What does AASLH stand for? Gwen [log in to unmask] At 04:25 PM 6/20/97 -0400, you wrote: > 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 >[log in to unmask] > >