Activity: My journey map
Taking action: Make a journey map for a project idea that shows different experiences over time
Activity overview
Energy level: 2/5
Literacy level: 3/5
Complexity level: 4/5
Time: 30 to 40 minutes
Purpose: Learn how to think through a project creatively; Use a journey map to work on group and individual projects.
Objectives
Adolescents will be able to:
- Consider their project concept from the point of view of others.
- Develop practical plans for a project to support their work together.
Competency domains
- Critical thinking and decision making
- Empathy and respect
Works well for
Adolescents who have a project idea, especially one involving others in the community; Adolescents who are ready to carry out their project together.
Phase
Taking action
Before
Adolescents should have agreed to project idea. Adolescents should have an understanding of who will be involved in their project. The Plan a project activity can work well as an activity to carry out before this one.
After
Adolescents should use their journey maps to continue their project plans. Important pieces of information may come up during this activity that can be used in further planning for their project.
Preparation
None needed
Activity steps
Step 1
Warm up: Ask participants to get in their project groups or gather everyone together if it is a large group project.
Step 2
Explain: Participants will brainstorm to identify a person or a group of people that could benefit from their project.
Step 3
Explain: Participants will draw a journey map of the person or groups and the different experiences they will have throughout the project.
Step 4
Explain: The map can be drawn as a physical map or a timeline.
Step 5
Explain the concept of a journey map by giving an example of a project that is a community theatre performance. The adolescents can focus on the ’journey’ the audience will take, and answer the questions:
- Who is the audience?
- What does the audience feel like before they know about the performance?
- If we drew them, what would they look like?
- How do they feel when they first see the flyer about the performance? What would that drawing look like?
- What will they look like during the performance?
- What would they look like after the performance?
Step 6
Explain: Participants can choose which points on the journey they will draw, focusing on whatever moments they think are important.
Step 7
Facilitator says: “Use your creativity. You can make your map look like a timeline or you can make it look more like a physical map.”
Step 8
Share and Take away: Invite participants to discuss what they liked about this activity.
Step 9
Facilitator says: “Did this help you to think differently about your project or see another side of it? How? What else could you use a journey map for?”
Do and don't
Do
- Encourage participants to work together.
- Draw an example of a journey map if they are confused or need more explanation.
Don't
- Tell participants they can only draw their journey map one way.
- Criticize how they make their journey map.
Adaptation
The journey map can be used for a personal journey as well. It can be used to illustrate emotions or personal events in an adolescent’s life.
Environment
Indoor or outdoor space
Supplies
- Flipchart paper for groups or individuals
- Markers and coloured pencils for each participant
Improvise
Adolescents could use this activity along with storyboarding. Adolescents could also use this activity to express a story from their present of how they recently learned an important lesson or are currently learning an important lesson. Adolescents can use symbols such as roads and turns to represent different parts of the story.
Continue
Ask adolescents to review or re-draw their journey maps once they have begun their work on their project, and/or to use them when preparing for a new project they take on in the future.
Highlights
Learn how to think through a project creatively; Use a journey map to work on group and individual projects. Works well for adolescents who have a project idea, especially one involving others in the community; Adolescents who are ready to carry out their project together.
