Teaching Your Students About Genealogy
written by: Lynn-nore Chittom • edited by: Sarah Malburg • updated: 9/15/2013
Teaching students about genealogy can be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone involved. Read on to learn
how these genealogy lesson plans can help students uncover information about their family genealogies while
creating fun family genealogy keepsakes.
Lesson Plan Overview/Rationale
These genealogy lesson plans should help students understand the terminology, concepts and significance of
learning about family history. It should provide them with a working knowledge of the vocabulary related to
genealogical studies and some exposure to the forms and charts used when doing family history research. If family
interviews are required, students will also learn the personal significance and relational nature of genealogy.
Objectives
Students completing this genealogy lesson should be able to do the following:
1.
Discuss genealogy using the vocabulary terms they have learned.
2.
3.
Explain and demonstrate the purpose of a family tree chart.
Explain and demonstrate the usefulness of doing family interviews.
Students and teachers wishing to do further research on their family trees may want to check out some of these
useful websites:



The USGen Web Project
Ancestry.com
FamilySearch
Prior Knowledge/Vocabulary
Teaching students the vocabulary related to genealogy provides educators with a simple measurable element for
assessment purposes. If you are teaching in the lower elementary grades, you may want to skip this part of the
lesson or make it very basic and simple. Older students should be able to understand concepts such as generations,
descendants, and ancestors.
Provide students with these terms and definitions or have them look up definitions in a dictionary. Students should be
tested over this material as part of the assessment process.





Genealogy: 1. A record or table of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or
ancestors; a family tree. 2. Direct descent from an ancestor; lineage or pedigree. 3. The study or
investigation of ancestry and family histories.
Ancestor: A person from whom one is descended, especially if more remote than a grandparent.
Descendant: A person whose descent can be traced to a particular individual or couple.
Generation: All of the offspring that are at the same stage of descent from a common ancestor.
Family Tree: 1. A genealogical diagram of a family's ancestry. 2. The ancestors and descendants
of a family considered as a group.
Procedure - Family Tree Assignment
Once the vocabulary has been established, you should go into further detail about family trees.
For younger students, you might want to begin by reading a book, such as The Kids' Family Tree Book, by Caroline
Leavitt.
For older students, the discussion can begin by filling out a family tree together as a class. Draw an outline of a family
tree on the chalkboard or wipe-off board and demonstrate to the students how to fill in the lines with knowledge they
possess about their families. For example, as you fill in each line, you might say, "This line should have your name on
it." or "This line should have your mother's name on it." or "This line should have your mother's mother's name on it."
You may want to use your own family in this example and explain to the children how each person on the family tree
is related to you.
After discussing how a family tree diagram is completed, it is time to give the students a chance to fill one out for their
own family line.
Give each student a family tree diagram to complete. Click here for Ancestor charts courtesy of Rootsweb.com that
you can print or students can use a ruler and a large sheet of paper to build their own. Younger students should use a
simple tree structure which includes only the names of extended family members, while older students should include
information such as birth dates, wedding dates, and death dates. These diagrams should be similar to the links
provided here.
Remember to emphasize that genealogy is about biological relationships and that step-parents and step-siblings
should not be included. Some students may have difficulties completing their family tree diagrams due to complicated
family relationships. Be sure to handle this with sensitivity, or let them enter those people marked as "steps." This
assignment should be graded according to the students' willingness to participate in the assignment, not by the
number of lines filled.
Procedure -- Family Interviews Assignment
After students have learned about genealogical terms and family trees, students should learn how to interview family
members to gather family stories.
To introduce this topic, share with the class an example of a family genealogy book and describe how the book
shows a family's history. In many families, the mother or grandmother has completed a book about the family. You
may want to ask your students ahead of time if their families have such books and allow them to bring in their books
as additional examples.
Choose a story from a genealogy book such as The Family Book by Todd Parr and read it to your class. You can also
choose to share a story from your own family history. Use your examples to demonstrate the value of family
interviews.
Another option is to ask the students something important they would want their grandchildren to know about them
and then have them consider that their grandparents may have those types of stories in their lives, too.
Give each student a list of possible family interview questions. The following questions could be used or you could
generate a list with the class.
FAMILY INTERVIEWS
0.
What are some of your favorite memories from your childhood?
1.
What were your parents like? (This is a great question, especially if these individuals have already
passed away.)
2.
3.
Do you recall any memorable family vacations?
How did you and Grandpa (or Grandma, or Dad, etc.) meet? Further questions may be helpful as
they may trigger great stories, such as do you recall a best date or what movies did you go see or
what kind of car did Grandpa drive?
4.
5.
Did you have any family pets that you recall?
Where did you live throughout your childhood?
6.
7.
Do you still keep in touch with any of your friends? If so, who and why?
Did you live through any big historical event(s)? If so, what do you recall from those days?
Encourage students to consider videotaping their family interviews for posterity or for extra credit.