What's in a (Family) Name? Students will: • Learn about how ...

What’s in a (Family) Name?Students will:• Learn about how medieval knighthood often passed through noble families, from father to son• Discuss why family history is important• Assessment: Research and document their own family trees going back at least threegenerationsTime Requirement:45-90 minutesSupplies:NoneGuided Discussion:1. When students think of a knight, what kind of words come to mind? If they were going tobecome a knight in the Middle Ages, what would they need? Consider not only physicalpossessions but also less tangible (such as skills and personality traits)2. If not brought up in conversation, ask about the knight’s family. Would he come from a richfamily or a poor one? Why do they think so? Most knights came from the noble families, andsons of knights could become knights. For others it could be very difficult, especially for thosefrom the lowest and poorest levels of society.3. Knights used a coat of arms to identify themselves and their family. Each family had a differentcoat of arms, which used colors, symbols, and designs that were meaningful to that family.Before they competed in a tournament, knights had to produce their coat of arms, which provedtheir nobility.4. The United States does not have a system of nobility, and the family that someone comes fromcannot prevent him or her from choosing the career that he or she wants. However, familyhistory is still very important, and many people want to know who their ancestors were andwhere they came from. The study of family history is called genealogy, and we can keep track ofour ancestors by organizing them in a family tree.Classroom Activity:1. Sketch a sample family tree on the board, with one’s self at the base and ancestors branchingupward—the higher their place in the tree, the further back in time an ancestor is.Extension Activities:• Assign students to track their own family tree, going back at least three generations (to theirgreat-grandparents). In a future class period, encourage students to share their family trees withthe class. What resources did people use to find out information? Did anyone discover anyinteresting facts or stories during their research?

• Have students research or create their own family coat of arms in Knightly Symbols (Fine Arts).Missouri Grade Level Expectations (GLEs):Social Studies3a. Knowledge of continuity and change in the history of Missouri and the United States3b. Knowledge of continuity and change in the history of the world6. Knowledge of relationships of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural traditions7. Knowledge of the use of tools of social science inquiry (such as surveys, statistics, maps anddocuments)Communication Arts - Writing1. Apply a writing process in composing text2. Compose well-developed text3. Write effectively in various types of writingCommunication Arts – Listening and Speaking1. Develop and apply effective listening skills and strategies2. Develop and apply effective speaking skills and strategies for various audiences and purposesCommunication Arts – Information Literacy1. Develop and apply effective research process skills to gather, analyze and evaluate information