Intergenerational Celebration of Culture

When one teacher introduced a culture curriculum to her 4th-grade students, she discovered few knew much about their heritages.  They decided to investigate their cultural backgrounds further, and asked residents of local nursing homes and senior centers to help them.  The senior citizens were glad to have regular visitors and people to share their stories with.

The students began by studying their region's past and present cultural groups, including their own.  They learned how to effectively use electronic encyclopedias and online sources to conduct research. 

After reviewing communication strategies, such as active listening and speaking clearly, each student partnered with a senior citizen of the same culture.  Many of the youths did not have regular contact with the elderly or strong mentors in their cultural communities.  Through these partnerships, the students received positive role models and learned how to gather information from primary sources.  Each pair discussed its heritage and created an art or craft project typical of that culture.

After classroom discussions, independent research of secondary sources, and conversations with senior citizens, each student wrote a report on the culture of his or her choice, including pictures of the country's topography, flag, and peoples.  The student led their classmates in listing beneficial contributions that people from that culture made to the United States.  To conclude the project, they decorated their room with their reports and the art projects; served homemade food; and invited the senior citizens, parents, and other classes to join them in celebrating diversity at the multicultural fair.

These 4th graders learned a lot during this project, from how to research using a variety of sources to appreciation for their elders.  Most importantly, they grew in understanding of their own heritages and realized with pride that they too were community resources and cultural representatives.

Adapted from "Route to Reform: K-8 service-learning Curriculum Ideas," © 1994-95 National Youth Leadership Council.