The consultant was working with 8th graders and used the AI interview as part of her workshop on Cultural Heritage. What follows are her comments to Ferne Kuhn about the process and then the “poem” that became the culminating activity based upon their discovery of Cultural Heritage. “I was teaching a workshop on Cultural Heritage, as a corresponding workshop to BETWEEN THE CANALS (a play about New England’s milltowns). We had done a series of whole group, interactive theater warm-ups, having to do with non-verbal communication and empathy. Then we broke up into partners for Appreciative Interviews. As time was short, we had an hour total, I asked them to share one thing they learned from interviewing their partner. I wrote down what they said – but never told them I was having them write a poem. I was just taking notes. When I felt we had enough simple sharings, I asked them “what is culture?” Then I asked them – “Why should we care? Why does it matter?” (The trick, I think, is to find the ending to the poem. There were a lot more hands up, when I asked the final question. I told them, I wanted to read them a poem first though, before I called for any more answers. Even these 8th graders were impressed with their “poem”!) I end the workshop with one last whole group activity, relating to individual identity—what makes us unique, with all of our many interests and talents, and roles that we play in life. It’s a pretty full hour. Who We Are A group poem of sharings learned from appreciative interview questions He knows a lot about his family – his grandparents were from Cuba. He doesn’t know anything about his grandparents. Her grandparents were born in Italy. She thinks culture is what you’re taught by your family, by your parents. She has a family tree hanging on the wall. He has pizza every Friday night. Her mother tells stories about her grandparents and great grandparents who had a farm in Maine. He’s from India and he’s Hindu. Her great grandfather came over from Italy in his 30’s His family is from Russia and Poland. His parents are from New York. My great grandmother is 96. Her great and great great grandparents are from Holyoke. They’ve lived here a long, long time. Culture is beliefs and tradition which relate to your ethnic background. From the beginning, wherever your ancestors lived, it all makes up who you are. Glenbrook Middle School Longmeadow 8th grade 11/22/02