Why teach family history in the classroom?

Research has proven that students who are more familiar with where they come from and how their history relates to their community are better citizens and more globally prepared. Family history can cross a wide variety of classroom content areas from sociology to genetics. In addition to exploring their own family histories, students may use Family Tree Maker to chart the dynasty of the pharaohs, make a family tree for the characters in a novel, or track migrations to the New World. Students will also gain experience searching online databases, reviewing primary historical documents and creating citations for their sources.

Free Databases

There are two extensive free databases that are available to classrooms using Family Tree Maker. Ancestry.com, the world's largest online family history database with more than 16 billion records, is available to classrooms through an Ancestry grant program. Also available for free are the databases of FamilySearch, a nonprofit family history organization dedicated to digitizing the world's largest collection of historical records.

Teaching Resources for Family History

At the Family Tree Maker Resources site (familytreemaker.com/education) teachers will find the free digital interactive book "Family History in the Classroom", as well as a set of standards-aligned lesson plans ranging from a Census records scavenger hunt to a learning station built around the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong.

Question Prompts: Interviewing Family Members

The interview process can be very enjoyable for students. Questions can range from gathering vital data to uncovering insight into family traditions, cultures and sharing a special glimpse into the past.

Categorized by the seven cultural universals, here are a few questions to help your students get started. Word Document