SUBJECT: Religion and Language Arts
GRADE LEVELS: 3-8

OBJECTIVES:
Students will improve research skills researching their own heritage.
Students will improve organizational and language arts skills by preparing a book containing items such as a family tree, memorable stories and significant events from family members, personal time lines, interviews with family members, etc.

TIME: ongoing-this is a long-term project that could be completed over a period of several weeks or the whole school year. A calendar of due dates could be copied for each student.

MATERIALS:
Kid’s Explore America’s Catholic Heritage
various materials for each separate activity

ACTIVITIES:
1. Read Martha’s life story on p. 74-75. Discuss as a class how important it is to know one’s family history; how it can enrich the lives of other family members and help keep the family connected. Explain to the students that they will begin work on their own family history and compile a book as a beginning of family memories.
2. Use the lesson plan “Personal Time Line” to create a time line for each student.
3. Use the lesson plan “Important People-Fun Facts Sheet” to interview two adults in each child’s life.
4. After completing the interviews, students can organize the information into a report. Review writing topic sentences with older students, and then let them organize the information into a five-paragraph essay.
5. Students could bring in the recipe for a favorite family holiday food and maybe even bring in a sample of the food. The recipe could be included in the booklet. (Everyone’s recipes could be compiled into a class booklet, with booklets for every child.)
6. Students can collect autographs from family members. In addition to having signatures, each family member should write some advice to the student for a successful and happy life.
7. Photographs and pictures of family heirlooms, connected with sacraments or religious events, could be mounted on pages and students could write descriptive captions for each.
8. Have students draw a picture of a family heirloom and write a paragraph describing what it is, why it is valued by their family, etc. If the family doesn’t have an heirloom, ask them to think of the one possession they would want to pass on to their children. What is the significance of this object?
9. Students could create a family tree for their immediate family, and extend it as far as possible. Try to include dates sacraments were received. (Consideration should be given to children who live in non-traditional families. Possible alternative assignments could deal with any significant adult in the child’s life at the time.)
10. Read the book The Hundred Penny Box to the class. Discuss how the pennies helped the Grandmother keep her memories alive. Have students try to write a paragraph about one memory that they have for each year of their life.
11. Use the lesson plan “Celebrating a Family Miracle” to add a page about a miraculous event in your family’s history.

EXTENSIONS: Many other things could be included in this book such as a personal vision statement. Brainstorm ideas with your classes. You will find that several other activities from the Website Lesson Plans would fit nicely in this book.