Genealogy: A Student’s Personal View Of History

Goal: To better understand the periods of history when viewed through the lives and decisions of our ancestors.

Students identify personally, realizing it didn’t happen to THOSE people, but also to HIS people.

Students learn to identify certain time periods, by getting to know what was happening socially, economically, geographically, and politically to his ancestors.

They learn valuable skills as they use the processes involved in research: documentation, organization, recording, interviewing, deductive reasoning, use of maps, courthouse records, etc.

Learning is enhanced by the element of discovery, and the amount a student learns is directly proportionate to his motivation, persistence and amount of time spent.

Basic concepts in the reasons for migration and places they chose to settle are reinforced by genealogy.

In order to research, genealogists communicate with a purpose---to extract information with respect to the person or institution that has it. The cooperation we receive is relative to our approach, so we learn to meet people on their terms.

Knowledge is not acquired for its own sake, assigned by the teacher, but takes on a problem-solving focus with the motivation from the student.

Genealogical research is often original and when appreciated by the family, puts the student in the position of historian who brings the family together and involves them in his learning.

More details and Activities for all ages are found in Chapter 8 in Genealogy Is More Than Charts, Smith, ApronStrings.