Three-day Teacher Workshop
Number of video playback
2
Three-day Teacher Workshop
Three-day Teacher Workshop
www.loc.gov
Genealogy in the Classroom: Bringing History to Life with Family History
Massachusetts Classroom Teachers
Social Studies/History, English Language Arts, School Librarians
Grades: 4-12
Thursday, August 20 to Saturday, August 22, 2026
10 AM - 4 PM
Participants Receive a $250 Stipend
Application Deadline: August 1, 2026
Join us at the American Ancestors headquarters in downtown Boston to receive training and resources to implement our Family History Curriculum. It supports inquiry-based practices outlined in the Massachusetts History and Social Science Framework.
Our teacher professional development includes a three-day in-person workshop, personalized follow-up training, monthly group sessions, and student field trips.
Genealogy is a powerful lens for teaching history, culture, and geography. Learn how to go beyond family trees to help students develop research and historical thinking skills as they explore their roots and make personal connections to history.
A previous teacher workshop
Bring history to life through historical inquiry, primary source analysis, and personal connections to the past
Cost
- Free
Massachusetts Classroom Teachers:
- Social Studies/History
- English Language Arts
- School Librarians
Grades:
- 4-12
Workshop:
Participate in a three-day in-person workshop. Receive inquiry-based lessons, inclusive teaching strategies, case studies of historic figures, and firsthand knowledge from professional genealogists.
- Dates: Thursday, August 20 to Saturday, August 22, 2026
- Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM ET
- Location: American Ancestors, 97 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116
Follow-up Coaching:
Receive optional follow-up remote training to create a personalized plan to incorporate genealogy into your classroom.
- Dates: September 2026 to March 2027
- Time: A convenient time for you
- Location: Zoom
Monthly Group Meetings:
Join optional monthly group meetings throughout the school year to exchange ideas and gain insight from fellow educators.
- Dates: October 2026 to March 2027
- Time: Monthly
- Location: Zoom
Student Field Trip:
Bring your lessons to life with a field trip to American Ancestors, where students learn to like historians as they work with the research methods, tools, and sources used by professional genealogists.
- Dates: October 2026 to March 2027
- Time: A convenient time for you
- Location: American Ancestors
More about the workshop
Benefits for Teachers
- $250 Stipend for Travel and Materials to implement genealogy lessons with students
- Inquiry-Based Lessons and Inclusive Teaching Strategies from our Family History Curriculum aligned to the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards
- Firsthand Knowledge from Professional Genealogists as they share strategies and methods you can bring directly into your classroom
- Follow-up coaching, monthly group meetings, and student field trips
- Professional Development contact hours
- School Membership to AmericanAncestors.org
- Free Individual Membership to AmericanAncestors.org
Benefits for Students
- Develop historical thinking skills by learning how to plan, conduct, and evaluate research with primary and secondary sources
- Make personal connections to history and discover their roots
- Be at the center of historical-inquiry and shape their own learning
- Explore real-world careers and authentic research methodologies used by professional genealogists
- Take an active role in historical inquiry and shape their own learning
We encourage you to apply with a colleague from your school
Our Family History Curriculum has everything you need to support students as they carry out research, evaluate sources, and draw conclusions supported by evidence. Lessons incorporate primary sources from the Library of Congress, along with case studies of historical figures. Lessons address common misconceptions that students have about genealogy, and they empower students to create historical narratives for themselves.
Our workshops empower teachers to integrate genealogy into their curriculum in a way that is respectful to the sensitive nature of family history. Lessons can be tailored to individual students, including their age, grade, cultural heritage, and unique background.
Questions? Contact Dustin Axe, School Programs & Curriculum Manager Dustin.Axe@americanancestors.org.
A previous teacher workshop
A previous teacher workshop
A previous teacher workshop
A previous teacher workshop
About American Ancestors
American Ancestors is a national nonprofit center for family history, heritage, and culture based in Boston, Massachusetts, that has been setting the gold standard for family history research since its founding in 1845.
Today, American Ancestors serves more than 400,000 members and online subscribers through AmericanAncestors.org, one of the world’s largest online collections of family history resources, scholarship, educational programming, and events. In April 2025, American Ancestors launched the Family Heritage Experience, an interactive, state-of-the-art exhibition that introduces visitors to the joys of family history.