Family history is very tempting and it is interesting for
individuals to pursue.  But I worry about class assignments geared to
family history when there are so many other interesting topics available
that don't have the same pitfalls.

        If all families were intact, if all kids grew up knowing relatives,
a family history/genealogy assignment would be fine.  But many children
today live in split families and presented with a chart showing mother and
dad could be very painful to them.  Where do they put their step mothers,
step fathers, and the others in their lives?  Will they feel as their
family is not quite "right" if they can't fill in the recent generations?
If they haven't grandmothers to talk to or grandfather who served in the
war?

        Instead of putting kids in that situation, and you can imagine all
the variations that can occur, I would have the students decide upon topics
and then participate in oral interviews of neighbors.  Or have students
"adopt" people in the area with grey hair and interview them about their
lives noting especially when the individual life touches upon some of the
events of history that interest the children.  Or have the children do
genealogical charts of the stores on a street to look at change over time.

        Students can conduct a variety of very interesting and very useful
projects.  They should know that their research is important and it should
be saved in a local historical society or in a school archive with the
children themselves preparing an index (either on cards or on a computer).

        I urge you to look also, at R. Butchart's Nearby History of your
school published by AASLH which gives very good ideas about how to research
a schoolhistory.  Then the childrens' memoires of going to that school can
be added to the research and the students will have participated in
something worthwhile.

                                Carol Kammen
Cornell University
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