Genealogy Chat

I have opened this on the generals board if any one would help me please! Hi everyone, I am preparing to do a 30 minute micro teach subject is intro to family history! I would value your opinions on what should be covered. If you were brand new to the subject what would you like to be taught or explained in 30 minutes! I have never delivered this subject before, although this is a subject close to my heart! Any suggestions welcome! Thank you in advance for all those tips! I am also reading through the Newbies posts on here! Please nudge any good ones you know of!

It would lead to an Introductionary (grass roots) level to Family History or a same level to Family History on the internet. Their choice!

to what age group? Face to face or on line as a one off or as a regular thing

Thanks! It would be for adult learners (19+), face to face, as a one off to build up a group to take a intro course!

what course is it leading to? This is Micro teach on RESEARCHING family history I suppose?

Sorry yes an overview of Family History, how to start, the pure the basics of research.

make sure you dont under play the costs, for a start - it isnt a cheap hobby, or the time and possible travel involved do emphasise the fun though Start with what you know and work back - dont try and jump without some form of paper confirmation

True! Majority of this group are on very low incomes. Would you recommend any money saving tips? free sites? Birth certificates - how to reduce the possibilities etc

I would explain the general difficulties faced, i.e. not all BMD data has been transcribed, that data is not all held in one place, and that details recorded about women in terms of maiden names are only from certain dates on.

Ok, there's some good points. If you were in the group and had no idea of what Family History entails except what you may have seen on tv where stars have suddenly gone right back with wonderful photographs and visits to specialist reseachers! What would you like me to do during that 30 minute sessions? Show you handouts of internet sites? Examples of cert ordering forms? Costs? Examples of census information and deciphering the writing etc! Key dates of registrations eg 1837, frequency of census? local maps to show where the boundaries have changed etc?

I would tell them about FamilySearch online - its information is free to search and it is a good starting point as it has baptisms and marriages and can sometimes save the cost of a certificate. Visits to Record Offices and LMA are also free to search. Good luck Irene

Thanks Irene! I need to make it interesting! Fun! With good incentives such as free or cost cutting ways of starting a hobby so addictive! the main objectives to this micro teach is to generate interest to develop 10 week courses to go into more depth. Hopefully long term outcome is to create a community based family history group! I will be assessed on the first one as part of my teacher training! Luck deffinately needed as I feel after 3 years of doing this research myself, we all learn from others and I am often picking up tips from others! Thanks all round really!

If they are real beginners they may need to know how to interpret information. eg. They are probably all familiar with a birth certificate. What next? How do they use that to go back in time ? Take an example of a birth cert. then explain how the parents' wedding cert. was found as a result...Show example. Explain how that is used to get back to 1901....then talk about census. When we've been doing it so many years, it's hard to think how bewildering it all seems. I think if the class can see how THEY could do the same, they'd be hooked into learning more detailed things. I remember receiving a letter in reply to one sent to a one name study researcher and thought she must be some sort of spy, she knew so much about my family ! We have to learn how to use what information is out there. Gwyn

Tell them about their local family history center...they can save you a small fortune and save you traveling half way the country visiting record offices. They have much more in their library/catalogue than what is transcribed on their site www.familysearch.org. They even have the burnt files WO363 range for WW1 soldiers....certainly saves a visit to the national archives in Kew if you live too far away. Most films can be ordered in for a few pounds, a fantastic resource that is very much under used.

Willow - thanks for that I really appreciate everyones views! The points that are coming across really help to go back to basics myself! The community group I am working with would not be likely to go to London in the near future we are in the Coalfields are of Tyne and Wear. We have some very good local centres such as the Northumberland Family History Society, Sunderland Library holds a lot of information in their local studies unit and also Durham Records office and Clayport Library! I will be giving information on these but I have 30 minutes to capture their interest and make them keen to take it further! How can this be done! Apart from the above information on FHS etc what other information would a beginner like to see in handouts etc? Judith Gwyn, those examples are very useful! I shall certainly be incorporating those into my presentation, include them in their handouts so they can refer back to them in the future! I can ramble on for hours I have such a passion for this subject although I am the first to admit I am no expert! I find learning by experience is the best. Thanks for your views and tips!

Hi Judith, Don't forget to tell them to quiz members of the family for names, dates etc. If they are lucky enough to have grandparents or gr-grandparents still alive, get them to tell them all they know! Oh, how I wish I had started this when mine were still alive! Debs

Thanks Deb, Oh yes all those nights as a child with tales from the past off Granny how I wish I had had a notepad beside me! too true! I found that the people she spoke of ie Aunty Pan i presumed (How wrong of I!) was short for Pansy as her mother she spoke of as Daisy. They were actually called Annie and Mary Jane! Just their mother's pet names for them stuck! I MUST tell them never to PRESUME!

Thanks everyone! I am now looking through the Newbie pages and getting some good pointers from there! Any further tips helpful!