Purpose

To research the history of a family and illustrate patters of human migration and cultural diffusion.

Background

A family tree is a graphic display of the generations of family members who have preceded a particular individual or individuals. You may choose to do either your own family tree or the family tree of someone else in the community, such as a friend or other relative. In order to be ready to display and discuss this family tree later during Rivers Geography, you will need to start your research as soon as possible. Make sure you allow enough time to interview family members or other people who are knowledgeable about the family. You also will be expected to seek written records, such as a printed family history, to document information about past family members.

Procedure

PART A. Making a Family Tree

1. Obtain the names of three generations of family members and their birthplaces (country, state, city), going back to great grandparents. Enter this information on the sheet provided with this activity to create a family tree. If you cannot find out all this information, include notes indicating the steps you took.
2. When you have completed your family tree, plot the birthplaces of the family members on maps of your country and the world. Use a black marker to plot the place where you (or the person whose family you researched) were born. Use a blue marker to plot the birthplaces of parents, a green marker for grandparents, and a red marker for great grandparents.
3. Answer the questions in Observations under "About the Family."

PART B. Learning about Local History

Conduct research to find out about your community, using the resources available in the classroom, school library, public library, and among individuals, as guided by your teacher. Use the information you gather to answer the rest of the questions in the Observations and Analyses and Conclusions sections of the activity. Write on a separate piece of lined paper; use complete sentences.

PART C. Displaying Local Patterns of Immigration

1. When requested by your teacher, pin map tacks (or straight pins with square of colored paper) on the designated country and world maps to represent the birthplaces of the individuals identified on the family tree you have made. Follow the colors on the legend as indicated by your teacher, such as:

   black pin--you or subject of study

   blue pins--parents

   green pins--grandparents

   red pins--great grandparents

2. Answer the Critical Thinking Questions. On your separate piece of lined paper, use complete sentences.

Observations

A. About the Family

1. When did the family you researched first move to your local community?
2. Where did the family live before they moved to your community?
3. Why did they move to your community?
4. What cultural practiced in the homes of this family can be traced back to other parts of the country or world? Describe what you know of their origin.

B. About the Community

1. When was your community first settled?
2. What country or region were the first settlers from? Where were later settlers from?
3. Does your community sponsor celebrations, customs, traditions, or holidays (other than legal holidays) that emphasize the unique character (cultural religious, occupational, or recreational) of the community and the people who live there? Explain.

Analyses and Conclusions

1. Why did people select your site for settlement? Did the location offer advantages for transportation or agriculture?
2. What role did the river, stream, or other waterway play in making the site attractive for settlement? Was the water used for transportation, as a water supply, or as a source of food? Did it help connect the site to other places or was it a barrier?
3. What role in the community does the river, stream or other waterway play at present? does it serve economic, recreational, or other needs?
4. List the human features and activities in your community that would not exist if it were not near the water.
5. Has the river, stream, or waterway been modified to serve human needs? Explain.
6. Has the physical form of the present-day community been influenced by the river, stream, or waterway? What adaptations have been made?
7. Does architecture reveal changes that can be identified with particular periods of time? With particular cultural influences? List examples, including dates of construction and styles or architecture.

Critical Thinking Questions

Answer the following questions by referring to the U.S. and world maps in your classroom on which you and your classmates have plotted the birthplaces of people from your family trees.

1. Briefly describe the patterns created by the plotted birthplaces of you and your classmates.
2. What patterns are observable from the plotted birthplaces of the different generations: parents, grandparents, and great grandparents? Are these patterns similar to the pattern for your class? Why or why not?
3. If the birthplaces of more remote generations (earlier than great grandparents) were plotted on the maps, would you expect the pattern to be similar to or different from the patterns created by the birthplaces of more recent generations? If different, in what ways? Why?
4. If the birthplaces of the next generation (your future children) were plotted, do you suppose the map would assume a similar or different pattern? Why?
5. The concept of distance decay states that the frequency of occurrence of a phenomenon tends to decrease as the distance from a central point increases. Explain why people tend to live in or near the place where they were born. What causes people to move away from their birthplaces?
6. How is your community unique? What activities or programs could be established to emphasize its unique character?

Keeping Your Journal

1. Describe any unique cultural or ethnic practices of your community or your family.
2. Select a topic presented in this activity's questions and write a more detailed or more personal entry about it in your journal.
3. Select a particular historic period and write a geographic past for your community.