Gene Migration (Lawrence): Home

Mr. Lawrence

End of Semester 1 Geography Project

Throughout the semester, we’ve followed the major routes of human migrations as our guide to learning about geography.  To finish the semester, you’ll get to personalize the story, following your own - or someone famous’ - ancestry through time back to the idealized “First Adam.”  Your journey will take you from an interview to your own fictionalized accounts of migrating ancestors.

1. Watch video regarding haplogroups and gene migration.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGtaq3PiIoU

2. Interview family member (or read an interview of a selected famous person) regarding ancestry.

   1. Identify names, ages, locations, motivations, environmental / political / cultural context, and significance (personal or cultural) of family move to the USA (or within the Americas).

   2. Turn in interview transcript.

   3. Identify the haplogroup you are following.

3. Identify at least 5 migrations in history along your chosen ancestry line (haplogroup).

   1. Each migration will result in an historical fiction “journal entry” (100 word minimum per entry) from your ancestor in their time, from their point of view.  These should move from present day, using information from your interview, to fictional accounts based on what you know to have likely occurred during your imagined ancestor’s time (or what you consider to have been probable). Each journal entry will include:

   2. 1) date 2) ancestor name and age, 3) geographical location, 4) physical environment, 5) cultural context, 6) personal motivations of migration, and 7,8,9) past / present / future significance as part of each ancestor’s narrative.  The 10th point will be considered for overall coherence and clarity. 

   3. Consider major political (warring kingdoms, religious persecution, etc…), cultural (irrigation or wheel development, law codes and justice, etc…), or environmental (flooding, ice age, etc…) events that may influence a push, pull, immigrant, emigrant, or refugee migration.

4. On a world map, illustrate your ancestors’ haplogroup’s movement.  Identify and provide a visual aid for each journal entry.

You will have time to complete work on your project in class on both Wednesday and Thursday (we will be meeting in the library – 1st period, computer lab – 8th period, conference room).  Friday, we will present.

Ultimately, you will turn in for a total of 100 points:

1. Interview Transcript (summarized) and Haplogroup followed ID’d (20pts)

2. Journal Entries (50pts)

3. Visual Aid / Map (20pts)

4. Project Cohesion / Presentation (10pts)