title: Grandparents and grandchildren: a "memory box" course assignment.
abstract: Grandparents want to share family stories and memories with grandchildren. Implementing a classroom "memory box" assignment, allows grandparents and grandchildren a structured opportunity to discuss and explore family memories. What types of information do grandparents want to share with their grandchildren? This course assignment was implemented with college age students in a gerontology course with 100 grandparents to explore the types of memories they would like to leave with their grandchildren. Topics discussed were family history, family stories, grandparent's role, and advice grandparents would give to their grandchildren. Common themes that emerged suggested that grandparents wanted their grandchildren to know the importance of love in the family, spirituality, and morals such as honesty and trust. The "memory box" class assignment provides teachers and faculty with an educational learning exercise that can be incorporated into a current course to provide an intergenerational gerontology component into their curriculum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, California State University, Fullerton, 92834, USA. jweber@fullerton.edu
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Anita Glee
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Absher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003142:Communication; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008611:Mentors; D008875:Middle Aged; D009014:Morals; D033262:Narration; D012380:Role; D012945:Social Values; D029181:Spirituality; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology*; D013664:Teaching Materials; D035502:Trust