RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Christopher on Tuesday 19 September 06 08:41 BST (UK)
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Well I am staggered. I could hardly believe what I found on doing a "search rootschat" just now. The next generation has been totally over looked as far as posting useful websites for them goes. A great many of you have children and grandchildren ... some have great grandchildren and it's left to a bachelor to spot a these sites on Genwriters.com Genealogy for Children, (http://www.genwriters.com/children.html) Family Tree Magazine Junior Genealogists, (http://www.familytreemagazine.com/articles/oct01/kids.html) Genealogy.com Family History Summer Fun for Kids, (http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/67_taylor.html) TeachNet.com Ideas for getting youngsters interested in Family History, (http://www.teachnet.com/lesson/misc/familytrees040199.html) and BostonFamilyHistory.com Just for Kids. (http://www.bostonfamilyhistory.com/kids_main.html)
I feel family history is a great way to learn a lot of useful things and wonder why it's not a recognised subject on the school curriculum. You learn so much about most of the subjects you learnt at school once you start taking an interest in genealogy. I should have said all the subjects rather than most .. well maybe not geometry :D although you have to consider many different angles so I'll include geometry :D
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I have bought my children books on genealogy, and a family tree chart.
I think it should be taught in schools, my SIL and I even discussed this, she is a school teacher.
Christopher there is nothing to stop you volunteering to pop into you local school and offer to do a talk to the pupils on the joys of genealogy.
I done similar when I bought my two lizards into my sons primary school, and done a little talk on them.
I wouldn't feel I knew enough to talk to a class of children on genealogy, but I am sure there are lots of you on here who are.
Pettsy
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Every year, in November, I go to local primary school and talk with them (P3/4)about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims. Beforehand they have studied the story, drawn pictures and done lots of research with their teacher. The questions are always interesting (except for the year they all kept asking about eating rats on the ship!).
I've also taken some of the older children, and Brownies, on a walking history tour which they seemed to enjoy.
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That's great aghadowey
Eating rats on ships :o
I might have a chat with the head mistress as I know she has an interest in genealogy, and is looking into tracing her own ancestors.
Pettsy
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Hi, Thanks for the links Christopher! My Children are always wondering what I am upto tracing the family and are starting to get interested in it, with summer holidays arriving swiftly, I'll have a look at these websites.
Marg
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Here's another link ... Genealogy Links on KidsTurnCentral.com Genealogy for Kids (http://www.kidsturncentral.com/links/genealogylinks.htm)
Here's a book that may interest adults and older children ... "Poor Ignorant Children - Irish Famine Orphans in Saint John, New Brunswick." It's written by genealogist and historian Peter Murphy. The book contains "Important data from previously unexplored primary records, constructs family groups, gauges dimensions of overwhelming privations and identifies more than one hundred destitute Irish children farmed out to homes, primarily in New Brunswick, with a few to Nova Scotia." In 1847 fifteen thousand Irish refugees arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick.
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One problem I mentioned when someone at a local school was considering FH for the kids in her class, and wanted them to bring in birth certs ... some kids parents aren't married, and some kids dont know that. Some children are adopted, and even in this day and age, may not know that ... The classroom maybe isnt the correct place for these things to emerge ...
In school, it might be a better idea to teach kids about research by the teacher herself being the object of research ...
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My son is engaged to a girl,and they are expecting their first baby in Sept.
She already has a 6 year old who was most upset,as were my son and his fiancee,when school asked the lad to bring in his parents marriage cert,as they were doing genealogy.
They also wanted a photo of both his parents so they could see who he looked like :o
Surely many kids are in the same position as they are?
I felt very sad for Daniel and did not think that this subject should be covered on the school curriculum.
Teach them to manage money and cook,by all means ;D
Carol
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One problem I mentioned when someone at a local school was considering FH for the kids in her class, and wanted them to bring in birth certs ... some kids parents aren't married, and some kids dont know that. Some children are adopted, and even in this day and age, may not know that ... The classroom maybe isnt the correct place for these things to emerge ...
In school, it might be a better idea to teach kids about research by the teacher herself being the object of research ...
There must be ways round this problem ... your suggestion is a good one Lydart. Another idea might be researching the history of a well known personality from the area where the school is located or even a well known former pupil of the school.
The classroom is a great place for doing local history projects which mean so much more than learning dates of battles and the names of British Kings. That sort of information may be great for "Mastermind" but there's a huge amount of local history that needs to be recorded.
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Twenty six years ago my son had to do a family history research project for school. Admittedly he was 15 at the time......but I am so glad he had this task. It meant lots of time as a family finding out things, talking to grandparents, visiting libraries and records offices, going to places where the first emigrants lived. There was no emphasis on things like certificates at all .....more on the social history side of it, though he was expected to draw up a family tree. He did this on a huge roll of paper, and I still have it.
When completed, it was all put away in a cupboard and forgotten..... until I retired and was looking for a mentally stimulating hobby. :D :D :D Oh....how the tree has grown now, and now certificates have become an important part of it.
As a former teacher of young children, we often did a unit of family history, but the emphasis was not on absolute proof or providing photographs. It was on the idea of a much greater family than just Mum and or Dad and/or siblings, plus of course social history such as comparing what it was like when Mum and Dad grew up, or grandparents grew up. And it always was handled with consideration for the circumstances of different children and families.
You'd be amazed at how many young children know they have grandparents, but don't realise that their parents have parents.....and these are who their grandparents are. :-\
I firmly believe that a family history study can teach about relationships in a broad sense, not just a blood family sense, as well as begin an understanding of history. But it should always be handled in a sensitive manner.
.....dee
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Sorry Dee, I have to dis-agree.
I know a lad of about 15 who has been all his life living with the man he believes to be his father (who isn't) and the 'fathers' new wife, who is not his real mother, and if he was asked to probe this sort of thing, it could devastate him, coming as he already does from a very disturbed background ... he SHOULD know his real father, but he doesn't ... I fear for his sanity when he does find out ...
I think it could be much better to research a person whose genealogy is already known ... lets say someone like Churchill, or Darwin, or a politician ...
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We'll all have different opinions, as we do about much that is and isn't taught in schools. :D
But I'm talking about 5, 6 and 7 year olds, Lydart. :-\
A politician, Churchill or someone like that would be totally meaningless to them. It needs to be about people who are central in their world at that age.
......dee
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Ahh sorry Dee ... I hadn't considered 5 year olds doing FH.
But I still think its risky ...
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I agree with your comment dee,
You don't have to go the Churchill, Darwin or politician road, Lydart. Well known living personalities ... Sir James Galway is a good example as he was researching his family history recently. I think he propably approached the Ulster Historical Foundation or PRONI for assistance ... there was also a write up in the Belfast Telegraph about his search. There'd be no harm in teachers approaching Record Offices in their areas asking if their pupils could assist in researching the families of some well known local people who are looking for more details about their families.
Most areas in Britain and Ireland still have a number of long established family businesses although they are dwindling as young people tend to seek out other careers instead of following in their ancestor's footsteps. I think many people would be surprised by the number of such businesses that have not yet had their history recorded.
The scriptwriters of "The Archers" have recently introduced family history into the programme and have Lilian and Jennifer being exceptionally busy researching Matt's tree 8)
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And Matt is adopted ! Supposing he didnt know as a five year old !
(He's not actually real ... is he ?? Read the Dum de dum thread about the Archers !)
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If we are talking about 5,6 and 7 year olds,it would have to be someone that they knew,ie a pop star or TV personality. Or local person/business as Christopher suggests.
Their interest would soon wane otherwise,if an historical figure was chosen.
Carol
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Not real :( There are a great many people who have listened to "The Archers" for so many years that they regard them as a part of the family.
A historical character would put many off immediately ... a variation on dates and Henry VIII and his six wives ... pop stars or footballers might be the best idea. I'm reading about Lulu at the moment.
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Hi
My Sons class have just done family trees as a homework project (that's how I stumbled across Rootschat).
They are scottish P6s so are about 10. They are doing the victorians as their project this term and this was just a one week homework so we concentrated on going back ignoring branches.
I feel that since they were supposed to be doing the research themselves and were encouraged to use family members as the primary source then if there had been skeletons in the closet it would be easy enough to keep them hidden.
Most such projects in schools are used to connect the kids to history or to illuminate family structures and as with all such things need to be handled sensitively. One always hopes the teacher manages it.
Puss