Abstract
Many new immigrant students are appearing in family science classes. Faculty members are often not as well prepared as they would like to be to work with students whose first language is not English. The linking of a writing course for immigrant students with content from family gerontology and human development provided the framework for a major biographical writing project. The writing of the life history of an elder from their family provided a strong incentive for these students to write lengthy high quality papers that incorporated research on the history and immigration experiences of their families. The assignment worked equally well with advanced high school and first year college students. Students and faculty evaluated the project very highly and it will be incorporated into the curriculum of the writing program designed to serve the language skill development of new immigrant students. The project can be adopted in a variety of family science or writing courses with mainstream, international, or immigrant students. The assignment offers benefits not only to students who are able to see their own experiences represented in the curriculum but also to elders and the community who are engaged with the academic enterprise.
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