7th Grade Genealogy Project
In 7th grade you will study the science of genetics, how traits are passed from one generation
to another. This study connects your life today with the history of your entire family. You are
where you are today because at some point in your family’s history somebody, somewhere
made a decision to face the unknown and survive; a decision to take a stand and not back
down; a decision to be strong and face the challenge. This project is a tribute to everyone
who has given you the opportunities you have today. Now it is your turn to face the unknown
and discover your personal history- the collection of individual choices, memories, and
traditions that influence your life today.
There are two parts to this project: a book and a family tree exhibit.
Part I- A Book
The book will be written with you as the author and it is about you and your family history. It
will have three chapters: My Story (Past, Present, and Future), My Family, and In the
Beginning. Each chapter will contain specific information as outlines in this packet. Once the
book is complete it will be spiral bound and graded according to the information and rubrics
in this packet. Neatness, organization, and creativity are major components of this project.
You will need to interview a parent, grandparent, or other family member (or all) throughout
this project.
Chapter One: My Story (Past, Present, and Future)
A. My Birth
1. Birth Date
2. Early, on time, or late
3. Where (hospital, city, state, country)
4. Your name (where did it come from; does it mean something to your family)
B. The Year of Me
1. Grammy song of the year
2. Major invention on the year
3. What toy or object every kid wanted this year
4. Fashions of the year (fashion trend)
5. Scientific or Medical discovery
6. Average income, cost of a new house, cost of a new car, cost of a loaf of
bread, cost of a gallon of milk
7. President and Vice President
8. Celebrity who shares your birth date (not year)
C. Major Milestones
1. The first time you rolled over
2. Your first word
3. When you began to walk
4. Your first day of school and where (did you cry? Did your parents cry?)
5. Swimming
6. Riding a bike
7. Your first time to the beach or on a family vacation
8. First tooth you lost (did the tooth fairy visit?)
9. First broken bone or trip to the emergency room
10. First haircut
11. First sporting event or sport’s team
12. First best friend
13. First birthday party
14. First pet
15. First theme park visit and ride
16. First movie you saw in a movie theatre
17. First Halloween costume
18. Favorite toy from when you were little
D. Hobbies and Interests
1. Sports? Instruments?
2. Clubs and extra- curricular activities?
3. Identify one activity you enjoy doing for each of the four seasons
4. The best book you have ever read and why
5. The five most frequently played songs on your iPad/ phone or music device
6. Concerts you have been to
7. Favorite movie
8. Favorite TV show
9. Favorite game (board game or app)
E. Where do you see yourself in- give a detailed, goal- oriented description for each
stage
1. 5 years
2. 10 years
3. 15 years
4. 20 years
5. 50 years
Chapter Two: My Family
A. Trace your Ancestral History to create a Family Tree Diagram
1. Choose 3-5 people to interview about the history of your family
2. 5-8 questions per interview that relate to discovering information about the
history of your family
 Interview and record the recollections and stories of living relatives
before they are lost forever…
 Ask questions that go beyond names and dates
 Pull out the stories that you will not be found in the written records
3. Include any information on how you ended up in Maryland and any special
family traditions that you celebrate or practice.
B. Family Tribute
1. Create a tribute to a family member or relative that you learned about while
completing this project
2. Examples
a. Pop-pop fought in World War II (include a history of the battles in which he
servered, pension records, discharge papers, photographs, and
information about any awards for valor or service)
b. Great- great-great Aunt Eleanor worked on the Underground Railroad
(where was her “station”, when did she work, how many slaves did she
help)
Chapter Three: In the Beginning
A. Work with the information you’ve gathered through your interviews and other
research to
1. Explain whether your ancestors came to the U.S. voluntarily or were forced here
2. Discover a town, village, country, or tribe from which your ancestors came
3. Include a map showing the continent and country from which you are
confident your ancestors migrated from
4. Create a master map of the names and locations of living relatives hometowns
5. Include a flag or symbol from the area from which your ancestors came
6. Include a description of the geography, political/ governmental system, religion,
and economic products of the area both past and present
7. Include folklore, fables, myths, tales, legends, and traditions from your ancestral
land
8. Identify the port of entry through which your ancestors arrived—include a ship
manifest or ship name if you can uncover this information
9. Include a picture of your family crest or coat of arms if you can uncover this
information
10. Include at least one (more if you can) recipe that is special to your family
ancestry
One of the most important aspects of this project is that you make significant effort to find
information and discover your heritage. It is NOT my expectation that you will be able to find
every piece of information, but remember this is a project and it will be graded. Neatness,
organization, and creativity will make or break your grade.
Part II- My family Tree
A family tree is a genealogical chart showing the ancestry, descent, and relationship of all
members of a family. You will include a family tree diagram in your book, but will also need
to create a larger family tree diagram or exhibit showing your family’s history to at least your
maternal/ paternal grandparents. Your tree can be two (2) or three (3) dimensional, but
should be no larger than 1 meter by 1 meter (approximately 3 feet by 3 feet).
Important Dates
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Information given out to all students
Friday, October 23, 2015
Parent and Student signatures for science fair guidelines DUE
Friday, November 6, 2015
Chapter 1 Letter A (rough draft)
Friday, November 20, 2015
Chapter 1 Letter B (rough draft)
Friday, December 4, 2015
Chapter 1 Letter C and D (rough draft)
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Chapter 1 Letter E (rough draft)
-andInterview Questions Due
Friday, January 22, 2016
Chapter 2 Letter A (rough draft)
Interview notes
Friday, February 12, 2016
Chapter 2 Letter B (rough draft)
Interview notes
Friday, March 11, 2016
Research day in Class
Friday, March 18, 2016
Chapter 3 Letter A (rough draft)
Friday, April 8, 2016
Front Cover and Final Copies of any/ all drafts
Monday, May 2, 2016
Family Tree Diagram or Exhibit
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Book and Family Tree Exhibition/ Science Fair
Information Log
Chapter One: My Story (Past, Present, and Future)
My Birth
Birth Date
Early, on time, or late
Where (hospital, city, state, country)
Your name (where did it come from; does it mean something to your family)
The Year of Me
Grammy song of the year
Major invention on the year
What toy or object every kid wanted this year
Fashions of the year (fashion trend)
Scientific or Medical discovery
Average income
cost of a new house
cost of a new car
cost of a loaf of bread
cost of a gallon of milk
President and Vice President
Celebrity who shares your birth date (not year)
Major Milestones
The first time you rolled over
Your first word
When you began to walk
Your first day of school and where (did you cry? Did your parents cry?)
Swimming
Riding a bike
Your first time to the beach or on a family vacation
First tooth you lost (did the tooth fairy visit?)
First broken bone or trip to the emergency room
First haircut
First sporting event or sport’s team
First best friend
First birthday party
First pet
First theme park visit and ride
First movie you saw in a movie theatre
First Halloween costume
Favorite toy from when you were little
Hobbies and Interests
Sports? Instruments?
Clubs and extra- curricular activities?
Identify one activity you enjoy doing for each of the four seasons
The best book you have ever read and why
The five most frequently played songs on your iPad/ phone or music device
Concerts you have been to
Favorite movie
Favorite TV show
Favorite game (board game or app)
Where do you see yourself in- give a detailed, goal- oriented description for each stage
5 years
10 years
15 years
20 years
50 years
Reminders
Please use both the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays, especially if you
spend time with your extended families, to work on gathering information for
this project. If you plan ahead you can complete some of your interviews
during these times.
Almost everything for this project will be generated using the computer and
should be typed. Please use TAHOMA style, 12 font for all of the typing. Except for
headings, captions, and the front cover. Colors of font and paper may vary,
but your book must be legible (i.e. - Do not use dark purple paper with black
ink).
If during your research you discover something interesting that is not included in
the description of the assignment, but would like to include it in your project
please feel free to do so. Remember, your book will be displayed for others to
read—books should have appropriate language and images. Any book with
inappropriate language or images will receive a failing grade and will not be
displayed.
You will be given a folder to keep all of your information in. Please make sure
that you keep your information organized and in a safe place. You do not
need to bring it to school every day.
Due: October 23, 2015
We have read and understand the requirements and guidelines for the genealogy project.
Student Name (please print) _____________________________________________________________
Student Signature/ Date
________________________________________________
Parent Signature/ Date
_________________________________________________
Grading Rubric
E= Exemplary Work/ Excellent (A+)
 Facts are present
 Virtually no grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors
 Work is organized and neat with a high level of creativity
 Work stands out among the rest
 Deadlines are adhered to
S= Sufficient/ Satisfactory Work (C+, B, B+, or A)
 Adequate amount of evidence of an attempt to uncover facts
 Few to infrequent grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes
 Work is average but not exemplary
 Work is organized or neat or creative
 Deadline are adhered to
I= Insufficient Work (C,D, or E)
 Little to no evidence of an attempt made to uncover facts
 Incorrect grammar, spelling, and punctuation
 Little to no organization
 Work is not neat
 Little to no creativity
 Deadline is not adhered to