Nicole Elder Dyer

About Nicole Elder Dyer

Nicole Dyer is a professional genealogist specializing in Southern United States research and genetic genealogy. She is the creator of FamilyLocket.com and the Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast. She co-authored Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide and Research Like a Pro with DNA and is an instructor for the study groups of the same name. She lectures at conferences and institutes and previously served as the secretary and publicity chair of the Pima County Genealogy Society. Nicole holds a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University in History Teaching. At Family Locket Genealogists, Nicole is a project manager, editor, and researcher.

Favorite Reads of April 2017

Apr 29, 2017

I use Feedly to read my favorite sources, and more, including google news that I curate using keyword combinations like “genealogy” AND “children.” It’s so convenient to do all my reading in one place. The Feedly app is useful too. This month I discovered the possibility of using IFTTT to generate a google doc with the titles and a quote from each of my saved articles in Feedly for this post. About halfway through reading...

15 Genetics Activities for Kids

Apr 25, 2017

Happy DNA Day! Below are 15 activities to teach kids about DNA, genetics, and heredity. Each of these ideas are free and have worksheets, printables, or easy lesson/activity ideas that can generally be done in a day. If you want to do some advance planning and have your kids take a DNA test, there are so many fun things you can do with the results. One of my favorites is the grandchild report from gene...

May Link Up: Mothers, Our Memory Keepers

Apr 21, 2017

Mothers are at the heart of family. Researcher Marshall Duke found that family stories are primarily transferred by mothers and grandmothers and that these stories give children personal strength and moral guidance. Mothers are often the memory keepers of the family. We honor our mothers and their influence in society each Mother’s Day (May 14, 2017 in the United States). Let’s celebrate them by remembering the advice, memories, and stories they passed on to us,...

10 Ways Busy Parents Can Make Time for Family History

Apr 19, 2017

After my third baby was born last year, I have been relearning how to manage my time effectively. I thought I learned how to do this in college, yet after each new addition to the family, I have to figure it out again. This time, I focused on finding out what was taking up my time, then cutting out non-essentials, and simplifying. This has helped me be able to continue working on my passion: family history....

8th Grade Family History Project: My Story in American History

Apr 12, 2017

I interviewed Chris Voutsas, an outstanding junior high history teacher, about the family history project he assigns his 8th graders each year, called “My Story in American History.” After our correspondence, I attended the school’s academic showcase open house which featured the family history projects. I was wowed by the outstanding work each student shared. Let’s hear from Chris about why he does what he does. Be sure to check out the video of the students...

Principles of Peace Family and Ancestor Booklet

Apr 6, 2017

I love making little books, and that has rubbed off on my children. My six-year-old is into Harry Potter so our last book-making project was a spell book. As I have prepared for Easter and followed along with the Mormon.org campaign #PrinceofPeace, I have seen many lovely ideas for incorporating the principles of peace into our Easter celebrations. I was delighted to see a little booklet created by Emilie Ahern at AYearofFHE.net – Prince Of Peace...

“The One and Only Me” – Family traits book & lesson ideas

Apr 5, 2017

Last week I taught a cub scouts group (ages 8-9) about genealogy. I wanted to connect with their interests, so I decided to talk about science. I brought this book with me: The One and Only Me: A Book About Genes by Ariana Killoran, a 23andMe Book. Preschool – Grade 3 (ages 4-8). It’s a fantastic introduction to inheritance and variation of traits for children. Poppy has red hair, freckles, blue eyes, and likes making pizza....

Favorite Reads of the Month – March 2017

Mar 31, 2017

There is a plethora of online genealogy content – I wish I could read all of it. I am pleased to share a sampling of what I’ve read and found useful this month – I know I miss a lot of wonderful articles and wish I could read them all. Please let me know if you have a unique article that I can feature next month. DNA AncestryDNA’s Genetic Communities are Finally Here! by Blaine Bettinger at...

Tips for Busy Parents – April Blog Link Up

Mar 30, 2017

Parenting is busy. Taking care of children wonderful and exhausting at the same time. How can parents who are already feeling overwhelmed with work, volunteering, homework, play dates, sports, laundry, and meals find time to share family history with their children? In last month’s link up, 15 moms and 1 dad told why telling kids about their heritage important, and this month we’re giving tips for how to actually learn about your family history. As you start...

Following the Prince of Peace to Higher Ground

Mar 29, 2017

The Easter initiative hosted at Mormon.org this year is #PrinceofPeace – following the Savior helps us find peace. I wanted to create something for this initiative that would reflect the peace that comes from temples and being sealed together as families. I found a talk by Elder Quentin L. Cook that beautifully illustrates how families can find peace as they follow Christ to to higher ground: We Follow Jesus Christ, Quentin L. Cook, April 2010 General Conference. Following the...