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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oral Genealogy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students 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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Record and Preserve Your Family Stories

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students research and create a presentation about their own culture and personal history. They interview family members to increase their awareness of family events and documents. They create a family tree at a web based resource.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Genealogy Research

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students explore history is not as a listing of dates, wars, and leaders but as the story of real people whose lives were impacted by the events of their time. They complete a pedigree chart and tape record a family member.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Family

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars investigate family organization and create a family unit. They decide the relationships, make ID's, and makes a family tree. They introduce their family units to the others in the class while the teacher takes family...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Tree Full of Ancestors

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students study human evolution and the scientific process. They complete the Origins of Humankind Web activity to become familiar with the hominid species as well as the associated evidence found, in the form of fossils and artifacts.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Growing Vocabulary

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students discover the meaning of the word genealogy as it appears in the context of reading. They continue finding new vocabulary words and entering them in their personal dictionaries.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

European Immigrant Journey Museum

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders write a five sentence paragraph about what one special item / toy they would pack in the family trunk to take with them on their trip to the new world. They research family history finding names of parents and grandparents...
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Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

The Gift of Alex Haley’s "Roots"

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Historical novels, such as "Roots" by Alex Haley, can make the past come alive.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating Immigration and Settlement in Wisconsin

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify the origins of their own ancestors and possible reasons for immigration. They research immigrant groups of Wisconsin, including origins and daily life, and then create timelines depicting their settlements.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Search for the Shadowman

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students read the novel "Search for the Shadowman" by Joan Lowery Nixon. Using the internet, they research her life and works and write a report on their findings. They also compare and contrast two of her works to end the lesson.
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Website
Other

Genealogy Today

For Students Pre-K - 1st
A great resource for families who are tracing their family tree. Get started by reading tips on organizing and connecting with fellow family tree searchers.
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Handout
Other

The Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation: Genealogy Learning Center

For Students Pre-K - 1st
How did your family come to America? When did they arrive? Chances are, they came into America by boat through Ellis Island. Check here for suggestions to get your family history research going.
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Primary
Other

Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation: Family Histories

For Students 9th - 10th
Follow the stories of six Americans with different backgrounds who wanted to know more about their ancestors' journeys to America and used immigration and genealogy records to complete their family histories.
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Website
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: African American Lives: Who Am I? A Genealogy Guide

For Students 9th - 10th
Tracing African American history may be difficult, but the work of historian Henry Louis Gates proves that it isn't impossible. With this resource, learn how to plan a project on your family history.
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Interactive
PBS

Pbs Teachers:build a Family Tree (Men Only)

For Students 9th - 10th
Understand DNA sequences and the Y chromosome. Solve a genealogical puzzle using the power of reasoning and understanding of DNA, and complete the a male family tree using DNA information from the Y chromosome of three fictitious...
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Website
Library of Congress

Loc: American Folklife Center

For Students 9th - 10th
Set up to assist American families in tracing their family histories, this extensive guide explains how to begin the process, to conduct research, tp take oral interviews, and to locate and analyze documents.
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Website
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: African American Lives 2006

For Students 9th - 10th
From the companion website of the first African American Lives PBS series. (A sequel to that series was broadcast n 2008.) The series profiles the family roots of nine Americans of African descent. Learn what the science of DNA can tell...
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Handout
Other

Donnelly Family Tree

For Students 9th - 10th
The Donnellys were one of Canada's most notorious families who were massacred in 1880. The family tree gives information on the parents of the Donnellys and their descendants.
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Graphic
Other

Timeless Myths: Genealogy of Greek Deities

For Students 9th - 10th
An interactive genealogy chart of the Greek gods and goddesses, and their relationships to each other. Click on any name to learn the title held by that god/goddess.
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Lesson Plan
Volunteer Voices

Volunteer Voices: My Heritage Notebook [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this instructional activity, students will recognize the importance of the family in community situations through personal interviews, creating a personal history with pictures and text.
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Website
Other

Hispanic Genealogical Research Center of New Mexico

For Students 9th - 10th
In an effort to facilitate efforts by people of Hispanic descent to trace their roots and family trees, this research center maintains a database called The Great New Mexico Pedigree Database where they have combined different sources of...
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Handout
Princeton University

Princeton University: The Abbasids (750 1517)

For Students 9th - 10th
An article which discusses the changes that were brought about by the Abbasids. Includes a family tree and resources for more information.
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Nordic Sagas: Iceland Genes

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Explain how the isolated and homegeneous population of Iceland makes research in family ancestry simpler than in other cultures. Investigate the work of genealogists, and trace your own heritage as far as you can without extensive research.
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Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: House of Habsburg

For Students 9th - 10th
Wikipedia provides extensive information on the House of Habsburg, one of the ruling houses of Europe.