We, the recently dubbed, History Maniacs, are middle school students who study elements of civilization around the world during the Middle Ages.  We also have just finished a unit in which we focused on the histories of our own elder family members or friends.  As we learned to interview and really listen to our family members, we learned what national and world historical events they lived through and were affected by.  This gave us a better understanding of why they think they way they do. Sometimes, we tend to think that our grandparents, for example, are crazy and don’t understand us.  This time, we tried to understand them.

Family Member

One example is my own mother-in-law.  She was the child of farm workers who had to migrate west during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.  Her stories about living out of the florist delivery van they drove and moving often from school to school helped me understand and empathize with her.

What are some of the stories you know about your elder family members?  How do they connect with historical events?  Does knowing that make you more interested in that part of history