The history of the northern states' involvement in the slave trade is not widely known. This resource uses the PBS documentary, Traces of the Trade, and the nonfiction book, Children of the New England Slave Trade, to examine this aspect...

Bring the Age of Exploration into the 21st century with this ancestry activity! Learners get a chance to explore the complex genealogy of the Spanish settlers through watching two video clips (approximately five minutes each) featuring...

Students, in groups, produce a family tree using computers to facilitate research and presentation. They plan, discuss and evaluate different technologies used in this assignment.

Eighth graders examine immigration patterns. In this family history lesson, 8th graders investigate their own family histories and then compare and contrast immigration patterns of their class to national immigration patterns between...

Learners research their family trees. They research Internet sites, conduct interviews and, when possible, access primary sources to compile information about their family's history. Students present their findings in a family tree.

High school pupils research online to complete a family tree and explore their ancestry. They view a sketch of a family tree, and brainstorm questions to ask their parents about their heritage. They also diagram their own family tree. In...

Young scholars interview a family member about their heritage. They listen to and record part of their family's oral history. Students also create and label a family tree going back a minimum of two generations and compare and contrast...

Students conduct research about the founding families of their communities. They compile historical contexts for the era and develop a family tree and historical skit with their findings.

When it comes to the origin of the human species students are full of misconceptions. Clear up the hominid confusion with this evolutionary activity focused on assisting students in understanding prehistoric man and his family tree....

Students view pictures of distant "cousins" to humans. They place them in order by their distance from humans. Students receive a packet of six pages featuring graphics and a cousins summary page. They work in groups to complete 5 cousin...

Young scholars explore prehistoric times by completing web activities in class. In this human ancestry lesson, students identify the archaeological discovery of the "Lucy" skeleton and what it meant for science. Young scholars...

Students examine Canadian census data from 1981 and 2001 to investigate how the family structure has changed. They investigate important aspects of family life.

Students discuss the countries and cultures that are part of their family history. They research the country their family "came from" and write a report.

It's important for young people to learn about their ancestry and the role of storytelling as a means of passing along traditions, information, and lessons. Based on what they already learned about Native American oral tradition,...

Fourth graders explore history of Underground Railroad in Indiana and discover how slaves were assisted on their journey using codes displayed in different quilt blocks. Students examine connection quilts have to ancestry and family...

Students discover facts about the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead. In this compare and contrast lesson plan, students explore Halloween and the Day of the Dead. Students create an alter to memorialize a family member or friend that has...

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...

Fifth graders read a story about immigration, listen to songs about America and explore the history of their ancestors. They discuss how immigration creates a multicultural country. Pupils create a collage of the people in America. ...

Eleventh graders explore how modern day immigrants may be pilgrims in their own respect. They learn what immigrants and pilgrims are, and be assigned to demonstrate learning about an immigrant in their ancestry.

Young scholars examine the similarities and differences between modern day immigrants and pilgrims. They listen to stories, discuss their ancestors' origins, and create a native costume for a paper doll for where their ancestor is from.

Students research their family heritage by interviewing family members. Using their responses, they record them in an organized fashion and develop a presentation. Using the Internet, they locate an artistic representation of their...

Learners research their ancestors by visiting a number of online resources. They read personal immigration stories and begin creating their own family tree.

Fourth graders explore why groups of immigrants settled in Wisconsin. Through intervies with family members, printed materials, and internet research, 4th graders discover the contributions early residents made to the state. Students...

Being a historian requires serious sleuthing. They examine primary source documents and look for evidence, for clues that reveal who wrote the document, when, and why. After watching two historians model the process, young history...