Assign students to interview their grandparents. If their grandparents are deceased or not available, they can interview friends' grandparents. Through this assignment, students will learn more about the older generation, including how times have changed throughout the decades in this country and others. The students can record the conversations through note taking, videotaping or tape recording and present findings in an organized fashion to the class.
Students can invite grandparents to attend school with them on Grandparents' Day. The grandparents can participate with their children in a trivia game composed by the teacher. Grandparents and grandchildren are paired up into teams. If someone does not have a grandparent, he can be paired with another team. The game includes a list of popular culture references and old school references ranging from movies and music to history and current events. The grandparents must answer the current day trivia, while the students must answer the past-related trivia. This activity can teach both the students and grandparents about the differences and similarities in generations.
Grandchildren can also make a timeline on poster board documenting their grandparents' lives from childhood to adulthood. The students can paste chronological pictures from important events in the grandparents' lives. They can also focus on locations. For example, if their grandparents were residents of their state since childhood, they can ask to see pictures from earlier years. Go back to those locations and take present-day photographs. Students can show the difference between the old and new locations by posting before-and-after of the neighborhoods.
Students can do research on their grandparents and discover what their talents and skills are. For example, if a student's grandmother can play the guitar, she can teach him a few chords. If the grandfather is known for his special chicken casserole, he can share the recipe with him. Then, the students can invite grandparents to visit their schools and share their special talents with the class.
Grandchildren can spend a day out on the town with their grandparents doing activities that the grandparents love or have not done in a long time. The grandchildren should also pick an activity which they would like to introduce their grandparents to. For example, if they have never tried paintball, or if there is a new movie theater that they have never attended, this is a good time to try these activities. This will allow them to learn more about each other, create memories and to pick up new hobbies.