Sandy Bahan, Norman Central Middle/High School, Norman, OK EXPLORING OUR ROOTS Appropriate for grades 7-12. OVERVIEW: How many of us have a Thomas Jefferson, a Queen Elizabeth, or a Sacajawea in our family's past that we were never aware of? Imagine the deep emotion of finding your great- grandfather's baptism record in an old rural church, after months of searching and much frustration. Or consider the feelings experienced when you see your great-great-grandmother's name on a passenger log of ships bringing immigrants to America in the 1830's. Each of these experiences binds us to our history and to the history of our nation. Sometimes the more personal the moment the more meaningful it becomes when inserted into the larger history of an area, a state, or a country. Answers to the historical why's, who's and when's can be seen in the personal histories of families. As students of history share their family stories there is an awareness created of how interconnected many of us are, and of how the history of a nation and of its people is reflected in their stories. Family trees are not only excellent opportunities for students to learn their personal histories and to use some of the investigative tools of the historian. Family trees can also be valuable resources in teaching mini-history lessons in the classroom and for helping students to make broader generalizations about the history of their community, their state and their country. PURPOSE: The purpose of this package is to provide sample lessons that incorporate personal family trees into the larger context of community, state, and national histories. OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to: 1. Locate on a map of the appropriate continents the country(ies), and where possible the region or city, from which their family originated before coming to the United States. 2. Describe in oral presentation their family's history leading to their settlement in their present community and state. 3. Locate on a map of the United States those primary states and communities in which their families settled upon first arriving in the United States and major family moves since that arrival. 4. Using appropriate information, identify the primary time frames in which families settled in a particular state or community. 5. Using appropriate information, identify the primary social and economic forces that motivated settlement of a particular state or community. 6. Identify local, state, and national organizations (a minimum of one resource for each) that are available to help persons interested in developing a more complete family history. ACTIVITIES: 1. Each student should bring to class as complete a family history as possible which includes the following information: Name (maiden), date of birth, place of birth, year in which earliest known family member came to the United States, purpose of immigration, year earliest known family member relocated into current community and state, reason for relocation, and any major relocations by previous generation within the U.S. and the reasons for these relocations. (Keep in mind some students will have more complete histories than others. Timing for these assignments is critical. Best results come if made during family times, such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter when there are increased opportunities for contact with grandparents and other family "elders".) 2. Have students "interview" one of their grandparents, greatgrandparents, aunts, or uncles, or if none of these are possible, one of their parents. Their purpose in the interview should be to obtain an oral history of that family member's family with particular attention to the information noted in #1, above. The interviewer should also ask if there were any "colorful" or perhaps famous people in the family's past. Sometimes these talks open up communication lines never before explored within the family. Often students learn about famous and infamous people in their family's past. These are the stories students love to tell when sharing their family history with their classmates, and it's often these stories that light a fire under the student and make them "want" to continue with and be more thorough in assignment #1. 3. Have each student give an oral presentation of their family tree. It helps if the teacher goes first, thus establishing a more non-threatening situation. It is important to stress that this is a sharing time, not just an assignment for a grade. Some students will be reluctant to give an oral presentation. Don't pressure them. Often they will "come around" as their classmates participate. Always start with volunteers and then select randomly when the volunteers are finished. 4. Some students will want to know how they can learn more about their families. Have them write letters to the organizations listed under resources. If you live in metropolitan centers with access to large university or research libraries or to federal repositories encourage them to visit these and use their materials. RESOURCES/MATERIALS NEEDED: Mormon Family History Library Genealogical Department Dept P 35 N. West Temple St. Salt Lake City, UT 84150-0001 The National Genealogical Society Education Division 4527 Seventeenth St. North Arlington, VA 22207-2399 The National Archives Reference Service Branch Washington, DC 20408-0001 TYING IT ALL TOGETHER: This particular exercise can be used at several points in the school year. The family tree could be an introductory exercise in a unit on American immigration, showing where most immigrants came from, and the primary immigration periods in American history. It can also be an exercise in state history showing when and by whom the state or the immediate region was settled. The family tree can be used as part of an exercise in doing oral history. Regardless of when the exercise is incorporated into the classroom, the students will benefit in many ways. Not only will they have an opportunity to personalize their nation's history, but they will often find commonalities among their classmates that allow a greater appreciation of others. I am constantly surprised at how discussion of family histories becomes a sharing time between students who don't always have that much contact. And almost every year some of us in the class learn we share ancestors, birthplaces, or that we have people in our past of whom we can be proud. Perhaps the most telling moment comes each year when a student, in studying the history of their state, or in studying a particular event in American history, says "Now I know why my grandfather came to -------. I never realized that. I didn't understand what he was talking about." Or when someone says, "My grandmother had so much fun showing me her Bible. She talked to me more than she ever has. It was great..."