Curated OER
Where Were Your Ancestors in 1871?
Here is a nicely designed lesson on ancestry and family history. In it, learners read an article entitled, "Where Were Your Ancestors in 1871?" Then, they make up a series of questions to profile their family and their community 100...
Curated OER
Family Tree
A unique twist on a family tree project is a fun alternative to the traditional family tree drawing. This 3D family tree would make a great display for back to school night or open house. Presenting all the important people in their...
Curated OER
"Me and My Family Tree"
Students explore genealogy by reading a family history book in class. In this family tree lesson, students read the story Me and My Family Tree by Joan Sweeney and discuss their own family history. Students identify what the term...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan on Family History and Past Generations
Second graders listen to The Keeping Quilt and through class/small group discussion relate this story to beliefs, customs, and traditions of their own families. They make a class quilt based on these discussions.
Curated OER
The Family Tree
Students make a family tree. In this family activity, students brainstorm what the word family means, interview their family members and grandparents, create a family tree, list their family's favorite foods and write an essay describing...
Curated OER
British Royal Family Tree
Students explore the rules of succession and how succession to the British throne works. Students arrange the royal family members in succession order. They explore the concept of lineage by constructing the British royal family tree.
Curated OER
Discovering Why I Am Who I Am
Learners analyze their family history and traditions. For this family history lesson, students identify family members to research and interview their family about the people. Learners write their family histories and traditions....
Curated OER
Oral Genealogy
Learners research their family histories by conducing interviews with parents and grandparents. They put their histories into a chant or a chart/family tree and present it to their class.
Curated OER
Creating Identity Posters
Students discover the identities of their classmates. In this tolerance lesson, students create individual posters showcasing their identity, history, and family background. Students examine the posters to get a better...
Curated OER
The Value of Genetic History
Students research and assemble their own pedigrees using star patterns for each family member and coloring in various dominant traits. They arrange these patterns on long strips of paper making large, colorful family pedigrees.
Curated OER
Travel Through Time with a Family Member
Learners interview a family member. In this interviewing lesson, students choose a family member to interview and write about. Learners create a PowerPoint about the person including a timeline, photographs, and a narrative about their...
Curated OER
Family Pedigrees
Students work as a class to first construct a pedigree of a popular singer, showcasing the singing gene being passed down through the generations. Students then make their own family pedigree and follow two traits through their family...
Curated OER
Why Celebrate Black History Month
Second graders study about the culture, heritage, family, church, and politics of the African-American and why we honor their accomplishments. Then they make class presentations. This is a very meaningful lesson on an important part of...
Curated OER
Culture Collage
Students investigate their cultural heritage and make observations on how much influence their past has on their current values and lifestyle. They brainstorm a list of things that represent a certain country or cultural heritage and...
Curated OER
What We Learn From Women and Girls
Role models are all around us! Young learners celebrate Women's History Month by selecting two female role models in their lives, and writing or drawing a short description about why they admire that girl or woman.
Curated OER
Culture Box
Sixth graders are asked what is culture? They find out their family history and all the nationalities represented in their family. Students discuss their culture with the class. They create culture boxes with a design that integrates...
Curated OER
Journey
Students complete a variety of enrichment activities that focus on the book, Journey, by Patricia MacLachlan. They create a photo album that shows their own family history.
Curated OER
Living History- An Intergenerational Philanthropy
Students gather information from a senior friend to write a biography. In this living history books lesson, students organize information to complete a book about their senior friend. Detailed teacher instructions for completing the book...
Curated OER
Naming Traditions
Young scholars get to know each other better and research their family and community history. After students research their own and their parents' names, they notice names in literature, history, and other studies and know more about...
Curated OER
Family Traditions and Special Times
Second graders recognize that families have a history through discussions with their own family members, identify traditions and how they vary in different families, and create entries in class book about traditions in their families.
Civil War Trust
Genealogy
The Civil War is undoubtedly a part of America's history, but could it be part of your pupils' history as well? Middle schoolers conduct research to discover a connection between their ancestors and the American Civil War. Whether...
Smithsonian Institution
Changing Gender Roles on the Home Front
Many historians discuss how gender roles changed because of World War II, but how did this come to be? An informative resource challenges scholars to do some digging and research the information for themselves. They research how...
Curated OER
Tell a Totem Story
Students study and view pictures of Native American totem poles on the internet. They create totem poles using PowerPoint that represent their family histories using symbols to designate historic events.
Curated OER
The Family Quilt
Third graders examine the artwork of Faith Ringgold. They create their own quilt pattern on fabric and piece them together to create a class quilt. They compare their similarities with one another.