[Genealib] Genealogy instruction for young teens

[Nancy Maxwell]

I can vouch well for the benefits of  talking to young teens about 
genealogy.  Last year I was invited to speak to a group of advanced 
placement sixth graders on the subject.

Now I am a big fan of getting kids hooked on genealogy while they may 
have several older relatives still living.  I tell them how fortunate 
they are that they have so many people they can talk to.

I usually preface my talks with a more exaggerated facial expression, 
attitude, posture, and voice tone that kids this age can relate to.  The 
voice goes something like this:

"OK, how many of you guys think history is BOOOOORRRRING???"

Some hands go up.

"Well, OK, but let me tell you something...Learning about the Civil War 
isn't so booorrrring - when you find out your great-great-grandpa served 
with [insert Famous General here] in the big battle of  [insert Big 
Battle here], and then one of  your cousins sends you a picture of him 
in his uniform!"

"The Revolutionary War isn't so boorrring when you're reading your 
many-times-great-grandpa's own story about being at Valley Forge with 
some famous guy named - George Washington!"

My idea is to be as animated and enthusiastic as possible, and to 
personalize history for them, to make them realize how much they are a 
part of it.  I want the love of genealogy to be 'catching'. I also hand 
out simple four-generation charts and simple instructions on how to 
start gathering information.  I try not to overwhelm them with details, 
but to generate a love of the subject to whatever degree I can.

The highlight of this one visit was that one girl came up after I 
finished and said she had a great-grandfather still living that she was 
going to talk to.  I truly hope she did!

Anyway, this is my approach when it comes to talking genealogy with kids 
12-13 years old.  I make adjustments depending on the age group.  It's 
much different talking to a den of squirming six-year-old Cub Scouts!

Nancy

Nancy Maxwell, Genealogy Librarian

Frances Pittman Malcolm Genealogy Room

Grapevine Public Library

1201 Municipal Way

Grapevine, TX 76051

Voice: 817-410-3429

Fax: 817-410-3084

E-mail: nmaxwell at grapevine.lib.tx.us



Sandy Day wrote:

> Hi
> I had a very interesting experience yesterday in our library that 
> relates to this topic.
> A local teacher in a county Christian School was asked this school 
> year to teach a genealogy class to the High School. The teacher is 
> well versed in this topic and was delighted. It is a very small school 
> and he has only 4 students this year but has many more signed up for 
> next year. He brought them in to our public library to show them how 
> to do research other than using databases.
> The teacher told me two interesting stories in regard to the students 
> doing research. He told them to go home and talk to and ask questions 
> of their parents and grandparents. Of the 4 students, one father said 
> he has never seen his daughter so excited about going to school!! She 
> can't wait to talk to her teacher about what family history she has 
> gleaned from just talking to them! Another parent said that he was 
> thrilled with this class because it got his son talking to him and the 
> family again!!!
> Just goes to show how important teaching family history to young teens 
> and older teens really is! So keep this in the back of your mind when 
> you do your talks!
>  
> Sandy Day
> Genealogy Librarian
> Schiappa Library
> Steubenville, OH
>
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