In Middle School, students engage in intentional programming to get to know themselves and each other. In 6th Grade History, that concept took the form of a family history project. Middle School History Teacher Mark Duvall shared, “Every person and every family has their own unique story to tell–family histories that make us all special. These stories help us to understand and learn more about the world around us and the people who are part of it.”
Thus began an adventure for 6th graders to learn more about their family history, to understand how they got where they are today, and to learn the many reasons why people move from country to country and state to state.
Students interviewed extended family members to learn about their ancestry, countries of origin, and interesting facts asking questions such as:
- Where did our family live before St. Louis?
- Where do other members of our family live?
- Why did our family members move over the years?
- How far back can we trace our ancestors, and where did they live?
- What challenges did our family have throughout any part of the journey?
- What are some interesting facts or exciting stories about our family?
- What are our family traditions, practices, or experiences that continue today and were passed down from previous generations?
Once their interviews were complete, students made an informational poster for sharing with the class using the Adobe Spark design platform.
Sixth graders enjoyed the opportunity to learn their classmates’ stories and how everyone’s history plays a role in the broader history of our world.
“I enjoyed the project because I could be passionate and share my family traditions and where I am from. I learned some surprising things like someone was on vacation, but they were forced to stay here because the borders closed. Someone also came to America because of WWII and escaping the Nazis. I liked learning about my friends’ family traditions, where people are from, and their stories.” – Rayan Haq ’28
“I enjoyed sharing our posters, learning new cultures from other students, and making connections with someone else about our culture/family histories. I was surprised when a lot of the posters listed more than one culture, and the connections they have with others.” – Chloe Shamsham ’28
“I enjoyed learning how far back we could track my family and ancestors. Something that surprised me was that my family was not just from Germany but also from Poland. I learned that a lot of my classmates had German ancestors, too.” – Thomas Kastor ’28
“I really enjoyed learning new things about my family and getting to spend time with my grandparents, whom I interviewed. It was also fun to learn about my friends and their history and to be able to connect with them.” – Johanna Orwick ’28
“What I enjoyed most about the project was that I got to learn more about my classmates’ family history and where they were from and they got to learn about my history too. I really enjoyed it, and since the posters are up on the walls of the classroom I get to look at them again!” – Simera Balci ’28
“I enjoyed that I got to spend more time with my family while working on the project. I learned that I am at least the 11th generation of first-born girls in my family. I learned that I had a lot in common with my classmates, like where our families were originally from, traditions, and more. I also really liked that I got to learn more about myself and what my family did a long time ago!” – Abby Selner ’28
Congratulations, young historians, on tracing your path of ancestry in service of getting to know yourselves and each other better!