Family History

Submitted by: Pete Harames
School or Affiliation: Mills High School, Millbrae, NM
Endorsed by: These lesson plans are the result of the work of the teachers who have attended the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshop. CEC is a consortium of teacher from 14 western states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western, United States, and particularly the quality of math and science Education. CEC uses Big Sky Telegraph as the hub of their telecommunications network that allows the participating teachers to stay in contact with their trainers and peers that they have met at the Workshops.
Date: May 1994

Description:

This assignment is designed to get students involved in an activity in which they can work closely with their family, identify their ancestors, appreciate their ethnic backgrounds, understand the concept of immigration, connect events in history with the movement of their ancestors, become more cognizant of their own unique individual makeup and its cultural origins, and develop a better understanding of the United States as a melting pot.

Grade Level: Appropriate for grades 5, 8 & 11.

Goal:

The overall purpose of this assignment is to develop in the students the understanding that America is politically, ethnically, culturally, and economically a "NATION OF IMMIGRANTS". The emphasis of the assignment will be extensive research by the students and their families into the first Americans (immigrants) in their geneology. The invesestigation should focus on the motivations for immigration, the perils of their journey to America, the problems involved in adapting to a new world, and the unique rich cultures they brought to this country.

Objectives: The student will be able to:

1. Interview his or her family.
2. Gather documents and records about their immigrant ancestors.
3. Research their country of countries of origin and write a brief history of the country.
4. Write a written report on their family tree.

Materials:

The main resource will be family documents, records, pictures, and interviews. The Mormon Church library is a great resource for geneological research. It's important to develop your own resources to coincide with your particular part of the country.

Procedure:

Term Paper - 1st Quater

1. Family Tree:

   Students are to trace their family tree as far back as their ancestors who were immigrants to America. The emphasis will be on these individuals.

2. Report Will Include:
   1. Diagram of Family Tree
   2. History of 1st Immigrants
      1. Place of birth
      2. Pictures (if available)
      3. What brought them to the United States
      4. Summary of their life in their original country and in the U.S.
      5. Examples of customs, dress, music, religion they brought to America
   3. Short History of the Country They Came From (2 pages written)
   4. Their Effect on Your Family
3. This Report Will be Written & Oral
   1. The Written & Oral are to be Combined for a Short Presentation
   2. The Presentation will Hopefully Contain a Lot of Visual Aids. (pictures, items from the "old country", music, posters, etc.)

Tying it All Together:

This assignment is unique in that it can be a resource in itself throughout the school year. Immigration to America can actually be a history of the United States.

The unseen benefit of this assignment is a genuine pride the student develops in his or her background and immigrant roots. This fact becomes very evident when the students present their oral report.

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