Today I had the pleasure of teaching three classes of Pre-AP 8th graders about beginning genealogy research. They are embarking on a yearlong project to discover their ancestors and create a display for their annual family history showcase in the spring. All of this is coordinated by an incredible teacher at Emily Gray Junior High, Chris Voutsas, who I wrote about here: 8th Grade Family History Project: My Story in American History. I want to share the PowerPoint and handout that I created for today’s lesson. Feel free to download the files and share. Discovering Your Roots_Basic Records and Strategies...
Today is the first day of our new family history for children blog link up. This one will last three months and be all about learning family history through play. Experts agree that children learn best when they are playing. What fun ways have you shared family history with children? How do your children like to play? My son enjoys dressing up and pretending. My daughter loves playing with Play-Doh and doing crafts. We have experimented with many different ways of sharing family history with them through the way they like to play. We’ve taught my son about his cowboy...
Looking for a fun activity for children that helps them learn how to use FamilySearch.org? When children look at an online family tree for the first time, it is helpful for them to learn how to navigate around and see what information they can find out about their ancestors. This scavenger hunt does just that! With little clues like, “find a relative with an unusual name” or “find a woman who had more than ten children,” the scavenger hunt will pique their curiosity and help them get used to using FamilySearch. This scavenger hunt can be used with children ages...
I wish the MyFamily History Youth Camp had been around when I was a teenager. I would have LOVED it! The camp is in conjunction with the BYU Conference on Family History and Genealogy and when I was there last year, I saw that there was a youth camp going on at the same time. My curiosity was piqued! The youth camp is July 24-28 this summer and it’s a one of a kind experience. I’ll be attending parts of the camp this year as a break out speaker and observer. I interviewed the camp’s director, Annie Merrell all about the camp....
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 at the end. Hi Chris, how long have you been teaching? I have been teaching here at Emily Gray Junior High since 1980. I had...
Anything that happened before your child’s birth is “history” to them. Do you tell them the story of how you and your spouse met? The story of their own birth? Those times in college when you wanted to quit? The time you were the last to get picked for a team? The time when grandma gave food to strangers stranded in a snow storm? The time when great grandpa rescued fellow sailors when their ship was sunk? And if you do tell your children these stories, why do you do it? Maybe you like showing your children the headstones in...
What do you do when you have a great family history story and have just learned how to use a new set of historical records? If you’re my friend, Karen, you share the story with your extended family then help your interested niece find some land patents. Today we have a guest post from Karen telling how she helped her teenage niece connect with her ancestors. By Karen Walters A few months ago, we were enjoying a barbeque with extended family. My mother came from out of state and brought an old, forgotten memory book. It had a story about our...
Just think – the journal you are keeping now might someday benefit your grandchildren. What? You don’t want anyone to read your journals? I agree, many of my teenage diaries may not paint a perfect picture of myself for future generations. Yet, I hold out hope that reading about those childish, dramatic, imperfect moments in my thirteen-year-old diary may help my descendants feel more connected to me. This is why I write in my journal – to connect with whoever might read it someday. Yet, reading journals of ancestors isn’t the only way journals can benefit children. Children gain a...
Last year was my first time attending RootsTech. In prior years, I watched the live streamed sessions from home. I knew that I wanted to go eventually, so after I started this blog in August 2015, I decided that I would go to RootsTech in February 2016. Although I was pregnant and had two kids at home, I made arrangements with my family and a babysitter to be able to attend. I flew to Utah on Tuesday and arrived at 9pm. The next day, I attended the Innovator Summit while my mother (Diana) researched at the Family History Library and attended...
What do you when you’re put in charge of the family history part of your family reunion? How do you engage 150 people ages 0 – 87? If you’re my friend, Rischelle, you go to work and come up with some amazing activities. I asked her to share her ideas and photos, so enjoy. Yadon Family Reunion 2016 By Rischelle Mikkelson In June we held a large family reunion inviting all of the descendants of my great grandparents, Frank and Hattie Yadon. Although the nuclear family of Frank and Hattie and their eight children (including my Grandpa) have all...
