This K-2 unit works toward creating connections, sensitivity and friendship between people of different generations. Lessons are based on literature, math, science and social studies. Students listen to stories about different generations and make connections with some senior community members. Students explore everyone’s shared experiences with memory—memories of people, toys, good times, family. They also explore everyone’s responsibility for stewardship of the environment through reuse and recycling: in the past, the present and the future.In this unit, the students explore the shared experiences of people of many different generations and of the future. They will explore the concept of recycling, what it meant in past generations compared to what it means today.

• In Lesson Three: Making Something from Nothing, students demonstrate stewardship of the environment for the sake of future generations. They make a project out of recycled materials and display them for others to see.

• In Lesson Four: Trash: Past, Present and Future, students measure the amount of trash they produce in a week. They calculate the effect that has on the earth over time. Students make a commitment to reduce the amount of trash they produce.

• In Lesson Five: Intergenerational Friendships, the students establish a friendship over several visits and through writing with an senior member of the community. Students continue to write letters to maintain the established friendship.

• Copy-and-Paste Class/School Newsletter Information Insert:

What does it mean to share and care across generations? That is what our class is exploring as we look at what we have in common with people of many different generations in the past, present and future. We will establish a relationship with some local senior members of the community. We will also look at how we have been handling trash in the past and present. The students will look at their own responsibility to the people of future generations. They will make a personal commitment about recycling or conserving resources. As the students get to know a senior friend, please talk to your child about the new friend. Talk about what we could learn from that friend. Encourage your child to continue writing letters to maintain the friendship after the visits are done.

• Interactive Parent / Student Homework:

Lesson One: Traveling Back in Time  Students look for memories in their own homes. They take home Lesson One, Attachment One: Recalling Memories. Working with their families, the students find a special item from home to bring to school. The item brings up a memory that fits one of the definitions of memory from the book.

Lesson Two: Graphing Memories  Students bring in one object their family may normally throw away. Students come up with at least one alternate use for the item. (See Lesson Two, Attachment One: Homework Assignment.)

Lesson Four: Trash: Past, Present and Future  Students interview family members to determine their views on trash and recycling over the years. See Lesson Four, Attachment One: Family Trash Interview.

Lesson Five: Intergenerational Friendships Invite grandparents of students or parents of teachers in the school to be part of the senior group. Make parents are welcome to join in the meeting and sharing time. Students may also write letters to their parents explaining what they are doing and how they feel about it.