Overview | What happens to our bodies as we age? How do centenarians seem to escape some of the typical ailments associated with aging? In this lesson, students explore the science of aging. They predict their own longevity, assess their personal lifestyle habits in the context of longevity, and research the science of aging and longevity.
Materials | Computer(s) with Internet access and projector, copies of theLiving to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator questionnaire
Warm-Up | Tell students to pair up and spend five minutes brainstorming all the factors they can think of that would contribute to a person’s living to the age of 100. If necessary, prompt students to consider the impact they think lifestyle, diet, other personal habits, experiences, attitudes, health care, environment, work and career, genetics and luck might have on longevity. After the time is up, invite each pair to share ideas with the class. Write ideas on the board.
Next, play for the class the interactive feature “Secrets of the Centenarians”and tell students to take notes as they watch and listen. What did these centenarians say about how they lived to be 100 (like Hazel Miller’s quote “Really, you just don’t die”)? Add the new ideas to the board.
Then ask: What did you notice about these people? How does each one feel about living to the age of 100? What are the benefits and challenges of extended longevity? What lessons might you learn from these individuals?
To wrap up, lead a short discussion with the class, using the following questions: Would you want to live to be 100 years old? (If students have Internet access in the classroom, you might have them add their responses to our related Student Opinion question.) Did listening to the interviews change your opinions about what it might be like to live for 100 years? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to living this long? What do you think your life might be like 85 years from now? How would you see yourself filling the next 85 years?
Related | In the column “100 Candles on Her Next Cake, and 3 R’s to Get Her There,” Jane Brody notes that the number of centenarians in the United States has risen (from 38,300 in 1990 to 96,548 in 2009) and reports on the factors that contribute to longevity:
