The following announcement was written by Ancestry.com.au:

Bringing Family History to Life for Aussie Kids
Ancestry.com.au’s new free online teaching resource, My Place in HistoryTM, brings family history to Australian classrooms

Sydney, Australia, 14 February 2011
According to research released by Ancestry.com.au, almost one third of Australians do not know when their ancestors arrived in Australia, with one in five not knowing the occupation of their grandparents.

Conducted by The Online Research Unit, almost 60 per cent of Australians believe it is important for children to know about their family history in order to better understand who they are today, and why Australia is the way it is.

To coincide with this research, Ancestry.com.au, has launched My Place in History, a free web-based educational program designed for teachers to assist them in teaching their students about family history.

Created by leading family history experts, Ancestry.com.au, the program brings family history into the classroom of Australian primary schools by placing the child’s family history at the centre of the learning experience.

The teacher-lead program enables each student to delve into their heritage and learn first-hand about their family history, whilst also exploring the many economic, political and social circumstances that have impacted and shaped who we are today.

Louise Zarmati, Doctoral Researcher, Deakin University, said “It’s through new resources like My Place In History that teachers can bring family history into the classroom and create a unique and engaging learning experience for our children to understand their history alongside community history.”

Building on the recent increase of interest in family history, students will be able to create family trees online, whilst learning about the key drivers of change within our society during the lives of their ancestors – wherever they came from – and how these changes have impacted their own identity, as well as that of their family and society more generally.

“My Place In History brings history to life for students by putting the experiences of their ancestors in context with global history, personalities and events. This program is highly engaging and will see students eager to learn more about their past,” said Josh Dunn, Teacher, St. Matthews Catholic School, Mudgee.

My Place In History services as a fun, educational resource for students and it’s also an opportunity for teachers to upload and explore their family history too.

Debra Chesterton, Managing Director, Ancestry.com.au, said: “Ancestry.com.au has created an interesting and engaging online resource to help teachers, children and parents understand the various ways in which the world has changed, from one generation to the next”.

“What better way to make this relevant and meaningful to our children than by encouraging them to learn about our history through the lives of their own family. It’s a great project that starts in the classroom and one that the whole family can then do together.”

The online teaching resource includes a step-by-step teaching program (including learning outcomes, lesson outlines, discussion topics, and cross curricula activities), questionnaires, and space to upload teachers’ own personal resources.

The free website also includes a tool for teachers and students to build their family tree and a range of interactive activities that are designed to make learning fun and engaging for students and teachers alike.

Teachers can register and get started by visiting: www.myplaceinhistory.com

Through the creation of My Place in History, Ancestry.com.au is allowing people to discover, preserve and share their family history, as they believe that this is an activity whole family can enjoy doing together, regardless of their generation.