Lesson Plan

What Do I Gain from Learning about My Family History?

This unit deals with Jewish history and the importance of preserving Jewish memories. At the end of a research project about family history, we recommend devoting time to reflect on what students have learned during the project and how this impacts on their Jewish identity and feelings of belonging.

Discussion Questions

Group Activity

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Discussion Questions

Think of something that you understand about yourself, now that you have learned about your family’s history.
Has learning about your family changed your sense of identity? In what way?
What else would you like to learn about your family’s history?
How might you learn about it?

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Group Activity

Every student takes a few minutes to reflect on the process of researching their family origins, using this reflection sheet. Conduct a discussion on the importance of preserving family history or hold a class debate about dilemmas concerning memory using texts, case studies and stories.

Designate different sides of the classroom with Agree/ Disagree signs, then use this sheet to read various quotes about preserving memory and history. The students stand on the scale to represent their opinion about each quote.

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Think of something that you understand about yourself, now that you have learned about your family’s history.
Has learning about your family changed your sense of identity? In what way?
What else would you like to learn about your family’s history?
How might you learn about it?

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