Introduction to Genealogy: A Short Course for Beginners @ Franck C. Arganbright Genealogy Center

In this class we will learn the basic language and elements of doing genealogy, developing a family tree, investigating one’s family history, and using online resources, as well as those resources which might be available in the Arganbright Library of The Tippecanoe County Historical Association. This class is designed for beginners: people who have no or limited experience with genealogy and want to develop a family tree. We will learn about the evidence for building your tree as well as using family lore and stories as a basis for your tree. Later in the course, we can address student topics beyond this introduction, such as building a tree online or using other software and DNA evidence. Initially, you will be given a pedigree chart that you will complete on your own before the first class. This will require only basic information about your parents, grandparents, and possibly great-grandparents. Fill it out with whatever information you have or can get from other living relatives. No computer will be required for this assignment. You should complete it by hand and bring it to the first class. You do not have to have ancestors who lived in Tippecanoe County, IN to benefit from this course. All information you bring to class about your family is considered confidential and should not be shared outside of class.

A Cautionary note: If your family recently immigrated to the U.S. and/or you were adopted and you are looking for your biological family, this course will be less useful to you. As an introductory course, we will necessarily be limited to focusing on families where records are available in the U.S. Adoption records are also more difficult to find, and we will not discuss international records in this class.