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Genealogy in the Classroom: Bringing History to Life with Family History  

Social Studies Teachers, English Language Arts Teachers, and School Librarians

Greater Boston Area Teachers

Grades: 4-8

Thursday, July 31 to Saturday, August 2, 2025

 

Participants Receive a $200 Stipend

Application Deadline: June 20, 2025

 

Genealogy is a powerful lens for teaching history, culture, and geography. Go beyond family trees and help students develop critical research and thinking skills as they explore their roots and make personal connections to history.

Join us at the American Ancestors headquarters in downtown Boston to receive training and resources needed to implement our Family History Curriculum. Receive free lesson plans, teaching strategies, case studies, and more.

Apply Now

More About the Workshop

Our teacher professional development includes a three-day in-person workshop, personalized follow-up training, monthly group sessions, and student field trips. Download the flyer here. 

Teachers will receive lessons and strategies from our Family History Curriculum. It is aligned with the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards and can be adapted to local standards.

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.
 

We Encourage You to Apply with a Partner Teacher from Your School

Cost

  • Free

Greater Boston Area Teachers:

  • Social Studies/History
  • English Language Arts
  • School Librarians

Grades: 

  • 4-8

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, July 31 to Saturday, August 2, 2025
  • Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM ET
  • Location: American Ancestors, 97 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116

Follow-up Coaching:

Following the workshop, receive an optional follow-up training via Zoom to create a personalized plan to incorporate genealogy into your classroom.

  • Dates: September 2025 to March 2026
  • 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: September 2025 to March 2026
  • Time: Monthly
  • Location: Zoom

Student Field Trip:

Incorporate a field trip to American Ancestors to support a unit on family history. Students will gain firsthand knowledge of research methods, tools, and sources used by professional genealogists.

  • Dates: September 2025 to March 2026
  • Time: A convenient time for you
  • Location: American Ancestors

Benefits for Teachers

  • $200 Stipend for Travel and Materials needed to implement genealogy lessons with students
  • Inquiry-Based Lessons and Inclusive Teaching Strategies from our Family History Curriculum
  • First hand Knowledge from Professional Genealogists and strategies to replicate authentic research methodologies in the classroom
  • One-on-One Virtual Follow-Up Training to brainstorm a personalized plan to create lessons and projects for students
  • Monthly Group Meetings to exchange ideas and gain insight from fellow educators
  • Student Field Trip to American Ancestors to support your classroom curriculum
  • Professional Development contact hours
  • School Membership to AmericanAncestors.org
  • Individual Membership to AmericanAncestors.org

Benefits for Students

  • Develop historical thinking skills and learn how to plan and carry out research
  • 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 practices used by professional genealogists
  • Experience the psychological and emotional benefits of family history research

Learn How to Implement Inquiry-Based Lesson Plans

The 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.

Questions? Contact Dustin Axe, Youth Genealogy Curriculum Coordinator at Dustin.Axe@americanancestors.org.
 

teacher workshop
A previous teacher workshop in Maine
teacher workshop
A previous teacher workshop in the US Virgin Islands
teachers working in a group
A previous teacher workshop in Maine.
Teachers at tables in a classroom
A previous teacher workshop in the US Virgin Islands

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.