Genealogy for Children

[Christopher]

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,  Family Tree Magazine Junior Genealogists, Genealogy.com Family History Summer Fun for Kids, TeachNet.com Ideas for getting youngsters interested in Family History, and BostonFamilyHistory.com Just for Kids.

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 although you have to consider many different angles so I'll include geometry

[pettsy]

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

[aghadowey]

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.

[pettsy]

That's great aghadowey

Eating rats on ships 

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

[Ruth_T]

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

[Christopher]

Here's another link ... Genealogy Links on KidsTurnCentral.com Genealogy for Kids

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.

[Lydart]

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 ...

[carol8353]

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 

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 

Carol

[Christopher]

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.