[Califreak]

I know, I know.

I should be homeschooling to begin with.

[goat granny]

All 13 of my grandchildren have had to do a family tree and some were in private schools, some public schools and 2 in a religious school...They all had to ask me questions about our family tree but only had to go back 3 generations...I think it was an exercise in research and finding out for themselves who their ancestors were...I thought it a good idea, they found out what their grandfather(who passed away before most of them were born) and great grandfathers and mothers did for a living and what part of the world they came from....

[aruanan]

I just tell the kids to make something up. When they're asked to describe their home or their bedrooms or something like that, I just tell them to be creative.

Something weirdly along the same lines: My oldest (11th grade) said he hated how teachers were always prying into their thoughts and beliefs. I told him, "When the teacher asks you, "How do you feel about ____" tell the teacher "I feel that you are wasting too much classroom time delving into thoughts and feelings instead of instructing us in the subject area." He said that he'd get in trouble for saying that. I told him to tell the teacher that he was simply responding to the request of the teacher. He went on to say that a teacher showed them 10 pictures of people and wanted the students to tell what they thought and felt about these photos. He said one student referred to one photo and said that he thought the guy was "a faggot." The teacher jumped on him and said he couldn't say that. The student responded that the teacher had asked him what he thought and he was telling him what he thought. The teacher responded by saying that if he said something like that again he'd be suspended. A female student described a picture of a particular woman by saying the woman looked like "a slut." The teacher said she had to say, "A woman of the night." The class started laughing. I asked what the class was and was told history. I asked what the hell talking about feelings images provoked had to do with history. I told him, "Seriously, though, if a teacher asks your opinion, give him your opinion and if he complains about your opinion say, "If you want me to someone who pursues truth, then don't tell me to tell you what you want to hear when you ask me to tell you what I believe. That's just brainwashing and indoctrination, not education."

[ottbmare]

I think it can be a great way to introduce kids to history, because they see how history is not just dry facts in a book; it really happened to real people, and they are here in the US because of the actions their ancestors took. Many people who do genealogy research find it absolutely fascinating, full of moving and inspiring stories. How is it an invasion of privacy? You don’t report any details you don’t want others to know about. If there’s something you’re proud of, you can share that and others may find it interesting too.

[LonePalm]

I think it is great.

I went to my Family Tree Maker software and printed it out for my son. It took 45 pages and over an hour and a half to trim and tape together. He is the 33^rd generation in one line. The shortest line was six generations.

The teacher was so impressed that he left it up for a month.

For the girls, I just reprinted one page.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[rawhide]

You can always make up a glorious family history, as who is to know. My great grandfather was King of Prussia. And my mother is the Queen of Sweden. Hmmm, my brother is Prince of Duke, and I am Lord of Sarcasm! Bow down, I say!