration.
  • Language Barriers: Mediating communication for diverse proficiency levels. Use sentence starters, visual prompts, or peer support to scaffold language use.
  • Engagement: Younger participants may need more interactive elements. Add an ”escape corner” with games, books, or hands-on crafts.

Field reflections


Hosted in both the museum courtyard and gallery at the Ethnographic museum of Transylvania, the session began with ice-breaking activities designed to foster connection and comfort. Participants introduced themselves in a ”Get to Know Each Other” circle, explored shared movements in a mirroring exercise, and wove a yarn web for the ”Ancestor Introduction” activity to visually map their cultural backgrounds. A lively ”Balloon Game” - using Romanian words - added playful linguistic engagement while keeping the group energized. Following the warm-up, participants embarked on a guided museum tour, selecting images and objects from the exhibition to inspire their postcards. Using Romanian words, historical photos, and personal memories, they crafted short stories or messages, reinforcing writing and comprehension skills. The creative process included drawing, decoupage, and pop-up techniques, with some incorporating 100-year-old museum photos or digital archives from Europeana.eu. The session concluded with a sharing circle, where participants presented their postcards - visually compelling pieces that blended cultural heritage, personal narratives, and artistic expression. This reflective exchange not only strengthened social bonds but also boosted confidence in language use, making the activity both meaningful and engaging.

Further reading

Falk, John H. (2006). An Identity-Centered Approach to Understanding Museum Learning. Curator, 49(2), 151-166.

Latham, K. F. (2015). What is ’the real thing’ in the museum? An interpretative phenomenological study. Museum Management and Curatorship, 30(1), March.

Mihaly, Csikszentmihalyi, & Hermanson, Kim. (1995). MUSEUM NEWS. May/June 1995, 74(3).

Wood, Elisabeth, & Latham, Kiersten F. (2011). The Thickness of Things: Exploring the Curriculum of Museums Through Phenomenological Touch. Latham Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, 27(2).

Wood, Elizabeth, & Latham, Kiersten F. (2013). The Objects of Experience: Transforming Visitor-Object Encounters in Museums.

Zbuchea, Alexandra. (2006). Educația formală și informală în muzee. Revista Muzeelor, Educația în muzeu, 37-53.