Materials Needed:

• Computer with internet access
• Subscription or free trial for Ancestry.com (Note: Discuss options with a parent/guardian)
• Notebook and pen/pencil or digital note-taking app
• List of known family members (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles)
• Optional: Audio recorder (like a smartphone app) for interviews
• Optional: Scanner or camera for digitizing old photos/documents

Introduction: Become a Family History Detective!

Hey Brodi! Ever wonder where your family came from? Who were your great-great-grandparents? What stories does your family tree hold? Genealogy, the study of family history, is like being a detective investigating the past. Today, you'll start your own investigation, combining modern tools like Ancestry.com with the timeless method of talking to your relatives. Get ready to uncover fascinating stories and connect with your roots!

Activity 1: Talk to the Experts - Your Family!

The best place to start is often with the people who hold living memories. Your older relatives are invaluable resources.

1. Prepare Your Questions: Think about what you want to know. Start with the basics for each relative you plan to interview (even parents!):
   • Full name (including middle names and maiden names for women)
   • Date and place of birth
   • Date and place of marriage (if applicable)
   • Names of their parents and siblings
   • Any known information about *their* grandparents
   • Ask for stories! "What was grandpa like?" "Do you remember any big family traditions?" "Where did the family live?"
2. Set Up Interviews: Ask family members (grandparents, great-aunts/uncles, parents) if they'd be willing to chat about family history. Explain your project. Schedule a time that works for them.
3. Conduct the Interview: Be respectful and patient. Listen carefully and take good notes. Ask follow-up questions. Consider asking permission to record the conversation (audio is great for capturing exact details and tones). Thank them for their time!
4. Organize Your Notes: After each interview, review your notes. Write down names, dates, places, and interesting stories clearly. Note who gave you which piece of information.

Activity 2: Digging into the Digital Past - Ancestry.com

Now let's see what the records say! Ancestry.com has millions of documents that can help you confirm details and find new ancestors.

1. Getting Started: With a parent/guardian, explore Ancestry.com. You might start with a free trial or a library edition if available. Create a basic profile for yourself and start building your tree by adding your parents and grandparents based on the information you already know or gathered from interviews.
2. Searching Records: Begin searching for specific ancestors using the names, dates, and places you have. Look for:
   • Census Records: Show who lived together, ages, occupations, birthplaces (taken every 10 years in the US).
   • Birth, Marriage, Death (BMD) Records: Vital records that confirm key life events.
   • Immigration/Travel Records: Can show when ancestors arrived in a country.
   • Military Records: Details about service history.
3. Hints and Clues: Ancestry often provides "hints" (shaky leaves). Check these carefully! Do they match what you know? Don't automatically accept them; verify the information in the record.
4. Citing Sources: When you find a record that supports a fact (like a birth date), attach it to that person in your Ancestry tree. This is like citing your sources in a research paper – crucial for good genealogy!

Activity 3: Connecting the Dots & Solving Mysteries

Now you have information from interviews and documents. Time to compare!

• Cross-Reference: Does the birth date your aunt remembered match the birth certificate you found? Does the census record confirm where your grandparents lived when your mom was young?
• Dealing with Discrepancies: Sometimes, family stories and official records don't match perfectly. Memories can fade, or records might have errors. Note the differences. Which source seems more reliable for that specific piece of information? Sometimes the *difference* tells its own story!
• Building the Narrative: As you add people and facts to your tree, think about the story emerging. Where did different branches of your family come from? What challenges did they face? What traditions carried through?

Wrap-Up & Next Steps

You've started an amazing journey, Brodi!

• Review Your Findings: Look over your notes and your online tree. What was the most surprising thing you learned?
• Share Your Discoveries: Consider sharing what you've found with the family members you interviewed. They might be thrilled!
• Future Research: Genealogy is never truly finished! You can always dig deeper, look for more elusive relatives, explore different types of records (newspapers, wills, land records), or even consider DNA testing (another big topic!).
• Presentation: Think about how you might want to organize and present your research – maybe a detailed family tree chart, a written history of one family branch, or a presentation for your family.

Great job starting your family history adventure! Keep digging, detective!