1. Preserving the Past How much do you know about your family history?

2. Most Americans can trace their families to other countries. What is your family’s “country of origin”?

3. When did your family come to the United States?

4. Has anyone in your family served in the armed forces during any of this country’s previous wars or conflicts?

5. Is there a family trade or business that you associate with your family?

6. Where did your Parents grow up? How did they meet?

7. Where did your grandparents grow up? How did they meet?

8. Is there a family home or birth place?

9. Are there family names that have been used by several generations in your family?

10. Is there a story behind your name? Who selected your name and why?

11. What are three family traditions that your family observes?

12. What object and what color might represent your family? Why?

13. What are some of the family heirlooms you have grown up with? Do you know the story behind them?

14. What are the things about your family that you would like to know? List at least three questions?

15. Use these questions to help guide you in writing your oral history. Ask people in your family about the answers you didn’t know. You may learn some very interesting truths about your family history!

16. Credits: Photos from American memory collections at http://memory.loc. gov/ http://memory.loc. gov/