Rolling Green Youngsters "Grow Old"

Contributed by Julie Bowie, Rolling Green Elementary teacher:

Rolling Green third-graders had a guest  speaker in social studies from the Aging Resource Center of Iowa named Peggy Whorton.

The students learned many things about aging and hopefully calmed any "fears" of visiting the Urbandale Senior Center and Senior Suites Nursing Home.

Students learned what it was like to try and live with limited or complete loss of one or more senses. Students put cotton balls in their ears to simulate hearing loss, corn kernels in their shoes to simulate myopathy of the feet, gloves over hands for myopathy of the hands, blindfold to simulate loss of vision, and using assistive devices such as a cane.

This was a real eye-opening experience and I am confident that the students will be prepared for our upcoming visits to senior centers for our intergenerational service learning project!