Genealogy in our Schools
Tuesday August 26, 2008
While I applaud any effort to get school students interested in genealogy, I can't help but cringe every time I get an email from a student who needs to know the meaning of his surname for a school project. There are so many better applications of family history as a learning tool - oral histories, immigration, DNA.... One teacher who recently contacted me takes his students on annual field trip to Ellis Island where they learn about the immigrant experience, and search for names on the Wall of Honor. Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., from the PBS documentary series African American Lives, speaks about the many opportunities for using genealogy and DNA research to "revolutionize the way we teach history and science to African American students." For teachers who don't want to get into student family histories and the emotional finds that can sometimes uncover, there are also options - including researching an influential figure from the local community, or interviewing local WWII veterans and preserving their stories.
What ideas do you have for incorporating genealogy in the classroom? Share them below in the comments. Let's help get students excited about the past!
Comments
Get high school organizations or boy scout troups involved in taking care of old cemeteries. We’re losing many of our historic cemeteries to lack of care.
Kimberly,
Great article. We can’t agree more. Geni.com is working to get students and their families involved in genealogy through a fun, interactive, and collaborative environment. The teachers that have incorporated Geni into their lesson plans thus far have experienced very positive results. You can read the following stories:
Schools Embrace Geni as a Fun and Interactive Learning Environment
and
Geni Brings Genealogy to Schools
We are very excited to become more involved in getting students interested in Genealogy. If any History or English teachers or even students would like more information on how they can incorporate Geni and Genealogy into their lesson plans, feel free to contact schools[at]geni[dot]com for more information.
Once again, great article Kimberly.
Thank you,
-Keith-
The Geni Team
I have to agree! Researching my family tree has taught me so much about the history, location and social dynamics of my ancestors. It makes history more interesting when I can associate it to my family.