The purpose of the Family History Project is not to find your most famous (but distant) relative;  it is to give you an opportunity to hear the stories of your ancestors and to share these stories with your classmates.  What was their contribution to History (American or otherwise)?  After you discover these stories, you'll choose your favorite ones and then write a multigenre paper. 

A Springboard: 

How have your ancestors either played a role in history or how has history played a role in the lives of your ancestors?  In addition to your family members who have immigrated, how has your family influenced history by participating in a war, inventing a product, joining a movement?  And, how has your family been influenced by history by watching the first moon landing, witnessing the Kent State Shootings, surviving the Great Depression. . .

The Process: 

1)  Talk to your parents and grandparents and see which stories about your family seem most interesting to you.  They'll probably recall fascinating incidents about your aunts and uncles and even their grandparents.  They may even suggest a relative who knows all about your "family tree".  (It isn't necessary to know anything about your family tree for this project.  But, if someone does, he or she will probably have useful information.) 

2)  Choose the four stories that you think are the most relevant or interesting.  (Make sure that they're tied to history or a societal pattern in some way.)  You can call or email your relatives to interview them.  It's fine if you just interview your own parents too.  It's cool if you set aside some time to meet with your grandparents too. 

3)  Decide which genre is most applicable to each story.  Each month, you will submit a draft of one genre to help you stay focused on the project.  (List of possible genres.) 

4)  Although your stories are disparate, near the end of your project you will need to figure out a thread to connect the various genres.  Two possibilities for connecting your genres are a structure and a repetend. 

5) Finalize your project.  Write your Works Consulted page.   Create a Reflection, addressing any patterns that you noticed in your family, your family's defining moments, or your family's influence on history, etc. 

Minimum Requirements: