1. Assignment: My Family Story

1. Discover your family history

Talk to your parents and/or other relatives to seek answers to the following questions. If you discover you have ancestors from many different places, focus on those stories that seem most interesting to you at this time. Feel free to ask other questions as you learn more.

• Who are 'my people?'
• Where are we originally from?
• When, how and why did they come to North America? To California?
• What historical events or conditions caused them to migrate?
• How has their story affected me or made me who I am?
• What new questions do I have about my ancestors?

2. Discussion

Be prepared to share what you discovered in class. (You can skip anything that seems too private, or simply say "pass" if you'd rather not speak at this time.

3. Paper

Write a paper on what you learned about your ancestors. It should answer as many of the above questions as possible as well as any other questions that you find important.

The format requirements are fairly loose. This is your family story. You decide the best way to present it. One way to approach this assignment is to imagine that you are writing to your own great, great grand-children, whom you will never meet. What would you like them to know about their ancestors? Feel free to add a drawing of your family tree, copies of your family crest or other symbols, copies of old photos, maps, or other interesting information.

Quality over quantity! There is no length requirement. Do your best.