GETTING STARTED- EPISODE ONE

Beginning a family history search is easy and fun. You can begin today, right in your own home, by picking up a pencil and filling in information on the pedigree chart found on pages 8-9 of this guide. In Episode One you’ll learn why successful research means starting with yourself and working back one generation at a time. The names on your pedigree chart that carry you into the past are your ancestors: your parents, your parents’ parents, and so on.

Tips

• Begin with a pedigree chart like the one in this guide. It will be a road map for your family history search.
• Start with yourself and what you already know about your parents and grandparents.
• Work back one generation at a time, from the known to the unknown.
• Be as complete as possible when you record information.
• Be consistent in the way you write names, dates and places on your pedigree chart and other forms.

Suggested Activities

Create your own four generation pedigree chart. Download and print the sample chart available on this site and fill in the information about yourself. From memory, begin to fill in information on the lines indicating your father, your mother, your grandparents, and so on. Create a research log to keep track of the family history information you find. On your research log, include the name of the ancestor you are researching, the information you find, and the sources. Using a research log will help you remember what records you have searched and what information you have found.

Next Page | Back to Introduction