Lesson Plan

Community Connect Lesson Plan

Students will connect with local elders through a structured pen-pal project to develop empathy, active listening, and communication skills while exchanging personal stories and life experiences.

This lesson fosters intergenerational understanding, respect, and community bonds. Students practice real-world communication, gain historical perspectives, and strengthen social-emotional learning through meaningful dialogue.

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Teacher Preparation

30 minutes

Step 1

Introduction and Motivation

10 minutes

Step 2

Pairing Students with Elders

5 minutes

Step 3

Interview Session

45 minutes

Step 4

Writing the First Letter

30 minutes

Step 5

Mailing Letters

10 minutes

Step 6

Exchange and Response

Ongoing (20 minutes per session)

Step 7

Reflection and Assessment

20 minutes

Step 8

Differentiation Strategies

Throughout the lesson

Slide Deck

Community Connect: Bridging the Generational Gap

Welcome students and introduce the lesson’s theme. Point out the warm gradient background. Emphasize our goal: connecting generations through story-sharing.

Lesson Objectives

Explain each objective briefly and invite students to share what they hope to learn.

Why Intergenerational Connections Matter

Lead a short discussion: why might younger and older generations benefit from this exchange?

Session Overview

Walk through the multi-session plan, noting flexibility in timing.

Materials & Resources

Show physical resources or screenshots if digital. Mention distribution procedures.

Pairing Students with Elders

Explain how pairings were made and stress confidentiality and respect.

Interview Guidelines

Model a good interview question and practice active listening signals.

Writing Your Letter

Highlight formatting tips and encourage personal voice.

Mailing Process

Clarify mailing logistics and timeline.

Reflecting on Your Experience

Guide students through reflection prompts and group sharing.

Differentiation & Next Steps

Remind teachers to implement supports and challenge options.

Lesson Plan

Community Connect Lesson Plan

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Teacher Preparation

Step 1

Introduction and Motivation

Step 2

Pairing Students with Elders

Step 3

Interview Session

Step 4

Writing the First Letter

Step 5

Mailing Letters

Step 6

Exchange and Response

Step 7

Reflection and Assessment

Step 8

Differentiation Strategies

Slide Deck

Community Connect: Bridging the Generational Gap

Lesson Objectives

Why Intergenerational Connections Matter

Session Overview

Materials & Resources

Pairing Students with Elders

Interview Guidelines

Writing Your Letter

Mailing Process

Reflecting on Your Experience

Differentiation & Next Steps

Activity

Community Connect: Bridging the Generational Gap

Sarah Rollinger