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== Introduction == | See also: | ||
*[https://www.byutv.org/player/172a35b3-3e43-4f9c-b90e-79e593d26360/ancestors-writing-a-family-history?listid=4fe0fee5-0d3c-4a29-b725-e4948627f472&listindex=2&q=%22family%20history%22 Ancestors Season 2: Writing a Family History] - video | |||
*[https://media.familysearch.org/new-years-resolution-write-your-life-story-52stories/ New Year's Resolution: Write Your Life Story #52Stories] - FamilySearch blog article | |||
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== Introduction [[Image:Happy Family.jpg|thumb|left|152x152px|Happy Family.jpg]] == | |||
This lesson will help you explore some of the ways to preserve your unique family heritage. | This lesson will help you explore some of the ways to preserve your unique family heritage. | ||
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*A record of your family with you as a parent, containing recollections of your children and your other descendants. | *A record of your family with you as a parent, containing recollections of your children and your other descendants. | ||
*A written history of an ancestor containing several generations of family information going back in time. | *A written history of an ancestor containing several generations of family information going back in time. | ||
* | *An ancestral family history with a chapter for the couple you start with and additional chapters for each descendant family. | ||
*A collection of family traditions and their origins. | *A collection of family traditions and their origins. | ||
*Newsletters. | *Newsletters. | ||
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*Do you want to focus on one family in a geographic location? | *Do you want to focus on one family in a geographic location? | ||
{| | {| width="500" border="1" align="right" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="5" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| valign="middle" | | valign="middle" bgcolor="#ffff99" align="left" | '''Expert Tip:''' If you plan to make your family history available to other family members, begin now to compile a mailing list of relatives and friends who may be interested in owning a copy or who may be interested in contributing to the project. | ||
interested in contributing to the project. | |||
|} | |} | ||
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*Fictional histories (histories based on factual names and places but woven around events and experiences that may not have actually happened to your ancestors) are very popular. They can be fun to read. Family histories, however, are not the place for fictional accounts. | *Fictional histories (histories based on factual names and places but woven around events and experiences that may not have actually happened to your ancestors) are very popular. They can be fun to read. Family histories, however, are not the place for fictional accounts. | ||
{| | {| width="500" border="1" align="right" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="5" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| valign="middle" | | valign="middle" bgcolor="#ffff99" align="left" | '''Expert Tip:''' If you are a genealogist, you will know the importance of documentation. When you create a family history, documentation is also important. You can use footnotes or endnotes to document the sources of your information. Some people find notes located at the end of the chapter less distracting than notes located at the bottom of a page. These chapter end notes are also easier for you since you can add extra end notes without disrupting page layout and format. An easy alternative is to include short parenthetical notes in the text, with a “Works Cited” section at the end of the book for more extensive information. If you use a computer to write your history remember to save and back up your work often. | ||
|} | |} | ||
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**Stories and accounts about the family or individuals. | **Stories and accounts about the family or individuals. | ||
**Photographs and illustrations that document events. | **Photographs and illustrations that document events. | ||
**Additional documents that supplement your stories. | **Additional documents that supplement your stories. | ||
*Discuss sensitive material with anyone you think may be concerned or affected by the material before you include it in your writing. | *Discuss sensitive material with anyone you think may be concerned or affected by the material before you include it in your writing. | ||
*Tell the truth, but don’t be offensive or defensive. | *Tell the truth, but don’t be offensive or defensive. | ||
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**What was your ancestor’s profession? What was it like to have the job he had? | **What was your ancestor’s profession? What was it like to have the job he had? | ||
**What was an average day like in his profession or trade at that same time? | **What was an average day like in his profession or trade at that same time? | ||
**Did your ancestor have to contend with hostile neighbors? Did they | **Did your ancestor have to contend with hostile neighbors? Did they find neighbors who were helpful and supportive in times of need? | ||
**How did your ancestor celebrate holidays and special events? | **How did your ancestor celebrate holidays and special events? | ||
**Would your ancestors have used a particular dialect? If they emigrated to a new location in their lifetime, how did they adjust to their new culture? | **Would your ancestors have used a particular dialect? If they emigrated to a new location in their lifetime, how did they adjust to their new culture? | ||
**How did your ancestors deal with disasters that happened during their lifetimes (economic difficulties, epidemics, clashes in cultures, floods, droughts, and so on). | **How did your ancestors deal with disasters that happened during their lifetimes (economic difficulties, epidemics, clashes in cultures, floods, droughts, and so on). | ||
*The less you know about your ancestors, the more you will have to use general historical information about their place and time to put them into historical perspective. | *The less you know about your ancestors, the more you will have to use general historical information about their place and time to put them into historical perspective. | ||
*Don’t let your writing become a list of dates and places. Include stories and background information to bring dates and places to life. | *Don’t let your writing become a list of dates and places. Include stories and background information to bring dates and places to life. | ||
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*Write a chapter; leave it for a few days, and then go back to it. Does it makes sense? Is it interesting as you review it? | *Write a chapter; leave it for a few days, and then go back to it. Does it makes sense? Is it interesting as you review it? | ||
{| | {| width="500" border="1" align="right" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="5" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| valign="middle" | | valign="middle" bgcolor="#ffff99" align="left" | '''Expert Tip:''' If you use a computer to write your history, remember to back up your work often. After all your hard work and effort, it would be very frustrating to lose the information because of a computer failure. | ||
|} | |} | ||
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== Resources == | == Resources == | ||
''' | '''Websites''' | ||
[http://www.genealogy.com/sharing_research.html | *[http://www.genealogy.com/sharing_research.html A selection of resources for writing family histories.] | ||
*[http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/columns/compass/7004.asp A guide for writing family histories.] | |||
*[http://www.hhs.gov/familyhistory/ This surgeon general’s Web site helps build the health histories of family members and ancestors.] | |||
'''Books''' | '''Books''' | ||
*How to Write Your Personal and Family | *''How to Write Your Personal and Family History''—a resource manual by Keith E. Banks. General resource for personal and family history writing. | ||
*Writing Family Histories and Memoirs by Kirk Polking. An outline of why and how to write different types of family histories, with brief information on basic research. | *''Writing Family Histories and Memoirs'' by Kirk Polking. An outline of why and how to write different types of family histories, with brief information on basic research. | ||
*Scrapbooking Your Family History by Maureen A Taylor. Organizing and preserving materials for family history based on memory books. | *''Scrapbooking Your Family History'' by Maureen A Taylor. Organizing and preserving materials for family history based on memory books. | ||
*Writing Up Your Family History by John Titford. Information on preparing, writing, and publishing your family history. | *''Writing Up Your Family History'' by John Titford. Information on preparing, writing, and publishing your family history. | ||
*You Can Write Your Family History by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack. Guide to writing your family history. | *''You Can Write Your Family History'' by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack. Guide to writing your family history. | ||
== Ideas for Teachers == | == Ideas for Teachers == | ||
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*Have the students who desire, exchange stories. Give them time to read the stories and then have the class members discuss the stories and ask questions about them for enrichment and clarification. | *Have the students who desire, exchange stories. Give them time to read the stories and then have the class members discuss the stories and ask questions about them for enrichment and clarification. | ||
*Have students discuss whether they want to change or modify the focus of their family history project after their work so far. | *Have students discuss whether they want to change or modify the focus of their family history project after their work so far. | ||
*Review the list of | *Review the list of Websites and books. | ||
*You may want to invite and encourage students to set a goal for when they will complete their personal history | *You may want to invite and encourage students to set a goal for when they will complete their personal history | ||
==See also== | |||
[[What to do with the genealogy and family history I collected]] | |||
[[Category:New to Genealogy]] | |||
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