My apologies to my readers. Two weeks ago I posted about facilitating Living History day for first graders. I told you that last week I'd tell you about how I modified the activity for fifth grade. I posted last week without checking the previous week. So now I'll tell you about fifth grade.
There was no way I'd bring elderly people in to talk to fifth grade students. I have more respect for older people than that. I gave the assignment for each student to interview an older person and write a two page report on their life.
Oh, did I hear the complaints. "I don't know any older people." "I don't know what to ask?" (Although I had given them questions.) "I don't like talking to older people." After I had heard the complaints several times, I unleashed my anger. By the time I was finished they knew that not doing the assignment was not an option.
There were still students who chose not to do it--and paid the price. But the ones that did complete it thanked me. More than one said, "I didn't know that about my grandmother. Thanks for having us do this."
I highly recommend that every student interview a senior citizen. My husband's grandmother used to say that she had lived from the horse and buggy days to the jet age. Think about how much the world has changed in the last one hundred years. Do we want to lose that history? Please take time to educate our children on recent history. It is important.
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