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When creating a lesson, teachers can never predict the outcome of a lesson. An unorthodox lesson falls under this category. One teacher started a Grandparents Day Letter over a decade ago. The lesson has been modified over the years and it a favorite of the teachers, parents, and grandparents. (Full disclosure, it is the only lesson the grandparents know.)
The Sunday following Labor Day is Grandparents Day (September 13th, 2026). This is an obscure holiday honoring grandparents. The bill was was signed the into law by Jimmy Carter on August 3, 1978.
This holiday coincides with the start of the school year in many New England states. It is a great way to start a social studies class. The lesson takes two to three days.
Some of the benefits of starting the school year with this activity are:
- The students are engaged in an activity in which they are experts.
- The students are allowed to transition from summer vacation into the school year.
- The teacher is allowed to understand a little bit about the student.
- The students at a sometimes difficult age for expressing themselves, can strengthen a relationship with a grandparent or other family member.
Understanding Students and Family Backgrounds
All classes have some type of diversity in them. With this activity, the addresses of the recipients of letters is enlightening. Many will live in the same town or in a surrounding community. Others will live in other states. A smaller number will live in other countries.
Students are allowed and encouraged to write the letter in the language the grandparent understands the best. When reviewing IEPs you will sometimes find the student will be listed as a ELL students. There also may be a notification about translation services:
Language: Portuguese
Translation is needed for written communication. An interpreter is needed for phone calls, conferences, meetings, and other school-family communication.
These students will be strongly encouraged to write in the grandparents’ native language.
Memories Of….
On day #1 of the lessons, the students create a list of memories shared with the grandparent or other relative of their choice. Often students have trouble expanding on memories. The teacher should remind students a few minutes into the brainstorming activity to be DETAILED with memories.
For example, if a student visited grandparents living on Cape Cod or in New Hampshire, encourage students to write about the activities they did. Some ideas could be – going to the beach, playing mini golf, getting ice cream, or playing board games.
Walking around the room reviewing memories will help a teacher gain a better understanding of the whole person.
Grandparents Living with Students
Multiple generations living together is a constant over a teaching career. Each year completing this activity, at least on student will ask the question: My Nana lives with me. Do I have to mail it?”
The response here should be in emphatic “NO!”
We are adamant about not allowing students to deliver letters because:
- There is not a person in the world that does not enjoy receiving a sincere, handwritten letter in the mail.
- More importantly, there is no guarantee that letter will find its way to the recipient. Students have a tendency to forget to deliver a personal letter, because it is not the most comfortable thing to do.
We do allow exceptions in some cases. One particular student his family was sending pictures and other items back to foreign country, and we allowed this.
Feedback
We do feel one of the greatest values of this activity is encouraging others to make connections. We include two sets of directions with the letter.
- ⅓ sheet of paper: “PLEASE INCLUDE THIS SLIP WITH THE NEXT LETTER! Thank you for participating in the write it forward project. You have been chosen to receive a letter because you have created and shared so many great memories with someone. You have made a BIG DIFFERENCE in someone’s life and he / she will never forget this or you. THANK YOU! The class is very interested in your feedback. Could you please share your thoughts on our activity and what it was like to receive the letter? Teacher Email teacher@townschools.org or send a note to: Teacher Name and school address.
- Full page directions about sending additional letters.
For ELL students are corresponding in a different language, we are going to ask them to use “google translate” to translate the documents to a different language. After this is completed, the students (or a older sibling or parent) should use their proofreading skills for a final edit of the document. Be sure to insert the student email address for the feedback since they will be able to read it better than most teachers.
Simple Life Lessons
This activity teaches students some simple life lessons
- How to write a letter.
- How to address an envelope.
- MOST IMPORTANT LESSON: A simple letter that takes 20 to 30 minutes to compose for most students can result in incredible happiness for a close loved one that often results in tears of joy.
The feedback from the recipients is nothing short of AMAZING! The feedback will be received in the following ways
- Texts to students:
- Phone calls and face-to-face interactions.
- Emails to the teacher
- Handwritten notes / letter to the teacher.
- Completed sheet with 5 letters being written.
The Activity Will Last All Year
When a teacher decides to complete this activity, the benefits last in entire school year. For the psychology teachers, the feedback is a variable interval. You NEVER know when feedback.