 |
 |
|
|
|
Like the other resources prepared for the Alberta Genealogical Society, In Search of Your Immigrant Ancestor! is designed to be both flexible and adaptable. It may be done in its entirety or a selection of activities from it that are relevant to the young peoples’ needs and situation may be used. The final activities involving the immigrant ancestor involve organizing information – a vital skill in academic pursuits, genealogy, and life in general.
This resource should be carefully examined by those adults who intent to use with groups young people. As the concepts covered in it are becoming more complex, the resource includes many suggestions and details related to the activities which may provide extra assistance to those facilitating the use of this resource and the carrying out of the activities that it contains. The discovery of the young person’s immigrant ancestor may begin with this resource. Through this resource, the youth’s personal journey of discovery will bring the young person to increased knowledge not only of this vital family member but also of his or her family and ultimately himself or herself. |
Young people from ages 12 to 14 years of age want to belong. They want situations that are fair and equitable. They want to embark on their personal journey from childhood and adulthood. In this process, they will encounter difficulties and obstacles along their way. They must learn to deal with change, adapting to increasingly difficult and complex situations as they make these personal journeys. Studying their immigrant ancestor provides inroads into each of these areas of concern and often may possibly even provide a role model for action in these and other areas. 
|
|
|
Both picture books and adolescent novels may be used to garner the discussion of the concepts covered in this unit that have genealogical connections. When read and discussed within family, they can reveal the benefits that the family unit provides as well as offer a forum in which the youth may express his or her thoughts and concerns related to it. In addition, the books listed below can be used as methods of extending the topic and enhancing for young people who crave a little more depth, a little more complexity. Here are some books that you can employ at home or in a group setting in liaison with In Search of Your Immigrant Ancestor! |
 |
|
Meet the Dullards . . .by Sara Pennypacke, Balzer + Bray, 2015. ISBN-13: 978-0062198563. This family works at being dull and uninteresting. They take pleasure in bland activities such as watching paint dry. However, if one looks closely behind the scenes, something quite different is taking place. A great book to use if a statement about not having interesting family members should pop up, and it also may be used to discuss what makes an individual or a group interesting. |
|
|
Adrift at Sea: A Vietnamese Boy’s Story of Survival . . . by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch with Tuan Ho, Pajama Press, 2016. ISBN: 9781772780055. Journeys of immigrants can be exciting and difficult. This book recounts one such journey out of Viet Nam. It will provide a perspective on how brave and determined one needed to be to make such a journey. |
|
|
Island of Hope and Sorrow the Story of Grosse Ile . . . by Anne Renau, Lobster Press, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-1897073544. Grosse Ile was the quarantine station near Quebec City. It was the start of a new life for many immigrants; while in contrast, it unfortunately was the end of the journey for many others. This book examines the history and operation of this site. |
|
|
Pier 21 Stories from Near and Far . . . by Anne Renau, Whitecap Books Ltd; Reprint ed., 2015. ISBN-13: 978-1770502949. In the resource, the young people learned about Pier 21, the place at which many immigrants entered Canada. This book provides an extension of this content and provides a vehicle through which families whose ancestors entered there may continue the discussion at home. |
|
|
Journey to Ellis Island How My Father Came to America . . . by Carol Bierma, Disney-Hyperion; Reprint ed., 2005. ISBN-13: 978-0786854998. Not all our families entered Canada directly. Many came through the United States. Ellis Island served as the major entry point into the USA from 1892 onward. This book may serve as resource to begin a discussion for those families whose ancestors entered the USA and perhaps even settled there for a time before coming to Canada. |
|
|
The Arrival . . . by Shaun Tan, Arthur A. Levine Books; First ed., 2007. ISBN-13: 978-0439895293. If a young person needs a little extra challenge, this book may be great for him or her. It is the story of one immigrant’s story. However, the story provides no words only pictures and some of its images are symbols that need interpreting. Having the young person tell the story that he or she finds in these images should provide a level of challenge. Students between the ages of 12 and 14 years are becoming involved in more complex novel studies in their classroom. These novels are among those used. If they are used in class, a discussion of them at home may be used to develop or to extend themes related to the immigrant ancestor. They may also be used independent of school to do this. |
|
|
The Giver . . . by Lois Lowry, HMH Books for Young Readers; Reprint, Media Tie In ed., 2014. ISBN-13: 978-0544336261. The young hero lives in what he gradually discovers is a dystopian society. The book serves as a platform for discussions on the nature of the family, the need to know our past i.e. history, the reasons why people decide to leave what has been home, and why they may even embark for a place about which they know virtual nothing. |
|
|
Taran Wanderer . . . by Lloyd Alexander [or any book of quest, Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); Special ed., 2017. ISBN-13: 978-1627794312. Taran has become discontented with the only place he has known as home. He also wants to know about his roots. He sets off on a quest, a journey into the unknown with determination to find his personal grail. Along the way, he faces many challenges. It is a journey of discovery at the end of which his needs are fulfilled. This or any book of quest may provide a forum for comparison with the journey of immigrant ancestors perhaps even your immigrant ancestor. |
|
|
Note: All the above books are available at the Edmonton Public Library.
|
|
|
|
|
|
This series is Copyrighted and the Intellectual Property of the Alberta Genealogical Society, Inc. (AGS). Who can use it:
This series shall not be used for any other purpose or sold by any individual or group. It is free to everyone, whether an Alberta Genealogical Society member or non-member, to introduce some of the important basics of the family, its forms, its purpose, its functions, and its past; and genealogy to children in a specific age group. It is our hope that these resources will create an interest in genealogy and family history in children.
|
|
|
Download: In Search of Your Immigrant Ancestor! › (a 65-page PDF) |
|
 |
For more information, contact us at: AGS Genealogy for Children and Youth Alberta Genealogical Society
|