Family Heritage and Timelines


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Family Heritage and Timelines
by Cindy Wiggers

Have you tried using a timeline yet? Here’s a great family project that opens the door to a variety of learning opportunities. It involves exercising and developing research skills, communication, and organization, and promotes family unity to boot. Put your family tree on a timeline.

To organize your research, use a three-ring binder or spiral notebook. Establish a section for each generation. Grandma and Grandpa are a treasure trove of information, so begin your research there. (Or choose any relative who may know family history.) In the notebook list birth dates, wedding dates, deaths, military service etc. It is helpful to leave spaces between lines to add new data as it is discovered. Record other interesting information such as family automobiles, jobs, education, schools attended, or whatever you are interested in including on your timeline. Most people can fairly easily gather information on the last three generations, but go back as far as your family interest takes you.

Take notes or tape-record all interviews. Many times questions will elicit a fascinating story or a fond experience. I think this is the most interesting part of this family heritage project. It enhances family relationships for your kids to hear the account of grandpa’s life on the farm or how relatives came over as a stowaway on a ship. Find out how your family survived the Great Depression or the Holocaust or the Flood of ’37. (Facts Plus has a great mini lesson on how to conduct an interview.)

Try to get dates (the year) of events. Ask questions such as;

How long have you lived in (city)?
Where did you live before?
How did you get there? (Born there? Moved? From where?)
What kind of transportation did you (they) use?
Where and when did you meet your spouse?
Where and when did you get married?
What are the names of your siblings, parents, their siblings, your children and when and where were they born? Who did they marry?
What do you know about (name or place)?
Do you have any pictures you can share?
Have there been any family tragedies or special events that impacted your life?

Now that you have gathered some data, list the dates in chronological order. Find pictures of the automobiles, clothing or toys of the various eras, and use whatever pictures you were able to gather from your interviews. (Old encyclopedias and magazines are good source for pictures.) Using poster board or the back of the Timeline of History write the events of your choice from your list. Leave ample space below the names of people to attach pictures of cars, houses, clothes etc of the era to get a feel for what it looked like "in their day." Try to place the pictures of the family members at about the time the pictures were taken.

Here are some helpful hints:

Have a list of questions ready before beginning the interview.
Track a family heirloom, who had it and when it was passed on.
On the timeline use 2 different colors to list events from Mom’s and Dad’s side of the family.
Make copies of the pictures and reduce size if necessary.
Attach pictures and drawings with Post–it Note Glue Stick.
Make a diagram of how you want the timeline to be organized on a separate sheet of paper before putting on the poster.
Encourage further research on places where family members lived for those students who show an interest. ( an interesting writing assignment)
Attach a map of the home country with the city highlighted or depict the route of where they moved.

One word of warning: you could get "hooked". This project may really never end if it births a hunger for knowing more about your family heritage.

Copyright 2003 - Cindy Wiggers

Related Products:

Historical Timeline Figures CD-ROM

Uncle Josh's Outline Map Book

Did you Know?

- Taken from Ultimate Geography & Timeline Guide

Geography Matters - Helping children develop a delight in learning

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