Tips for starting a family history class for kids
Hi, I am a teacher and I am starting an elective for 4th and 5th graders (all not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) who have expressed interested in learning about their family history. I am drafting up a permission slip for parents to make family search accounts so that they can have access to the materials on here, and I'm wondering any tips people have for getting kids started with family search, tips on how I should structure the elective? I'll only meet with them once a week for an hour, I am a full-time 4th grade teacher as well, and we only have about 12 sessions together but I want them to walk away with something they can share with their families and that they want to continue on their own. Any ideas or experience teaching family history to young people who do not have backgrounds in the church is much appreciated!
Answers
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This is a great resource: https://familylocket.com/family-history-for-children-and-teens/
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@VictoriaLemon1 you will find some good ideas in the Engaging Youth in Family History group. https://community.familysearch.org/en/group/44-engaging-youth-in-family-history
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NARA has this page with some good resources as well. I'd start with asking your participants to get with their parents and write a short autobiography about themselves. As a family activity gather around the table and look over each other's respective birth records and marriage records. If there is one, get out the family scrapbook and explain what/who is included relationship wise. I think it would be a great at-home activity for them to 'interview' one of the more senior family members asking about their life and remembrances of their family. The takeaway from this 'homework' would be the start of a pedigree chart. This would be the foundational information, built from a family oral history, upon which they can then enter the document-finding world of genealogy which would be the FamilySearch part of things. DNA and how it relates to genealogy probably deserves to be touched upon somewhere in there. Pretty early on you'll need to explain the terminology and the various family groups that exist which are frequently not biological
If the FamilySearch activity will be a simple exposure to types of resources and research strategies then you probably don't need individual accounts. If you intend to make the FamilySearch experience personalized to one of the participants 'lines' then you'll need to work with a deceased family member from the pedigree chart they developed. Having individual accounts would be nice so that they as a family could look at what is already done in the FamilyTree, but they'd need to take home the links to the associated paternal/maternal PIDs0 -
@VictoriaLemon1 I will share an experience I had helping kids have a fun first experience with family history. I hope it will inspire you to have a great experience. Some of the children in my group had FamilySearch accounts, and some did not. With this experience, you don't need an account or login information. If you visit the FamilySearch home page, you will find a discovery experience called "What will you discover about your ancestors?" It helps if the kids come with someone in mind they want to find; if not, they can do their best. Just have them fill out as much information as they can. They don't have to be exact on dates or places. When finished, click search. The search will return as many options as fit the information they entered. There are five categories the kids can discover: All, Historical Records, Family Tree Profiles, Memories, and Last Name Information. If you leave it on All you can scroll down and find something in each of the other categories. I encourage you to check out this activity and see if it helps get the kids started. After you have time to explore this option, I would love some feedback. Good luck!
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@VictoriaLemon1 I think kids respond well to pictures! I have had great success with having grandchildren put together picture pedigrees. This would involve the parents- the kids might need help finding and printing some pictures of parents and grandparents….. but once they have those pictures, putting together a picture pedigree helps them “see” their family and how the relationships work. They could also draw the pictures, if photos were not available. I also love to involve kids in family stories. This could also happen with parental involvement, the kids could ask parents or grandparents for a family story and then write this story themselves and add it to family search. They could also write a story, or a memory of their own…….. I love that you are going to have this great learning experience in your classroom!! Good luck.
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