I. Introduction to Family Tree
Objectives: Draw a family tree; there are 2 types of family tree:
going up (ancestral) or coming down (descendants). Students can
start from a common grandparent, at least 5 generations ago and
go down. Keep notes and have them in both draft and formal form.
A formal form includes: name of interviewer, date of interview,
name and age of interviewee, Place of interview and narration of
interview questions, answers and comments.
Method: Interviews with family members, use photo albums to jot
grandparents and older members' memory.
II. Initial Research
Objectives: Understand the importance of names (first and last)
and gain insight to the history behind the name
Method: regardless of the family tree format
(ancestral/descendant) follow the variations of family and first
names. Are there different traditions? Do first names change in
style or language (e.g.. Is it Yonatan or Jonathan? or is
Marcusewitz now Marcus?) Return to the interviewees in part I and
see if they can add stories and "meat" to the basic skeleton. Can
they tell you anything about a particular person? A period they
lived in? Any knowledge of the meaning of the name (be it first
or last) or why it changed, if it did.
III. Organization of Finding and Report
Objectives: get external verifications and sources, and report
all your findings.
Method: If the person has any connection to historical events, get information about these events. If there is no "important" person, get a historical and economic background. Prepare your findings from steps I,II and III in a written format and include photos of family members, photos from the city/area where the family originated from and the family tree as prepared. Also have your documentations such as interview notes.