Grade 7: Preserving Treasured Memories - An Interdisciplinary Approach
They say that memories are timeless treasures of the heart. So many of us, however, rarely take the time to reflect on the moments that have not only shaped us but those we love.
For this reason, Grade 7 recently completed the Memory Box Project as part of their service learning experience. The Memory Box Project is designed to help students foster intergenerational connection and empathy, raise public awareness about Alzheimer's Disease and dementia, and honor the life of an elder through personal memorabilia, art, and design.
In past years, students created a physical box filled with memorabilia that represented a special memory or shared activity between the student and the selected loved one. This year, however, the seventh graders could choose from several additional methods. Students were given the option to design a physical or digital collage, create or alter a book, or even make an ofrenda or "place of offering" in celebration of the deceased.
According to Art Teacher Andréa Crane, "Students could use anything they had on hand at home to construct their project. A few workshops were hosted to show students how to work with different materials. We showed them how to alter books, create books from scratch, and piece together a cardboard shadow box. We also talked about how to make a nicho box or ofrenda."
Take a look through the gallery of images to see some of the special projects that the seventh graders created to pay tribute to their elderly loved ones:
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
