Homework: Family Tree Research

Each year I have students do some family tree research before we do the marriage and family unit.  Since we're working toward finishing the finance portion of the class and working into the independent living / family curriculum, I wanted to get a head start on the family tree project.

Before I explain the project, let me reiterate what I said today [and last week] about the family tree project.  I completely understand why different people refuse to work on the family tree project.  Some of us are [or were] estranged from family members, some are adopted, some recently lost family members so talking about them is too difficult, and some don't want anything to do with one parent [or either of them].  I do understand.  If you would like to do an alternative project (researching the family tree of a movie star, scientist, or athlete -- or just helping a friend with their research) you can talk to me and we'll set something up.

I do the project for different reasons:

• We learn communication skills
• We learn history
• We learn research methodology
• We learn geography
• We are connected with our past
• We get a better understanding of who we are, where we come from, and where we might be going.

We begin with two forms -- I gave you one Ancestry Chart and 7 Family Group Sheets.  The Ancestry Chart is a quick reference guide for you and every direct ancestor through your great-grandparents.  Begin by placing your name on the left (single) person and then continue by adding your parents in the next level (father on top and mother on the bottom).

Click either of these to print another copy:

My suggestions [and they vary for each situation] are to do the following:

1. Enter as much information as possible yourself -- in pencil is best.  
2. When you have entered as much as you [think you] know, ask each parent to look over your work.
3. When each parent is finished with the page, ask all grandparents.
4. If you are blessed to have great grandparents, definitely ask them for as much information as possible.  
5. Ask everybody that you interview:
1. the names of their parents
2. the name of their grandparents
3. if they remember their great-grandparents names -- or where they came from.  
4. middle names of family
5. where they got their name (it may be a grandmothers name, an uncles name, etc.)
6. names of their aunts and uncles
7. when they came to Kelseyville... or California... or the United States... or wherever.
8. if they have pictures of their parents, grandparents or great grandparents
1. (If so, I recommend taking a picture of the picture)

We will be doing some online computer research in a couple weeks using services such as Ancestry.com to find missing pieces of your family tree.  Again, some of you may have fully filled-in family trees and some of you may not have anything.  I'm not grading you on how much you find -- just on how much you TRY.  

Some people have professional artists draw up their family trees.