Genealogy and the School Research Assignment

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Genealogy and the School Research Assignment

• Donna Kearley, Denton ISD
• And
• Lynette Jones, Carrollton Public Library

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http//www.owsleyfamily.org
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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.

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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.

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TEK Grade 1

• The only TEK that directly relates to genealogy
  is this one
• SS1.02 The student will (TSW) investigate aspects
  of ones past by creating a family tree.

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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).

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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)

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LA TEKS Grade 4-8

• Listening/Speaking/Culture continued.
• The student is expected to compare oral
  traditions across regions and cultures (4-8) and
• Identify how language use such as labels and
  sayings reflects regions and cultures (4-8)

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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What weve 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.

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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

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Be cognizant of

• how stressful this assignment is to
  non-traditional families
• Adoptive families
• Children of divorced parents
• Foster children
• Alternative lifestyles

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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

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Useful websites

• 30 Genealogy Sites for Young People and Teachers
  http//www.newenglandancestors.org/education/artic
  les/research/special_topics/computer_genealogist/k
  ids_genealogy_30_genealogy_sites_for_young_peopl_6
  59_20103.asp
• Family Tree Lesson Plans http//genealogy.about.c
  om/od/lesson_plans/

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Additional Websites

• Family History in the Classroom
  http//www.genealogy.com/74_taylor.html
• My History is Americas History is available on
  the National Endowment for the Humanities Website
  which includes sample lesson plans
• Adoptive Families http//www.adoptivefamilies.com/
  articles.php?aid1201