familyhistoryassignment(duejanuary9)
Family History Assignment (due January 9)
Family History & Immigration Assignment
Value: 45 marks
Due: January 9, 2007.
The study of history has both personal and societal value. On a personal scale, it helps us to place ourselves within a wider framework – to see how we, and our families, play roles within a regional, national and global context. History is not just about “them;” it is also about us. The purpose of this assignment is two-fold: to come to a better understanding of what has happened to our own families over time and to see how we fit within the framework of a growing young nation, Canada. Your heritage helps to make you what you are today; our collective heritage creates our nation.
In researching this assignment you are to find out as much as possible about your family, going back as many generations as you have information on. For the purpose of this assignment, you may choose to research either your mother’s or your father’s side. Just investigate one side to avoid over-complicating this assignment. In addition, you will research the place where your family immigrated from and see what were conditions were like when they left, comparing them with what they came to in Canada.
Your research is precisely the kind of work done by professional historians. You will interview people (oral history), you will consult written material and other documents, like photographs (primary sources and, possibly, secondary sources) and you will present your findings in written form to someone unfamiliar with your material (publishing).
Part 1. Family History.
a. Pedigree (10 marks)
Create a pedigree sheet showing as much information as you can find about your parents, grandparents and any further generations that you can locate information on – of one side of your family. Include names, birth-dates and places of birth, dates of death, names of spouses, dates of marriage, and even occupations if you have the information. (Indicate n/a for any category you cannot find).
b. Family Background (25 marks)
In a series of paragraphs, describe your family’s background. You may not have answers to all of these questions, but try to cover as much as possible and do so as thoroughly as you can, providing examples whenever possible to illustrate what you have to say.
¨ Have you always been of the same social class? What is it (working class, middle class – business owners – or aristocracy)?
¨ Have your fortunes improved or worsened?
¨ If you are able to track back to when your family immigrated to Canada, explain why and when they did so. What were the “push factors” – the reasons why they left their original home – and what were the “pull factors” – the reasons why they chose to come to Canada? These will involve research into conditions in the country of origin at the time of emigration and conditions in Canada at the time of arrival. Pay particular attention to important local, national or world affairs happening at the time. Did these affect the decision to move?
¨ Where has your family lived in Canada? Where did they first come to?
¨ Why and when did they come to Vancouver?
¨ How have attitudes toward the old country and Canada changed from generation to generation?
¨ If you still have contact with relatives in the “old country” note how your family’s lives here are similar or different to family members there.
¨ Are you glad that your family made this move? Why or why not?
Part 2. Map Component (10 marks)
Map Blanks (To use with assignments):
Wikipedia's Blank Maps Page. Scroll down to find what you need.
National Geographic's Xpeditions Atlas
World Atlas.com. A selection of decent maps.
Maps from NATO - Good European and Atlantic Blanks.
On the world map provided, show the following:
¨ Your country of origin.
¨ The capital city of that country.
¨ The city or area where your family came from.
¨ The probable route that your family took in coming to Canada (if possible, specify the type of transportation used in brackets next to the route.
¨ Your family’s first place of residence in Canada.
This assignment will require that you talk to your elders, particularly the oldest members of your family. It is important to do so now. All too often we do seek this information until it is too late. This is how family histories die. Be sure to keep this assignment and build your family knowledge upon it.
This assignment will not be given class time to work on, but the due date will be set well into the future – in mid-May. Do not procrastinate. It is not possible to gather information in a few days time. You will need considerable time to talk to as many sources as possible.