Project starter: bridging the generations.From the Classroom of: John Hom, fifth-grade teacher, P.S. 124, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , New York Topic: Intergenerational in·ter·gen·er·a·tion·al adj. Being or occurring between generations: "These social-insurance programs are intergenerational and all project Time Frame: Three months Subjects Integrated: Language arts language arts pl.n. The subjects, including reading, spelling, and composition, aimed at developing reading and writing skills, usually taught in elementary and secondary school. , science (astronomy), social studies, art, music Why This Topic? "Senior citizens are a forgotten group in our society. I want my students to know how to relate to them, because they are a great source of history. This project helps break down stereotypes of elderly people, and also exposes children to people of other cultures. I also want my students to realize that they will get old one day, and to see it as a natural process they shouldn't fear." Students' Research Questions * What do we know about senior citizens? * What are our perceptions of them? * How will our perceptions of them change in the course of the project? Examples of Kids' Activities * To help children become comfortable around the elderly, students interview grandparents grandparents npl → abuelos mpl grandparents grand npl → grands-parents mpl grandparents grand npl or senior citizens in their community. * Children spend one morning a week with elderly patients at a nearby hospital. They work in groups--two seniors to four or five students--on projects related to space, including paper constellations, masks, and poems. Throughout, and with the help of two local artists, John maintains a fluid interplay between these activities and classroom learning. * Students and seniors read the Navajo legend about creation, How the Stars Fell from the Sky, and make posters related to the theme of the book. * Along with many other poems, kids and seniors read "Farewell" together and talk about all the people they have had to say farewell Verb 1. say farewell - say good-bye or bid farewell greet, recognise, recognize - express greetings upon meeting someone usher out, dismiss - end one's encounter with somebody by causing or permitting the person to leave; "I was dismissed after I gave my to, and the loved ones loved ones npl → seres mpl queridos loved ones npl → proches mpl et amis chers loved ones love npl who have died. Grand Finale * For the last visit to the hospital, children prepare poems and songs for the elderly. They write new lyrics lyrics npl [of song] → paroles fpl lyrics lyric npl [of song] → Text m for the song "That's the Story of Love" that relate to the times they've shared with the seniors. The songs, poetry presentations, and other "gifts" help both the kids and seniors to say good-bye. FAREWELL My boat goes west, yours east Heaven's a wind for both journeys From here, the clouds and mountains, The horizon's vague A thousand miles My heart, a dark swan Confused in all that vastness. |
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