Infusing gerontology into grades 7-12 social studies curricula

PURPOSE: This paper describes a model process to increase the exposure of middle and high school students to information on aging so they better understand the implications of an aging population and the stereotypes of older adults. DESIGN AND METHODS: A college Gerontology Institute, a social studies teacher education faculty member, and middle/high school social studies teachers collaborated on a program to develop and implement lesson plans that incorporate information on aging into existing courses. Institute staff provided expertise on gerontology and student teachers assisted in writing lesson plan objectives. RESULTS: Teachers developed about a dozen lessons covering from one class to two weeks in subjects such as global history, participation in government, Western civilizations, economics, and government. This experience suggests a number of issues that should be addressed when developing a gerontology infusion initiative with school teachers. IMPLICATIONS: Information on aging can be successfully incorporated into existing school curricula within the constraints of mandated learning objectives.