Goals:

The students will learn about their own heritage through various activities.

The students will utilize a variety of resources to obtain information on their heritage.

The students will give an oral presentation about their heritage.

Whenever possible, the students will use a word processor to create a document about their genealogy.

Materials:

• access to family records (the internet has many resources on family surnames, etc.)
• cooperation of student's parents and other relatives
• books on genealogy and heraldry
• Internet access:
• http://www.genhomepage.com/
• http://www.firstct.com/fv/pedigree.html
• http://www.everton.com
• http://www.firstct.com/fv/pedigree.html
• the Titanic passenger list on the Titanic Index

Time:

This project or lesson will take about six hours depending upon the student interest.

Procedures:

1) Begin a discussion with the class about the Titanic and how it relates to our ancestors? Let the students look through the passenger list to find any passenger that has the same surname as themselves. Ask the students questions like:

• Where do you think some of these people were journeying to?
• Do you think many of the passengers had been to America before or were they merely aboard for business reasons?
• Make some of your own up and share them with us through the reply form.

Proceed to ask the students if they know anything interesting about their ancestors? You may want to tell them something about your own family to get them started in this discussion.

Introduce the idea of a family tree, have an example of one already made to show the students.

Ask the students if anyone has anything of the sort at home. Have the students go home and begin interviewing their parents about their genealogy.

NOTE: If there is a situation in the class where the student does not have the resources available to them to complete this project allow them to research your own family or a teacher of their choice. The students may go to the library and utilize any resources that may be of aid to them (i.e. books on genealogy and heraldry, Internet, articles or local history books, etc).

2) Talk to the students about the importance of knowing one's own heritage or nationality. The students must find resources having to do with at least one nationality that they represent. These resources must be incorporated into their final project.

NOTE: Encourage students to use a word processor for their data entry whenever possible.

3) The students will begin by constructing their family tree. They may construct it however they like and may go back as many generations as possible. Allow them time to write and construct their tree. They will have two hours of class time to work on their family tree, if they want they can take it home and finish it.

4) The students will present their final projects to the class. If possible the students will bring a relative, or someone of their same heritage to help them present their project. Students will have 20-25 minutes to present. Depending on the class size, this may take a longer or shorter amount of time.

5) If time allows, a trip to a local historical repository might be in order. Often church, birth and death, records are available. Make a field trip out of this if you can - have some fun with the project )

Assessment:

The students will be assessed with two different assessments. First, they will do a self-evaluation of their project. This will be their main assessment. However, each student will complete a peer evaluation form (Sorry, but for now at least, you will have to make your own) for each student presentation, as well.

Curricular Strands and Major Concepts:

History - learning about events of the past

Sociology - learning about different customs of their ancestors and the things that are unique about their heritage

Language Arts - using their writing skills to create their final project, using their communication skills to successfully present this project

Art - illustrating their family tree

Technology - Web/Internet research techniques and various presentation formats.

Possible Extensions:

Have the students utilize a computer presentation formmat instead of the traditional oral presentation.

Have the students create a video based upon thier heritage.

Have the students explore other cultures around the world and compare them to the Titanic's.

Have students' design their own genealogy-based Web Pages based upon their research.