Individuals Activities

I7-01: Know, Preserve, and Record Your Family History
Reap the rewards for doing family history work and spread the joy! Benefits include strengthening core identity, connection to others, compassion and resilience. Read more in the blog post Why We Need Family History Now More Than Ever.

I7-02: Family History on the Go with Free Apps for Mobile Phones
Check out these two FamilySearch apps: Family Tree and Memories. Try the free Findmypast app and free apps for Ancestry and MyHeritage. Enjoy doing family history anywhere!

*I7-03: Track Your Progress
Track your progress through The Family History Guide using the Online Tracker. This easy-to-use Tracker is included for each Project in Family Search, Ancestry, My Heritage, and Findmypast. Look for the Online Tracker in the top menu, and learn more about it here.

I7-04: Combine the Countries Page of The Family History Guide with Google Earth
Learn and have fun exploring the world! You can even learn to create interactive family history stories (see Google Earth for Beginners). Also see this example from Lisa Louise Cooke. Add Kinmapping (see activity F7-03) for more fun! See this blog post for additional details.

*I7-05: Using the FamilySearch Fan Chart
Fan charts are a visual way to display your family tree and to find what is recorded about your ancestors and which ones need more information. Check out the new fan chart options on FamilySearch with an overview of up to 7 generations. When you choose a display option, the fan chart is color-coded according to how many of that particular item (sources, stories, or photos) each ancestor has. You can also view the countries where your ancestors were born. It's simple to create and print a free FamilySearch fan chart. Find instructions here. On the TreeSeek site, you can use your FamilySearch account or upload a GEDCOM file of your family tree and print it in many varieties, for free. Hang one on your wall! See this blog post for more details.

I7-06: Blog About Your Family History
Learn how and why in this FamilySearch Article, and find more tips here. You can use your blog to publish your research results or publish your dead ends. As others search the web for their ancestors, they can find your results and your questions.

I7-07: DNA Testing
See The Family History Guide for step-by-step suggestions (Project 8 for FamilySearch, Project 7 for Ancestry, and Project 7 for MyHeritage). The modern trend to discover the past and further family history research using this incredible new technology is an idea whose time has definitely arrived! See this blog post for more information.

I7-08: Discover Your International Heritage
Pedigree Pie offers a single, easy-to-read chart for your ancestor locations. Trace your family’s path through history!

I7-09: Use Find A Grave for Android
This is a free app provided by Ancestry. It allows users to search more than 100 million graves from cemeteries around the world. You can request headstone photos or upload your own and share them for others to view. The app contains millions of photos with memorials and bios, a meaningful resource for many. Find A Grave can be found on the Google Play Store by searching for "Find a Grave" or by clicking the Find A Grave app page.

I7-10: Use RootsMagic
Share information online and create maps of where your family members have lived. This is a software package that provides organization tools for your family tree and family history. As you search for family records, RootsMagic will connect with FamilySearch and MyHeritage to find up-to-date information on your ancestors. You can document what you find and even print out detailed sheets of information and more. The free software can be found at the RootsMagic Essentials page.

*I7-11: Discover Your Ancestor's Occupations on FamilySearch
Sign in to FamilySearch using this link, where you can learn more about the occupations of your ancestors.

*I7-12: Indexing Scavenger Hunt
If possible, get together with your family and/or friends for an indexing activity. Select the type of record you will all index. Decide some unusual items you want to look for as you index. As you index, each of you keep track of the items you find. At a predetermined time, share and compare answers. You may want to give a small award to the individual with the most answers or the most unusual answer.

Sample items--Have fun making up your own depending on the records you are indexing.

• Unusual birth place
• Name with a "z" in it
• Name with a "q" in it
• Unusual occupation
• Twins or multiple births
• Youngest bride
• Oldest Groom

*I7-13: Plotting a Map
On a Person page for one of your ancestors in FamilySearch, find "Time Line" below the Name header. Click on "Time Line." You will see your ancestor's information formatted in a timeline with a map of those events to the right. (You may need to click on "Map" if the map is not currently appearing. For more information on navigating the "Time Line" menu, see Family Tree Person Page Update | FamilySearch. You can also see eight historical events on your ancestor's timeline to see what they may have been experiencing at the time. Read Timeline and Map in Family Tree for more information on using the map feature.