Introduction to Genealogy

The generations of living things pass in a short time, and like runners hand on the torch of life.

—Lucretius, De rerum natura


Genealogy fascinates people of all ages. For young people, it creates opportunities to practice social studies skills such as finding primary sources, using archives, evaluating secondary sources, recording oral histories, and interpreting large amounts of information. Genealogy also promotes closer relations between the generations by encouraging young people to talk with their elders about the past. Explore the basics of genealogy in this section.

What Is Genealogy?

Take a look at the word genealogy.

ge•ne•al•o•gyn., pl. -gies
[ME genealogie < OFr. < LLat. genealogia <Gk.: genea, family + -logia, -logy.]
1. A record or table of familial descent. 
2. Direct descent from an ancestor: LINEAGE.
3. The study of family histories.

The root of the word genealogy is gene. Each of us is a product of our genes, the genetic material that we inherited from our parents, grandparents, and earlier ancestors.

What can we learn from these people?

Learning about our ancestors teaches us about ourselves—who we are, whom we resemble, and in some ways, who we will become.

Will I be more than six feet tall?
Will I live 100 years or longer?
Why can’t I roll my tongue?!

Our genes do not determine our destiny. But studying our ancestors can give us an idea of what to expect. If all the men in your family for the past five generations were less than 5'5" tall, you shouldn’t plan a career in the NBA—at least, not as a player.

Genealogy is the story of our families, the people who came before us and helped make us who we are. Through records we find them; through photographs, interviews, diaries, and manuscripts, we get to know them.

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Why Should Junior Historians Do Genealogy Projects?

When we study our family histories, we learn about our ancestors’ physical traits—our shared genes. We also learn about their personalities and life experiences. We discover not only when and where our ancestors lived but also how they lived. They provide us with a direct link to the past, to history.

To learn that the Ford Motor Company introduced the Model T on October 1, 1908, is to learn a historical fact. To discover that your great-grandfather Fred owned one of the first Model Ts in the county and was known as a “reckless young man who terrorized the roads in a constant desire for greater speed and vehicular adventure” is FUN.
And it helps to explain your fascination with NASCAR.

Few of us have famous ancestors, but all of us have interesting ancestors who contributed to their communities and to society in important, meaningful ways. Learning about them through genealogical research allows us to build connections with the past and learn about ourselves in the process.

Genealogy Terms Defined

Click on the following link for a genealogy terms handout that your club members can use. Print the page and distribute copies to members. Click the Back link on your browser to return to this page.

Genealogy Definitions handout

Strategies for Success

The following link offers tips for undertaking a genealogy project. Print the page and distribute copies to members. Click the Back link on your browser to return to this page.

Genealogy Tips Handout

A Note on Parental Involvement

Discovering genealogical links requires patience and diligence. Junior historians will spend weeks working on their genealogical projects. And so will their parents. For genealogical projects, unlike other research projects, club members cannot go to the encyclopedia or Internet for information. The main source of information will be parents and older family members. 

Send the Parental Consent Form home to the parents of your club members to enlist their
support at the beginning of the project. The Form is divided into three sections. Each section requires slightly more commitment from the parents. By signing the first section of the form, parents consent to help with the project. By signing the second and third sections of the form, they permit family information to be used in club projects and on the THJHA Web site, respectively. Some parents may permit family information to be used at club meetings but may not want information included on a Web page. Have parents sign the form at the level in which they are comfortable. 

Advisers: If you are creating a Web page to receive continuing education credit, please get
parental consent before submitting the information to THJHA. 

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&Bibliography

&Nonfiction for young people:

Beller, Susan Provost. Roots for Kids: A Genealogy Guide for Young People. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Young adult reading level.

Perl, Lila. The Great Ancestor Hunt: The Fun of Finding Who You Are. New York: Clarion Books, 1989. Ages 9–12.

Styx, Sherrie A. Genealogy Just for Kids! Eugene, Oregon: Styx Enterprises, 1989. Ages 9–12.

Styx, Sherrie A. Genealogy Just for Kids! Workbook. Eugene, Oregon: Styx Enterprises, 1989. Ages 4–8.

Wolfman, Ira, and Michael Klein. Do People Grow on Family Trees?: Genealogy for Kids and Other Beginners. New York: Workman Publishing Company, 1991. Ages 9–12.

The Oryx American Family Tree Series
Oryx Press produces this series—geared for young people in grades 6–12—that focuses on the genealogy of ethnic groups. Titles in the series include

  • Brockman, Terra, and Roger Rosen. A Student's Guide to Italian American Genealogy. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1996.
  • Johnson, Anne E. A Student's Guide to British American Genealogy. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1996.
  • Kavasch, E. Barrie. A Student's Guide to Native American Genealogy. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1996.
  • McKenna, Erin, and Charles Galbraith. A Student's Guide to Irish American Genealogy. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1996.
  • Paddock, Lisa Olson. A Student's Guide to Polish American Genealogy. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1996.
  • Robl, Gregory. A Student's Guide to German American Genealogy. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1996.
  • Schleifer, Jay. A Student's Guide to Jewish American Genealogy. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1997.
  • Sokolnicki, Carl. A Student's Guide to Scandinavian American Genealogy. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1996.
    • &Fiction for young people:

    Ayres, Katherine. Family Tree. New York: Delacorte Press, 1996. Ages 9–12.

    Hearne, Betsy, and Bethanne Andersen. Seven Brave Women. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1997. Ages 4–8.

    Nixon, Joan Lowery. Search for the Shadowman. New York: Delacorte Press, 1996. Ages 9–12.

    &Nonfiction for adults:

    Carmack, Sharon Debartolo. Organizing Your Family History Search: Efficient and Effective Ways to Gather and Protect Your Genealogical Research. Cincinnati: Betterway Books, 1999.

    Croom, Emily Anne. Unpuzzling Your Past: A Basic Guide to Genealogy. Cincinnati: Betterway Books, 1995.

    Howells, Cyndi. Netting Your Ancestors. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

    Kempthorne, Charley. For All Time: A Complete Guide to Writing Your Family History. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 1996.

    Willard, Jim, Terry Willard, and Jane Wilson. Ancestors: A Beginner's Guide to Family History and Genealogy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.

    Zemelman, Steven, et al. History Comes Home: Family Stories Across the Curriculum. York, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers, 1999.

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    8General Genealogy Web Links

    The following Web sites provide general information on genealogy. Each workshop lesson includes links to sites with additional information about the topic. The sites marked with an asterisk require payment of a nominal fee before access is allowed. Other sites contain commercial advertisements and sell genealogy-related products.

    8General genealogy Web sites:

    *Ancestry.com
    http://www.ancestry.com/
    This site offers a wide range of genealogical research services—some free, some available by paid subscription—including 800 searchable databases and an on-line family tree application.

    Ancestry Corner.com
    http://www.ancestrycorner.com/
    Genealogy-related chat rooms, message boards, classifieds, event calendars, and printable forms are available on this page.

    Federation of Genealogical Societies
    http://www.fgs.org/
    Founded in 1976, this organization consists of more than 500 genealogical and historical societies, family associations, and libraries.

    The Genealogy Home Page
    http://www.genhomepage.com/guides.html
    This site offers an excellent array of genealogy Web sites.

    *Genealogy Library.com
    http://www.familytreemaker.com/glc_deny.html
    With a subscription, access a collection of more than 2,500 genealogy databases and primary resources. The company guarantees that every subscriber will find an ancestor or receive a refund.

    Journal of Online Genealogy
    http://www.onlinegenealogy.com/
    This e-zine focuses on the use of on-line resources and techniques in genealogy and family history.

    National Genealogical Society
    http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/
    This service organization, founded in 1903, leads and educates the national genealogical community. It serves over 17,000 members including individuals, families, genealogical societies, family associations, libraries, and related institutions.

    8North Carolina Genealogy Web Pages:

    Julia’s Southern States Genealogy Place: North Carolina
    http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/5387/NCAROL.HTML
    Julia Hendrix provides a comprehensive list of links to sites on North Carolina archives, counties, surnames, maps, and genealogical societies.

    North Carolina Genealogical Society
    http://www.ncgenealogy.org/
    The North Carolina Genealogical Society offers a variety of services and information on its Web site.

    North Carolina GenWeb Project
    http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncgenweb/
    This comprehensive site provides genealogical information on every county in the state.

    State Library of North Carolina: Genealogical Research in North Carolina
    http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/iss/gr/genealog.htm
    This page from the State Library describes the library’s extensive genealogical holdings and offers tips on tracking North Carolina ancestors.

    Vital Records Information: North Carolina
    http://vitalrec.com/nc.html
    This page contains information about where to obtain copies of North Carolina vital records, such as birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, and divorce decrees.

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    8Genealogy Web Links for Young People

    Ancestry.com
    http://disney.go.com/ads/sponsors/ancestry/index.html
    Disney offers this Web site, which includes tips on and tools for building a family tree, a genealogy glossary, and additional sources.

    Charts for Reference in Genealogy Research
    http://members.tripod.com/~Silvie/charts.html
    This site offers glossaries containing a wide range of simply defined genealogy, occupational, and medical terms and a comprehensive chart of wars from 1565 to 1902.

    Genealogy Instruction for Beginners, Teenagers, and Kids
    http://home.earthlink.net/~howardorjeff/instruct.htm
    This page contains genealogy tips, links, projects, definitions, charts, and a bibliography.

    Tombstone Rubbings
    http://www.amberskyline.com/treasuremaps/t_stone.html
    An accredited genealogist leads kids through making and interpreting tombstone rubbings.

    USGenWeb Kidz
    http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgwkidz/
    This site offers tips for young people researching genealogy and sponsors a forum and mailing list for children to correspond with each other on genealogy issues.

    What is Genealogy?
    http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/5283/genekids.htm
    This Web site for young people includes basics on genealogy, an example of a family tree, and links to related Web sites.

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    Genealogy Bingo: An Icebreaker

    This fun activity will get your club members thinking about genealogy, perhaps in ways new to them. Go to the Genealogy Bingo handout and print it out; copy and distribute to participating club members.

    Once the handout has been distributed and members have pencil or pen in hand, begin the game. It is best to do this fast-paced activity in an open area where members can move about easily and partner to work on answers. Each bingo square contains a description that may apply to a group of people. Members must find another member to whom a description applies and write that person’s name or initials in the appropriate square, proceeding through the bingo squares in any order. They may only use a person’s name once, and they should not include themselves, even if a description applies to them. (You may ignore this rule if you have a small club.) The member who is first to fill in four squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally yells “Bingo!” to end the game. Once you have verified that member’s answers, he or she is declared winner. Verification of answers offers an excellent opportunity to ask members about their ancestry and to encourage the telling of family stories, so be sure to call the group together for this step.

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    Introduction to Genealogy Handouts:

    Genealogy Definitions
    Genealogy Tips
    Genealogy Bingo
    Parental Consent Form

    Line bar graphic on Bingo handout courtesy of Graphics by Shawna (http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Coffeehouse/5922/index.html)
    Linebar graphic on main page by Vickimouse (http://www.vikimouse.com/)

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