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Back to School Blessings

9/20/2017

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Back To School Blessings // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
This month's Family History for Children Blog Link-Up is entitled "School and Family History." So today, I'm going to talk about how you can use your family's history to instill within your child(ren) a sense of gratitude for education.

Like most first-world kids today, growing up, I took for granted the fact that I had the opportunity to attend school until full adulthood (and beyond). But, for many of our family members even just a hundred years ago, that opportunity was not available, and simply attending school was a huge privilege. 

One of my favorite pieces of information listed in the 1940 U.S. Census for each person enumerated is "Highest Grade of School Completed." When I first started learning about my great-grandmother, Sophia Krupa Bodziony, I found her and her family in this census and noticed that she only had a 2nd grade education (see below). In my subsequent research, I learned that she was born illegitimate in one of the poorest areas of what is now Poland in the late 19th century. I'm willing to bet she never attended a school at all, but learned the little that she did know from a family member.

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Detail from 1940 U.S. Census showing education levels of Sophia Bodziony, her husband, Michael and four of her five children.
Sophia's decision to immigrate to America, along with changing societal attitudes about social welfare and educational access, made a huge difference for her descendants. Though the family was still poor, all of her children stayed in school longer than she did, and three of her daughters graduated from high school. Go just one more generation, and several of Sophia's grandchildren not only earned university degrees, but graduate degrees as well.  

Sophia's story isn't unique in my family tree. None of my great-grandparents had an education beyond the 8th grade level, yet all of them had children that graduated from high school and grandchildren that earned college degrees. And these stories of educational betterment are not limited to this time period. In fact, this discussion is very relevant in today's society, where everyday we hear stories about first-generation high school and college graduates, especially among families who are new to America. It is important for our children to realize how fortunate they are to have the educational opportunities they do have and to not take them for granted.

I encourage you to look at the 1940 Census with your school-age children or grandchildren and talk with them about some of the factors that may have limited their ancestors' educations:

- Lack of a school nearby and/or no transportation to get to nearest school.
- Illiterate parents who couldn't teach their children
- Need for children to help with work at home/farm
- Need for children to work a job to earn money for the family
- Too poor to afford proper clothing and supplies for school
- Limitations to education based on society's perception of gender, race, class, and/or nationality

I created a simple chart to help you and your child visually examine and organize how your family's levels of education have progressed through recent generations. Learning how to read and interpret charts is a skill that can be found in many state educational standards, and looking at census schedules is a great way to practice that skill. (Click image for PDF.)
Ancestor Education Chart from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Ancestor Education Table
Now, not every family is the same, and you may find that your 1940 ancestor(s) was/were actually more educated than the average person was back then, which is a special family history milestone in and of itself.  Also, remember that apprenticing a trade or attending trade school was and still is today an important educational milestone in a person's life, and should be noted and admired.

Do you have school-related ephemera in your family history holdings? The start of the school year is a great time to get them out and show them to your children. Class photos, yearbooks, report cards, diplomas, and even just photos of your ancestors' old school buildings can help kids form a connection with their ancestors. Here are just a few examples from my family:
So, the next time your children or grandchildren grumble about getting up early for school or having to complete homework and projects, dig into your family's own history to show them that being able to learn and better yourself through education is truly a blessing.

©2017 Emily Kowalski Schroeder

Census Source: "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9M1-3L3T?cc=2000219&wc=QZXY-V33%3A790106001%2C798889101%2C800542301%2C800546801 : accessed 14 September 2017), Ohio > Cuyahoga > Cleveland City, Cleveland City, Ward 14 > 92-347 Cleveland City Ward 14 (Tract N-6 - part), Sisters of St. Joseph - St. Hyacinth's School > image 26 of 32; citing Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.
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Jack O Lantern Family Tree

9/15/2017

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Jack O'Lantern FREE Family Tree Printable from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
I was going to wait until later in October to post this new little family tree printable, but I thought I would do so earlier, so people would have plenty of time to use it as Halloween approaches. It's pretty simple; the child's name goes in the box at the bottom, and then his/her parents,' grandparents,' and great-grandparents' names are written within the other boxes. (Great-grandparent couples must share their box.) 

There is a version both with and without the little black cat peeking out from behind the child's jack-o'-lantern. My daughter wanted a kitty in hers, so that's how it ended up there. (Click on either image to download the two-page PDF with both versions.)

Jack O' Lantern FREE Family Tree Printable from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Jack O'Lantern FREE Family Tree Printable from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Sometimes it's fun for kids to visualize a family 'tree' in different ways, so I thought my kids would enjoy this new take on a genealogy chart and I'm happy to pass it on to you! Enjoy!
©2017 Emily Kowalski Schroeder
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Family Trees for EVERY Family

6/30/2016

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Family Trees for Every Family: Resources for helping children of
If you ask an average genealogist how he or she originally got into genealogy, a fair number of them would probably say that their interests were kindled by a school family tree project that they had to complete during their childhood or adolescent years. Perhaps the teacher handed out a chart to fill in or simply told students to draw a "tree" going back so many generations. It all sounds like a great way to get kids to learn about their ancestors, right?

However, have you ever thought about how projects like these affect children who are raised within so-called 'non-traditional' family groups? What about for children who are adopted, in the foster care system, or for whom their primary caretaker is a non-blood relative? According to recent research, less than half of all American children today live in a traditional, 'nuclear' family household. The genealogical community needs to be welcoming to people of all types of family backgrounds, and help everyone celebrate and embrace their family members' stories, even if they are not related through blood. (Perhaps a topic for a separate editorial, but I truly believe the Millennial and Post-Millennial generations of genealogical researchers will seek out more and more ancestral records for people who are not necessarily of a blood-relation to them, but with whom they still formed close, loving, and familial bonds.)

So, if a young person came to you for help in making a "family tree," would you be prepared to assist them if they told you they were adopted, or had two moms, or perhaps thought of their step-father as their true father? In order to help you do so, I have compiled a small list of books, articles, and other online resources that speak to embracing and depicting all-inclusive family trees. I have also included some of the articles and blog posts on this website's Resources page.

In Schools, Family Tree Bends With Times   The New York Times   7 Feb 1999


The Roots of the Problem   The Boston Globe   31 Mar 2009

​Who's on the Family Tree? Now It's Complicated   The New York Times   4 Jul 2011


Celebrating Adoption: "The "Family Tree" Project   Never A Dull Moment Blog   28 Nov 2011
​
Adoption Awareness in School Assignments: A Guide for Parents and Educators (PDF)
     Author: Christine Mitchell

Adoption Competent School Assignments Fact Sheet (PDF)   Minnesota Dept of Human Services

Tackling Tricky Assignments (PDF)   AdoptiveFamilies.com

The Family Tree Becomes a Vine   Guideposts.com

Family Trees for Non-Traditional Families   FamilyTreeTemplates.net

Family Tree   LGBTQ Parenting Network   Sherbourne Health Centre of Toronto, Canada

Lucy's Family Tree   Written by Karen Halvorsen Schreck, illustrated by Stephen Gassler III

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Understanding the diversity of modern family units leads to empathy and support. I encourage you to take the time to read through these resources. They offer some creative and meaningful ideas in which to display family groups and relationships that would make any child proud and instill within them a sense of belonging and love. 

I also encourage you to check out some of the craft ideas pinned to the 'Genealogy Ideas from the Web' board on the Growing Little Leaves Pinterest page. Here you will find some great child-friendly ways to celebrate and visualize family and family history without having to fit your family into a stereotypical pedigree chart.
I've also created my own open-ended family chart that can be used to list any people a child feels are part of their family. Click on the image to be directed to a downloadable PDF.
My Family Hive FREE Printable from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
My Family Hive by GrowingLittleLeaves.com
©2016 Emily Kowalski Schroeder.
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Pipe Cleaner Family Tree

6/26/2016

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Pipe Cleaner Family Tree from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Need a quick, easy, and inexpensive activity for the kids this summer? How about one that also involves family history? The pipe cleaner family tree is one of the quickest family tree projects I've ever put together with my children and it is so simple that even the youngest genealogist can help put it together.

You will need:
*12-inch pipe cleaners (some craft stores now call them chenille stems), preferably in two colors
*White electrical tape
*Scissors
*Pen or marker

Designate one color for males and the other color for females. Simply twist two pipe cleaners together at the bottom to make couples. Then, take the appropriate color for the next male or female direct descendant and wrap that around the couple's twist at the bottom.
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All of this twisting is a great way for kids to practice their fine motor skills. My daughter really enjoyed doing it. We did four generations (up to great-grandparents), but if you have enough pipe cleaners, you could easily add more generations.
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Next, we cut off pieces of white electrical tape and wrapped one around each pipe cleaner. These became the "name tags." On the front of each piece of tape, I wrote relationship words like, Mom, Grandpa, and Great-Grandma. Then, on the back, I wrote that individual's first and last names (maiden names for the women). As you are labeling these individuals, this is a great time to also pull out old photos and/or talk a little more in-depth about who these people are/were and maybe share some of your favorite memories of them with your child.
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I hope that everyone enjoys this activity and continues to have a safe and happy summer! Remember that you can find all Growing Little Leaves crafts and activities at this link.

©2016 Emily Kowalski Schroeder

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Learning About The Census

4/27/2016

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Learning About The Census // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Some of the most important and powerful tools genealogists use to learn about our family histories are census records. But have you ever tried showing a 100-year old census form to a child? Take my word for it, it doesn't go well, and their eyes glaze over quicker than you can explain what a census is.

So, I was on a mission to find a simplified, interactive way to introduce my kids to censuses, which includes teaching them WHAT a census is and WHY we have them. Fortunately, there is a great children's book that helped me to do so. It's called Tricking the Tallyman by Jacqueline Davies and illustrated by S. D. Schindler. The story takes takes places in Vermont in 1790, during the nation's very first census. The story follows the experiences of Phineas Bump, the census-taker,   as he attempts to collect an accurate tally of the town of Tunbridge. First, the villagers hide people because they think it will mean more taxes and conscription. Then, on his second try, they inflate numbers because they hear it will be more government representation. When the villagers realize it will bring both more taxes and representation, they cooperate with Phineas and he does get an accurate count in the end. There is a lot of mischief going on in this book, which makes it fun for kids, plus the illustrations are very educational in teaching kids about what people wore and about the types of homes in which they lived back then.

I made two worksheets for kids who want to 'play census.' One is geared towards older children who can read and write independently, but it is still a simplified version of a census form. The other form is much simpler still, and is meant to be used by kids who are not yet reading independently. An adult or older sibling will still have to help a young child out, but the pictures above the columns (for house number, adult men, adult women, boy children, and girl children) will help the child better visualize what he/she is counting. There is even a place for them to do some simple adding of their tally marks. (Click on each image to open the PDFs.)

Learning About The Census with FREE Roleplay Worksheet from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Census Roleplay Worksheet (Independent Reader)
Learning About The Census with FREE Roleplay Worksheets from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Census Roleplay Worksheet (Younger Child)
I played census with my 5yo daughter on our front porch. She was the census-taker. We dressed her up in old-time 'fancy' clothes and I gave her a clipboard and a pencil. She took her job very seriously.
Learning About The Census // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Learning About The Census // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
If you are friends with your neighbors, ask if your child can come to their door as well to record their family. Or, set up little 'households' with dolls or stuffed animals, so your child will have more 'families' to record.

Once they understand what a census is and how it was accomplished, THEN you can start showing kids actual census schedules on which their ancestors are recorded and talking with them about all the helpful information that we can learn from those records. 

©2016 Emily Kowalski Schroeder
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Spring Bunny Family Tree

3/26/2015

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I put together a simple, but cute little family 'tree' using some colorful clip art bunnies and flowers from openclipart.org. There is a boy version and a girl version, and it's only three generations, so simple enough for the youngest children. If you are seeing family for Easter, this would be a great little activity to do with the kids! Simple click on each photo to be directed to a downloadable PDF.
FREE Springtime Bunny Family Tree // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Bunny Family Tree - Boy Version
FREE Springtime Bunny Family Tree Printable // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Bunny Family Tree - Girl Version
©2015 Emily Kowalski Schroeder. For personal use only. May not be reproduced or redistributed without written consent of owner.
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Birds on a Wire FREE Family Tree Printable

1/22/2015

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We've had a couple of milder days here in the Midwest (Well, mild for January), and the other day I actually heard birds singing. Birds! Spring is not far away! I recently came across some cute little bird clip art images on OpenClipArt.org, and decided to use them to create this Birds on a Wire family tree printable. Simply click on the image below and you will be directed to a PDF which you may download for your personal use. Enjoy!
Birds on a Wire FREE Family Tree Printable from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Click for FREE PDF to download!
Don't forget that this and all other Growing Little Leaves free printables and link to other resources can be found on the Resources page of the new website!

©2015 Emily Kowalski Schroeder. All rights reserved. For personal use only. May not be reproduced without written consent of owner.
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New Website + FREE Family Tree Printables

1/1/2015

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New Website + FREE Family Tree Printable // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
It's a new year and the Growing Little Leaves blog has grown tremendously since I started it on a whim last February. I've written over thirty posts, most of those involving fun, engaging activities that can help young children learn about their family history. While a blog format is great for sharing new activities, it's not so great for showcasing older posts as well as other genealogy resources I find out on the web. So, I've decided to start a separate website on which I can do just that. Direct your browser to

GrowingLittleLeaves.com 

and you will find general information about me and my vision for Growing Little Leaves, as well as links to ALL of the activities I've featured on my blog over the past 11 months.  For now, I will continue to blog from this same site, so no need to change your Feedly or Bloglovin' feed.

To kick off the new year, I've created two FREE family tree printables for you to download and use with the children in your life. The only writing necessary for filling out these trees is to write the child's name. Then, simply cut out small photos of family members and glue them onto the tree in the appropriate places. It's a great way for young children to be able to visualize family members on one sheet of paper. A PDF of each tree may be downloaded by either clicking on the images or by clicking on the links below.

Please let me know if you have trouble downloading these documents, and take a minute to check out my new website!

New Website + FREE Family Tree Printables // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Four generation traditional family tree
New Website + FREE Family Tree Printable // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Three generation step-family tree
These and all other original kid-oriented genealogy worksheets and family trees can be found on the Printables page.
©2015-2016 Emily Kowalski Schroeder. Printables for personal use only. May not be reproduced or redistributed without written consent of owner.
four_generation_traditional_family_tree.pdf
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stepchild_family_tree.pdf
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The Rainbow Fan Chart

6/7/2014

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In recent years, the fan chart has become an increasingly popular way in which to display one's family ancestry.  For those who are not familiar with this type of pedigree chart, it is an arc-shaped chart with the primary descendant in the middle and the ancestors radiating away from the center in a circular fashion.  Below is an example of a simple fan chart from Misbach.org. You can download several blank pedigree charts for your personal use at this link.
I really like the idea of using the fan chart to introduce children to the concept of pedigree charts, and as a simple way to illustrate how the number of our ancestors increases the further back you go in time.  Fan charts are very visual and that appeals to children.  They also show the child at the center of the chart, and, let's face it, children inherently think of themselves as the center of their world.

Now, even with these child-friendly qualities, am I going to show my kids a full fan chart of all their ancestors? No way - that would be much too overwhelming and, frankly, boring to a 6 year old and a 3 year old.  Before they are old enough to take in all of those names, dates, and families, I needed a way in which to introduce the concept of fan charts, while at the same time teaching them about family relationships and visually illustrating just what a generation is.

In case you missed it, I introduced the concept of generations to my kids using the Play-Doh Pedigree Chart.  In that activity, we used different colors to represent different generations.  So, I decided to create a rainbow out of craft foam sheets, in which each color, again, represents a separate generation.  The rainbow shape resembles a fan chart, and kids are naturally drawn to anything with bright colors.

I used craft foam sheets, but you could just as easily use colored cardstock or construction paper.
Rainbow Fan Chart // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Then, starting with the red, I cut out successively smaller arcs to make the rainbow.  (Because of the way the sunlight bends through the raindrops, primary rainbows always have red on the outside and purple on the inside.)
Rainbow Fan Chart // Growing Little Leaves.com
Next, I simply used a black permanent marker to write the names of each generation on the corresponding arc.  The central purple piece I labeled as 'Me.'  Using six colors gives you the opportunity to go all the way back to great-great-great-grandparents.  
Rainbow Fan Chart // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
So, this basically gives children a different way in which to visualize their family 'tree.'  And, if you have a child who is learning how to read, it's a great way to introduce these genealogical words and their meanings.  As you talk about each generation, the child (depending on his/her age) may be able to identify by name their parents, grandparents, and maybe even great-grandparents if they have had the opportunity to meet them.  Explaining the older generations is a bit tougher.  At first, I would recommend just telling children that their great-great-great-grandparents lived long, long ago, perhaps in a different country, but you are still related to them and they are still part of your family, even though they are no longer around.  (I've said it before, don't be afraid to talk about the cycle of life and death with your children; children are generally pretty open to talking about it and they only start to fear death when adults with whom they interact make it a sad and taboo subject.)

To make this activity a little more hands-on, I made a puzzle out of the rainbow.  I purchased self-adhesive Velcro dots and placed them on the fronts and back of the different rainbow pieces.  My three year old loves to put the rainbow together and take it apart, and while she is doing it, I can read her the words and try to convey who each section represents in our family.  (It's also useful for teaching and learning colors!)
Rainbow Fan Chart // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
For my older child's benefit, I wrote a sentence on the back of each arc.  On the 'parents' one, I wrote, "I have 2 parents."  Then, for the 'grandparents' one I wrote, "I have 4 grandparents."  I did this for each successive generation.  This can give the child a sense of how our ancestors increase in number the further back you go in time, but without confusing them with specific names or family lines yet.
Rainbow Fan Chart // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
After you play around with this rainbow for awhile, you can begin to show school-age children a REAL fan chart with names and perhaps even photos added so that they can start to learn more specifically about the people related to them.  But there is never any hurry to push the details - providing a solid background of simple vocabulary and concepts upon which to build over the years is the best way to not only get children interested in their family histories, but also to KEEP them interested as they grow older.

©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder. 
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    Emily Kowalski Schroeder

    Founder and Author of Growing Little Leaves

    Emily Kowalski Schroeder / Founder and Author of GrowingLittleLeaves.com

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