Family History Project
Your family history is important. Like the people who are in your big heavy history
textbook, your family and ancestors have been in many places and done many
things. They may not be famous, but they have had valuable lives with stories
that you should learn of and record. You will become your family’s historian,
chronicling life through as many generations as possible and presenting the
history in a neat, stylish book.
You will create more than a family scrapbook: you will produce an historical
document which, hopefully, someone will find revealing a century or more from
now.
The Family History Project (FHP) is a huge 300 point project. This project
has several components and will be due by December 1.
Here are some tips for making this project less daunting:
• Develop your own schedule for tasks.
• Start now – in fact some drafts are due very early.
• Break things down into manageable parts – set small tasks that you can
accomplish.
• If possible, take advantage of the Thanksgiving Holidays to conduct interviews
and gather information from relatives.
Do not wait until the last minute to work on major components, there will not
be enough time. If there are reasons why this project will be difficult for you – if
you are adopted; all of your grandparents are dead or live in another country or
do not speak English; or if there are emotionally difficult issues involved in the
writing of this project – see your teacher right away so we can work
something out.
Do not go to your teacher at the last minute with a story about how you cannot
interview your grandparent in Uzbekistan who does not speak English. Check
now and find a translator in the family; use email, the postal service, or the
telephone. Last minute excuses will not be accepted and all projects must
be turned in on the due date. We will be sharing on that day.
Here are the components of the Family History Project. Your FHP needs to be
presented in the order given below.
1. Introduction (up to 25 Points) (1.5 to 3 pages, typed, double-spaced, 12 font):
this essay is a broad overview of your family.
·
Describe your nuclear family. What is your address? Give all the names
(pets count too if you want!) Both parents? Single parent? Divorce? How many
brothers and sisters? Where do you live? How long? Where else have you lived?
Are you a close family or not? Is religion or faith important in your family? Is there
a parent who ‘runs the show’ and is the head of the family? Any basic activities
(vacations/outings) you all do together? Ethnicity and national origin?
·
Is your extended family close or spread out geographically? Do some still
live in another country? Is there someone who is the ‘head of the clan?’ Any
famous or notorious relatives?
·
Can you make some generalizations about your family and its character?
Easy-going, serious, conservative, liberal, mixed? Think of any words that
describe your family and explain briefly.
·
This is a great spot for group pictures.
2. Autobiography (up to 50 Points) (3 – 6 pages): Use the format described
below.
·
The first third to half of your AB will be a general description of you
and your first 16 years. Be sure to include your full name, your date of birth, and
the place of your birth. Where have you lived? Where have you traveled?
Hobbies, sports, schools, interesting events? Best pals past and present?
Dreams for the future? Who are you?
·
The rest of your AB will describe three important turning points or
events in your life. When did each event occur? What was the impact of each
event? How did it change you? What did you learn? Some of these things can be
difficult to write about, but I encourage you to go as deeply as your comfort and
trust allow you.
3. Mini-Biographies of Relatives (Up to 50 Points) – this is the longest part
(many pages): You will write biographies of your parents, siblings,
grandparents, great-grandparents, and any other important or
interesting relatives (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.). Be sure to include
such data as full name, date and place of birth. Chronicle each person’s
life: where they lived and went to school & college; what skill or profession
they worked; how couples met and when and where they met; include
military service and/or trips to other countries. Some points:
·
It is smart to put pictures with the biographies.
·
Each person gets a separate biography. Be sure to identify which side of
the family your grandparents & great-grandparents are from.
·
Parent biographies should be fairly extensive; a minimum of about three
pages each (x2).
·
Sibling biographies are usually one or more pages, especially if you are
close to that person.
·
Grandparent bios may vary. Even if one or more is deceased, your parents
should have lots of information about your grandparents. By the way, your
grandparents may be the source of a few gems about your parents! These are
usually one to three pages each (x4).
·
Great-grandparent bios are frequently fairly short. Remember that your
parents and grandparents are sources of information. Usually one half to three
pages each.
·
Key Point: if you have a small or widely scattered family, compensate
for that by gathering more information on the available family members. On
the other hand, if you have a large family this section will require much
effort, but such effort will pay off and may compensate for other
weaknesses in your project. Effort will produce better biographies and a
better grade.
4. Interview of Your Oldest Coherent Living Relative (up to 25 points)– if this is
not possible, interview the person who knows the most about the family.
See your teacher if you plan to interview someone other than your OCLR.
Plan out how you will do the interview in advance. In some cases it
may call for a few exchanges of letters or emails; long distance telephone
call may be necessary. You need to have your questions and maybe a
tape recorder ready. A good, in-depth interview will be at least three to
four pages long.
Your parents may be able to ‘steer’ you toward some good questions. There are
some sample questions at the end of the assignment sheet and an historical
time line so you can research events to ask about in your interview and for your
Historical Memories and Biographies sections. You may choose one of two
options for the presentation of your interview, verbatim or essay:
1.
Verbatim – a direct transcript of the conversation. Be sure to identify the
speaker clearly; for example, you (Lulu Farkel) asking grandpa (Frank Farkel)
would look like:
LF
FF
Did you blabbity blah blah blah?
Yes I did blabbity blah blah blah.
LF
FF
So what happened next?
Well, I became an astronaut and went to the moon.
2.
Essay – this would be a text summary of your conversation in which you
quote your interviewee extensively: putting down the words of your relative is
important.
5. Immigration Experience (Up to 25 Points)– write about the family members
who first came to the USA, telling who they were and where they came
from and when. Why did your family come to the USA? These reasons
fall into two categories:
·
Push – people leave a country (feel pushed out) because of economic hard
times, and/or because of political, ethnic/racial, or religious persecution, etc.
·
Pull – people are attracted to the (feel pulled to) USA for reasons such as
political freedom, job opportunities, education, religious toleration, etc.
This part can be as short as one or two pages, and can be much longer. Tell
what life was like in their former country; what the actual immigration process
involved; and tell what life was like in their first years in the USA: Any trouble
getting jobs? Language and culture problems? Prejudice?
6. Historical Memories (Up to 15 Points)– find out what it was like for your parents
and grandparents to live through major historical events. You will have to
do some research to get a feel for the major events between 1920
and the present. Consult the timeline at the bottom of this
assignment. This section is crucial to making your FHP an historical
document and not just a scrapbook. This section will be at least
several pages long. Did your grandparents live through the Great
Depression in the 1930’s &/or World War II? What were your parents or
grandparents doing in November 1963 when President Kennedy was
assassinated? Did anyone serve in the armed services in WW II, Korea,
Vietnam, the Gulf War, or Iraq? What about Elvis Presley &/or the
Beatles? What was it like (and when) for your P’s or GP’s to be a teen?
What was going on at the time? Find out what memories your relatives
have about different time periods and events and write about them. The
memories can be national events, international events, popular culture,
etc. Quote your relatives extensively. Be sure you properly identify the
relative and the event being discussed. Two approaches are good:
·
Ask your relatives which events they feel were important, and discuss
them.
·
Ask questions about specific events on the timeline or which you have
researched that you feel were important.
7. Conclusion – (Up to 20 Points) What have you learned about yourself and your
family while writing this project? Now that the project is finished, has your
attitude toward it changed? What thoughts do you want to leave the
reader with? Usually one to two pages.
8. Family Tree (Up to 75 Points)– a family tree going as far back as you can;
almost all of you should be able to go back to your great grandparents and
beyond. This item is last because it is a good idea to put it inside the
back cover as a foldout item. Typed trees are required and you can find
family tree templates online. Be sure the lines (mother and father
sides) are clear. It is a good idea to give the full name of the relative,
the date and place of birth, and the year of death, if applicable. Some
students have turned in family trees that are close to a hundred pages in
length – if your family has one, go for it, but be sure it is up to date. Most
family trees are more modest, but put some effort in to it.
***USE ANCESTRY.COM TO DISCOVER YOUR FAMILY TREE!! OTHER
RESOURCES ARE FINE…. JUST BE SURE THEY’RE ACCURATE.
***YOU MAY USE PHOTOSHOP OR OTHER SOFTWARE TO CREATE A
TREE WITH PHOTOS, ETC. IN IT.
9. Works Cited & Citations (Up to 15 Points)—Your work must be cited
throughout the entire project using MLA format, and your paper must
contain a Works Cited Page using MLA format.
The following items need to be appropriately placed in the main segments
of the FHP listed above.
·
Pictures – these and other visuals may be placed throughout the book, but
take care to put them in relevant locations. For example, pictures of you are
best placed in your autobiography; group pictures belong in the intro; pictures of
grandparents belong with their biographies, etc. Required: put at least one fairly
large family picture in your introduction (two work well if one is a picture of your
nuclear family and another is of (or includes) your extended family. Captions:
many pictures need some explanation, including identification of people and
places or things. Some students have ‘picture pages’ in various places; this is
fine as long as they are appropriately located and identifiable. Tips: do not
overdo it; a healthy number of pictures is fine, but remember, this is not just a
scrapbook or photo album, the FHP is an historical document. Pictures cannot
be a substitute for the written requirements of the project.
·
Jokes and Anecdotes – these should be interspersed throughout the book.
Spice things up! Have you been caught with your hand in the cookie jar? Is/was
anyone a maverick or ‘black sheep?’ All of us have been a ‘Calvin’ with a stuffed
tiger named Hobbes at some time.
-
Prepare a list of interview questions. Important questions include: What is your full name?
- When and where were you
married?
When and where were you born?
- What is your spouse's full name
Who were your brothers and
and birth information?
sisters?
- What are your parents' full names?
When and where were they born?
Whom did they marry?
- When and where were they born?
Are they still living? (Get
- When and where did they marry?
addresses.)
- When and where were did they
How did you meet your spouse?
die?
- Where are they buried?
Important Dates for The Family History Project
Each of these deadlines represents a separate 50 point grade. In total, this project is worth
500 Points!
-
November 8, 2013—Rough Draft of Autobiography Due
-
November 15, 2013—Rough Drafts at least 3 Relative
Biographies Due
-
November 22, 2013—Rough Drafts of Historical
Memories, Conclusion & Immigration Due
-
December 1, 2013—Final Projects Due.
parts of the assignment.
Must include all