What we offer:

For educators

Unlock the power of your students’ diverse histories.

Explore overlooked migration histories from the UK and beyond.

Introduce students, teachers, families, and your wider community to the power of family history research and other untold histories.

Ancestors unKnown will bring inclusive, exciting, and impactful history lessons to your school or community group.

From workshops and guest lectures to detailed lesson plans and teacher training, we have everything you need to introduce your students to Ancestors unKnown!

What are the benefits?

✓ Increase student engagement in history

✓ Diversify and personalise history lessons

✓ Promote cultural understanding and empathy

✓ Comply with National Curriculum standards (key stage 2)

✓ Develop communication and critical thinking skills

✓ Facilitate unique, educational and memorable conversations about your students’ family and community histories

students sit in front of a row of computers that display archive photos

In 2020, 80% of UK educators believed more could be done to celebrate diverse cultures, people, and experiences in UK education.

– Pearson, Diversity and Inclusion in Schools Report

Primary School Lesson Pack

The Ancestors unKnown lesson pack is perfect for one school term, including 8 detailed lesson plans with easily adaptable resources for you and your students.

Primary school lesson plans are in two categories: family history research and UK migration histories. When taught in succession, the lessons encourage children to research their own family and community histories, while putting their ancestors’ stories into the context of world history that’s often overlooked in UK classrooms.

Lessons include:

  • [Family history] Who am I? Understanding identity and the definitions of family
  • [Family history] Oral history interviews
  • [Family history] What is your story? Documenting and sharing your personal history
  • [Untold history] Resistance in the Empire
  • [Untold history] Migrations to the UK
  • [Untold history] Social movements and activism in the UK

a student looks at their ancestors unknown identity circle

Become an Ancestors unKnown Partner to get the most out of the project!

Add an Ancestors unKnown workshop, parent intro session, an archive field trip, and a closing school exhibition to complete the uniquely memorable experience.

Free Resources

Check out some of our Ancestors unKnown resources for free!

Visit our Shop to download:

  • Identity, History and Questioning Techniques – Lesson Plan (Year 5/6)
  • Ancestors unKnown Identity Circle (student worksheet – poster size)
  • Ancestors unKnown Family Tree template (student worksheet – poster size)
  • Family History Research: Ancestors unKnown Starter Guide
Visit Shop

Access Ancestors

Register to access all curriculum resources, including:

  • Ancestors unKnown Lesson Pack: Teacher-led lessons for a complete project, including scheme of work, detailed lesson plans, presentations, and student resources
  • Parent engagement tools and advice
  • Video library for teacher training and support
  • Growing ‘Untold History’ lesson library
  • Teacher access to live webinars with subject experts

Starting at £300/year

Get Access

Become a Partner

Upgrade to a full partnership to get all the benefits of Ancestors unKnown, including:

  • All curriculum resources that come with Access Ancestors
  • Launch workshop for participating classes
  • Parent introduction Q+A session
  • Research support from volunteer experts
  • Local guest lecture (if available)
  • Local archive field trip (if available)
  • Mini school exhibition for families, school community, and volunteeers
  • Ongoing support for project customisation

Contact us to learn more

Let’s Partner
a teacher stands in front of a classroom
two students work on their identity circles

Workshops + Trainings

Ancestors unKnown workshops encourage learning, sharing, and reflection about personal and untold histories. We deliver workshops and trainings about some of our most important and popular topics for students and teachers.

Available for small and large audiences, online and in-person (whenever possible)

Topics include:

  • Your story matters: discovering and celebrating your own story (creative expression workshop delivered in 1 or 2 parts)
  • Who am I? Connecting family, identity, and the importance of personal legacies
  • Introduction to family history research: why it matters and where to begin (1 or 2 parts)
  • What’s in a name? The loss and recovery of Black identities over time
  • Untold history topics, including:
    • the impacts of colonialism
    • migrations to the UK
    • resistance movements in the UK’s Black and Brown communities
  • Teacher trainings:
    • Nurturing inclusive classrooms
    • A new way to teach the past: introducing students to their own histories

three students are in a conversation while sitting at a table

  • When you know where you come from, you show your pride to the world.

    Michael Student

  • We interviewed adults from South America, England, France, China and Nigeria! The children asked some really interesting questions and really enjoyed listening to the different family and community stories.

    Anneke Teacher

  • What I really loved about the Ancestors Unknown workshop for our adolescent students is that you really know how to touch young people on a personal level. And that through researching and reflecting on their personal family stories they get to broaden their horizons with regard to themes such as representation of different populations in society in the past AND present.
    I am convinced that all this really contributes in discovering and developing personal identity in a balanced way.
    Claudia Stichting Giving Back (The Netherlands)

  • I think it's more important to find out where we came from, so we can tell our future children about our ancestors. Our next generation will know where they've come from, and pass it on. This experience is necessary and I hope the next class will benefit from this as well.

    Tamia Student

  • I love how the [Ancestors] curriculum gives my students a sense of purpose and the ability to make global connections to their learning.

    Ms. Johnson Teacher, R.B. Stall High School (N. Charleston, S.C.)

  • It was clearly evident that students and parents alike gleaned so much from your unique workshop that was both interactive and self-reflective. And I have to say that I was pleasantly caught off guard by the powerfully emotional  effect that exploring your family history can have.

    Maria J. MLK Library (Washington, D.C.)

  • You truly inspired me to learn about my family's history. If we do not know our past we will be like a tree that has forgotten its roots. Thanks again.

    Njeri C. Workshop student (10 years old)

  • The Ancestors Unknown project went incredibly well - thank you for all the resources and support you provided us. The children got so much out of the project and the most impactful part was definitely hearing the children talk about each other's histories and genuinely being interested in their stories.

     

    So many of the children - and parents actually - were awakened to the fact that their stories are important and valid. One parent came to speak to me and told me 'my father just came to Britain from Pakistan, so my daughter won't have much to say'. When I talked to him more about the project and its purpose, he was surprised and appeared to value his own story more.

     

    Throughout the project, we continued to discover that everyone's history is different and that is valuable.

    Liam Rufford Primary School (United Kingdom)

  • [We were reminded] that we are a people with a past and it is very important to acknowledge and familiarize ourselves with it. Since then I have been inspired to learn more about my ancestors and create stronger bonds with my family members who are living.

    Judy C. Parent

  • Learning about my ancestors is the beginning for me.

    Victoria Student

Custom Services

a group of students listen to an exhibition

Looking for a bespoke solution?

Introduce your students to family history research and other untold histories with a custom Ancestors unKnown programme.

Services include:

  • Student workshops – choose 1 or more workshops about family history research and/or untold histories
  • Teacher training and workshops, various topics
  • Customised curriculum packs

Contact us to discuss a custom package and learn more about our bespoke services.

What our participants are saying

Our students in the Netherlands share what they learned about themselves and their family histories when they participated in the Ancestors unKnown programme.

Riva’s grandfather made little money at the shipyard in Turkey. He left for Amsterdam to work hard for a few years and then to buy a house in Turkey, but things turned out differently.

During the 1940s, Daksh’s ancestors were profoundly affected by the conflict between India and Pakistan. They were forced to leave their homes and relocate to a safer place.

Mayli’s mother’s family moved to the Netherlands from Suriname. Like many others who have ancestors who were enslaved, her family name is a reminder of the country’s painful legacy of slavery.

Tobi and Nick’s mother fled Vietnam with her parents during the war in Vietnam. With danger surrounding them, they have an incredible story of survival.

subscribe icon

Stay in the know. Subscribe to our Newsletter.

Do you have questions?

Email us! We'll respond as quickly as possible.

0