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The aim of this seminar is to equip pk-12 educators with the knowledge and resources to integrate into their curriculum positive perspectives on the variety of aging experiences people in this (and other) societies go through.
We are all aging, work with colleagues from different generations, and teach children who will one day be looking for careers and also become older adults. Unfortunately, negative ideas about growing older are pervasive in our society and the voices and stories of older adults can be stifled by the ageism that is deeply embedded in our culture. For example, there have been instances of students dressing up as “100-year-olds” for the 100th Day of School in a way that perpetuates inaccurate and harmful stereotypes of older adulthood. Researchers have teamed together to work to reframe this joyful day of celebration and accomplishment from one centered around ageist practices to a time for learning and developing healthy views of aging! We want to integrate ideas about aging with optimism across the pk-12th grade curriculum and would love to work with teachers to build lesson plans across subjects and grade levels that draw on accurate information about the amazing process of growing older.
Through this fellowship, PK-12th grade educators will learn about ageism, assess their own ageist practices and beliefs (using standardized and validated tools as well as through personal reflection and group discussion) and be able to celebrate growing older with their students through standards-based classroom activities in a multi-faceted approach to learning. The faculty guiding this seminar effort have developed and piloted a toolkit of lesson plans aimed at meeting pk-2 educational standards while teaching more positive and realistic views of aging. Lesson plans focus on math, health, social studies, and literacy, and the toolkit includes a list of informative, compelling children’s books about centenarians through which both students and teachers will be engaged. Students will walk away from this learning experience with a more informed view of aging, some cool new role models to look up to, and a foundation to combat ageism as they grow, develop, and age themselves.
It is vital that we start early to instill healthy views of aging, and the tools we will develop and refine together will not disappoint in assisting you and other pk-12th grade teachers with that journey! We welcome teachers across the grade spectrum to develop curricula that will not perpetuate stereotypes but will teach about both the challenges and opportunities that come with age, will inspire students to think about careers in aging related fields, learn to appreciate the elders in their lives, and also better prepare us all for our own later years.
