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Basic steps to trace your family tree for teenagers
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© Sharan Farmer 2009
Genealogy for Teens
Sharan FarmerEllis County Genealogical Society
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© Sharan Farmer 2009
What is Genealogy?The study of your family lineage -- your
unique family history. It includes a personal family record of you and your ancestors, their children, birth dates and
places, marriage records, and death information.
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www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
© Sharan Farmer 2009
• Discover your roots• Understand your past• Become a part of
history• Challenging• Family health history• It’s
Why should I trace my family tree?
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© Sharan Farmer 2009
• Print family group sheets and ancestor charts to fill in as you learn information. Start with you!
• Write down everything you know about family names, dates, and places.
• Interview your mom, dad, and grandparents to find out everything they know.
• Ask them if someone else in the family has already prepared a family tree.
• Double check info with primary sources. Verify!
How do I get started?
www.arlington.k12.ma.us
© Sharan Farmer 2009
What are those charts?
• Pedigree Chart -- begins with you and branches back with your ancestors.
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© Sharan Farmer 2009
And this chart?
• Family Group Sheet -- details for only one family including the parents and children
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© Sharan Farmer 2009
How do I conduct an interview?• Don’t limit to just
parents and grandparents!
• Schedule a time
• Prepare questions
• Carry pen, paper, recorder
• Double check dates and spellings
• Get the stories too
• Show interest!
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Should I document sources?• For credibility and
traceability• Even if it is Grandma or
Aunt Edna!• Type of source and
where you found it• Make copies or
photograph• Include places NOT to
look again!
© Sharan Farmer 2009
How do I check my facts?
• Use primary sources• Verify secondary
sources• Distinguish between
fact and fictionFACT www.caslt.org
© Sharan Farmer 2009
What are primary sources?• Birth certificates• Marriage licenses• Death certificates• Family Bibles• US census• Wills and probates• Diaries and journals• Military records• Deeds and land records
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And where do I find those records?• At the county courthouse
in:• County Clerk’s office• District Clerk’s office• National Archives and
Records Administration• At the library• On the Internet• From family members
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© Sharan Farmer 2009
What are secondary sources?• Letters• Newspapers• Obituaries• Family histories• Indexes for census,
births, marriages, etc.• Collections of
cemetery inscriptions
© Sharan Farmer 2009
Should I collect photographs?
• Ask to see family albums
• Scan photos to computer
• Take digital photos of relatives and memorabilia
• Share digital photos with family with email
• Use them to tell a storywww.flickr.com
© Sharan Farmer 2009
What do I do with the info now?• Notebook • Scrapbook• Slide show• Web site• Framed family treew
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© Sharan Farmer 2009
When will I be through?
www.king-cart.com
© Sharan Farmer 2009
Sources• Genealogy Research: The Basics by Carolyn Schott
http://www.grhs.org/rig/bess/genealogy_basics.htm
• How to Interview a Relative by Kimberly Powell http://genealogy.about.com/cs/oralhistory/ht/interview.htm
• Family Group Record chart http://c.mfcreative.com/pdf/trees/charts/famgrec.pdf
• Pedigree chart http://genealogy.about.com/library/free_charts/pedigree.pdf
• Flickr
• YouTube
