Genealogy and the School
Research Assignment
Donna Kearley, Denton ISD
And
Lynette Jones, Carrollton Public
Library
http://www.owsley
family.org
TEKS

Look at the TEKS to see what is actually
required.
 Most
grade levels look at Culture, not an
actual genealogy project.
 The only grade that mentions a family tree is
first grade. A simple tree is sufficient.
 Look at Social Studies and Language Arts
TEKS. Both mention cultural aspects of
learning.
Social Studies TEKS K-1
K- The student understands how people
learn about themselves through family
customs and traditions.
 K- The student understands similarities
and differences among people.
 1- The student understands the
importance of family beliefs, customs,
language, and traditions.
 1- The student understands how families
meet basic human needs.

TEK Grade 1
The only TEK that directly relates to
genealogy is this one:
 SS1.02 The student will (TSW)
investigate aspects of one’s past by
creating a family tree.

LA TEKS Grade K-3
English, Spanish, and English as a Second
Language K-3 – Listening, Speaking, Culture.
 The student listens and speaks to gain
knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of
others, and the common elements of cultures.
 The student is expected to connect experiences
and ideas with those of others through speaking
and listening (k-3) and compare language and
traditions (family stories) that reflect customs,
regions, and cultures (K-3).

SS TEKS 2-3 Grade
2- The student understands the significance of
works of art in the local community.
 3- The student understands ethnic and/or
cultural celebrations of the US and other
nations.
 3- The student understands the role of real and
mythical heroes in shaping the culture of
communities, the state, and the nation.
 3- The student understands the importance of
writers and artists to the cultural heritage of
communities.

Reading/Culture
The student reads or listens to increase
knowledge of his/her own culture, the
culture of others, and the common
elements of cultures.
 English, Spanish, or ESL
 The student is expected to connect his/her
own experiences with life experiences,
language, customs, and culture of others
(k-3) and
 Compare experiences of characters across
cultures (K-3).

SS TEKS Grades 4-5
4- The student understands the
contributions of people of various racial,
ethnic, and religious groups to Texas.
 5- The student understands the
relationship between the arts and the
times during which they were created.
 5- The student understands the
contributions of people of various racial,
ethnic, and religious groups to the United
States.

LA TEKS Grade 4-8
Listening/Speaking/Culture.
 The student listens and speaks both to
gain and share knowledge of his/her own
culture, the culture of others, and the
common elements of cultures.
 The student is expected to connect his/her
own experiences, information, insights,
and ideas with those of others through
speaking and listening. (Grades 4-8)

LA TEKS Grade 4-8
Listening/Speaking/Culture continued.
 The student is expected to compare oral
traditions across regions and cultures (48) and
 Identify how language use such as labels
and sayings reflects regions and cultures
(4-8)

LA TEKS Grades 4-8
Reading/culture.
 The student reads to increase knowledge
of his/her own culture, the culture of
others, and the common elements of
cultures.
 The student is expected to compare text
events with his/her own and other
readers’ experiences.

LA TEKS Grades 4-8
The student will determine distinctive and
common characteristics of cultures
through wide reading (4-8) and
 Articulate and discuss themes and
connections that cross cultures (4-8).

SS TEKS Grades 6-8
6- The student understands the smilirities
and differences within and among cultures
in different societies.
 6- The student understands that certain
institutions are basic to all societies, but
characteristics of these institutions may
vary from one society to another.
 6- The student understands relationships
exist among world cultures.

SS TEKS Grade 6-7
The student understands the relationship
that exists between artistic, creative, and
literary expressions and the societies that
produce them.
 6- The student understands the
relationships among religion philosophy,
and culture.
 7- The student understands the concept of
diversity within unity in Texas.

SS TEKS Grade 8
8- The student understands the relationships
between and among people from various
groups, including racial, ethnic, and religious
groups, during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.
 8- The student understands the major reform
movements of the 19th century.
 8- The student understands the impact of
religion on the American way of life.
 8- The student understands the relationship
between the arts and the times during which
they were created.

What we’ve learned…
There is no TEK written which requires
teachers to trace a family tree back
several generations. This is impossible to
do in the time frame of a school
assignment.
 We do teach common characteristics of
different cultures and how our own
cultural heritage influences our own
beliefs and prior knowledge through
speaking or reading about different
cultures.

As librarians, we can…
 Redirect
the assignment to the
TEKS
 Help the teacher adapt the
assignment
 Give ideas of how to meet the
TEKS in other ways
Be cognizant of…
 how
stressful this assignment is
to non-traditional families
Adoptive families
Children of divorced parents
Foster children
Alternative lifestyles
Help the teacher
 Plan
for different ways the
assignment can be completed
 Be accepting of all results
 Alternatives can include a “make
believe family” based on some
person in history
Useful websites:
30 Genealogy Sites for Young People and
Teachers:
http://www.newenglandancestors.org/edu
cation/articles/research/special_topics/co
mputer_genealogist/kids_genealogy_30_g
enealogy_sites_for_young_peopl_659_201
03.asp
 Family Tree Lesson Plans
http://genealogy.about.com/od/lesson_pla
ns/

Additional Websites
Family History in the Classroom
http://www.genealogy.com/74_taylor.html
 My History is America’s History is
available on the National Endowment for
the Humanities Website which includes
sample lesson plans
 Adoptive Families
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.
php?aid=1201
