What is this Expedition?

            Students form groups of 2 to 3, and each are assigned an elder to write the biography of.  Students meet at Meriter Nursing Home in Madison or the Monona Community Center for an interview, which is audio taped.  Later, the group takes notes on the tape, and, with great effort, combines all the information to form a high-quality chapter for each of the four seasons of the elder’s life: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.  After much refinement, and hours worth of illustrations, the students present the books to their elders.  It means a great deal to everyone who took part in it.  Students discover that it pays off to work hard for the benefit someone else.  Some students find it so worth while to see the expression on their elder’s face that they come back to create another book the following year in 8^th grade.  Many even keep in touch with their elder, who becomes a friend.

Guiding Questions:

A)    What challenges do the elderly face?

B)     What events and people make us grow and change?

C)    Why is passing on someone’s life story important?

Projects:

A)    Students, in groups of 2 or 3, will interview and write the life story (biography) of an elder in our community

B)     Students will schedule interviews, record them, and transcribe them.

C)    Students will draw a self-portrait of their elder to be included in the book

D)    Students will design covers, dedication pages, table of contents, and drawings or pictures to be included in the book as well.

E)     In June, students will present the elders with a book and the tapes form the interviews of a celebration at the Monona Community Center.

F)     Students will learn songs to sing at a learning celebration

Fieldwork:

A)    Travel to nursing a nursing home for interviews

Service:

A)    Writing and delivering a biography