In 2001, our Stake wanted the Youth to focus more on Family History. They are continuing this into 2002. Here are some ideas I was asked to gather for our Youth Conference this year.
Select a person from history for each team. For this historical person, create clues that incorporate ways we can research our ancestors. You can use limericks, word scrambles and “personal” items as clues. Have the youth utilize the Stake Family History Center and FamilySearch.com to find some of the answers to their puzzles. “Personal” items can be used to get a story or other point across about the history of the historical figure – for instance, a shoe (or copy of one) can tell a researcher where the person came from and the era. Copies of documents can also give clues to the date of birth, location and family information.
After each team has researched and located their person, have the groups present what they have found, and explain how they feel about the person they have just researched.
“My Family Tree” – Competition
A few weeks (or months) before the activity, announce that you are having a competition to see who can come up with the best representation of their family tree. Projects can be 3-dimensional, drawn, scrapbooks, etc. Be open to all entries! Display all entries at the activity.
The goal of this competition is to encourage the youth to research their family in depth, and to add to their own personal testimonies of Redeeming the Dead. It is totally VOLUNTARY to enter the competition, youth should not feel pressured to enter.
Criteria
“Family Time Line” – Activity
Have the youth interview family members to learn about important events that happened in their families. Have them use this information to create a timeline using butcher paper (cut into sections 6 feet long and 1 foot wide), markers and any photos they wish to bring (better use copies!).
This can also be done as a personal history timeline. Instead of interviewing family members, have the youth talk with their parents to find out more information about what has happened to them and in history since the year they were born. Events can include, walking, first day of school, baptism, presidential elections, personal experiences, etc.
“Cookin’ Up Your Genes” – Family Recipe compilation and dinner
Have the youth bring in copies of their favorite family recipes, and compile them into a cookbook. Parents of the youth can bring in samples of the recipes, and talk about where they came from. Make the combined dinner one night a Family History potluck, and invite the youth to bring in a favorite recipe to share for the dinner.
If the youth don’t want to bring recipes for the cookbook, have them write down one of their family traditions for the book. You never know, someone may adopt your family tradition and start it in their own family!
“Where Did I Come From, and How Did I Get Here?” – Presentation/Activity
Option #1 - Have returned-missionaries display items of interest they collected from their missions. Whether the missionary served abroad or in the U.S., someone is bound to have roots elsewhere! Have the youth find out (through the Family History Center or FamilySearch.com) where their ancestors came from (through family names, if necessary) and discuss ways that people emigrated to the United States from other countries, and how many people ended up in Utah. You can have a speaker talk about the Ellis Island Project online, and how to research passenger lists, etc.
Option #2 - To make it more “real”, split the youth into groups and have them “emigrate” to the United States. Make different rooms in the church building different countries. Have someone in each room to describe life and traditions in that country.
Each youth will draw a country from a hat, or, based on their last name, be assigned to a country. After learning about the country, they will depart for the United States. Some groups will have to travel to England first to get on another boat, etc. The route of the journey should take the group to different areas (or rooms) where they will have to go through different experiences. Some will have to turn back because of weather or lack of provisions, others will have family members die, some groups won’t be allowed to understand the crew of the ship.
Eventually, each group will arrive at the port of New York (have a paper cutout of the Statue of Liberty on the cultural hall door) and enter Ellis Island. Some will have their names changed, some will pick up to travel again, and others will stay in New York.
After they have been through “customs”, you can talk about the way we find out how our ancestors arrived in this country, and the Ellis Island Project.
Family History Journal Jars
Cut each sheet of questions into strips, so each question is its own strip. Each day, pull out a question from the jar, and write about it in your journal. You can also use it as an interview tool, and ask the questions to family members and record their answers for future generations.
Get the list HERE
Graveyard Visits
Visit a local graveyard with the youth to do tombstone rubbings. At different gravesites, have someone to portray the person buried there. Have the individual (actor) dressed in period dress, and ready to answer questions from the youth about the deceased’s life and how they lived. Be sure to get permission from the graveyard owners before the activity.
You can also do a little research beforehand and see if any of the youth are descendents of the people being portrayed, and let them know who they are. Sometimes, the youth will be distantly related to each other, and won’t even know it!
If you cannot have the individuals there that are portraying the deceased, have the youth bring their rubbings back, and display them. The actors can come out and “find” their headstone, then continue as above.
“Find My Name” – Maze
Set up a maze of chairs or hay bales with a question and answers at each turn. Each team or person is given a sheet with information about an ancestor on it. The answers to the questions are in arrows pointing in different directions. If they make all of the right choices, they make it out of the maze with the person’s name and information ready for ordinance work. If they make wrong choices, they get lost.
“15 Minutes of Fame” – Ice Breaker
Put a name of a famous person on everyone's back. Asking only yes and no questions each person tries to figure out the name. You are only allowed to ask each person one question and it has to be a “yes” or “no” question. This is a great way to get people to talk to new people.
Afterwards, ask the youth what questions they asked to find out who they were. Questions will range from, “Am I a man or a woman?” to “Do I have brown hair?”. Let the youth know that these are many of the same questions that people ask when they are researching their families.
“I Love You A-Z” – Activity
Have the youth bring in pictures of a family member they truly admire and love. Get small 4x6 photo albums (Dollar Store or Wal-Mart) for each participant, plain and colored paper. Supply markers, glue, scissors, stickers and any other decorative items you want. Cut paper into fourths. The plain paper is for the letters, and the color paper is for the photos.
On the plain paper, write a letter of the alphabet, and a reason why you love or admire that person. For example: “A” is for teaching me the Alphabet. On one of the colored papers, glue a picture of the person and something that has to do with the saying. In this case, a picture of the person surrounded by the letters of the alphabet. Decorate the pages as you’d like using the materials provided.
Continue this until you have a page for each letter of the alphabet.
Make a title page (for example: “Why I Love My Dad”) and slide into the front pocket. Then, place the letters (in order) and corresponding pictures into the album so you can see the letter on the left and the picture on the right.
You may need to trim the paper a little bit
to get it to fit easily into the album