Uncovering Your Family History
Researching a family history can take a few days, or a few years. Some people are happy to hear just about the family members they know. Others get so interested in their ancestors that they continue searching and recording for decades and more.
Because this lesson focuses less on deep family research and more on ways to present the facts and stories you do uncover, take a look at the steps listed on the right side of this page, and print out the family tree (link below), which allows for four generations of family research. If you don’t have access to more than your roots and those of the generation above you, that’s fine as well. Just be sure to gather as many mementos, photos, and stories as you can, so you have enough materials to put together your digital project.
Family Chart (39.6 KB)
Here is a basic process to follow:
- Collect family photos and mementos and think of questions to ask about them.
- Interview your relatives—parents, siblings, aunts and uncles. What are their favorite stories?
- Fill out a family chart—there's a link to a word document above.
- Focus on a family member or story you want to know more about
- Search the internet for records. Census, Vital Records, Newspapers, Cemeteries, Naturalization Records
- Gather and organize your research.
