My Family History

In this essay, you will be spending some time researching information about your family, your family tree, and how your ancestors came to America. Once this information is gathered, you will write about your family history.

Some important things to remember as you begin to work on your report:
• Before you prewrite, collect all of the important information about your family that you can. This will make prewriting much easier.
• In prewriting, be sure to include enough details to tell who, what where, when and why.
• In writing your rough draft, remember to write paragraphs that are well developed. These contain a topic sentence, several supporting sentences with detail, and a conclusion.

Planning you Essay:
Paragraph 1: Write a catchy lead that catches the readers' attention. Use an interesting or surprising fact (maybe the origins of your last name), or a vivid description to describe a family tradition or story.

Paragraph 2: Describe your ancestors. Who were they? In what country did they live before immigrating to the United States? What was life like for them in this country?

Paragraph 3: Describe how, when and why your ancestors came to this country. How did they travel here? When? Why (persecution, better opportunities, etc.) did they come to America?

Paragraphs 4: Tell a story or a tradition that has been told about your family. Describe some of the interesting artifacts your family still has which have been passed through the generations.

Paragraph 5: Conclusion: Conclude your story by describing your own feelings about your family history. What does your family mean to you?

Family History Questionnaire
Directions: Use this questionnaire to interview people in your family who can give you details about your family's history. Begin with your parents, and if possible, contact older relatives (grandparents, great aunts and uncles, etc).

* Surname Information:
* Your last name:
* Your mother's maiden name:
* Your grandmothers' maiden names:Coming to America:
* List the names of the countries from which your ancestors originated:
* What are the names of ancestors who first immigrated to America?
* When did they arrive in America?
* How did they travel?
* Why did your ancestors come to America?Family Heirlooms:
* Learning about your family's history includes looking at objects, which have been passed down through the generations. Do you have old photos, clothing, letters, or other heirlooms?
* Describe these Heirlooms in detail and discuss their significance.