Lesson 3

Identify types of stories that students can tell

• Understand what kinds of stories they need to tell for the CaL Project

• Access to “Humans of New York” site 
• Printouts of “Humans of New York” posts- four posts
  • https://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/97590716861/before-i-went-to-the-protest-that-day-i-stood-in
  • https://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/127643269001/my-mother-died-when-i-was-two-years-old-so-its
  • https://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/98780897831/i-started-working-in-the-fields-when-i-was-five 
  • https://www.melyssagriffin.com/best-humans-of-new-york/ – STORY 9
• Access to Humans of CaL book: https://cityaslabindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/030225-CaLHofC-Web.pdf 
• Computers for groups of students
• Projector

NOTE: We STRONGLY recommend teachers go through the stories first before conducting the class

• • Remind students about what a first-person narrative means by recapping the lesson from last time.

• • Show this post on the projector. Read it out loud and ask students what does this story tell you? (It tells you what the woman does and her REASONS for doing it, her value system and how she is contributing to her country). Write student responses on the board. https://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/95288523006/there-is-a-stigma-in-this-country-around-women 
  • Show the next post. Read it out loud  and ask what does this story tell you? It tells you he was a soldier in the army during the Vietnam war. It captures the feeling during the moment when the war ended, clearly a significant moment in his life. Write down whatever the kids say on the board. https://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/98013531761/i-was-in-the-infantry-we-were-stationed-in-laos 
  • SHow the next post : It’s a long post. Read it slowly with the children and discuss what this post tells you. Keep listing whatever the kids say on the board. https://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/94455074611/the-fighting-got-very-bad-when-i-left-syria-to 
  • Analyse the list you have made on the board and discuss what do all these different stories tell you about the person and their life?

• • Divide students into groups of 3 or into their project groups. 
  • Give each group the four blog posts from the Humans of New York website, printed (see above).
  • Students read and do the same analysis in their groups . They discuss what the story is about and what it tells them about the person and their relationship with their work.
  • Every student  shares their thoughts as the teacher keeps adding to the list on the board. Some of the points that should come out:
    • Impactful life moments- happiest, saddest, most memorable, inspiring, etc.
    • About a specific relationship 
    • How they came about doing the work they did 
    • A specific incident or encounter 
    • Someone’s values and beliefs
    • How their own work affects or has affected their life

• • Tell students that they have to tell similar stories of the three people they select to be interviewed- three people who have stories to tell around gender inequity 
  • Read the phase one guiding document again and understand the story challenge well.
  • Give students time to go through the Humans of CaL book online so they can see how other CaL participants have approached this format in the past