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Supplement your Project Wisdom library of timeless messages with
additional weekly broadcast messages and lesson plans (great for
advisory period) dealing with current and calendar events or pressing
issues. These online materials integrate character education into
all grade levels or academic areas and will be available to every
educator on your campus at any time. Each registered user also receives
a weekly Just For You morale booster written just for educators.
A one-year, schoolwide subscription is available for FREE for a
limited time with the purchase of each binder program.
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Special ERS Message:
Grandparents' Day
Good morning, (name of school). This is (name of narrator) with
a few words of wisdom.
There's an old saying that goes like this:
If nothing is going well, call
your grandmother.
That makes us smile because we all know that our grandparents .
. . and some of the older adults in our lives . . . hold a special
place in our hearts.
Grandparents' Day was founded by a woman named Marian McQuade. She
wanted to help older people who live alone in nursing homes and
who have no one with whom to share their love and wisdom. Ms. McQuade
hoped this new holiday would encourage people to visit nursing homes,
to contact their own grandparents, or better yet, adopt a grandparent
if they didn't have one.
This Grandparents' Day, be sure to contact your grandparents. Or,
if you can, reach out to someone living in a nursing home or an
elderly person that you may know. You could organize a group of
friends to visit, or you could send letters or greeting cards.
In most cultures, the elderly are highly respected for their stories,
wisdom, and love. Reaching out to them can be a gift both for them
and for you.
With something to think about, this is (name of narrator). Make
it a great day . . . or not. The choice is yours.
Copyright 1992-2008 Project Wisdom. Inc.
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Lesson Plan: Grandparents'
Day
Character Traits: Respect, Caring, Kindness
Concept: Students will explore the idea that the elderly
have a lot of love and wisdom to offer young people.
Grade Levels: K-5
Subjects: Art, Language Arts, Social Studies
Materials: Suggested activities for classes may require materials
for art and/or books from the library or the school's resource center.
Directions: Read or ask a student to read aloud the Project
Wisdom message that accompanies this lesson plan. Ask for volunteers
to share responses to the following questions.
Discussion Generators
1.  Who are grandparents?
2. Do you know any older
people, like your grandparents? If so, what can you tell us about
them? Why are they special to you?
3. Why do these people
deserve our respect? Why do we look up to these people? What are
some of the character traits that they have that you would like
to have?
4. Why would the advice
from a grandparent or older adult be especially valuable?
5. What could you teach
a grandparent or older adult? What can we learn from our grandparents
or other older people we know?
[ Back to Top ]
Follow-up
Activities for All Grade Levels
K-5
- Have students make a card to give to a grandparent
or elderly person who is special in their lives. Ask them to communicate
the positive values they have learned from this person.
- Host a "Grandparents' Day" in your
class. Have the students invite their grandparents (related or
not) to a special day of honor. Have the children present their
cards and their biographies to the honorees (see above). Encourage
the "honorees" to share what they see different in the
class and the classes they were in as children. Ask them to give
advice to the children on how to succeed in school. Ask them to
share about the character qualities that they think are most important
for success. (This can be done in any grade, with the exception
of the biographies in grades K and one.) Students can introduce
their special honorees and say why these people are special to
them.
Grades K-2
Books to share:
- Nana, Upstairs, Nana, Downstairs,
by Tomie DePaola.
- First One Step, and Then the Other,
by Tomie DePaola.
- Hooray for Grandparents' Day, by
Nancy Carlson.
- Babushka's Doll, by Patricia Polacco
- a fun book!
- The Hello, Goodbye Window, by
Norton Juster. Have the students share special times spent with
their grandparents or other older people in their lives. Discuss
the feelings experienced during those times - how did you feel?
How do you think your grandparents felt? What made those times
so special? Pass out to each student a sheet of construction paper
and have them fold it so that there are four boxes. Have them
make windowpanes around the four boxes and then in each box illustrate
a special time that they remember. Students who are able to write
should then write in the windowpane about the special time. Younger
children can dictate.
- Butterfly House, by Eve Bunting
and Gred Shed. After reading the story, have students make butterflies
out of clothespins, tissue paper, and pipe cleaners to give to
their grandparent or special older person. The students should
attach a note to the butterfly thanking them for being in their
lives.
- The Patchwork Quilt, by Valerie
Flournoy and Jerry Pinkney. After reading the story, have students
go home and interview their grandparents and other family members
about special times or important moments remembered from years
past. If grandparents are no longer living, then this allows students
an opportunity to learn about their grandparents from their parents.
Each student should then construct a quilt out of construction
paper. Give each student nine squares of paper (any size). On
each square the student should illustrate and write about a family
memory. When all squares are completed, then students can glue
the squares onto a larger piece of construction paper. Children
will then enjoy sharing their family memories with their classmates
and, more important, sharing with their grandparents and families.
Look for opportunities to point out the character qualities expressed
by the books' characters.
Grades 2-5
- Have students interview a grandparent or special
elderly person about the differences in schools now and when they
were growing up. What character qualities were expected of students
when they were in school? Do they think that has changed in today's
schools? Ask them what advice they have for today's young people.
Have the children report back to the class. Have students put
this information on a Venn diagram so that they can see the similarities
and differences in the different areas. The biographies can be
shared at the Grandparents' Day (see above).
- Have students interview a special elderly person
in their lives. As a class, brainstorm questions that are appropriate
for the particular age group. Be sure to include a question about
the character qualities that are most important to the person
they interview. Have the students then write the biography of
this person.
- Say to the students, "ask your grandparents
what your parents were like. Ask your grandparents about a particular
time your parents made a wrong choice or got in trouble. How did
your grandparents help to solve the problem? What character qualities
did your grandparents try to pass on to your parents? Ask your
grandparents what advice they could give you on how to be a good
student, a good friend, and someday a good parent." Have
students write up their interviews to share with the class.
- Have students research their family histories
and make family trees or time lines. Encourage students to have
their grandparents work with them on the project. The elderly
enjoy reminiscing, and this provides them with an opportunity
to share important milestones in their lives and for the students
to develop an appreciation for their accomplishments. The family
trees would make a nice display for a Grandparents' Day tea or
breakfast.
Copyright 1992-2008 Project Wisdom. Inc.
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