Introduction

Introducing young people to the exciting world of family history research is a wonderful way to make history come alive for them and at the same time help them develop valuable research skills that will enable them to succeed as they progress from elementary school to graduate school. It is also a way for parents to become involved by giving youngsters ideas and research strategies and helping them discover previously unknown facts about their families, or document things already known by other family members who just haven't had the time or inclination to put them down on paper. Discovering new things together can be a rewarding experience for both parents and children. As is often true for most journeys, the important thing is not just arriving at the destination; getting there is but half the reward.

Being able to combine learning necessary skills with the thrill of being a detective makes a family history project a worthwhile school assignment. Following are eight ways that conducting genealogical research can benefit your students.

1

It's been said that an elderly person dying without sharing his life experience is like a book being allowed to be lost. How many times have we heard people say, "I wish I'd asked Grandma about that when I was growing up!" and "It's a shame we didn't think about these things when Great-Aunt Grace was alive". Asking historical questions at an early age allows the student to get answers to important questions while older relatives are still living. These people may be the only source of information about other family members, places, or events.

2

Memorizing names, dates, and places can be pretty dry stuff, even for adults. These are the "bare bones" essentials every genealogist needs. It's one thing to read about the Battle of Shiloh, but a new perspective is gained when a student learns that Great-Grandfather actually fought in that battle; that someone in his unit wrote a regimental history of that unit; that Great-Grandfather got a pension for his service; and that a cousin somewhere has a picture of Great-Grandfather in his Civil War uniform.

3

Personalizing history, giving students a stake in their past, gives them a sense of time and place. They can see themselves as being a part of something larger than themselves, an important link in a very long chain, a connection to their recent and distant past.

4

Genealogical research is a continuous process. The longer it's done, the better the perspective can be gained concerning the events that shaped our ancestors' lives. Life on the frontier, whether is was Jamestown in 1607, Kentucky in 1797, or Texas in 1867, was very different from life as we know it today. Reading a diary or an autobiography may help young people understand why and how people lived and thought they way they did, and that maybe their ancestors carried on in a similar fashion.

5

Genealogical research presents the opportunity to determine whether family stories are really true by learning to distinguish fact from belief. Facts can be proven, and there may be a kernel of truth in The Family Story. Sound genealogical research techniques can be used to help students learn how to discover what is provable and how to go about proving or disproving something.

6

Students researching their family histories should know that primary sources, where available, are considered the most reliable because they were generated by someone who was in a position to know the facts about an event at the time it occurred. Something is more likely to be believed as true if it was reported by someone who was present at the event.

7

The motto of one regional genealogical society is, "There Is No Truth Without Proof". As students progress through school, they will be expected, in their exams and research papers, to be able to back up statements with facts and say where they found those facts. Sound genealogical research demands the same degree of accuracy. Proper documentation teaches students to make sure their work is trustworthy and reliable, and that anyone later on can easily locate a particular cited source.

8

Avoiding plagiarism is as important in genealogical research as it is in any type of writing. Students need to learn early on that proper documentation of research findings involves properly identifying the sources of their information and not passing off someone else's work as their own.

Genealogical projects can be challenging, fulfilling, and exciting journeys of self-discovery. Students may become very involved in this process and continue it long after the school project is "completed." We hope they will have learned valuable research skills along the way that will continue to serve them long after graduation.