Purpose: How has your family been involved in history?
History can be very personal. In fact, everyone has a rich family history with fascinating stories. This assignment is an opportunity for you to learn more about your own family history and to take the time to document these stories. Your main objective: find ways that your family has been involved in history. What are the touch points where you see your personal family history connect with the history we have learned in class? (wars, economic, social, or political movements, immigration, racism, etc.)
- Note: If your family is from a different country, feel free to look for ways that your family story has intersected with historical points in your country of origin. Every country has similar connections to war, social and political movements, racism, immigration, etc. Connect your family's story with history from your country.
Call parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to help you complete this project. FamilySearch.org, a free ancestry website, can also help you unearth information you may not have known. Make this a meaningful experience and learn something new about your family that you can preserve for those who come after you.
You must complete and upload the following to Canvas to receive credit for your Semester Project.
- Part I: Family Tree
- Part II: Oral History Interview
- Part III: Primary Source Documents
- Part IV: Reflection
Be a part of recording and preserving history.
Project Assistance
The following resources are available to help you be successful with this project.
I. FamilySearch.org
For this project, you will need to do family history research and document your findings. There are several platforms you can use to do this. Feel free to use the one you feel most comfortable with. To streamline support, the following resources provide training for FamilySearch.org. Their online family tree is the largest in the world and allows you to construct your family tree while searching billions of ancestor profiles, photographs, and historical documents at once - all for free. To get started, watch the following "How Do I Create a FamilySearch Account" video.
Informational videos are embedded throughout this assignment. If you would like to go into more detail on how to use familysearch.org, visit the following website:
II. Help From a FamilySearch Consultant
Family History Consultants are available to guide you in how to create your family tree and how to research personal family history to find primary source documents. Please use this useful resource. If you would like a one on one consultation, please schedule a convenient time using the following calendar link. Before meeting with a consultant, you must complete the following:
- Create a free familysearch.org account.
- Collect all names and dates (birth/death) of your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Bring as much information as you can so that the consultant can have material to help you.
If you have an hour session with a consultant, you will be given 10 points extra credit added to this assignment.
If you would like to meet a consultant in person, there are 22 FamilySearch Centers or affiliate libraries in the San Antonio area. Find one close to you. (There is even one right on UTSA Blvd down the street from the university!)
Step I: Create Family Tree
Complete a 4-generation fan (pedigree) chart on FamilySearch.org or any other genealogy program. This includes you, your parents, your grandparents, and your great-grandparents. Try to collect as many names and dates as possible. (Note: Information about living people are private on familysearch.org.)
The following are resources to help you with this step.
Need Help? Schedule an online appointment with a FamilySearch Consultant.
Step II: Conduct an Oral History Interview
Conduct an interview with an ancestor in your family: parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle. Choose questions from the following website to help you with this interview. (Be sure to include questions from the last section: "historically significant events the family member lived through.") Your interview must last at least 10 minutes.
Preserve for Future: Upload your recorded interview to FamilySearch.org or to another platform of your choice.
Need Help? Schedule an online appointment with a FamilySearch Consultant.
Step III: Research & Assemble Primary Source Documents
Add to the interview you conducted by collecting at least three primary source documents. Ask your family members for photos, letters, postcards, maps, official documents, or artifacts that give more depth to the stories you have learned. FamilySearch.org can also help you find documents.
Preserve for Future: Consider preserving these images and documents on familysearch.org or another platform you prefer. The following is a resource to help you do this.
Need help? Schedule an online appointment with a FamilySearch Consultant.
Step IV: Reflect & Submit
Write a short 1-2 paper about your experience. Summarize what you learned about your family history and how you see connections with what you know from history.
Now, put it all together. In one document, or one Adobe Express Webpage include the following: (Clearly identify each part.)
- Part I: Fan Chart/Pedigree Chart
- Part II: Link to Oral History Interview
- Part III: At least 3 Primary Source Documents
- Part IV: 1-2 page reflection paper on what you learned about your ancestor and the historical significance of the stories. Paper must be 12 point font, 1" margins, and double-spaced.
Submit your compiled document or link to Canvas by due date listed on the course calendar. To ease the stress of finals, you are welcome to submit your project anytime during the semester.
Want To Do More?
The following website gives a list of Fun Family History Activities that you might enjoy exploring.
FAQs
- What if I don't know all of the names to complete my four-generation ancestor fan chart? Fill in what you know. Be sure to talk with family members to assistance. FamilySearch Centers can also help you do this research.
- Do I need to write about both sides of my family? No. You only need to write about one side of your family.
- Can I do my interview in a different language? Absolutely. This interview is for you to learn more about your family and preserve as a treasure. Do the interview in the language that works best for your family. No need to translate.
- What if I was adopted? Write about your adopted family. Their story is your story.
- What if I need help doing my research? Schedule an online appointment to meet with a FamilySearch consultant. They will help you create your family tree, search databases, and find sources.
- What if I am from a different country? No worries. Every country has similar connections to war, social and political movements, racism, immigration, etc. Connect your family's story with history from your country.
- What if my parents and grandparents have passed or I am unwilling to talk with them? Look around to other sources in your family. Are there aunts and uncles, perhaps even older cousins you can talk with? Feel free to make use of other connections.
- What if I don't talk to anyone in my family? Please contact me early in the semester if you feel that you are unable to complete this assignment. We will discuss other options.
- Can I write my pedigree chart on paper? Yes. Even a handwritten chart is acceptable. Just make sure you can preserve the information you accumulate.
Credits:
Created with images by Lela Kieler - "100 year old photographs" • PX Media - "Wooden signpost with four arrows - help, support, advice, guidance - great for topics like frequently asked questions, customer support etc." • Cavan for Adobe - "Multigenerational family talking on sofa outdoors" • Gabriele Rohde - "Erinnerung an damals" • BullRun - "Cheerful hipster guy laughing at social networks content browsed on laptop computer during homework preparation in library, happy male student watching funny videos on netbook while learning"