This is a self-study class Course Description It can be said that any individual is the sum of their heritage, their knowledge, and their experiences. Unfortunately, the aspect overlooked by most people is their heritage. Remedy that by learning how to get started researching your own family tree in this course. Topics will include:
- Using the Internet for research
- Using your local library for research
- Recordkeeping
- Genealogical software
- Census research In this class you will learn to explore your family history, and to document it for present and future generations. If you're like me, you'll find tracing your family tree to be exciting, rewarding, fulfilling, and sometimes a little bit frustrating. I know my family history as far back as five of my 10th-great grandparents, one of whom was born in Frederickstad, Denmark in 1595, a mere 103 years after Columbus sailed!
As for my experience, I am a "weekend genealogist", and have been researching my history off and on for over 20 years. Believe me when I tell you that the Internet has made a world of difference! It's not the be-all and end-all of genealogical research that some might have you believe, and part of our coursework will cover trips to real, live libraries, courthouses, and cemeteries, but it is a vast help in getting started.
Will I tell you anything about some of my relatives? Sure! One of my ancestors surveyed land with George Washington, and another was a P.O.W. in the American Revolution and would have starved if not for the generosity of other prisoners sharing their food with him. A 4th cousin five times removed was a (not very competent) General in the War of the Northern Aggression (as we Southerners like to call the American Civil War). Family rumor has it that another of my ancestors had to leave Alabama in a hurry because of a horse-thieving charge, and that's how he and his family ended up in Mississippi. And you are being instructed in this course by none other than a former 6th cousin by marriage to both pop star Michael Jackson and movie star Nicolas Cage. From that information, can you figure out the common denominator that makes us former cousins-in-law?
This is a self-study, online course. If you need additional help understanding the material presented, you can communicate with fellow classmates. LVS Online offers many wonderful learning tools to help you get the most out of your online course, including an online portfolio service that manages all your course registrations, a class discussion board to interact with fellow classmates, free hosting account, and a student upload area.
LVS is a Corel Training Partner. LVS students may purchase Corel products at a significant savings. Follow this link for details.
LVS students are also eligible take advantage of special offers made available by famous software developers such as Andromeda, AV Bros, Extensis, Harry Heim, namesuppressed, Nik Multimedia, and Ulead. Details are provided in the classinfo link found in the confirmation of registration.
If you would like to receive more information regarding this course, click on the "Contact Us" link in the Information section and we'll try to answer any of your questions within the day.
Course Requirements Students should have a 3-ring binder with at least 5 tab dividers, loose leaf paper, and a free subscription to Ancestry.com.
A working knowledge of your computer is essential: Free Windows Class Here
Course Prerequisites
- None
Course Syllabus Lesson 1
- Your research notebook
- Using genealogical forms
- Understanding basic relationships
- Genealogical software
Lesson 2
- Basic online research
Lesson 3
- Basic online research (continued)
- Using your local library for research
- Using the LDS Family History Center near you
- Researcher's etiquette
Lesson 4
- Using the Federal Census
- Research at the courthouse
- Research at the cemetery
Lesson 5
- Civil War research
- Working with old photographs
Lesson 6
- Documenting family heirlooms
- Researching newspaper clippings
- Expanding your research
Course Excerpt LESSON 1
Everybody loves a nut,
The whole world loves a weirdo.
Brains are in a rut, but
Everybody loves a nut.
~Johnny Cash, circa 1966~
Getting Started
First, let's see what's required for this course.
- Parents and assorted other relatives (not just to be related to, but to help jump-start your research by providing a family history)
- A desire to piece together your family history
- A computer and genealogical software of your choice
- Internet access (of course!)
- A notebook with tab dividers for holding printed copies of your research, charts, and forms
- Visits to your local library, courthouses, graveyards, etc.
Note: This is not actually a computer course, per se. It's a course on how to research your family tree. I will expose you to a few different genealogical programs you might choose to evaluate and use, or feel free to use any program you might already have installed on your computer and are currently using.
Your Notebook
To begin with, a notebook to hold your research is absolutely imperative. Even if you use a computer to store your records and information, you'll want to print that information out to take with you when you visit the library, a family reunion, or your Great-Aunt Mabel - you know, the one with the snuff-stained mustache.
Genealogical notebookYour notebook should be no smaller than a 1
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