PRS: Show n Tell (Russian Dolls)

Show and Tell

OBJECTIVE INFORMATION

What is it: It’s a set of Russian Matryoska dolls.
How old is it? It’s about 10 years old.
Where is it from? It’s from Russia.
When did you get it? I got it last year.
How did you get it? It was a parting gift from a friend.
Why did you get it? My friend wanted to give me something to remember her by?
What size is it? It’s very small. It can almost fit into the palm of my hand.
What shape is it? It’s in the shape of a matronly woman – doll.
How much does it weigh? It is very light.
What is it made of/from? It’s made from wood.
What features does it have? It has features of a human figure, 4 dolls that fit into each other.

SUBJECTIVE INFORMATION

1. Why does it have a special meaning for you?
It is a gift from a special friend and it reminds me of a similar set of matryoshkas my mother brought from her trip in Russia about 20 years ago.
2. Why do you feel strongly about it? Each time I look at the dolls and each time I hold them in my hand I am reminded of my friend who’s not here anymore. It reminds me of all the special times we had together.
3. Why do you want to share it with the class? I wanted to show these dolls because they are interesting and because I think they’d like the story behind it: a token of friendship to cherish forever. It’s an important message.

***answering the above questions is like having a brainstorming session. Now you have to organize the information about your object into a presentation that would have those components we talked about (Start, Middle, End).
PRESENTATION: My Russian Nesting Dolls – Matryoskas or Babushkas

START

Hello, everyone. I am happy to be standing here in front of you, and I thank you for being here. (greeting the audience)
I am sure that everyone present here has an object they cherish, something that is special and meaningful to you. Do you still have that first love letter you got? Or, the first tennis trophy in high school? Or perhaps a lock of hair? We all have some things that are meaningless to anyone but us. (hook).

I’d like to tell you about my precious object. (show the object): a simple set of very commercialized Russian “nesting dolls”, Matryoshkas or Babushkas in Russian). You can buy them anywhere in the world, not only in Russia (introduction).

I’ll tell you more about my set. I’ll describe it to you in detail; I’ll tell you its history and explain why it is so meaningful and special to me. (presentation structure).

At the end of the presentation, I will welcome your questions and comments, should you have any. Also, if during the presentation you don’t quite catch what I’m saying, please feel to raise your hand and ask for more clarification. (explain rules for questioning).

MIDDLE
(objective information)

As I said before, what I have here in my hand is a set of Russian Matryoshkas or Babushkas, nesting dolls. They are called nesting because they nest within each other: you open the biggest one, only to find a smaller one inside, and then a smaller one, and so on, all the way to the last tiny one that is in one piece and does not open. They originate from the 19th century Russia and are probably the most famous Russian souvenir. There are many different styles of nesting dolls, representing animals, Santa Clauses, political figures. Once, in Hungary, I saw a nesting doll that featured all the nasty politicians of the world: you open the big Saddam Houssein, to find a smaller George Bush inside, then Kim, Jung-il, Khommeini, etc. My favourites, however, are simple Matryoshkas/ Babushka that represent Russian mothers and grandmothers in their headscarves and serene faces.

My set’s predominant colour is pink with flower patterns. I especially like their cute faces that feature big eyes, long eyelashes, pink cheeks and red lips. They look very cute and funny. The set has 5 pieces made from wood, but it’s very light. It’s also very small - it can fit in the palm of my hand. I can keep it on my desk in one piece or I can take them all out and have a whole army smiling at me.

(subjective information)



1, 2, 3.

I got it last year from my friend Jiwon who had bought it in Russia a few years ago on a short visit to this exotic country. I cherish these dolls because they are a parting gift from a dear friend. Jiwon and I were close; we shared a lot of good times and bad times in Korea, helping and supporting each other. She is an avid hiker, just like me, and she is an aficionado of dong-dong ju, just like me. We spent every Saturday together for about 2,5 years. When she decided to go back to New York, I was very saddened, and I knew I’d miss her a lot. At her farewell party, she gave me these dolls that she herself loves very much and told me: “these should cheer you up. Each time you look at them, you should smile, and imagine me smiling back at you.”
They are also special because they remind me of my mother’s babushka nesting set. As a young girl she traveled to Russia and bought a set when they were still very exotic and rare. Although I don’t know what happened to them, I remember them well. My mother would allow me to play with them. I thought they were the prettiest toy any little girl could wish for. I mentioned these dolls to Jiwon once, telling her how sad I was not to know what happened to them. She remembered and she gave me her own. How generous.

I wanted to show you these dolls because they are a testament to the importance of friends and memories. Every once in a while we need to remind ourselves what is really important in our lives. Money and success are great but if there’s no one there to love you and care for you, it’s all meaningless. My dolls remind me of my true friend and my wonderful mother.
CONCLUSION
I hope that you enjoyed my little presentation about my precious set of Russian dolls. Although they are a cheap wooden souvenir, they are made special because they were given to me by a special person and they also carry a message of caring and friendship.

Now, I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.