Doing It:
This mini-scrapbook gives children a sense of their family history and allows them to compare generations. You can use individual sheets on their own or combine all the sheets into a Generations Scrapbook booklet. It can be a project children and grandparents/grandfriends complete together.
If children wish, they can color in the border around each page.
The cover has a space for a photo of the child and their grandparent. Make color photocopies of a current photo of each person. Cut the photocopies to fit in the space provided. Fill in the name of the child with the name of the grandparent, and the date.
The second page, "Here We Are!" is a comparison page of baby photos of the child and grandparent. Make color photocopies of the photos; then cut and paste them into place. Include each person's name, their birth date and place, and their signature. There's also a spot for each person to put their fingerprint.
The third page, "My Family Tree" is a basic family tree. Put in the name (first line) and birth date (second line) of each person. After completing the family tree, use the birth dates to calculate the number of years between when the ancestor was born and when the child was born. For example, if the grandchild was born in 1990 and their mother was born in 1965, then there's 25 years difference. If the grandparent was born in 1930, then there's 60 years difference. If the great-grandparent was born in 1900, then there's 90 years difference.
The fourth page, "What Was It Like When You Were Young?" is a basic interview about the grandparent's childhood. The answers can be sentences or just a few words/phrases. The important thing is to spark conversation and storytelling.
The fifth page, "Tell Me About Yourself..." is another basic interview, this time about the grandparent as an adult. Again, the answers can be short. The conversation questions trigger is most important.
The sixth page, "Our Favorite Things" is a direct comparison page that allows young and old to see the ways they are different and the ways they are the same.
The last page, "What I've Learned" is a page the child can think about and complete with the help of their grandparent. It's designed to help a child understand their connection to the past and the things they will carry into the future.
You can view and print the sheets below in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). If you don't already have it, you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Acrobat Reader is available free of charge from the Adobe Website. Click on the link below to download and install your free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
