Learning Comes Alive At The Cemetery

On a cemetery visit, your child will discover fascinating facts, perceive connections, draw conclusions from comparing names and dates, and become more comfortable with this most integral facet of human life and culture.

Before your visit, discuss the “ground rules” with your child. Explain that since other people may be at the cemetery to pay their respects to deceased loved ones, it is imperative that everyone conduct themselves with dignity. As long as your child walks on the paths and speaks in normal tones, he won’t offend anyone.

Bring along a notepad and pencil in case your child wants to record observations, make lists of names or figure ages from birth and death dates. A calculator and magnifying glass may be helpful, too, as well as supplies for making tombstone rubbings.

Rubbing the Past the Right Way
After you get permission from the proper authorities, your child may enjoy collecting rubbings of gravestones. You’ll need large, thin sheets of paper, masking tape, a fat wax crayon with the paper removed (or colored chalk), and a paintbrush or whisk broom (for cleaning off any dirt obscuring the words on a gravestone). To make a rubbing, tape the paper tightly over the chosen gravestone and rub the surface with the edge of the crayon until the stone’s details show up sharp and clear. Be sure no tape is left behind when your child removes the paper. Have your child note the date and the name of the cemetery where the rubbing was taken. (Ages 4 and up.)

Looking for Names and Dates
Help your child to think in terms of unscrambling puzzles as you tour the cemetery. Share the most common gravestone abbreviations: “b.” for “born,” “yrs.” for “years” and “dau.” for “daughter.” Point out that some people’s names evolved from occupations, places of origin and parents’ names. For instance, the family name of Miller refers to the occupation of milling flour. The family name of Paris suggests French origins. (Ages 5 and up.)

•Compare the last names on the older stones with those on more recent graves. Talk about whether the names suggest some changes over the years in residents’ countries of origin. Now focus on first names. What used to be the most common ones for men? For women? Are those names still used much? Can your child find any particularly unusual names? (Ages 6 and up.)